September 15, 2005 · Volume 4, Issue 18
A bi-weekly e-news memo with information, updates, and results from OSHA about safety and health in America's workplaces.

In This Issue OSHA Teams Deployed To Aid Hurricane Katrina Recovery Workers New Safety and Health Information for Hurricane Recovery Workers OSHA to Update Agency Standards Based on Consensus Standards New SHIBs Focus on Combustible Dust, Granite and Marble Slab Hazards Maryland Worksites in VPP “Star” Spotlight OSHA Deputy Assistant Secretary to Speak at World Congress Nominations Being Accepted for National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) Awards NIOSH eNews Bulletin Voluntary Protection Programs Activity OSHA Certifies Newest “SHARP” Companies OSHA Teams Deployed To Aid Hurricane Katrina Recovery Workers     OSHA has deployed occupational safety and health professionals to Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama to provide technical assistance to workers and employers during ongoing cleanup efforts along the Gulf Coast. Staff from OSHA’s Dallas and Atlanta regions are focusing on the safety and health of workers involved in debris removal and a variety of construction projects, as well as utility workers performing power and telecommunications restoration. New Safety and Health Information for Hurricane Recovery Workers     OSHA is providing a variety of informational materials focusing on safety and health hazards that may impact employers and workers involved in cleanup and recovery operations in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Information focusing on the effects of heat stress, handling human remains, and search and rescue operations are the newest fact sheets posted on OSHA’s Hurricane Recovery page. News releases, public service announcements and links to other resources are available via the Web page. OSHA will update this site regularly throughout the recovery phase of the operation on the Gulf Coast. OSHA to Update Agency Standards Based on Consensus Standards     OSHA published a notice in the Sept. 13 Federal Register announcing a final rule that deletes references to outdated industry and national consensus standards. OSHA is deleting references found in its standards on Temporary Labor Camps, Guarding of Portable Power Tools, Sawmills, Flammable and Combustible Liquids, and Arc Welding and Cutting, all of which reference outdated consensus or industry standards. New SHIBs Focus on Combustible Dust, Granite and Marble Slab Hazards    OSHA published two new Safety and Health Information Bulletins (SHIBs) this month to highlight specific workplace hazards. Combustible Dust in Industry: Preventing and Mitigating the Effects of Fire and Explosions describes the hazards associated with combustible dusts; work practices and guidelines that reduce the potential for a combustible dust explosion, or that reduce danger to employees if such an explosion occurs; and training to protect employees from these hazards. The risk of injury or death from either being caught in between or struck by shifting or falling slabs is the reason behind the bulletin Hazards Associated with Transporting Granite and Marble Slabs. The bulletin outlines specific methods for workers and employers to address the hazards and prevent accidents. Maryland Worksites in VPP “Star” Spotlight    Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Jonathan L. Snare recognized Manufacturing Technologies Solution Office (MTSO) and National Semiconductor of Maryland (NS MD), located in Ft. Meade, Md., as Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) "Star" sites at an Aug. 30 ceremony. Snare applauded MTSO for achieving a 0.0 injury and illness rate last year, and NS MD for having a rate of 68 percent lower than the national average. OSHA Deputy Assistant Secretary to Speak at World Congress     Jonathan L. Snare, deputy assistant secretary of labor for OSHA, will travel to Orlando, Fla., to deliver the keynote address at the Sept. 18-22 XVIIth World Congress on Safety and Health at Work. The World Congress will run in conjunction with the Sept. 17-23 National Safety Council Congress and Expo, where Snare will also speak. OSHA will host an exhibit booth with compliance assistance and informative materials for attendees. Nominations Being Accepted for National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) Awards    The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) Liaison Committee are inviting nominations for two NORA awards. The NORA Partnering Award for Worker Health and Safety honors organizations conducting NORA-related collaborative research resulting in new equipment, practices, products, procedures or policies. The NORA Innovative Research Award for Worker Health and Safety recognizes new approaches to prevent and/or reduce occupational illness and injuries. Prospects for this new award can be associated with a university, industry, government agency, labor union or private organization. Nominations are due Feb. 1, 2006. NIOSH eNews Bulletin     Want to know what’s new at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)? Consider subscribing to the agency’s monthly electronic news bulletin. NIOSH eNews provides subscribers a monthly update on occupational injury and illness surveillance, research, intervention and education topics, and includes featured articles, recent publications, and news about future conferences. Voluntary Protection Programs Activity     The following companies were approved this month for new or continued participation in OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP): Region II: United States Postal Service, Utica Post Office, P&DC, Utica, N.Y. (New Star) Region III: March Westin Co. Inc., St. James Catholic Church Project, Charlestown, W.Va. (New Star) Region V: General Electric, Dover Products Plant, Dover, Ohio (New Star) and Region VI: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Inc., Beaumont Plant, Beaumont, Texas (New Merit); Sunoco Chemicals, LaPorte Plant, LaPorte, Texas (New Star); SAIC at Muniz Engineering Safety & Fire Contract at NASA-JSC, Houston, Texas (New Star). OSHA Certifies Newest “SHARP” Companies      OSHA recently certified the following companies as Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) sites: Region I: Velco (Vermont Electric Power Co.) Inc., Rutland, Vt.; Region III: The Techs (Galvtech), Pittsburgh, Pa.; Snyder Industries, Philippi, W.Va.; Region IV: Hawkeye Industries Inc., Tupelo, Miss.; Edwards Wood Products Inc. (Alamance), Liberty, N.C.; Edwards Wood Products Inc. (Scotland), Laurinburg, N.C.; Finetex Inc., Salisbury, N.C.; Gilead Sciences, Durham, N.C.; Greensboro Medical Associates, Greensboro, N.C.; Lakewood Dyed Yarns, Cramerton, N.C.; Lutheran Home Trinity Oaks, Salisbury, N.C.; Lutheran Nursing Home, Hickory, N.C.; Region V: Aleris International Inc., Chicago Heights, Ill.; Countryside Care Center, North Aurora (changed from Batavia), Ill.; Elmhurst Dental, Elmhurst, Ill.; Elizabeth Nursing Home, Elizabeth, Ill.; Jeld-Wen Millwork Masters, Rockford, Ill.; Pleasant View, Morrison, Ill.; Sycamore Healthcare Centre, Quincy, Ill.; Scot Forge, Spring Grove, Ill.; Hoopeston Regional Health Center, Hoopeston, Ill.; Al-Fe Heat Treating, Wabash, Ind.; Bayer Built Woodworking Inc., Belgrade, Minn.; Bayer Trucking LLC, Belgrade, Minn.; E.J. Ajax and Sons, Fridley, Minn.; Lifecore Biomedical Inc., Chaska, Minn.; Morrissey Inc., Bloomington, Minn.; Cindus Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio; Edstrom Industries, Waterford, Wis., Inland Label & Marketing Services LLC, La Crosse, Wis.; Menasha Packaging Co. LLC, Hartford, Wis.; Trostel Ltd., Lake Geneva, Wis. (QuickTakes will publish the most recent SHARP-certified companies from Regions VI-X in the Oct. 1 issue.) Editor: Elaine Fraser, OSHA Office of Communications, 202-693-1999