Hy-Safe Buzz

Workplace Safety Video Ad

2011-01-04T15:38:00.004-06:00

At times we tend to rush through safety processes at work without even thinking twice of the consequences. The following video hits home and reminds us that we all have families waiting for us at home. Here's to an excellent SAFE New Year!

Worker falls 100 ft., Recalls seeing rust on harness cable- Inspect Fall Protection Equipment

2010-12-10T14:42:00.014-06:00

Earlier this week in the Virgin Islands, Wayne Christian fell about 100 feet from a communications tower- and survived. Christian was climbing the tower to do some routine work, swapping out radios, when the cable his safety harness was attached to snapped, sending him hurtling to the gravel below.

Christian said he recalled seeing rust on the safety-harness cable before it broke, but he also said he did not know much about cables and could not say anything more about the condition of the safety cable. To read the full article click here: http://ow.ly/3nopB

It is so important to check the condition of your fall protection equipment before putting yourself in a dangerous fall hazard situation. OSHA states that "Visual inspection before each use should become routine, and also a routine inspection by a competent person." If you are unsure abour the condition of your fall protection equipment it's important that you bring it up to your immediate supervisor right away. Equipment that has signs of damage should be immediately removed from service. Damanged fall protection equipment can mean the difference between life and death.

Here is a video of a worker's view when climbing up a radio tower 1768 feet up in the air. Could you do it? Video: Stairway to Heaven

Call Hy-Safe for more information on fall protection inspections and recertifications. 800.642.0075 - info@hysafe.com

Truck Tarping Fall Protection

2010-11-10T14:17:00.004-06:00

Hy-Safe Technology offers a variety of custom Truck Tarping Fall Protection solutions. Workers should be able to safely work on trucks and trailers. Tarping trucks presents a variety of fall hazards to workers. Although the height can be as small as four feet workers can be seriously injured or even killed from a fall from a flat bed truck.

Call us today for more information 800.642.0775 info@hysafe.com

We were at NSC 2010! Were you there?

2010-10-07T11:23:00.002-05:00

Fall Protection Belt Testing Video

2010-09-24T13:08:00.005-05:00

See how dangerous it is to wear a belt as fall protection! The wrong fall protection equipment can mean the difference between life and death.

Exciting Hy-Safe News! Fall Protection Experts Collaborate In Grain Bin Fall Protection

2010-09-17T14:38:00.013-05:00

Exciting News for Hy-Safe! Hy-Safe Technology is the first turnkey fall protection provider to collaborate with a group of fall protection experts to engineer, design, and install grain bin fall protection.

Hy-Safe Technology and fall protection experts Capital Safety have partnered with GSI Group to engineer, design, and install fall protection to address the serious issue of engulfment resulting from falls in grain bins. GSI Group played a vital part in the extensive structural analysis to ensure that their manufactured tanks could fully hold designed loads and an engineered fall restraint system. Since 1972, GSI has quickly become one of the largest steel storage bin manufacturers. Capital Safety is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of fall protection.

GSI Group has partnered up with Hy-Safe Technology to perform all installations, training and service on the fall protection systems in their commercial bins (currently 105’ diameter with 25,000lb roof loading). Hy-Safe Technology offers a variety of designed engineered solutions for grain bin fall protection. Safety conscious grain employers can be assured that every Hy-Safe engineered fall protection system is OSHA compliant and meets all ANSI standards.

Standing or walking on grain is a source of hazard and endangerment. Workers must be protected from engulfment and suffocation when working in grain bins, so it is of vital importance that all grain employers install fall restraint systems. As of August 2010, OSHA adopted an emphasis program directed at grain handling facilities. This program will significantly increase the likelihood of inspection with concentrated focus on safety-related grain handling policies and procedures.

Hy-Safe Technology provides turnkey fall protection solutions through innovative design, total dedication to customer service, and a complete range of fall protection equipment. Contact Hy-Safe Technology today for more information 800.642.0775 http://www.hysafe.com/ info@hysafe.com

General Contractors: Implement an Effective Fall Protection Plan

2010-09-09T13:32:00.004-05:00

Check out our guest blog "General Contractors: Implementing an Effective Fall Protection Plan" on EZContractor's Insurance blog! http://bit.ly/bBQ7tT

Learn the important basics of what your responsibilities are as a general contractor. A fall protection plan can not only save you money in the long run but most importantly it can save lives!

Hy-Safe wishes you a happy and SAFE Labor Day weekend!

2010-09-03T15:55:00.003-05:00

Fall Protection Overhead Lifeline

2010-09-02T15:20:00.004-05:00

Hy-Safe offers an Overhead System that provides conitinuous fall protection for up to 3 workers. Designed for high overhead applications such as airline hangars, warehouses, and any other application where typical pass through systems wouldn’t function properly. The unique design of the Overhead Trolley allows free movement and helps to keep the worker’s anchorage point directly over their head, greatly reducing swing fall risk.

Call Us Today for a FREE Assessment of Your Company! 800.642.0775

OSHA Cites Sea World Following Trainer's Death- Former Safety Director Comes Forward With Allegations

2010-08-24T08:20:00.019-05:00

On Monday, August 23rd, OSHA cited Sea World for three safety violations, including one willful violation, following the death of an animal trainer in February. The agency defines a willful violation as one committed with plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health. The willful citation, carrying a penalty of $70,000, was for exposing its employees to struck-by and drowning hazards when interacting with killer whales.

"All employers are obligated to assess potential risks to the safety and health of their employees and take actions to mitigate those risks," said Les Grove, OSHA's area director in Tampa, Fla. "In facilities that house wild animals, employers need to assess the animals under their care and to minimize human-animal interaction if there is no safe way to reliably predict animal behavior under all conditions."

The park's former safety director, Linda Simons, is alleging Sea World did not do enough to keep its employees safe from killer whale Tilikum, with officials telling trainers that anyone who got into a pool with him "would come out as a corpse (abcnews.com)." Simons was fired from her job at Sea World during the investigation into trainer Dawn Brancheau's death. She is now speaking out on what she calls questionable or even dangerous safety practices at the Florida park that could result in another tragedy.

Simons claims that while investigating policy she came across a poorly executing training exercise that had taken place just weeks before Tilikum's attack on Brancheau. According to Simons, many of the employees didn't respond at all during the training drill and of those who did many of them didn't follow protocol.

In addition to the history with this whale, the OSHA investigation revealed that SeaWorld trainers had an extensive history of unexpected and potentially dangerous incidents involving killer whales at its various facilities, including its location in Orlando. Despite this record, management failed to make meaningful changes to improve the safety of the work environment for its employees. OSHA's investigation revealed that Tilikum was one of three killer whales involved in the death of an animal trainer in 1991 at Sea Land of the Pacific in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. SeaWorld had forbidden trainers from swimming with this whale because of his dangerous past behavior, but allowed trainers to interact with the whale, including touching him, while the trainers were lying on the pool edge in shallow water.

According to the Washington Post, Sea World spokesman Fred Jacobs said the park will contest the citations. "SeaWorld disagrees with the unfounded allegations made by OSHA today," Jacobs said in a statement.

Along with its citations, OSHA proposes not allowing trainers to have physical contact with Tilikum, the killer whale involved in trainer Dawn Brancheau's death, unless protected by a barrier. OSHA's serious citation, carrying a $5,000 fine, is being issued for exposing employees to a fall hazard by failing to install a stairway railing system on the front side, left bridge of the "Believe" stage in Shamu Stadium. One other-than-serious violation has been issued for failing to equip outdoor electrical receptacles in Shamu Stadium with weatherproof enclosures.

Sources:
Osha.gov
De Nies, Yunji, and Sarah Netter. "Sea World WhistleBlower Alleges Dangerous Practices at Park Where Trainer Was Savagely Killed - ABC News." ABCNews.com. 23 Aug. 2010. Web. 24 Aug. 2010.
Press, Associated. "OSHA Fines SeaWorld $75,000 in Death of Trainer." WashingtonPost.com. Web. 24 Aug. 2010.

Is "Zero Injuries" a Realistic Expectation?

2010-08-05T13:53:00.011-05:00

In their July issue, the National Safety Council Safety & Health magazine conducted a survey to evaluate whether or no a goal of zero injuries is feasible. There was a total of 143 respondents where 80 (56%) of them said yes.

In the past many companies didn't know how to or didn't have the resources to eliminate worker injury. Times have now changed where a lot more companies are now prioritizing safety and putting it on their budget. Companies now realize that injuries and prevention have an influence on indirect and direct costs, such as workers compensation, quality, OSHA fines, and productivity. Studies show that for every dollar invested in safety it has a $4-$6 return.

Is zero injuries a realistic expectation? Is the goal of zero injuries too unrealistically high that instead of it having a motivating value it has an opposite effect where employees just ignore it and work as usual? Many argue that focusing on zero injuries will turn off employees from reporting injuries. Employees might cover up injuries so they don't hamper the chance of their co workers to win a prize. Peer pressure and fear now becomes an obstacle for that employee. Others claim that employee involvement in a awards program makes a positive difference where employees feel ownership for their own safety.

According to Aubrey Daniels, a clinical psychologist, "Positive recognition has to occur on the spot and immediately (within 15 seconds of the behavior)." This means that you have to create an on the spot reward/recognition solution that eliminates favoritism, and injury hiding....and you have to get supervisors to buy into it and use it.

We do agree with Mr. Daniels that it's critical that supervisors have to buy into the "idea of safety." Supervisors set the tone for a safety culture in the workplace. It can make a world of a difference when supervisors accept a corporate responsibility to send their employees safe. "Employees behave in a manner they feel is acceptable to their supervisor (S&H 33)." It is up to the employer to set standards. It is imperative that management's behavior is consistent with the written and verbal safety rules of the company.

Each individual employee must mentally embrace safety. Incident reduction must become a goal and a key value not only for management but for all employees. At the end of it all, the focus must be on the employee and their well being; not the number.

Sources:
Johnson, Ashley. "Target Zero Is Achiveing the Ultimate Injury Goal Possible?" Safety + Health July-Aug. 2010: 32-33. Web. 5 Aug. 2010.
Sims, Bill. "Article Injury Hiding-How Do You Stop It?" Bill Sims Company Behavior Change, Safety Incentives, Employee Recognition. 02 Oct. 2009. Web. 05 Aug. 2010.

Would you dare? Extreme Heights: Sky-High Roller Coaster Fix

2010-07-20T10:30:00.007-05:00

Can you imagine having to do this job? Fall protection plays a huge part in jobs like this one. It can literally mean the difference between life and death!

I'm not sure I would volunteer to hang more than 800 feet above the Las Vegas strip! Would you?

Video: Construction Workers Behaving Recklessly

2010-07-09T12:03:00.006-05:00

This video was posted by the Calgary Herald in a recent article titled "City urges steeper fines for construction safety violators- Stiffer fines urged for infractions." The video clearly shows construction workers behaving recklessly and endangering the lives of pedestrians down below them. At the height they're working on flying debris and dropped construction material can easily harm or kill pedestrians down below. Note: Video may take a couple seconds to load.

To read the full article click here: http://bit.ly/cJ2OUr

World's Largest Retailer, Wal-Mart, Spending Millions to Fight $7000 Violation

2010-07-08T13:36:00.013-05:00

In November, we posted "OSHA Tells Retailers to Control Black Friday Crowds- Guidelines are Set (http://bit.ly/1AJ8AA)." We discussed the needs of regulations in the retail industry; unfortunately this issue has once again come up.

In 2008, a Wal-Mart employee was trampled to death by shoppers on Black Friday, following Thanksgiving Day. OSHA went on and fined the company $7000 (the low amount in itself is a different topic) for inadequate crowd management following the death of Jdimytai Damour at its Wal-mart store in Valley Stream. The day of the tragedy eleven others were also injured, including a pregnant woman, when the estimated crowd of 2,000 rushed into the Wal-Mart store looking for pre-dawn Black Friday sales.

Over the last year, Wal-Mart has spent at least $2 million fighting the $7000 citation. Over 20 motions and responses totalling nearly 400 pages have been filed (NYT). Why is the world's largest retailer fighting a $7000 fine, a minuscule amount compared to their billions of dollars in profit? Wal-Mart is arguing that the proposed fine is a retroactive penalty. Greg Rossiter, a spokesman for the Bentonville, Ark., retailer, says "OSHA wants to hold Wal-Mart accountable for standards that were neither proposed nor issued at the time of the incident." Wal-Mart is also arguing that the government is improperly trying to define “crowd trampling” as an occupational hazard that retailers must take action to prevent.

Along with fining the retailer for inadequate crowd management, OSHA has also accused Wal-Mart of failing to provide a place of employment that was “free from recognized hazards.” The New York Times states that OSHA is accusing the company of violating its “general duty” to employees by failing to take adequate steps to protect them from a situation that was “likely to cause death or serious physical harm” because of “crowd surge or crowd trampling.”

The case has become a major drain on OSHA, a branch of the Labor Department. The Department has dedicated 4,725 hours of work by employees in the legal office. Over the last couple of months, 17 percent of the Department's attorney hours have been dedicated to the case. Thus limiting their ability to pursue other violations. It doesn't seem that the case will be washed off the Departments hands anytime soon. Wal-Mart’s lawyers are scheduled to contest the fine before a federal appeals commission (NYT).

A spokesman for the company says, “The citation has far-reaching implications for the retail industry that could subject retailers to unfairly harsh penalties and restrictions on future sales promotions.”

The Associated Press reported that while Wal-Mart is disputing the OSHA action, "it did agree last year to a nearly $2 million settlement with Nassau County prosecutors to avoid a criminal prosecution." The company also set up a $400,000 fund for the victims along with a $1.5 donation to various community programs in the county.

Sources:
Eltman, Frank. "The Associated Press: Wal-Mart Fights OSHA Fine in NY Black Friday Death." Google. 07 July 2010. Web. 08 July 2010.
Greenhouse, Steven. "The New York Times." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 06 July 2010. Web. 08 July 2010.

Worker's Lives are Worth Less than a Burro's on Federal Land

2010-07-02T07:56:00.006-05:00

Take a look at part of a speech that Dr. David Michaels, the administrator of OSHA, gave at the annual conference of the American Society of Safety Engineers.

"Recently a worker died while cleaning a container,” Dr. Michaels said. “I believe the employer was slapped with a $175,000 fine. But what gets me is that the same company was fined $10 million dollars for the same incident for causing pollution and negatively hurting the fish and crabs. So how do we tell the family of this worker who died that fish and crabs are worth more than his life?”

And if an employer is really bad, he continued, and “willfully ignores workplace safety rules and regs and prevention efforts and one of their employees dies on the job” that employer gets six months in jail.

By contrast, he noted, “if you harass a burro on federal land you can get a year in jail. Does that make sense?”

Now don't get me wrong, I am against animal cruelty but it's unbelievable that worker's lives are now "valued" lower than a crab's or a burro's. There are companies out there that deliberately ignore worker safety. I've said it before and I'll say it again- company OSHA citations have to be increased. Despite inflation, OSHA citations have only increased ONCE in 40 years. Fines are so minuscule that companies would rather pay OSHA fines than actually implement a safety program and equipment.

Let's take a look at other agency fines and compare it to OSHA fines.
-Department of Agriculture is authorized to impose a fine of up to $130,000 on milk processors for willful violations of the Fluid Milk Promotion Act, which include refusal to pay fees and assessments to help advertise and research fluid milk products.
-The Federal Communications Commission can fine a TV or radio station up to $325,000 for indecent content.
-The Environmental Protection Agency can impose a penalty of $270,000 for violations of the Clean Air Act and a penalty of $1 million for attempting to tamper with a public water system.

The maximum civil penalty OSHA may impose when a hard-working man or woman is killed on the job — even when the death is caused by a willful violation of an OSHA requirement — is $70,000.

Worker deaths should be treated the same as any other felony. Some argue that management should have to face jail time for worker deaths that resulted from a serious violation. An OSHA violation is serious if death or serious physical harm can result from a hazard an employer knew or should have known exists.

Another flaw of the system is that criminal penalties are only considered misdemeanors. Misdemeanor cases tend to receive less attention than felony cases. Prosecutors often regard these cases as a poor use of scarce time and resources (osha.gov). "Since passage of the OSH Act in 1970 fewer than 100 cases have been prosecuted while more than 300,000 workers have died from on-the-job injuries (osha.gov)."

It's critical for the OSH act to be revised and updated to modern times. Hundreds, if not thousands, of workers risk their lives everyday working in unsafe environments just so they can feed their families and pay their bills. Media coverage on this subject tends to increase when a major tragic accident such as the Horizon oil leak occurs when 11 men lost their lives. As time passes the media attention decreases until the subject is rarely brought up or forgotten altogether. This subject needs to be in the media light constantly until changes are made and workers can go home safely at the end of each workday.

Sources:
osha.gov

Giant Wind Turbine Repair- Would You Do It?

2010-06-16T14:44:00.008-05:00

Wind turbines range in various sizes, from micro turbines to enormous turbines that can reach up to 300 feet. Wind turbines present plenty of dangerous hazards. There are several areas where workers are exposed to very high fall risks. Workers often have to inspect, clean, maintain and repair wind turbines. As in many cases, having the right fall protection equipment can mean the difference between life and death.

Check out the video below- Would you sign up for a job like this?

In New York's Finger Lakes region, wind power is big business -- and Sean Riley has to climb sky high to help make this repair!

Hy-Safe Technology offers high quality fall protection equipment for wind turbines. Contact us for more information www.hysafe.com 800-642-0775 info@hysafe.com

Unions insist on better workplace safety laws in emergency meeting with Dr. David Michaels

2010-06-16T09:52:00.008-05:00

In a two-day emergency meeting of USW oil industry workers and United Mine Workers at the Pittsburgh Hilton hotel, Leo Gerard, president of the United Steelworkers, stated, "There is a pattern in recent weeks of fires, major injuries and fatalities in the oil sector, and we're not immune to the fact that the same things are going on in the mining and other industries."

The Steelworkers leader said the oil industry during April and May experienced 19 fires and explosions, the largest being the April 2 explosion at a Tesoro Corp. refinery in Anacortes, Wash., which killed seven, and the April 20 blowout on the British Petroleum drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, which killed 11. Roberts also pointed to the April 5 explosion at Massey Energy's Upper Big Branch coal mine in West Virginia, in which 29 miners lost their lives, as the latest example of placing profit before safety in the workplace.

During the emergency meeting, David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for OSHA, discussed the various problems with national health and safety laws. Michaels pointed out that OSHA's enforcement penalties haven't changed much in 40 years. Current laws aren't sufficient to deter companies' inaction in preventing workplace accidents.

"Our maximum civil penalty for serious violations, those that pose a substantial probability of death or serious injury, is $7,000," Michaels said. "The maximum criminal penalty upon conviction where a willful violation of an OSHA standard results in death is six months in jail." "If you harass a wild burrow on federal land, you can get over a year in jail," Dr. Michaels said, by way of contrast.

Leo Gerard, president of the United Steel Workers International stated that "It's time to change the law so that people who go to work to earn a living can expect to come home with their lungs and their health and their lives and their limbs all in place."

It's obvious to many that current federal standards and regulations definitely need to be changed and strengthened. Standards for assessing company's safety records need to be tightened and violations fines need to be increased. For industry giants, such as BP, that have billions of dollars in profit, current monetary penalties mean nothing. There have been too many companies in all industries that have put safety second to profit.

Sources:
Belser, Ann. "Unions Advocate Better Workplace Safety Laws." Post-Gazette.com. Web. 16 June 2010.
Stouffer, Rick. "Unions Press Penalties for Workplace Violations - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review." eb. 16 June 2010.

Construction Worker dies at American Chopper site

2010-06-16T09:03:00.006-05:00

A 26 year old construction worker fell through the roof of the custom motorcycle shop of Paul Teutul Jr., a member of the family who starred on the cable television series “American Chopper.”

The construction worker was not an employee of Paul Teutul Jr. Police Lt. Alex Landolina III stated that the "victim worked for a contractor hired by the building’s landlord to repair the roof." “What happened was they were up there, working on the roof, working on repairs,” he said. “They had made some initial cuts on the roof. During the time they were making the cuts, it appears the victim stepped back into the open and fell 40 feet to his death.”

Neither Teutul nor other cast members were at the scene during the accident. Teutul released the following statement, "This was a tragic accident and, although I've never met this man, my deepest condolences and prayers go out to his family and friends."

Sources:
"Construction Worker Killed at Site Former American Chopper Star’s Shop." New York State News on the Net! Web. 16 June 2010.
Murphy, Meghan E. "Roofer, 26, Killed in Fall at Paul Teutul Jr.'s New Shop." Recordonline.com -Times Herald-Record-Web. 16June 2010.

OSHA cites Linden, NJ, manufacturer for exposing employees to chemical hazards

2010-06-14T10:58:00.001-05:00

OSHA Press Release: OSHA has cited Infineum USA L.P. for 22 workplace safety violations, including exposing employees to chemical hazards, at the company's Linden facility. Proposed penalties total $88,500.

OSHA initiated its inspection on Nov. 24, 2009, in response to a complaint related to a chlorine release at the facility. As a result of the inspection, the company has received citations for violations related to a deficient process safety management system. Among the hazards observed by OSHA inspectors was the company's failure to establish and implement written procedures required to manage any changes to technology, facilities, equipment and procedures that can potentially impact a chemical process.

"Chlorine is a highly hazardous chemical that can have a severe impact on employees' safety and health," said Patricia Jones, director of OSHA's Avenel Area Office. "All aspects of the OSHA process safety management standard must be followed by employers in order to ensure that workers go home safe at the end of the day."

The PSM is intended to prevent or minimize the consequences of a catastrophic release of toxic, reactive, flammable or explosive chemicals from a process. A process is any activity or combination of activities including any use, storage, manufacturing, handling or the on-site movement of highly hazardous chemicals.

Infineum USA L.P. is a manufacturer of petroleum additives with 262 employees at this site.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference with the OSHA area director, or contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The investigation was conducted by OSHA's Avenel Area Office; telephone: 732-750-3270.

Source:
osha.gov

Federal Judge Allows Massey Mine to Stay in Operations- They "didn't commit enough serious safety violations to qualify..."

2010-06-09T09:01:00.016-05:00

Massey Energy Company has the following statement on their website: "S-1 means Safety First at Massey Energy Company and it’s not just a slogan. It is our top priority every day. We strive for sustainable excellence in safety and freely share our safety innovations to benefit the entire industry."

Following the death of 29 miners, caused by the explosion, I'm hesitant to believe that Massey Energy has a "total commitment to safety and a significant investment in the necessary training, equipment and personnel." One would think that a company that puts such bold statements regarding safety would follow all safety and federal regulations. Their history shows otherwise.

The mining explosion is the worst coal mining disaster since a 1970 explosion at Finley Coal Company, in Hyden, Ky. where 38 were killed. The blast at Upper Big Branch comes four years after a pair of other West Virginia mine disasters — an explosion that killed 12 miners at the Sago mine and a fire that killed two at the Aracoma Alma coal mine (NY Times). According to federal records, the mine has been cited various times for "substantial" violations regarding repeated problems with methane buildups. CEO Don Blankenship has strongly defended the company's record and disputed accusations from miners that he puts coal profits ahead of safety.

Following the mining disaster and after taking into consideration Massey's track record, many Americans voiced their strong opinions that something needed to be done-justice needed to be served. President Obama stated that the tragedy would be investigated and that we would "demand accountability." Kevin Stricklin, of the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration, said he planned an aggressive investigation of the disaster. “I can tell you this: No stone will be left unturned,” he said.

Apparently many felt the same- with the exception of a federal judge. A federal judge ruled Tuesday that a Massey Energy Corp. coal mine with one of the highest safety violation and injury rates in the nation did not commit enough serious safety violations to qualify for a special enforcement program that could lead to a shutdown. According to the Washington Post, Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission Judge David Barbour concluded Tuesday that just 19 of the violations were "significant and substantial," meaning they would have been likely to cause serious injuries or death to miners. The pattern-of-violations program requires 25 significant and substantial violations.

"As today's ruling demonstrates, even mine operators with serious safety problems can evade pattern-of-violations status," Main said. Massey said in a statement: "We are pleased that we prevailed....Even the most conscientious inspectors can make errors."

Massey Energy obviously feels it is above the law. This federal judge has not only confirmed this but has motivated the company to keep operating in a dangerous manner. Indeed we agree with the Mine Safety Health Administration director Joseph A. Main when he said that it showed "the system is broken." There is no excuse that a company such as Massey that bluntly ignores safety and federal regulations be given a pardon and be allowed to operate. This company will keep violating federal safety standards and keep endangering hundreds of workers and contractors. Shame on this judge and the system to allow this. We weren't aware the death of 29 hard working Americans isn't considered serious and substantial enough to demand repercussion and severe consequences.

Sources:
*Kindy, Kimberly. "Federal Government Loses a Battle against a Massey Mine in Virginia." WashingtonPost.com. 09 June 2010. Web. 09 June 2010.
*"Safety Massey Energy Company." Home Massey Energy Company. Web. 09 June 2010.
*Urbina, Ian. "No Survivors Found After West Virginia Mine Disaster - NYTimes.com." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 09 Apr. 2010. Web. 09 June 2010.

TX: Gas Explosion- Massive Blaze Kills One, Injures Several

2010-06-08T09:44:00.007-05:00

Just yesterday a 36-inch underground natural gas pipeline exploded into flames in Johnson County, Texas, killing one and injuring at least five people before officials were able to shut the flow of gas, officials said (CNN.com). Cleburne Fire Chief Clint Ishmael said all 13 workers on the crew were accounted for and that one was dead.

According to the Sheriff's Department, an electric company crew was drilling holes for power lines and accidentally sparked the explosion by hitting a 36-inch gas line. The gas line is owned by Enterprise Products Partners L.P. out of Houston. Enterprise owns a massive network of pipelines across the U.S. south that deliver gas from shale deposits in the region. The pipeline helps carry gas from West Texas across the state to utilities, distribution companies and commercial users on the eastern end of the state (msnbc.com).

Cleburne Fire Chief Clint Ishmael stated that the blaze was so fierce that crews could get no closer than 600 yards to the source of the fire. The massive blaze consisted of flames hundreds of feet high and could be seen from at least 30 miles away.

According to CNN, the pipeline erupted around 2:40 p.m. (3:40 p.m. ET), and the shaking lasted about 10 minutes, said Laura Harlin, who lives about a mile away. "Our house shook, glass shook," she said. "We watched this huge plume of smoke or steam rising above our neighborhood."

Sources:
cnn.com
msnbc.com

My Personal Story about Fall Protection

2010-05-28T08:16:00.011-05:00

I work for Hy-Safe Technology in the marketing department. Here at Hy-Safe, we heavily promote fall protection. We believe in it and genuinely believe our systems and equipment can save lives. Someone once told me that to market a product effectively you must be passionate. You must believe in what you're marketing. Whether you're marketing or selling shoes, pencils or in my case fall protection- passion is what drives you. Its what makes you get up every morning and act to make a difference. Passion has the potential to turn into something powerful when it becomes your job. Now more than ever do I believe this. This is my story...

During a normal work week I have various duties and tasks that I must complete. One of my responsibilities has been to bring awareness and stress the importance of safety, particularly fall protection, in the general and construction industry. I receive news alerts and post them up on this blog and on our Twitter account. Some of you may know our user name "FallNoMore." I like to think that I have developed "virtual" relationships with people in the industry that also heavily believe in safety in the workplace. Everyday I post articles and links that discuss the importance of work safety but I also post accidents where a worker is hurt or even killed due to the lack of safety in their workplace. This has developed into an everyday task for me. This week this task took a different turn- it became more personal.

Earlier this week we received news my uncle was in the intensive care unit (ICU)- he was in critical condition. We were told internal bleeding was possible. We were also told his face was "unrecognizable" due to the accident. You can imagine what goes through your head when you're told that a close family member is in critical condition. Every question you have about his well being is answered the same way "We don't know yet" or "It's just too early to tell." Your mind enters a stage where every thought that enters your head begins with "What if..."

Before we were told about his condition- we were told the cause of the accident. I was informed that my uncle had fallen off the roof of a two story house at work while pressure washing it. He had broken his pelvis in three different places, his rib was broken and his hand and cheekbone were shattered. When I heard the news my heart dropped. Working at a fall protection company my first thoughts consisted of "Was there fall protection?" "Was he tied off?" "Did he have his harness on?" "Had his employer invested in safety?" The answer to all these questions was "No." There was no fall protection, no harnesses, no lanyards...nothing. My mind raced. More than anybody in my family I knew the statistics. I knew that a lot of the times it took miracles for workers not to die from a fall and that most falls end fatally.

Three days after the accident, my uncle remains in the ICU with no set date of leaving the hospital. We still don't know if he'll eventually regain all his movement. He has undergone a major surgery and more surgeries are set for these upcoming days. Being the bread winner of their home and with no health insurance my family is worried. How will the rent be paid? How will my little cousins eat? Only through prayers and faith has my family been able to go through the week.

I don't write this post to receive pity from my readers. I write it to encourage you to strive to be safe at work. Upper management and supervisors must never forget that their workers have families to go home to. Paying for safety equipment, such as fall protection, may seem unnecessary or too big of a bill but it's truly an investment. It's worth going through the "hassle" of donning your harness or putting on your hard hat or any other safety equipment. Never think that "It won't happen to me" or "I'm in too big of a hurry" because unfortunately it can happen.

Don't make the same mistake I did where safety became an everyday task. My "tweets" and postings have now taken on a whole different meaning. My drive and passion to market workplace safety and fall protection has now doubled. I encourage you to take safety personally. God bless and be safe.

NRC finds apparent violations at 13 VA hospitals

2010-05-26T11:56:00.001-05:00

Suggested Article: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has found the Department of Veterans Affairs in apparent violation of three federal regulations involving radiation use at 13 VA hospitals across the country, including the Philadelphia VA Medical Center.

While the action could result in a fine, the bigger issue is that the commission could strip the VA of its ability to oversee radiation services at all 153 hospitals nationwide. The commission would then take on those duties or assign them to states such as Pennsylvania and New Jersey that have that capability.

"We have concerns about the way oversight and enforcement actions are being implemented" by the VA, commission spokeswoman Viktoria Mitlyng said.

On Tuesday, the commission, which oversees the medical use of radioactive materials, released the preliminary finding that the VA had violated federal regulations in its 13 prostate brachytherapy programs in hospitals from Brooklyn, N.Y., and Jackson, Miss., to Seattle and Los Angeles.

That list includes Philadelphia, where dozens of men received incorrect doses of radiation for prostate cancer during a six-year period.

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