| November 1, 2003 • Volume 2, Issue 21 | |
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| A bi-weekly e-news memo with information, updates, and results from OSHA about safety and health in America's workplaces. | |
| NOTICE: This is an OSHA Archive Document, and may no longer represent OSHA Policy. It is presented here as historical content, for research and review purposes only. |
In This Issue OSHA's Role at World Trade Center Reaffirmed during Congressional Testimony National Alliance Focuses on Chemical Safety OSHA Offers New Resource for Chemical Reactivity Safety Bloodborne Pathogens Standard Topic of New Safety and Health Bulletin Massachusetts Plant Recognized as OSHA's 1000th VPP "Star" Site Regional Alliance in Washington Stresses Worker Safety during Marine Oil Responses Final Issue of Job Safety & Health Quarterly Published Strategic Partnerships in Kansas City, New York Regions Cranes and Derricks Committee Schedules Fourth Meeting in Washington, D.C. Safety and Health Seminars in New York VPP Recognition Granted to Sites in Missouri, Colorado and Kansas Voluntary Protection Program Activity OSHA's Role at World Trade Center Reaffirmed during Congressional Testimony Expressing "confidence and pride" in OSHA's staff, Patricia Clark, the agency's Regional Administrator in New York, told a Congressional subcommittee Oct. 28, that the agency did "everything humanly possible to protect workers during recovery efforts at the World Trade Center site." Clark, whose office directed OSHA's participation of those efforts, testified before the House Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats, and International Relations Committee on Government Reform. She reminded the committee that no deaths occurred among the workers despite a non-stop and dangerous rescue and recovery mission over a ten-month period. More than 1,000 OSHA staff participated in that clean-up and recovery effort following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. National Alliance Focuses on Chemical Safety Providing small businesses with information and education on chemical safety is the foundation of OSHA's newest national Alliance formalized last month in Washington, D.C. The Society for Chemical Hazard Communication joined with OSHA Oct. 22, to improve hazard communication and material safety data sheets. The Alliance also increases awareness about the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals. OSHA Offers New Resource for Chemical Reactivity Safety Reducing injuries, illnesses and fatalities during chemical manufacturing and operations is the stimulus for OSHA's newest safety and health information webpage, Chemical Reactivity Safety. The page features resources on the recognition, evaluation and control of chemical reactive hazards, and also offers free access to a new book by the Center for Chemical Process Safety that includes a compendium of best practices from leaders in chemical processing. Bloodborne Pathogens Standard Topic of New Safety and Health Bulletin OSHA recently published a bulletin reiterating the agency's policy on disposal of contaminated needles and blood tube holders following blood drawing procedures. OSHA's bloodborne pathogens standard prohibits the removal of needles from medical devices and removal of contaminated needles from blood tube holders following a blood drawing procedure. The safety and health information bulletin details those requirements and also includes an Evaluation Toolbox that supplies guidance on the evaluation, selection, and appropriate use of engineering controls. The bulletin also provides the most recent sharps injury data from the Exposure Prevention Information Network. Massachusetts Plant Recognized as OSHA's 1000th VPP "Star" Site The Titleist Ball Plant II in Dartmouth, MA, was honored Oct. 24 for being the 1000th site to achieve "Star" status in OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program. The plant is a facility of Acushnet Company that manufactures golf equipment under Titleist and other brands. The Dartmouth plant is the fourth Acushnet Company earning Star status. Noting the milestone, Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao offered her congratulations to "the employees and management of the Titleist Ball Plant for achieving OSHA's official recognition for their outstanding efforts." OSHA Administrator John Henshaw echoed those sentiments saying "the employees at the plant embody the commitment to excellence in safety and health." Regional Alliance in Washington Stresses Worker Safety during Marine Oil Responses An alliance between OSHA's Seattle region and Alyeska Pipeline Service Company will help protect worker health and safety during marine oil and chemical responses. Alyeska operates the terminal at Valdez, AK, and has a Ship Escort/Response Vessel System (SERVS) geared to responding to marine spills. Richard Terrill, Regional Administrator in Seattle, said OSHA looks forward to working with Alyeska to raise visibility of worker safety and health during SERVS responses. Final Issue of Job Safety & Health Quarterly Published The summer/fall 2003 issue of OSHA's Job Safety and Health Quarterly magazine features articles related to worker safety and health issues during times of emergencies. The issue also includes stories on OSHA's Strategic Partnership Program. This is the final issue of JSHQ which has been published by OSHA's Office of Communications for 14 years. It is being replaced by a new magazine series that will focus on specific industries and businesses identified in OSHA's Strategic Management Plan. Look for the first issue early next year on OSHA's website. Strategic Partnerships in Kansas City, New York Regions OSHA's Kansas City region joined with the Wichita Area Builders Association last month in a strategic partnership to promote safety and health for workers in the local area's residential construction industry. The partnership provides the Association's 1,200 contractor members with information and services to help comply with safety and health standards. Two partnerships were recently formed in OSHA's New York Region with labor, management and other government agencies. The Buffalo Area Office formed a partnership to protect construction workers during a two-year project for the construction of the Buffalo Life Sciences Complex, while the Long Island Area Office signed its second partnership to help protect workers during the construction of a combined-cycle power plant at the Charles M. Poletti Generating Station in Astoria, NY. Cranes and Derricks Committee Schedules Fourth Meeting in Washington, D.C. The fourth meeting of OSHA's negotiated rulemaking committee on cranes and derricks in construction is set for Nov. 5-7 in Washington, D.C. Notice of the meeting was published in the Oct. 17 Federal Register. The 23-member committee is composed of representatives of government and industry that will be impacted by a proposal for a construction safety standard for cranes and derricks. Safety and Health Seminars in New York Preventing injury from the unexpected startup of equipment and controlling hazardous energy sources is the goal of seminars being offered by OSHA's Buffalo Area Office this month. The training, co-sponsored by area organizations and colleges, will be held at six locations throughout upstate New York beginning at Orchard Park and Lockport on Nov. 6, followed by Jamestown and Olean on Nov. 13, and Batavia and Rochester on Nov. 20. Contact the Buffalo office at (716) 684-3891 for more information. VPP Recognition Granted to Sites in Missouri, Colorado and Kansas Two food manufacturing sites and a corporate aviation facility were recently recognized by OSHA for excellence in worker safety and health. Kraft Foods of Kirksville, MO, received another streamer to their VPP "Star" flag in ceremonies at the plant, Oct. 22. ConAgra Foods in Longmont, CO, was designated a VPP "Merit" site in an Oct. 23 ceremony at the plant. And, ownership of the first corporate aviation department to achieve VPP "Star" status belongs to Koch Industries in Wichita, KS. The facility, located at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport, stores and maintains a minimum of five corporate jets. Voluntary Protection Program Activity The following companies were approved last month for new or continued participation in OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program (VPP): CFAN Company, San Marcos, TX (New Star); Ondeo Nalco Energy Services, LP, Sugar Land, TX (New Star); Service Painting Co., The Brock Group @ Eastman Chemical, Batesville, AR (New Star); ConAgra Foods Refrigerated Foods Group, Turkey Business Unit, Huntsville, AR (New Star); Lucent Technologies, Lisle/Naperville, IL (Cont. Star); Monsanto Co., Agracetus Campus, Middleton, WI (New Star); BorgWarner Air/Fluid Systems Corporation, Dixon, IL (Cont. Star); Pratt & Whitney Dallas Airfoil Repair Operations, Grand Prairie, TX (New Star); T.P Mechanical Contractors, Cincinnati, OH (Star Demo Mobile Workforce); Pratt & Whitney PSD Aftermarket Services Division, Springdale, AR (New Star); Chevron Phillips Chemical Co., LP, Port Arthur, TX (New Star); BP Polypropylene, Deer Park, TX (New Merit); USPS, Northern Hasp Facility, Westborough, MA (New Merit); Honeywell Technology Solutions, Inc. @ NASA WSTF, Las Cruces, New Mexico (Cont. Star); Lynx, Ltd @ NASA's White Sands Test Facility, Las Cruces, New Mexico (New Star); Mary Kay Cosmetics, Inc., Dallas, TX (Cont. Star). Editor: Bill Wright, OSHA Office of Communications, 202-693-1999 |
