Fall 2001 1

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

John L. Henshaw: 12A New Direction, A New Vision

OSHA’s Administrator has set a new course for the agency.

Responding to Disaster 17OSHA is working 24-7 to protect workers at

the World Trade Center and Pentagon disasters.

Protecting Ironworkers 26OSHA’s new steel erection standard is expected to go

a long way toward saving lives and preventing injuries.

Work-Related Deaths Decrease 29A new Bureau of Labor Statistics report reveals a

continuing downward trend in workplace fatalities.

Safety on the Farm 32The harvest season is one of the busiest

and most dangerous for agricultural workers.

Showcasing OSHA’s Best and Brightest 37The Glen Williamson Forum demonstrates the work

of OSHA’s industrial hygienists.

Tackling the E-World with E-Tools 42OSHA offers employers expert safety and

health assistance through a variety of e-Tools.

$10.6 Million for Training 44OSHA awards the Susan Harwood Training Grants.

Assistant Secretary’s MessageQ&AWhat’s Happening?OSHA TrainingToolbox

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JSHQJob Safety & Health Quarterly

Volume 13 Number 1Fall 2001

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Jo b Sa f e t y & H e a l t h Q u a r t e r l y2

Assistant Secretary’s Message

am very gratified to be part ofOSHA. There is no greaterhonor, no greater respon-

sibility, and no greater opportunitythan to head the OccupationalSafety and Health Administration.I welcome the challenge and Iwant to have a positive impacton the safety and health ofAmerican workers.

For the past 26 years, I havesought to make a difference in theworkplace by protecting the safetyand health of workers. Like manyother safety and health pro-fessionals, I have dedicated my lifeto furthering the value of safetyand health and injury and ill-ness prevention.

During my tenure as AssistantSecretary, my principal goal will beto promote the value of safety andhealth and the value of OSHA andits mission. Protecting workersadds value to any organization, andwe want all our stakeholders tounderstand that.

The agency can achieve its goalof injury and illness prevention by

John L. HenshawAssistant Secretary of Laborfor Occupational Safety and Health

taking a broader view of ouroptions for success. The reality isthat we will not be able to developtimely standards for all hazards, andwe will not be able to inspect everyfacility. We must continue to useother ways to accomplish our goals.

Clearly, we must continue witha strong, effective, and fairenforcement process. This has tobe the very foundation from whichwe work. We will be lookingat how we define this in themonths to come to assure we havea strong, effective, and fair enforce-ment practice.

We can realize significant gainsin other program areas to helpachieve our goals. The agency hasdeveloped and used some verysuccessful techniques already help-ing workplaces assure complianceand injury and illness reductions.We must continue to sell others onthe value of safety and health andthe value of voluntary andpartnership programs. If we can getcompanies to realize there is valuein safety and health, value in ourstandards, and value in ourguidance, then they will drive theirown continuous improvement.Dollar for dollar, I believe we canachieve greater gains using thesetechniques than in any other toolswe have at our disposal.

To do this, we must be morecustomer focused and commu-nicate in terms that resonate withour audience. We need to listen toour customers and assess theirneeds. What are their goals? Whatexpectations do they have of us?How can we fulfill these expecta-tions and help them realize thevalue of safety and health?

Effective safety and healthprotection will vary from one siteto another. But, the overall goal isto work together to establish safe

and healthful workplaces for all ournation’s workers.

OSHA also needs to draw onthe expertise, resources, anddedication of safety and healthprofessionals who share ourcommitment to protectingworkers. They are our naturalallies, and we need to join forceswith them to accomplish ourmutual goals.

My promise is to provideleadership as OSHA steps forwardto join its partners in guiding thenational dialogue on occupationalsafety and health. We want to beknown for our passion for safetyand health, fairness in ourenforcement, expertise andcreativity in injury and illnessprevention, and willingness toshare our resources with others.

I look forward to working withall of you in serving Americanemployers and employees. To-gether, we can make a positivedifference in the safety and healthof our nation’s workforce. JSHQ

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Fall 2001 3AQ

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Q & AI’m a supervisor at aconstruction site and mycrews work on supported

scaffolds. Does OSHA requireregular testing for scaffold planks?

No. The constructionscaffold standards, foundat Title 29 Code of Federal

Regulations 1926.450 through .454,do not have mandatory testingrequirements for scaffold planking.With few exceptions, however,each scaffold component, in-cluding planking, must meet therequisite load-carrying require-ments and be able to support,without failure, its own weight plusat least four times the maximumintended load applied or trans-mitted to it. Additionally, eachscaffold must be designed by aqualified person, and all scaffoldsand scaffold components must beinspected for visible defects by acompetent person before eachwork shift, and after anyoccurrence that could affect theirstructural integrity.

I own a chain of drycleaning shops. Whatprotections from hazar-

dous chemicals do I need toprovide for my workers?

Most dry cleaning shopsuse a variety of hazardouschemicals to remove

garment stains. Workers may beexposed to these chemicalsthrough skin absorption, eyecontact, or inhalation of vapors.To help protect your workers,isolate the area for stain spottingand ensure that it is ventedadequately with a local exhaustventilation system. Generalventilation includes both supplyand exhaust air. When supply airis introduced, it should enter theopposite side of the exhaust to

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prevent short circuiting. Ventila-tion systems in dry cleaning shopsshould provide at least 30 cubic feetper minute (cfm) of outside airper person.

Train your spotters to use stainremoval chemicals only whennecessary and in a safe manner toreduce their personal exposure. Inaddition, require spotters to usepersonal protective equipmentsuch as chemical-resistant glovesand chemical splash goggles toreduce skin absorption and eyecontact. Use gloves made ofsolvent-resistant materials such asfluoroelastomer, polyvinyl alcohol,or unsupported nitrile. If thesolvent permeates the glove, theglove can actually increase theworker’s chemical exposure bytrapping the chemical close to theskin. Finally, set up an easilyaccessible eyewash station near thespotting area.

Perchloroethylene or PERC, themost commonly used dry cleaningsolvent, is a potential humancarcinogen. Symptoms associatedwith exposure include depressionof the central nervous system, liverand kidney damage, impairedmemory, confusion, dizziness,drowsiness, and eye, nose, andthroat irritation. Repeated skinexposure may cause dermatitis. Inyour dry cleaning operation, isolatethe machine area in which PERCis used. Locate local exhaustventilation in areas where solventvapors could be released, such asabove transfer operations, linttraps, or clean-out ports and whereworkers hang garments immedi-ately after removing them from thedryer. Train your workers to useeffective work practices tominimize the release of vapors fromthe machines. Monitor the air toassure that no employees areexposed to PERC vapors aboveOSHA’s permissible exposure limit.

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OSHA does not have a specificcompliance standard for drycleaning, but several otherstandards apply to the industry. Formore information, visit the agencywebsite at www.osha.gov and clickon “D,” then “Dry cleaning.” JSHQ

Fall 2001

CorrectionAn eagle-eyed reader caught

an error in the Q&A section ofthe magazine’s Spring issue.Alstom Power Air Preheater,formally Combustion Engi-neering, was the first partici-pant in the Voluntary Protec-tion Program (VPP) StarProgram, but it was not the firstVPP site. That honor goes tofour worksites, all part of theJohnson & Johnson Company.These sites were approved forthe Praise Program, which wasphased out in 1985, shortly afterthe announcement of the VPPin July 1982. We regret the error,and appreciate the correction.

Jo b Sa f e t y & H e a l t h Q u a r t e r l y4

What’s Happening?

OSHA NewsOSHA Kicks Off Lead Program

OSHA recently announced a na-tional emphasis program aimed atreducing occupational exposure tolead, one of the leading causes ofworkplace illnesses. The programwill apply to all workplaces underOSHA’s jurisdiction, including gen-eral industry, construction, and themaritime industry.

The program covers complaintsand referrals and will set targetedinspections in industries or worksiteswhere there is a potential for leadexposure. OSHA area officesthroughout the country will developa list of establishments under theirjurisdiction that are likely to be in-volved in lead-related activities. In-spections will include establish-ments with fewer than 10 employ-ees. OSHA hopes to reduce occu-pational lead exposures by 15 per-cent by the end of the Fiscal Year2002, a goal established in theagency’s strategic plan.

“Occupational exposure to lead isstill one of the most prevalent

overexposures found throughout in-dustry,” says R. Davis Layne, DeputyOSHA Administrator. “It’s impera-tive that we do all we can to reducethat exposure to workers. This na-tional emphasis program will help usfocus inspection efforts on worksitesinvolved in lead-related activities.”

The OSHA directive on the pro-gram is available on the agencywebsite at www.osha.gov.

OSHA Starts MethyleneChloride Program

OSHA’s Kansas City, MO, areaoffice recently initiated a localemphasis program to evaluate com-pliance with OSHA’s standard foremployee exposure to methylenechloride. Office director ManuelOlmedo says the program will tar-get as many as 600 workplaces inWestern Missouri that use thechemical for a wide range of indus-trial processes.

Methylene chloride exposurecan cause irritation to eyes, skin,and respiratory tracts; mentalconfusion; lightheadedness; nau-sea; vomiting; and headaches.

Continued exposure may causestaggering, unconsciousness, anddeath. Studies in laboratory ani-mals indicate that long-term expo-sure may cause cancer.

More information on methylenechloride, as well as the OSHAstandard for employee exposure, isonline at www.osha.gov. For moredetails about the methylene chlo-ride local emphasis program, con-tact OSHA’s Kansas City AreaOffice at (800) 892-2674.

Recordkeeping RulesStart January 1

Beginning January 1, 2002, em-ployers will have simpler, easier-to-follow requirements to keep trackof on-the-job injuries and illnesses.OSHA has prepared an extensiveoutreach campaign to assist themin making the transition to thenew system.

The new forms, brochures, factsheets, and interactive software areavailable on OSHA’s website atwww.osha.gov on the recordkeep-ing page. In addition, OSHAwill hold satellite training onNovember 29.

OSHA staff also will conductinformation sessions and trainingfor local groups throughout the falland winter. Contact the closestOSHA office for further informa-tion. The OSHA website lists allarea and regional offices.

OSHA IdentifiesHigh-Injury Sites

OSHA recently sent letters to14,000 sites notifying them thattheir injury and illness rates exceedthose of most workplaces. The let-ters encourage employers to takesteps to reduce hazards and protecttheir workers. Meanwhile, theagency is continuing its inspectionsof about 1,000 sites that experi-enced especially high injury and ill-ness rates in 1999.

OSHA is working to reduce occupational exposure to lead, particularly inindustries such as construction that put many workers at increased risk.

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OSHA identifiedthese sites based ondata reported by80,000 employersduring last year’sagency survey. Sitesin the inspectionpool had eight ormore injuries and ill-nesses resulting inlost workdays for ev-ery 100 full-timeworkers. Nationwide,the average U.S.workplace had threeinstances for every100 workers.

“The sites we areidentifying are on no-tice that they need toimprove,” says Secre-tary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. “Highinjury and illness rates have asignificant personal cost to em-ployees and a financial costto employers.”

OSHA encourages these em-ployers to consider hiring an out-side safety and health consultant,talk with their insurance carriers,or contact their state’s workers’compensation agency for advice.OSHA also provided contact in-formation for the free safety andhealth consultation service fundedby the agency in each state forsmall employers.

Chao Promotes ComplianceAssistance to ABA

Secretary of Labor Elaine L.Chao recently told the Labor andEmployment Law Section of theAmerican Bar Association thatcompliance assistance will be herprimary tool in protecting workers’safety on the job and administer-ing and enforcing U.S. labor andemployment laws. Chao stressedthe importance of informing, edu-cating, and encouraging employersto comply with federal labor laws.

“If we don’t work with employ-ers to help them achieve compli-ance on the front end, it’s the work-ers who will pay the price,” she said.“That’s why I’m directing my se-nior staff to develop a more effec-tive compliance strategy for ourdepartment, agency by agency.”

Chao was quick to emphasizethat she has no plans to ease en-forcement in favor of complianceassistance. “Instead, we recognizea critical fact of the 21st-centuryeconomy: that compliance assis-tance is a tool in the toolbox ofenforcement strategy,” she said.“In other words, compliance assis-tance isn’t an alternative to en-forcement; it is a means towardmore effective enforcement.”

OSHA is involved in a varietyof compliance assistance effortsthrough its onsite consultationservice, partnerships, VoluntaryProtection Programs, and trainingand education. In addition, theagency is assigning compliance as-sistance specialists to each federalarea office to help promote safer,more healthful workplaces.

OSHA LaunchesShipbreaking Program

OSHA recently launched a na-tional emphasis program to in-crease federal inspections of ship-breaking operations to reduce oreliminate workplace hazards in theindustry. Shipbreaking, also knownas ship scrapping or disposal, in-volves the breaking down of avessel’s structure, including the re-moval of all gear and equipment.

The national emphasis programcalls for OSHA area offices to con-duct targeted comprehensive in-spections of known shipbreakingoperations. Additionally, OSHA’sregional administrators will ensurethat OSHA conducts annualprogrammed comprehensiveinspections for every U.S. Navyand Maritime Administrationvessel undergoing shipbreak-ing operations.

The OSHA inspections will fo-cus on common hazards or work-place activities likely to cause in-jury or illness among workers.These include asbestos, PCB (poly-chlorinated biphenyls) and leadexposure, hazard communication,

OSHA is working to reduce injuries atship disposal and scrapping operations.Photo courtesy of Ship Dismantlement and RecyclingJoint Venture

Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao calls complianceassistance her primary tool in protecting workers’safety on the job. Photo by Kenny Bordelon

Jo b Sa f e t y & H e a l t h Q u a r t e r l y6

confined spaces, hearing conserva-tion, fire prevention, personal pro-tective equipment, emergency re-sponse and first aid, cutting andwelding, paint removal, poweredindustrial truck operations, oil andfuel removal, tank cleaning, cranes,scaffolding, and fall protection.

“Shipbreaking is one of the mostdangerous segments of the mari-time industry,” says R. Davis Layne,Deputy OSHA Administrator.“The scrapping of obsolete vesselspresents numerous challenges, andemployers must take extra care tosafeguard their workers. By focus-ing inspection efforts on these op-erations, we believe injuries canbe reduced.”

Along with supporting the inter-agency agreement, OSHA’s na-tional emphasis program developsa scheduling system for inspectionsof Navy and Maritime Administra-tion shipbreaking operations andestablishes coordination amongfederal agencies involved in the op-erations. These include the U.S.Navy, Defense Logistics Agency,Defense Reutilization and Market-ing Service, Maritime Administra-tion, and EPA. The program alsodevelops a national reporting sys-tem for all OSHA shipbreaking in-spections.

OSHA to IncreaseHispanic Outreach

Concerned about increased fa-talities among Hispanic workers in2000 (See related story on page 30.),Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chaorecently asked OSHA to form anexecutive task force to examineand expand the agency’s outreachactivities. She says the task forcewill “reach out and educate His-panic workers and their familiesabout health and safety.”

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’recently released Census of FatalOccupational Injuries reports that

fatalities among Hispanic workerswere up sharply, with 815 deathsin 2000 compared to 730 the pre-vious year. The report notes a 24-percent increase in constructionfatalities involving Hispanic work-ers in 2000 compared to 1999.Nationally, Hispanic employmentwas up 6 percent in 2000.

OSHA Posters Availableat No Cost

Advertisements suggesting thatemployers must purchase OSHAworkplace posters from privatecompanies to avoid fines may bemisleading employers. OSHAreminds employers that its officialposters are available free forthe asking.

The OSHA poster was rede-signed last year to make it easier toread and understand. The newposter, called “It’s the Law!”is available in English and Span-ish. Employers are not requiredto replace older posters withthe new ones but must display oneof the two posters in a promi-nent location.

The poster informs workers oftheir right to a safe and healthful

workplace and how to file a com-plaint, report an emergency, andseek OSHA advice. It also advisesthem of their right to con-fidentiality. The poster alsolists OSHA’s toll-free number,(800) 321-OSHA, as well as phonenumbers for regional OSHA officesaround the country.

For a copy of the poster, visit theagency website at www.osha.gov,fax your request to (202) 693-2498,or call (202) 698-1888.

Initiatives andOutreachDOL Begins Hotline

The Department of Labor re-cently launched a toll-free hotlinefor nuclear energy workers seekinginformation on the Energy Em-ployees Occupational Illness Com-pensation Program. The new pro-gram provides benefits for workerswho became ill after exposure toberyllium, radiation, or other haz-ards unique to the nuclear energyindustry. The department beganprocessing compensation andmedical benefit claims on July 31.

Affected workers can call (866)888-3322 for information or to re-quest application forms. Informa-tion also is posted on the Depart-ment of Labor website atwww.dol.gov, and the Labor andEnergy Departments have joinedforces to run at least nine resourcecenters near DOE facilitiesthroughout the country.

NFPA Reportson Firefighter Risks

Heart attacks were the leadingcause of on-duty fatalities amongfirefighters in 2000, the NationalFire Protection Association re-ported recently at its annual con-vention. Of the 102 on-dutyfirefighter deaths last year, 40 were

Fall 2001 7

due to heart attacks, continuing a25-year trend. The association re-ported that on-duty heart attacksusually are attributed to overexer-tion or stress.

Motor vehicle crashes were thesecond major cause of on-dutyfirefighter deaths. According to theassociation, 21 firefighters died inmotor vehicle crashes in 2000,more than half of them while re-sponding to emergency calls.

The National Institute for Oc-cupational Safety and Health(NIOSH) recently reported thatfirefighters face a serious risk of be-ing struck and killed by trafficwhen offering emergency assis-tance along busy highways. From1995 to 1999, 17 firefighters diedfrom being struck by motor ve-hicles while working along high-ways at crash scenes. This repre-sents an 89-percent increase overthe number killed in the previous5 years.

NIOSH is studying firefighter fa-talities to help identify causes andreduce risk factors.

ARTBA and NSC PromoteWork Zone Safety

The American Road and Trans-portation Builders Association and

the National Safety Council re-cently teamed up to develop anddistribute a training program onthe day-to-day hazards faced byroadway construction workers. Theprogram, OSHA 10-Hour TrainingExclusively for the RoadwayConstruction Industry, meetsrequirements for OSHA 10-houraccreditation while addressingboth traffic and worker safety.

The program can be taught in1-1/2 days or broken down by mod-ules for shorter training sessions. Itincludes a detailed facilitatormanual, participant guide,PowerPoint slides, and suggestedactivities for each module.

For more information orto order the program, call(800) 621-7619.

Publications andProductsOSHA Releases VPP Kit

OSHA recently released a newkit to educate employers about theVoluntary Protection Programs andencourage them to apply for accep-tance. The kit, Voluntary ProtectionPrograms: Recognizing Excellence inSafety and Health, includes an

overview of the program and thebenefits of participation. It also in-cludes a self-assessment checklistfor employers to gauge their eligi-bility for VPP, application instruc-tions, and a description of whathappens when OSHA conducts aVPP inspection.

The new kit was introduced atthe recent Voluntary ProtectionPrograms Participants Associationmeeting in New Orleans, LA.For more information, go to“Outreach” on the agency websiteat www.osha.gov.

NIOSH ReleasesWork Safety Guide

The National Institute for Oc-cupational Safety and Health re-cently released its new Guide forEvaluating the Effectiveness of Strat-egies for Preventing Work Injuries(NIOSH Publication 2001-19).The guide is designed to help safetyand health professionals and oth-ers determine the effectiveness ofinjury prevention initiatives andsafety programs.

The publication begins with adiscussion of safety interventionsand gives users the tools needed to

OSHA’s new VPP kit

A new training program addresses workzone hazards.

Jo b Sa f e t y & H e a l t h Q u a r t e r l y8

evaluate them scientifically beforeapplying them in the workplace.The guide is available online at theNIOSH website at www.cdc.gov/niosh.

NIOSH ReleasesSafety Videos

NIOSH recently releasedtwo new safety training vid-eos for mine health andsafety trainers. The Hazardsin Motion video addresses thedangers of working aroundmobile equipment in an un-derground mine. HiddenScars, the first in NIOSH’snew “Expert Miner” series,captures the story of a fatalrock burst in which the nar-rator was seriously injuredand his partner was killed.Both videos were shot com-pletely in operating under-ground hard-rock mines andused expert miners to tellthe story.

For more informationabout the videos, contactElaine Cullen by phone at(509) 354-8057 or by emailat ecullen@cdc.gov.

NIOSH Issues Tower AlertA new NIOSH alert offers

guidelines to help prevent falls bytelecommunications tower work-ers. The alert, Preventing Injuriesand Deaths from Falls during Con-struction and Maintenance of Tele-communication Towers, describesseven fatalities resulting from fallsfrom communication towers andfindings of the NIOSH FatalityAssessment and Control Evalua-tion Program.

The alert outlines factors thatcontributed to falls from commu-nication towers: inadequate fallprotection; inadequate workertraining; failure of a hoist or truck-crane; use of a hoist not rated tolift workers; and terminal deviceson the lanyard not compatible withtower components.

The alert offers precautions forworkers and employers, including

a recommendation that all work-ers receive training and use full fallprotection at heights above 25 feet.For a copy of the alert, visitthe NIOSH website at www.cdc.gov/niosh.

NSC IntroducesTraining System

The National Safety Council re-cently introduced SafetyWorks, apackaged training system to helpcompanies develop, implement,and evaluate comprehensive safetyor ergonomics programs. The step-by-step system for safety and com-pliance covers 25 topics rangingfrom accident investigation andback injury prevention to safetyprogram management and workers’compensation management.

The system’s “how-to” sectionprovides consistent, user-friendlyinstructions for meeting OSHA

standards or steps for estab-lishing best safety practicesfor non-compliance topics.A written program, animportant part of OSHAcompliance requirements,comes complete with a setof recordkeeping forms. Inaddition, it provides train-ing tips, a glossary of terms,an instructor guide, learningexercises, videos, and em-ployee handouts. For moreinformation, call (800) 621-7619 or visit www.nsc.org.

NIOSH IssuesForklift Alert

A new NIOSH alertwarns that forklift operatorsare more likely to be killedif they attempt to jump clearof a tipping forklift than ifthey stay with the vehicle.The alert, Preventing Injuriesand Deaths of WorkersWho Operate or Work NearForklifts, evaluates seven

A new NIOSH alertoutlines factors thatcontribute to fallsfrom communicationtowers.

A NIOSH guide offers tools to evaluateworkplace safety programs.

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fatalities involving forklifts. In sev-eral of the incidents, workers whoattempted to jump clear of an over-turning forklift were crushed by thevehicle or its overhead guard.

The alert recommends thatworkers inside a sit-down styleforklift that begins to overturn stayinside and shift their weight in theopposite direction of the overturn.It advises workers in stand-up fork-lifts with a rear-entry access tostep backward in the event of a lat-eral tip.

For more information, read thefull alert on the NIOSH website atwww.cdc.gov/niosh.

Partnership NewsOSHA and Tyson FoodsForm Partnership

OSHA and Tyson Foods, Inc.,recently joined together in a part-nership to improve safety andhealth at two of the poultryprocessor’s facilities. The 5-yearagreement initially covers two

Tyson facilities: Clarkesville Pro-cessing in Clarkesville, AR, andMonett Processing in Monett, MO.

A joint OSHA/Tyson partner-ship steering committee is estab-lishing milestones in reducing em-ployee injuries and illnesses atTyson Foods. OSHA will workwith senior staff, site management,and employees to identify actionsthat will strengthen Tyson’s safetyand health program. In addition,OSHA will conduct an initialbaseline evaluation of each partici-pating site’s program and report oncompliance issues in need of cor-rection and recommend areas forimprovement. Tyson committed tostrengthen its safety and healthprograms and to abate any OSHAviolations that may be identifiedthrough the partnership.

“We believe this effort will offernew ways and opportunities for usto work together and focuscooperatively on the thing that’smost important to all of thepartners: the health and safety ofour team members,” says Greg Lee,Tyson Foods chief operating officer.

Coffin Butte PartnershipAnnounced

OSHA and the Northern Im-provement Company of Bismark,ND, recently entered into a part-nership to address hazards associ-ated with the Coffin Butte Project.The project involves the installa-tion of a water pipeline extending137 miles throughout 700 squaremiles of rural southwestern NorthDakota to supply water to farmersand ranchers. More than 50 work-ers are involved in the construc-tion project, which involves some590 separate excavations.

The OSHA partnership focuseson hazards associated with trench-ing and excavating during theproject, and is expected to con-tinue through this fall.

“This partnership is a pro-active effort to prevent serious in-juries or fatalities from occurring atthis site and will benefit all stake-holders involved in this project,”says Bruce Beelman, OSHA areadirector in Bismarck. More than100 U.S. workers die each yearin trenching and excavationin accidents.

Jack Kolberg, Vice President andSafety Director for the NorthernImprovement Company, says thecompany is “very excited about theopportunity to work in partnershipand to combine efforts with OSHAto provide the safest and healthi-est work environment for allour employees.”

Logging PartnershipSaves Lives

Louisiana reported one loggingfatality between May 17, 2000 andMay 17, 2001, the first year of anew partnership between OSHA,the Louisiana Department of La-bor OSHA Consultation Division,and 200 logging contractors. Thisrepresents an 87.5-percent reduc-tion over the previous year’s fatal-ity rate. Since 1975, the Louisianalogging industry experienced anaverage of 2.24 fatalities per year.During the 16 months before theformal signing of the logging part-nership agreement, however, eightfatalities occurred.

Since the partnership’s 1-yearanniversary, one additional fatal-ity occurred. Although the fatalityis technically classified as a log-ging accident because the workerwas engaged in logging acti-vities, he did not work for a log-ging company.

Members of the logging partner-ship target training and otherpreventive activities designed toreduce logging injuries and fatali-ties. Participants say the partner-ship has increased awareness about

A new NIOSH alert offers forkliftsafety tips.

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logging safety among logging con-tractors as well as their employees.

“This partnership is a win-winproposition for the loggers, OSHA,the Louisiana Forestry Association,and the Louisiana Department ofLabor OSHA Consultation,” saysGreg Honaker, a compliance assis-tance specialist in OSHA’s BatonRouge Area Office. “The loggers Ihave spoken with claim that theiremployees have a heightenedawareness of good safety practices.We want to continue with partner-ship and seek ways to improve it.”

Sauer-Danfoss JoinsVPP Stars

Sauer-Danfoss Inc., an Illinoiscompany that designs, manufac-tures, and sells hydraulic systemsand components used in mobileequipment, is one of the neweststars in the Voluntary Protec-tion Programs.

The facility recently became thefirst Sauer-Danfoss site to earn VPPStar status. The plant’s 128 em-ployees, assigned to 6 teams,worked for 18 months to meet thestringent health and safety require-ments for Star recognition.

Dave McCumber, corporatesafety and environmental manager,says the corporation expects itsother nine sites nationwide to fol-low the Freeport facility’s example.“They have set the standard for theentire corporation,” he said. “Nowthe challenge is out there for therest of the facilities.”

VPP Pays Offfor Mundy Companies

Participation in the VPP is pay-ing off in lower worker injury ratesfor the Mundy Companies, an in-dustrial plant maintenance, capi-tal project, turnaround and servicescontractor with 5,000 employees in7 states.

The company has five VPP Starsites, four in the federal programand one in the North Carolina

state program. The first Mundy siteachieved approval in 1996, andthe North Carolina site was thefirst resident contractor inthe United States to receive VPPStar designation.

In 1995, the five Mundy sitesnow in VPP had a combined re-cordable injury rate of 1.79 per 100full-time employees. By 2000, thatrate had dropped to 0.57, 34-per-cent lower than the company av-erage of 0.87. In addition, Mundy’sfive Star sites reported 906,000manhours worked with no record-able injuries and illnesses duringthe first 6 months of 2001.

ExxonMobil Celebrates17 Years in VPP

The ExxonMobil ChemicalCompany’s Beaumont Olefins Aro-matics Plant in Beaumont, TX, re-cently celebrated its fifth OSHArecertification during 17 years as aVPP Star site. At a ceremony inBeaumont, Raymond Skinner, di-rector of OSHA’s Houston AreaOffice, acknowledged that despitethe potentially dangerous nature ofits work, the company’s accidentand illness rates remain considerablylower than the industry average.

“Their accomplishments areoutstanding,” Skinner said. “Thereason they’re doing so great is be-cause they’ve got a great programand it’s employee-driven.”

VPP Update

Logging fatalities in Louisianadropped significantly during the firstyear of a new OSHA partnership.

CorrectionJSHQ’s Summer issue in-correctly reported thatSecretary of Labor Elaine L.Chao appointed SalvatoreBonfiglio to serve on theNational Advisory Committeeon Occupational Safety andHealth. In fact, then-Secretaryof Labor Alexis M. Hermanappointed Bonfiglio to thecommittee in December 2000.

Fall 2001 11

New and Recently ReapprovedVPP Members

Federal Program

New Star Sites• Black & Veatch, Florida Power

& Light, Sanford RepoweringProject, DeBary, FL

• Cargill N.A. Sweeteners,Blair, NE

• DeGussa Huls, Waterford, NY• DynMcDermott Petroleum’s

Bryan Mound SPR, Freeport, TX• GE Engine Services, Inc.,

Miami, FL• GE Industrial Systems,

Jonesboro, AR• GE Lamp, Mattoon, IL• GE Reuter- Stokes,

Twinsburg, OH• PP&L Interstate Energy

Company, Pottstown, PA• Sauer-Danfoss Inc., Freeport, IL• U.S. Postal Service Pittsburgh

Air Mail Center, Coraopolis, PA

17-Year Star Site• ExxonMobil Chemical Com-

pany, Beaumont Olefins Aromat-ics Plant, Beaumont, TX

10-Year Star Site• OXYVinyls PVC Resins,

Pasadena, TX

9-Year Star Site• Weyerhaeuser, Valliant, OK

6-Year Star Sites• Milliken Unity Plant,

LaGrange, GA• Pharmacia, Augusta, GA

3-Year Star Sites• Ethyl Petroleum Additives,

Inc., Sauget, IL• Frito-Lay, Beloit, WI• IP Masonite, Lisbon Falls, ME

• L’Oreal USA, Piscataway, NJ• Merisant, Manteno, IL• Milliken Kingsley Plant,

Thomson, GA• OxyVinyls Deer Park VCM,

Deer Park, TX• Rhom & Haas, Morton Coating,

Reading, PA• Westinghouse Specialty Chemi-

cals, Blairsville, PA

New Star Conditional Site• GE Corporate R&D,

Niskayuna, NY

Merit Sites Moving to Star Status• Mead Stevenson Mill,

Stevenson, AL• National Enzyme Company,

Forsyth, MO

New Merit Sites• Arizona Chemical,

Pensacola, FL• Frito-Lay Perry Plant,

Kathleen, GA• Georgia Pacific, Waxahachie, TX• Rockwell Automation Control

Systems, Dublin Operations,Dublin, GA

State-Plan State Programs

New Star Sites• BEERS, Davidson & Jones

Group, Raleigh, NC• Caribe GE Distribution

Components, Arecibo, PR• CIBA Albemarle Site,

Albemarle, NC• CP Kelco, San Diego, CA• Georgia Pacific, Madera, CA• Kentucky Derby Hosiery, Lynne

Plant #6, Mount Airy, NC• Kentucky Derby Hosiery

Plant #14, Mount Airy, NC

• LG&E Altavista PowerStation, Altavista, VA

• SIGNODE, Western Operation,Pittsburg, CA

New Merit Site• Frito-Lay, Beaverton, OR JSHQ

As of August 1, 566 sites wereparticipating in the federal VPP:506 in Star, 57 in Merit, and 3in Demonstration. In addition,189 sites were participating instate-plan VPPs: 180 in Star and9 in Merit.

Jo b Sa f e t y & H e a l t h Q u a r t e r l y12

John L. Henshaw joins OSHA with more than a quarter-century of experience in workplace safety and health.Photo by Michael Carpenter

Fall 2001 13

y ultimate vision is forOSHA to be viewed as aleader in workplace injury

and illness prevention and achampion for employers andemployees to take ownershipof safety and health in theirworkplaces,” says new AssistantSecretary of Labor for Occupa-tional Safety and HealthJohn L. Henshaw. “I want theagency to maintain a strong andfair enforcement presence whileat the same time selling thevalue of safety and health, partner-ships, and voluntary compli-ance programs.”

At 52, Henshaw joins theagency with more than a quarter-century of experience in workplacesafety and health. In the early1970s, after considering a career inmarine science, trying landscapearchitecture for a year and work-ing for the Delaware state healthdepartment inspecting restaurants,septic systems, and other health-related sites, he headed for theUniversity of Michigan to earn amaster’s degree in environmental

health administration. Whilethere, he took a few electives inindustrial hygiene with ProfessorLarry Hecker and changed direc-tion for the last time, choosing toadd industrial health to his gradu-ate degree in environmentalhealth.

Once Henshaw’s course was set,he pursued it vigorously. Aftergraduation in December 1974, hejoined Monsanto’s Department ofMedicine and Environmental

M“ Health in St. Louis. He laterworked for a Monsanto spin-off,Solutia. When President Bushtapped him to head OSHA on June13, 2001, Henshaw was serving asdirector of environment, safety andhealth for Astaris, a joint venturebetween Solutia and the FMCCorporation.

Helping foster a strong safetyand health culture within all threechemical companies is whatHenshaw sees as his greatestachievement during his 26 yearsin the private sector. “Creating asafety and health culture involvesconstantly selling the value of in-jury and illness prevention. Itmeans stressing that protectingworker safety and health is a basicfoundation of a successful and sus-taining business,” he says.

Henshaw says he accepted theOSHA job because “it’s a greatopportunity to make a big differ-ence in people’s lives. I knowthere are pitfalls, but this positionalso offers the possibility to makethe greatest positive impact onworkers’ safety and health.”

Henshaw says heaccepted the

OSHA job because“it’s a great oppor-tunity to make abig difference inpeople’s lives.”

John L. Henshaw:A New Direction,A New Vision

by Susan Fleming

OSHA’s new Administrator has set a course tomake the agency the recognized champion ofworkplace safety and health.

Jo b Sa f e t y & H e a l t h Q u a r t e r l y14

A Marketing Approachto Safety and Health

The best way to affect workers,Henshaw is convinced, is forOSHA to step forward as a leaderin selling the value of injury andillness prevention to businesses andworkers. “OSHA needs to get outand articulate the value of prevent-ing injuries and illnesses in all ven-ues,” Henshaw says. “Then, we cantalk about compliance with OSHAstandards.”

Henshaw says “We must sell thevalue of safety and health and ofOSHA standards—how they addvalue to businesses as well as reducecosts. Many employers and em-ployees do not always see the valueof OSHA and OSHA standards.We need to sell them on these val-ues and market the value ofOSHA, our standards, and the ser-vice we provide to the workplacesin this country.”

Henshaw says trust is an impor-tant factor. “People must believein us and trust us if we are to sellthe value of safety and health andOSHA standards,” he says.

The result of this approach,Henshaw notes, will be better un-derstanding of OSHA, fewer inju-ries and illnesses, and a realizationamong businesses of “the addedvalue of safety and health, whichincludes increased productivity,

quality, and morale.” He points outthat “When employers care abouttheir employees and encouragethem to participate in protectingtheir safety and health, then work-ers value themselves more, contrib-ute more to the enterprise,and ultimately add value tothe company.”

Partnership PossibilitiesHenshaw acknowledges that

some companies may not realizethe value of safety and health rightaway. One of the best ways to getthem started, he believes, isthrough the synergy of partner-ships. “We need to leverage ouropportunities and encourage oth-ers to work with us,” he says.

The new Assistant Secretaryplans to explore many new oppor-tunities for partnership. “I’d liketo see OSHA work with graduateeducation programs at businessschools to articulate the value ofthe American worker and how

Assistant Secretary John L. Henshaw discusses the value of cooperative programsat the Voluntary Protection Program Participants’ Association conference in NewOrleans, LA. Photo by Kenny Bordelon

Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao, left, swears in John L. Henshaw, second fromright, as the new OSHA Administrator. With them is Henshaw’s wife, Jane,second from left, and daughter, Shannon, right. Photo by Jennifer Jacobson

Fall 2001 15

protecting workers through strongworkplace safety and health effortsadds value to companies,” he says.

Henshaw also sees every unionand trade association as an oppor-tunity for partnership. “OSHAshould be working with all of thesegroups,” he emphasizes. “They pro-vide a service to their members, tohelp them grow and prosper. Wemust do our part on the regulatoryfront. But envision what might re-sult if these groups spent more timehelping businesses improve safetyand health rather than fightingregulations.” He says organized la-bor could be effective in sellingworkplace safety and health—andthe value this brings to a workforceand an enterprise. Unions, too,have a stake in getting the wordout on safety and health to theirmembers, he says. “We want towork with them to make a positivedifference in their workplaces.”

OSHA’s ToolbagThe enforcement threat or

“hammer” is one of OSHA’s tools—but not the only tool—toachieve compliance. Henshaw says“the threat of a hammer motivatessome people, but it’s not the besttool to motivate most people. Thehammer also requires good stan-dards and other enforcement toolsto be effective,” he adds. “The en-forcement hammer does not stimu-late innovation or voluntary pro-grams that may go beyond compli-ance and could be more effectivein reducing injuries and illnesses.To be an effective agency, weneed to think beyond enforc-ing standards.”

Henshaw wants the agency touse other tools that drive perfor-mance. He believes that for everydollar OSHA spends in enforce-ment, it gets a certain amountof compliance, which may or maynot be sustainable since not all

employers buy in or own the out-come. “But with other tools suchas selling value, compliance assis-tance, voluntary programs, andpartnerships, we may get a doubleor triple return on our investment.And most importantly, we will getbetter ownership, which assures

greater sustainability in perfor-mance.”

When it comes to standard set-ting, Henshaw says his top prioritywill be determined by where thebiggest risks and hazards are andwhere standards can do the mostgood in reducing injuries and

John L. HenshawAssistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health

Age: 52Experience: 26 years directing industrial health programs in thechemical industryEducation: M.P.H.1974, University of Michigan, environmental andindustrial healthProfessional: Past president, American Industrial Hygiene Asso-ciation (1990-1991), member American Society of Safety EngineersDates: Named to current position by President Bush June 13, 2001;confirmed by the Senate August 3, 2001Accomplishment: Creating strong safety and health cultures atMonsanto, Solutia, and AstarisGoal: To make OSHA the champion of workplace safety and healthQuote: “I’d rather OSHA be viewed as adding value to Americanbusiness instead of just enforcing regulations.”

OSHA Assistant Secretary John L. Henshaw, center, meets with Alan McMillan,left, National Safety Council President and former OSHA Assistant Secretary;and Patrick Tyson, right, former Acting OSHA Assistant Secretary, at the recentNational Safety Council’s Congress and Expo in Atlanta. Photo by Earl Hicks

Jo b Sa f e t y & H e a l t h Q u a r t e r l y16

illnesses. But, he’s clear that train-ing, outreach, education, and part-nerships may be more effectivethan standards in achieving earlyreductions in occupational injuriesand illnesses.

When OSHA does set standardsand conduct inspections, Henshawwants the agency’s inspectors tohave the authority and credibilitythey need to convince employersto take the necessary action to pro-tect workers. He will encourageOSHA compliance officers to seekprofessional credentials such as, butnot limited to, the certified indus-trial hygienist, certified safety pro-fessional, and certified engineerdesignations that attest to theirknowledge. “These are the mea-sures the private sector uses togauge professionalism, so it willhelp our inspectors’ credibility tohave them,” he says. “We need tobe recognized by private-sector sys-tems as the professionals we are.This will continue to improve ourimage and enforcement strength.”

When OSHA speaks to employ-ers, it needs to use their language,Henshaw is convinced. That maymean better training for our safetyand health officers and continuing

to pull them from the private sec-tor, says Henshaw. “In addition, wemay want to set up more intern-ships with the private sector andgive our folks a better appreciationof what goes on in the private sec-tor before they are asked to performinspections.”

He says, “These options couldhelp our safety and health officersappreciate what businesses needand help them understand the lan-guage that businesses use so we cansell our points more effectively. Weneed to move from ‘becauseOSHA says so or because that’swhat the standard requires’ to avalue-added approach. I believewe can achieve longer-lasting re-sults if we say you ought to do itthis way because this approachadds value.”

OSHA also needs to speak in alanguage understood by workers,Henshaw points out. “We knowthat there are 10 million Ameri-cans and many more immigrants inthis country who speak little or noEnglish,” he says. “Many of theseare people in our workforce.”Henshaw says OSHA must con-tinue to focus on reaching Hispanic

workers, since fatalities amongthem, particularly in constructionwork, have risen significantly. “Weneed to effectively reach this popu-lation, and I’m hoping we can findstakeholders to partner with us toreach these workers.” In addition,he says, “We need to make sure wereach the employers to assure theyproperly protect immigrant work-ers.”

Pointing Towardthe Road Ahead

Henshaw’s goal is for OSHA tocontinue to encourage those whounderstand the importance ofworkplace safety and health andhelp them excel. In addition, hebelieves, the agency “must reachthose who are not yet there.” Hesays “OSHA must become moreoutwardly focused, more engagedwith its customers, and more fo-cused on meeting their needs in thepursuit of improving job safety andhealth and adding value to theirbusinesses.”

It is a goal, he says, that “can-not be limited to setting standardsor conducting inspections. Thegoal must be to ensure the protec-tion of American workers.

“To accomplish that goal,”Henshaw says, “we can, and wemust, use all our tools and enlistthe help, support, and involvementof others. We must marshal the re-sources of the many dedicatedpeople out there who are not partof the agency, but who are tryingto do the same thing—reduceworkplace injuries and illnesses.OSHA can be a leader in injuryand illness prevention.” JSHQ

Fleming is a public affairs specialistin OSHA’s Office of Public Affairs,Washington, DC.

Henshaw’s goal isfor OSHA to

continue to en-courage those

who understandthe importance ofworkplace safetyand health and

help them excel.

The new AssistantSecretary wantsOSHA to use allthe tools in its

toolbag to promoteworkplace safety

and health.

Fall 2001 17

SHA responded immedi-ately to the September 11terrorist attacks at the

World Trade Center in New YorkCity and the Pentagon outsideWashington, DC. While thou-sands of America’s citizens—firefighters, law enforcementofficers, health care workers,

O

Respondingto DisasterOSHA was on the scene immediately following theSeptember 11 attacks to protect emergency workers.

by Bill Wright

Search and rescue workers braved many hazards during the search for survivors.Federal Emergency Management Agency photo by Michael Rieger

tradesmen, and volunteers—joinedhands to rescue and recover vic-tims, OSHA went to work to pro-tect their health and safety.

Approximately 160 OSHA em-ployees from throughout theagency’s New York Region II officesand a three-person team in Virginiawent to work immediately to help

ensure the safety and health of res-cue workers in Manhattan and atthe Pentagon. As the cleanup con-tinued in New York City, staff fromother regions joined Region IIOSHA personnel to handle theround-the-clock operation, swell-ing the ranks to nearly 400, includ-ing some from states with their ownsafety and health plans, and con-sultation programs.

“I’m proud that OSHA profes-sionals have dedicated themselvesto the goal of helping protect theseAmerican heroes,” says OSHAAdministrator John L. Henshaw.“Our sole purpose in the monu-mental efforts ongoing in NewYork and Washington is to makesure that no worker suffers anotherneedless tragedy. We’re not oper-ating in an enforcement role—but,we do want to make sure that intheir zeal to recover victims, theydon’t become victims themselves.”

OSHA coordinated with federal,state, and local agencies to meetthat goal. One of the first priori-ties was to conduct personal airmonitoring in lower Manhattan todetermine worker exposure levelsto asbestos.

“The collapse of both WorldTrade Center towers and otherbuildings, in addition to the tre-mendous amount of collateral dam-age throughout the surroundingarea of lower Manhattan, createdan incredible amount of airbornedebris,” says Patricia Clark,OSHA’s Regional Administrator inNew York. “OSHA’s priority wasto ensure the air was safe for thoseinvolved in the rescue effort.”

The agency made initial contactwith the Federal Emergency Man-agement Agency, the Environmen-tal Protection Agency (EPA), andvarious New York City agencies,including the New York State De-partment of Labor’s Public Em-ployee Safety and Health plan.

Jo b Sa f e t y & H e a l t h Q u a r t e r l y18

Heavy equipment moves tons of debrisfrom the site. FEMA photo by Michael Rieger

Workers at the World Trade Center site.

A health professional treats a firefighter atthe World Trade Center site.FEMA photo by Michael Rieger

Then, OSHA deployed industrialhygienists and safety officers totake air samples throughout NewYork’s Financial District and in spe-cific locations where workers wereinvolved in the rescue.

OSHA coordinated with EPA tomake sure it was safe for workersto return to the Financial Districtin lower Manhattan the week af-ter the disaster. “We set up twogrids; Bob Garvey, RichardMendelson, Maureen Moynihan-Fradkin, Babu Thomas, and Iwalked throughout the FinancialDistrict wearing sampling pumps,”says Region II’s Gil Gillen. “Weinitially wanted to determine if of-fice workers would be safe walkingto work and that the air was safe intheir offices. We then moved intothe rubble pile area to characterizeexposures to the emergency re-sponders and identify where itwould be safe for them to removetheir respirators.”

“In the 31 days ending October13, we took more than 1,000 air

and bulk samples, and we expectto continue at a rigorous pace,”Clark says. “Though the levelshave been consistently safe,we can’t assume they’ll remain thatway in and around the rubble pileas the debris is removed.It’s imperative that our sam-pling continue.”

As the effort extended into itssecond and third weeks, OSHAprovided consultation and assis-tance as agency employees contin-ued sampling for asbestos, silica,lead and other heavy metals, car-bon monoxide, and volatile or-ganic compounds. OSHA sharedits sampling data with all federal,state, and local agencies involvedin the effort to ensure that all work-ers were protected.

Garvey, a 12-year OSHA em-ployee, says past experience re-sponding to incidents such aschemical releases and fires gavehim valuable tools he applied at theNew York site. Nothing, however,prepared him for the magnitude of

Fall 2001 19

An OSHA team responded to the Pentagon disaster to ensure the safety andhealth of rescue workers. Department of Defense photo by R.D. Ward

the disaster. “The biggest challengehere is that there are so many haz-ards, everywhere you look,” he said.“The sheer scope of this is beyondanything you could imagine, letalone prepare for. But everyone isworking together, pushing fullsteam ahead.”

OSHA ensured that all workershad access to safety and personalprotective equipment, particularlyrespirators. “While our samplingshows the air to be well within ac-ceptable standards in the areas sur-rounding what has been called‘ground zero,’ we still think it’s pru-dent that rescue workers have anduse respiratory protection,” saysClark. “It is particularly importantin the immediate area of thecollapse.” OSHA continued to

fit check and distribute about 2,000respirators daily, down from about4,000 daily during the first twoweeks of the rescue effort.

“It’s not always simple to get tothose workers, who oftentimes seetheir own well-being as a second-ary priority, to use personal protec-tive equipment for their ownsafety,” says Henshaw. “We under-stand their motivation and com-mitment and we applaud it. But,we also know that we’re in a goodposition to persuade, educate, andtrain them that they need the pro-tection we can provide.”

Physical safety of those involvedin the rescue operation also wasof major concern to OSHA.As greater quantities of heavyequipment arrived at the site and

greater numbers of constructionworkers joined in the rescue effort,OSHA deployed safety monitoringteams in concert with the NewYork City Department of Designand Construction. These teamsaddressed hazards created byheavy equipment such as cranes,excavators, and dump trucks, aswell as cutting and burning opera-tions. The teams operate on a 24-hour basis in and around the de-bris pile.

Mendelson, Manhattan AreaOffice Director and an emergencymedical technician, has been acentral figure in OSHA’s response.Although his office was destroyedin the attack, his staff has beenback to work at the site to protectother workers.

Jo b Sa f e t y & H e a l t h Q u a r t e r l y20

An OSHAOffice Evacuates

Hundreds of rescue workers and firefighters sift through rubble near the buildingthat once housed OSHA’s Manhattan Area Office. FEMA photo by Michael Rieger

t was a perfect New York Citymorning, and Mike Mabee wasjust starting his day as a

whistleblower investigator atOSHA’s Manhattan Area Office.The office was on the top floor ofthe World Trade Center’s Build-ing 6, an 8-story building in a com-plex dominated by two 110-storyskyscrapers.

Sipping coffee and sortingthrough his case files, Mabee heardwhat sounded like a sonic boom.His office lights flickered, then heheard someone in the distanceyelling that something had hitTower 1, one of the skyscrapers.Glass, paper, metal, and other de-bris was falling from the sky pasthis windows, and Mabee heard thepounding of more debris hitting hisbuilding’s roof.

by Donna Miles

The staff hurried toward thestairwell, just as they had trainedto do during past fire drills. Theoffice’s emergency action plancalled for the staff to go down thesteps to the ground floor and to rallyon the east side of the building.

Mabee, Victor Couverter, asafety and health clerk, and LouWillard, a retired OSHA employeewho was visiting the office, wentinto immediate action and evacu-ated a fellow employee who hadjust returned to work following astroke. Frank Ufert, a complianceassistance specialist, was tempo-rarily wheelchair-bound. As largerand larger pieces of debris poundedon their building roof, Mabee,Couverter, Willard, and Ufert fol-lowed the previously planned andrehearsed part of the emergencyaction plan specifically related toevacuating someone in a wheel-chair and rode the freight elevatorto the building’s basement. “Theplan had already been made touse the elevator, if possible, toevacuate our wheelchair-boundcolleague,” said Mabee. “It’s

I

“We’re facing hazards never seenbefore, and we have no textbookon how to handle these hazards,”says Mendelson. He cited the useof cranes lifting steel beams of un-known weight, slings breaking un-der unexpectedly heavy loads, re-moval of debris while undergroundfires continue to burn, and the in-stability of nearby buildings as justsome of the safety problems atthe site.

Another 35 staffers fromOSHA’s other three East Coast re-gions arrived to augment the enor-mous undertaking. Each week, anew group of OSHA staff from allover the country is arriving in NewYork for a 5-day stint to help out.

At the Pentagon, a three-personFederal OSHA team served in alargely advisory role, overseeingemergency response and helpingidentify appropriate respiratoryprotection for emergency workers.Tom Pope, director of the NorfolkArea Office, says the team workedside-by-side with the military, theEPA, and the FBI to ensure workersafety and health during rescue andrecovery operations.

“The site was very different fromthe one in New York in that it in-volved a much more controlledarea with one employer, the U.S.government, one building, andmuch less damage,” Pope says. “Ev-eryone worked together in a posi-tive way and as a result, there wereminimal injuries and no seriousinjuries among the response work-ers in the whole process.”

OSHA’s non-stop work has beenan integral part of the rescue andrecovery operations. When work-ers on the pile cheer at the site ofpeople wearing green jackets withOSHA across the back, the agencyknows it is making a difference. JSHQ

Wright is a public affairs specialist inOSHA’s Office of Public Affairs,Washington, DC.

Fall 2001 21

Mike Mabee and his coworkers inOSHA’s Manhattan Area Officeescaped without injury.OSHA photo by Susan Fleming

OSHA’s Manhattan Area Office was based in thetop floor of the World Trade Center’s Building 6,pictured, before the attack. OSHA photo by Kevin Brennan

conceivable that had we taken theextra time to walk down eightfloors, we may not have made itdown in time. Sticking to the planand using the elevator is probablywhat saved us.”

In the basement, the three ranthrough the parking garage, push-ing Ufert and his wheelchair to-ward the exit. New York Port Au-thority officers inside the garage,however, stopped them from leav-ing the building for fear they wouldbe hit by falling debris. “I don’tknow how long we waited in thegarage before they let us leave,” saidMabee, “but it felt like a long time.”

Finally, the four were permittedto leave, and they hurried towardthe north, away from the complex.“At that point, I didn’t know whathad happened,” said Mabee. “Ithought it was just an accident,maybe a fire or a gas explosion.”Yet, as he looked up at the burningbuilding with a gaping hole nearthe top floors, Mabee watched acommercial airliner bank sharplyand head straight into the secondtower. “As soon as I saw the sec-ond plane, I understood what hadhappened,” Mabee said. “It wasobvious that the plane had delib-erately steered into the tower.”

At that point, Mabee said thestreet turned into “complete pan-demonium” as “everyone start-ed fleeing.” Fire, police, and emer-gency medical personnel startedarriving at the scene. Looking up,Mabee saw at least 20 people jumpto their deaths. “It got to the pointwhere you just couldn’t watch itanymore,” he said.

Mabee and his colleagues con-tinued rushing north, away fromthe scene, when Tower 2 crashedto the ground, sending what hecalled “a huge wash of debris” overthe site and burying many of thenewly arrived police and fire ve-hicles. “I could see that a wholemass of the first responders had

been killed,” Mabee said. As heand his colleagues proceeded awayfrom the scene, they watchedTower 1, the building that hadbeen hit by the first hijacker, pan-cake down to the ground. What hedidn’t realize at the time was thatTower 1’s collapse had completelydestroyed the OSHA Area Officein Building 6.

Mabee and his three co-workersfinally arrived at the OSHARegion II Office in the Federal

Building about a mile and a halfnorth of the World Trade Centercomplex, only to find that the staffhad evacuated. Fortunately, theyfound a staff member from the of-fice who pointed them toward theoffice’s rally point about 2 blocksaway, at James Walker Park. There,Mabee, Couvertier, Willard, andUfert found their colleagues fromthe area office, including Area Of-fice Director Richard Mendelson,who had been out of the office giv-ing a presentation in Queens whenthe incident occurred. All 23members of the Manhattan AreaOffice had escaped the disaster un-harmed. “That was the first timethat we all realized that everyoneelse was okay,” said Mabee.

Standing at the park, lookingtoward the dust clouds to the southand listening to the news on a ra-dio, Mabee heard a call go out forvolunteers with medical training.A trained paramedic, he rushedback to the World Trade Centercomplex—now referred to by themedia as “ground zero”—andhelped set up a makeshift hospitalin the gym of Manhattan Commu-nity College. Doctors, nurses, andmedical students started arriving at

Jo b Sa f e t y & H e a l t h Q u a r t e r l y22

ithout warning, an explo-sion at a Lower Michigan

mill that produces particleboard blew out sections of thebuilding walls and sent plumes offire skyward. Forty-five employees,nine of them injured in the blast,had to evacuate the burningstructure. The plant managerdescribed the incident as his“worst nightmare.”

Nobody expects an emergencyor disaster, especially one that af-fects them, their employees, andtheir business directly. Yet work-place emergencies—explosions,fires, floods, tornadoes, chemicalspills, toxic gas releases, or even ter-rorist attacks like the recent oneson the World Trade Center andPentagon—and can strike anyone,anytime, and anywhere. Businessestoo often find themselves forced toevacuate when they least expect it.

The recent terrorist attacks onthe World Trade Center and thePentagon have brought thepossibility of such events to theforefront of everyone’s mind.OSHA’s emergency action plan

Wreckage litters streets surrounding the site. FEMA photo by Michael Rieger

Planningfor Emergenciesby Donna Miles

the site, and Mabee was put incharge of supplies that poured infrom area hospitals. By nightfall,when the building lights wouldn’tgo on, Mabee helped pack up theoperation and move it two blocksaway to Stuyvesant High School tocontinue offering aid, mostly torescue workers.

“The rescuers were so focused ontheir work that they didn’t want toleave the scene for treatment,”Mabee said. “The dust was so thickthat they needed to flush their eyesso they could see, but we couldn’tget them to come in to have itdone.” In response, Mabee andteams of medics started carrying in-travenous solution bags filled withsaline solution out to the street toflush the eyes of more than 100rescue workers. They worked until6 o’clock the next morning beforemore volunteers relieved them.

Now, Mabee is back on the job,working out of OSHA’s Region IIOffice. Getting back to his inves-tigations, he admits, is difficult. Hisbuilding is destroyed, along with allhis files. His email is down. Hedoesn’t even have a permanentdesk from which to work. “I’m try-ing to reconstruct where everythingwas before September 11,” he said.

What did the disaster teach himabout emergency evacuations?“One of the lessons I learned is thatjust getting out of the building is

not enough. You have to get awayfrom the building,” he said. “By thesame token, you need two rallypoints: a regular one and a second-ary one. If everyone from our of-fice had remained at the regularrally point, they would have beenkilled by all the falling debris.”

Mendelson agreed that havinga preplanned rally point was a bigfactor in his office’s ability to ac-count for its people as quickly aspossible. He remembered all toowell an incident several years agoin Manhattan in which threefirefighters and rescue workers re-ceived severe burns searching aConEdison building for workerswho had already evacuated. “Byhaving a good plan in which peopleknow what to do and where to goin an emergency,” he says, “peoplecan respond more quickly, poten-tially saving their own lives as wellas those first responders who mightrisk theirs trying to save them.”

Mabee says the disaster will for-ever change his attitude towardemergency evacuation drills. “I al-ways used to think they were apain. You’d be sitting there in themiddle of a project or typing upsomething and have to stop andleave the building. It always feltlike a major inconvenience,” hesaid. “But now I know differently.Now I know that it can help saveyour life.” JSHQ

W

No companyexpects a work-

place emergency,but if one occurs,advanced plan-ning can reduceuncertainty and

save lives.

Fall 2001 23

requirements focus specifically on“reasonably forseeable emergen-cies” that might or might not in-clude terrorist attacks. Given thefar-reaching effects of such attacks,however, an employer may want toconsider surrounding business op-erations such as nuclear powerplants, military installations, pub-lic utilities, and the like.

According to MaryAnnGarrahan, team leader for OSHA’sHealth Compliance DevelopmentDivision, the best way for employ-ers to protect themselves, theirworkers, and their businesses is toexpect the unexpected and plan forit. “Brainstorm the worst-case sce-narios,” Garrahan says. “Ask your-self what you would do if the worsthappened.” How, for example,would you and your employees re-act if a fire broke out in your boilerroom, a hurricane hit your planthead-on, or a train carrying hazard-ous waste derailed while passingyour loading dock?

OSHA requires some compa-nies, particularly many that workwith or store hazardous materials,to assess these “what ifs?” and cre-ate an emergency action plan. Thisplan documents what to do in theevent of an emergency. Garrahansays every company, however, canbenefit from a well-thought-outemergency action plan.

An effective plan includes de-tails such as the following:• Determining how to alert em-

ployees to an emergency,• Identifying who is in charge dur-

ing an emergency,• Specifying evacuation policy and

procedures,• Establishing evacuation routes

and exits, and• Having a designated assembly

area and procedures to accountfor all employees following anevacuation.

Establishing anemergency action planis just the first step inpreparing for a work-place emergency.Garrahan says the best-laid emergency actionplans will be ineffec-tive during an emer-gency if employees arenot aware of them anddo not have a clear un-derstanding of evacua-tion procedures andwhat their roles are.She recommends re-viewing the plan withemployees and postingit in a convenientlocation where em-ployees can access itor giving employees

OSHA Resources

A newly released OSHA bro-chure, How to Plan for WorkplaceEmergencies and Evacuations, helpsemployers anticipate and plan forworkplace emergencies. The bro-chure is on the OSHA website atwww.osha.gov. For more informationabout OSHA standards and emer-gency action plans, contact your lo-cal OSHA area office or visit theagency website.

A good emergency action plan reducesuncertainty during fires and other workplaceemergencies.

Jo b Sa f e t y & H e a l t h Q u a r t e r l y24

These participants in OSHA’sVoluntary Protection Programstake protecting their workers’safety and health very seriously anddemonstrate it through their out-standing emergency action plans.

Identifying HazardsWhen the Cargill North Ameri-

can Sweeteners in Blair, NE, waspreparing its emergency actionplan 4 years ago, the company con-sidered hazards within its facili-ties—including ethynol, iso-hex-ane, sulfur dioxide, and dust. Safetyand Security Team Leader ToddFriis says the “what-ifs” extendedbeyond the company’s propertyline, however, to include a nuclearpower plant a mile to the south anda nearby wastewater treatmentplant. “We knew that these facili-ties posed potential hazards, too,and tried to account for those

Using Local Resources Whether fighting a fire,

cleaning up a toxic spill, ordealing with a medical prob-lem, the employer also needsto consider what local re-sources are available and maybe necessary to deal with anemergency. Does the local firedepartment know about yourchemical processes? Are theemergency medical service per-sonnel aware that your opera-tions use organophosphatechemicals and that they mayneed to stock extra atropine?If an employer intends to relyon emergency response assetsfrom the surrounding area,then these responders need tounderstand the employer’s op-erations fully.

An employer also may wishto include local responders inany drills or “mock disaster”scenarios. Many responseagencies try to plan drills ormock disasters as training fortheir personnel and would wel-come the opportunity to coor-dinate with employers to givesuch training “real world” ap-plicability.

hazards in our plan,” Friis says. Asa result, the three facilities estab-lished a direct telephone line to useto notify each other in the eventof an emergency.

At the International PaperCompany’s Quinnesec Mill on theUpper Peninsula of Michigan, theemergency action plan addressesthree major hazards associated withthe production of consumer pulpand finished printing grade paper.Loss Prevention Supervisor RockySchuster says these hazards are hy-drogen sulfide gas, chlorine diox-ide, and potential explosions in thechemical recovery boiler. In addi-tion, each department within thecompany’s 10 buildings developedits own emergency action planbased on the hazards present, thephysical arrangement of eachbuilding, and types of alarm sys-tems used.

Emergency Action Plans:Three Companies’ Approaches

Dennis Johnson, right a supervisor at the National Enzyme Company, points outevacuation maps to new employee Maxine Crawford. Photo by Danny McKelvex

individual copies. In addition,many companies schedule peri-odic evacuation drills to ensurethat employees know what to doand where to go during an emer-gency.

“The more you practice, themore it becomes second na-ture,” says Carol Schwartzkopf,Safety Coordinator for the Na-tional Enzyme Company inForsyth, MO. “That will helpeliminate chaos and confusionduring a real emergency, andcould ultimately save lives.”

Fall 2001 25

Schwartzkopf says managementstresses, however, that employeesshould use the fire extinguishersonly if necessary to exit the build-ing, not to fight the fire. In addi-tion, employees whose jobs takethem between different buildingsduring the workday receive a safetyorientation for each building inwhich they work. “This ensuresthat everyone understands what todo during an emergency,” saysSchwartzkopf. “And at the sametime, it demonstrates to employeesthat we are a safe work environ-ment and put a high premium ontheir safety.”

Similarly, the Cargill NorthAmerican Sweeteners’ plan re-quires supervisors to review theplan annually with employees, whomust participate in at least oneevacuation drill each year. Whenpreparing its plan, the companyalso prepared a condensed versionof the full plan, known as the “redbook.” Copies of the book, whichprovides a quick reference in theevent of an emergency, are placedthroughout the facility, and eachshift leader has a personal copy.“The bottom line is to protect ourworkers, our assets, and our re-sources,” Friis says, “while keepingthe community informed in theevent of an emergency so others arenot harmed.”

Similarly, the International Pa-per Company’s Quinnesec Millconducts regular evacuation drillsto ensure that employees knowwhat to do and where to go in anemergency. After each drill, em-ployees and management alike dis-cuss how the evacuation went.“We’re always looking for areaswhere we need to improve,” saysSchuster. JSHQ

Alerting EmployeesSome employees at the National

Enzyme Company in Forsyth, MO,wear positive-airflow helmets thatmake it difficult for them to hearaudible emergency alarms. For thisreason, Schwartzkopf says the com-pany recently installed new strobelights that provide a visual alarmwhen the audible alarm sounds.

The International PaperCompany’s Quinnesec Mill alsohas an extensive alarm system in

its buildings to alert employees toan emergency. Schuster says thesystem includes a flashing, rotat-ing beacon, lighted directionalsigns that direct employees to theappropriate evacuation route, andaudible alarms that emit three dif-ferent sounds. One tone notifiesworkers of a potential explosion inthe boiler area, and the other twotones identify potential hydrogensulfide gas or chlorine dioxide haz-ards.

Training EmployeesAt the National Enzyme Com-

pany, employees participate inmonthly safety meetings and anannual review of the emergencyaction plan. In addition, managerstake all new employees on a facil-ity “walkthrough” to show themthe evacuation route, exits, and thelocation of the fire extinguishersand tornado shelters. Schwartzkopfsays new employees must sign astatement verifying that they haveseen where the Material SafetyData Sheets are kept and under-stand that they have access tothem. They also must verify thatthey know where the fire extin-guishers are and how to use them.

The International Paper Company’s Quinnesec Mill has its own emergencyresponse teams onsite.

The International Paper Company’sQuinnesec Mill posts highly visible signsto ensure workers know what to do inan emergency.

Jo b Sa f e t y & H e a l t h Q u a r t e r l y26

OSHA’s new steel erection stan-dard, which becomes effectiveJanuary 18, 2002, will help makeAmerica’s ironworkers safer thanever. The new standard is expectedto prevent 30 fatalities and 1,142injuries annually and, as a result,save employers nearly $40 milliona year.

The rule is one of the firstOSHA standards developed underthe Negotiated Rulemaking Act of1990 and the Department ofLabor’s negotiated rulemakingpolicy. With negotiated rulemak-ing, a committee composed of rep-resentatives from interested partiespotentially affected by the rule de-velops a proposed standard. OSHAthen publishes the proposal, holdspublic hearings, and receiveswritten information from the pub-lic. After reviewing all avail-able evidence, OSHA issues a fi-nal standard.

Members of the Steel ErectionNegotiated Rulemaking AdvisoryCommittee (SENRAC) developedthe steel erection rule. The com-mittee, established in May 1994,included representatives fromorganized labor, industry, public in-terests, and government. Theparties worked out contrasting po-sitions and sought common groundthrough face-to-face discussions.By airing disputed issues early inthe rulemaking process, the com-mittee helped to develop a betterrule that employers are more likelyto comply with—reducing theneed for enforcement and litiga-tion activities.

The new standard protects allworkers engaged in steel erectionactivities. It does not, however,cover workers on electric transmis-sion towers, communications tow-ers, broadcast towers, water towers,or tanks.

The revised standard is part ofOSHA’s ongoing commitment tokeep workplace regulations current

OSHA’s new steel erection standard isexpected to go a long way toward savinglives and preventing injuries.

by Frank Meilinger

ProtectingIronworkers

emember those startlingpictures of workers casuallywalking along beams or

unguardedly connecting giantsteel girders hundreds of feetabove the ground as they erectedthe world-famous Empire StateBuilding? What many of us donot know is that five men per-ished during construction of the102-story landmark.

Although we certainly havecome a long way in worker safetysince this architectural and engi-neering treasure was completed 70years ago, the nation’s 57,000ironworkers continue to face risksof serious injury or death. Everyyear an average of 35 ironworkersdie during steel erection activitiesand 2,300 more suffer lost-work-day injuries.

R

Ironworkers who built the Empire State Buildingwould have faced much less personal risk withprotections offered by the new standard.Photo courtesy of New York Public Library

Fall 2001 27

with evolving work practices andensure that all workers are pro-tected from the hazards posed bynewer working conditions andtechnologies. OSHA’s new require-ments close gaps in current cover-age, strengthen many existingspecifications, and promote com-pliance by clarifying and consoli-dating current requirements.

The steel erection standardplaces special emphasis on the mostserious hazards workers encounterduring the steel erection process.These include hazards associatedwith working under loads; hoisting,landing, and placing decking; col-umn stability; double connections;landing and placing steel joints;and falls to lower levels.

The standard’s focus on thesesignificant hazards will prevent

many of the unneces-sary injuries and fatali-ties that occur in the in-dustry each year. For in-stance, a worker died in1999 when he steppedinto a 3-foot-squareskylight hole and fell tothe ground below.OSHA’s new require-ments for covering roofand floor openingsmight have preventedthis accident. Coversfor roof and floor open-ings must meet the fol-lowing requirements:• be capable of sup-porting twice theweight of the employ-ees, equipment, andmaterial;

• be secured when in-stalled to prevent acci-dental displacement;and

• be painted withhigh-visibility paint ormarked with the word“HOLE” or “COVER.”

In another fatal inci-dent, a worker fell more than 23feet while walking on a steel rafter.He had finished bolting-up a steelpurlin to the rafter and was walk-ing back to get another purlinwhen he fell. Compliance with thenew fall protection requirementscould have prevented this acci-dent. The final rule requires that,with some exceptions, employersprovide fall protection equipmentto workers engaged in steel erec-tion on surfaces more than 15 feetabove a lower level. This includesworkers engaged in bolt-up activi-ties.

According to Noah Connell,director of OSHA’s Office of Con-struction Standards and Compli-ance Assistance, special provisionsin the new standard concentrateon ensuring structural integrity.

“These buildings are strong oncethey’re completed but are very pre-carious while they are beingerected,” explains Connell. “Anumber of these provisions are spe-cifically designed to improve thestructural stability during theconstruction process to preventthe buildings from collapsingor falling.”

New structural stability provi-sions include requirements for in-stalling four instead of two anchorbolts to prevent “hinging down;”mandatory testing of concrete forcuring before steel columns can goup; installing “seats” or other de-vices for double connections; andinforming ironworkers of modifica-tions and repairs to anchor bolts.

In July, OSHA announced thatthe final steel erection standardwill go into effect January 18, 2002,exactly 6 months later than theoriginal effective date. The delayis designed to give the industry ad-ditional time to become familiarwith the new requirements andprovide training to employees inthe construction industry. OSHAalso is preparing material to assistthe industry in the training process.

The 6-month delay also allowsemployers time to make the nec-essary changes to avoid costlyrefabrication of already-made com-ponents and avoid long delaysto projects that would affectall trades involved in the construc-tion process. Components aretypically fabricated 2 or 3 monthsbefore erection.

OSHA will not apply the com-ponent requirements of thenew standard to the followingtwo situations:• components used in steel erec-tion projects where the building per-mit was obtained before January 18,2001, when the Federal Register pub-lished the final rule; and• components used in steel erec-tion projects in which the steel

OSHA’s new steel erection standard will helpprotect 57,000 U.S. ironworkers, preventingsome 30 fatalities and 1,142 injuries a year.Photo by Michael Carpenter

Jo b Sa f e t y & H e a l t h Q u a r t e r l y28

Site Layout and Construction Sequence• Requires certification of proper curing of con-

crete in footings, piers, and walls or the mortarin masonry piers and walls for steel columns.

• Requires the controlling contractor to providethe erector with a safe site layout, includingpreplanned routes for hoisting loads.

Site-Specific Erection Plan• Requires preplanning of key erection elements,

including, in certain circumstances, coordinationwith the controlling contractor before erectionbegins.

Hoisting and Rigging• Provides additional crane safety for steel erec-

tion.• Minimizes employee exposure to overhead loads

through preplanning and work practice require-ments.

• Prescribes proper procedure for multiple lifts, of-ten referred to as “christmas-treeing.”

Structural Steel Assembly• Provides safer walking/working surfaces by elimi-

nating tripping hazards and minimizes slipsthrough new slip-resistance requirements.

• Provides specific work practices regarding safelylanding deck bundles and promoting the promptprotection from fall hazards in interior openings.

Column Anchorage• Requires four anchor bolts per column along with

other column stability requirements.• Requires procedures to ensure the adequacy of

anchor bolts that have been modified in the field.

Beams and Columns• Eliminates collapse hazards associated with mak-

ing double connections at columns.

erection work began before Septem-ber 16, 2001.

OSHA estimates that the finalrule will save employers in the steelerection industry nearly $40 mil-lion a year in costs associated withlost-workday injuries, such as lost

productivity, medical expenses,and insurance costs. Additionalcost savings associated withavoided third-party liability claimsand other legal remedies that offerrelief from economic and personalloss are expected to be substantial.

To learn more about the steelerection standard, visit OSHA’swebsite at www.osha.gov. JSHQ

Meilinger is a public affairs specialistin OSHA’s Office of Public Affairs,Washington, DC.

Key Provisions of the Standard

Open-Web Steel Joists• Minimizes the likelihood of lightweight steel joists

collapsing by addressing need for erection bridgingand method of attachment.

• Requires bridging terminus anchors with illustra-tions and drawings in a non-mandatory appendix.

• Establishes new requirements to minimize collapsein placing loads on steel joists.

Systems-Engineered Metal Buildings• Establishes requirements to minimize collapse in

the erection of these specialized structures that ac-count for a major portion of steel erection in thiscountry.

Falling Object Protection• Institutes performance provisions that address haz-

ards of falling objects in steel erection.

Fall Protection• Establishes controlled decking zone (CDZ) provi-

sions to prevent decking fatalities.• Protects deckers and connectors at heights greater

than two stories or 30 feet. Connectors between 15and 30 feet must wear fall arrest or restraint equip-ment and be able to be tied off or provided anothermeans of fall protection. Deckers between 15 and30 feet must be protected by fall protection equip-ment or work in a CDZ.

• Requires fall protection for all others engaged insteel erection at heights greater than 15 feet.

Training• Requires a qualified person to train exposed work-

ers in fall protection.• Requires a qualified person to train exposed work-

ers engaged in special, high-risk activities.

Fall 2001 29

he Bureau of Labor Statisticsrecently announced that 139fewer workers died on the job

in 2000 than in 1999, continuingthe downward trend in work

“Even one workplace fatality istoo many,” says U.S. Secretary ofLabor Elaine L. Chao. “We’vemade a lot of progress, but this re-port points to where we need to do

Work-RelatedDeaths Decrease

A new Bureau of Labor Statistics report reveals acontinuing downward trend in workplace fatalities.

related deaths. The BLS’s Censusof Fatal Occupational Injuries re-ported 5,915 fatal work injuries in2000, a decline of about 2 percentfrom the previous year.

T

Fall 2001 29

More truck drivers died on the job in2000 than did workers in any otheroccupation.

Jo b Sa f e t y & H e a l t h Q u a r t e r l y30

better. We want to promotecompliance assistance and train-ing to keep reducing work-place tragedies.”

Types of IncidentsAlthough highway crashes de-

creased by 9 percent in 2000 com-pared to 1999 numbers, they con-tinued to be the leading cause ofon-the-job fatalities, accountingfor nearly one-quarter of work-place deaths. In other transporta-tion incidents, fewer workers diedin 2000 from being struck by ve-hicles or mobile equipment or inwater vehicle accidents. Moreworkers died in non-highway ac-cidents involving tractors over-turning, falling from and beingstruck by mobile equipment, or inaircraft and railway accidents.

Deaths from on-the-job falls in-creased slightly to 734 in 2000—the largest annual total recordedsince BLS conducted the first fa-tality census in 1992. Falls to alower level increased in 2000 andaccounted for 659 of the fatal falls.Fatalities from falls from laddersand from nonmoving vehicles wereboth higher in 2000, although fa-tal falls from scaffolds, buildinggirders, and roofs were down.Deaths from falls on the same leveldeclined from 70 in 1999 to 56last year.

Job-related homicides increasedfor the first time in 6 years, from651 in 1999 to 677 in 2000. Thetotal number of workplace homi-cides in 2000, however, was 37 per-cent lower than the high of 1,080in 1994.

Fewer workers died by electro-cution than in any year since theBLS conducted the first fatalitycensus. Fatal injuries resultingfrom fires or explosions fell signifi-cantly in 2000 compared to 1999numbers, to the lowest level since1992. The number of workers

killed through contact with objectsor equipment also was down in2000 from the previous year, butstill accounted for nearly one ofevery six workplace fatalities.

Profile by IndustryRates of fatal work injuries in

2000 were highest in the mining,agriculture, construction, and

transportation industries. Themining industry recorded a rate of30 fatalities per 100,000 workers in2000, the highest of any industryand about 7 times the rate for allworkers. The agricultural industryrecorded the second-highest rate in2000, 20.9 fatalities per 100,000workers. Despite an increase inincidents in the services industry

and retail trade, the ratesfor both these industriesremained relatively low—2 and 2.7 per 100,000 work-ers, respectively.

Profile by OccupationOperators, fabricators,

and laborers recorded themost fatal work injuries ofany occupational group in2000, accounting for morethan one of every threeworkers killed. Fatalities forthis group, however, weredown 4 percent from 1999,and fatal work injuries in-volving transportation andmaterial-moving occupa-tions were down 4 percent.Deaths within the service

One of every three workers killed on the job during 2000 worked as operators,fabricators, or laborers.

Agricultural workers suffered oneof the highest rates of fatal workinjuries in 2000.Photo by Anne Crown-Cyr

Fall 2001 31

occupations were lower in 2000,despite an increase in fatalitiesamong police and detectives. Fa-tal work injuries involving farm-ing, forestry, and fishing occupa-tions decreased 11 percent. Twoother occupational groups—managerial and professional spe-cialty occupations and technical,sales, and administrative supportoccupations—recorded increasesin workplace fatalities in 2000.

More truck drivers died on thejob than did workers in any otherindividual occupation, althoughthe rate was down 5 percent in2000 from the previous year. Fa-talities among airplane pilots andnavigators rose from 94 in 1999 to130 in 2000—or 100.8 for every100,000 workers. Timber cuttersexceeded this rate, at 122.1 per100,000 workers; and fishers, at108.3 per 100,000 workers.

Profile by DemographicsOn average, about 16 workers

died on the job each day during

2000. Two-hundred-fourteen in-cidents resulted in two or moreworker deaths, down from the pre-vious year. Collectively, these in-cidents resulted in 531 job-related deaths.

Fatal work injuries among whiteand black non-Hispanic workersdropped in 2000, but fatalitiesamong Hispanic or Latino work-ers were up sharply, from 730 in1999 to 815 in 2000. A 24-per-cent increase in constructionfatalities involving Hispanic work-ers accounted for these incidents.Labor Department officials arereaching out to these workersthrough targeted partnership

programs in Florida and Texas andthrough training programs devel-oped by grantees. “Our Depart-ment needs to do a better job ofreaching out more to Hispanicworkers and employers,” says Chao.

Fatalities among male workerswere down nearly 3 percent, al-though fatalities to women in-creased slightly in 2000. Fataloccupational injuries to self-em-ployed workers increased by 3 per-cent in 2000.

For more information or to readthe full copy of the Census of FatalOccupational Injuries, visit the BLSwebsite at www.bls.gov. JSHQ

Fatalities among Hispanic workers wereup sharply in 2000, particularly amongconstruction workers.

Jo b Sa f e t y & H e a l t h Q u a r t e r l y32

or many farmers, September,October, and November areamong the busiest months of

the year. Unfortunately, they arealso among the most dangerous.

Despite progress in lowering ag-ricultural fatality and injury rates,farming remains one of the UnitedStates’ most deadly occupations.Bureau of Labor Statistics reportsfor 1999 show that in that yearalone, 557 agricultural workersdied and 72,800 others experi-enced injuries. The true numbersare even higher, because the BLSstatistics do not include workerskilled or injured on small familyfarms, or children killed or injuredwhile working or playing onfarm worksites.

Widespread use of powerful, fast,and unforgiving equipment such ascombines, tractors, augers, and

Safetyon theFarmThe harvest seasonis one of the busiestand most dangerousfor agriculturalworkers.

by Dr. John Shutske

trucks, coupled with long workdaysand the rush to get crops out of thefield, contributes to the risk. Inaddition, workers hired specificallyfor the harvest often lack the train-ing, experience, and conditioningnecessary to do the job safely.

During 15 years as an agricul-tural safety and health specialistworking with farmers and ruralcommunities, I have investigatedfar too many deaths and seriousinjuries. Most could have been pre-vented with precautions includingthese examples.• Provide warning of agricultural

equipment on highways. Makesure all machinery and trucksoperated on the highway are litand marked properly. Equipcombines, tractors, and otherimplements with a slow-movingvehicle, or SMV, emblem. Use

flashing amber lights, reflectors,taillights, and headlights as re-quired by local or state laws. Aclean, unfaded SMV emblem incombination with flashing am-ber lights gives vehicles ap-proaching from behind extrawarning of a slow-moving ve-hicle ahead and as much as afootball field in length of extrastopping distance.

• Maintain and inspect equip-ment regularly. Never operateequipment that is not in safeworking condition. Inspectsafety shields and replace or re-pair missing or broken guards.Inspect hydraulic and fuel linesfor leaks or bad connections.Ensure that tension belts andchain drives are adjusted prop-erly. Before the busy seasonbegins, review the safety and

F

Heavy equipment contributes to thedangers of agricultural work.Photo by Don Breneman

Fall 2001 33

maintenance sections of theoperator’s manuals for all ma-chines carefully. These manualscontain critical operationalinformation that will helpthe equipment perform to itsfullest potential while helping toensure safety.

• Operate equipment safely.Avoid jewelry or loose-fittingclothing as well as unsecuredlong hair that can get entangledin machines with revolvingparts. Adjust the seat so you caneasily reach all controls and seeall gauges and indicator lights.Use seat belts on vehicles thathave them. Be sure everyone isat a safe distance before startingthe equipment. If the machinejams or plugs, turn off all rotat-ing mechanisms and enginepower before making any adjust-ments. Remove the key or findother ways to lock out power be-fore climbing into a potentiallydangerous area. Never leave amachine running unattended.Steer clear of unshielded mov-ing parts such as snapping or

husking rolls, straw spreadersand choppers, cutterbars, discs,and field rolls. Never permit ri-ders on moving equipment suchas tractors and forklifts.

• Make sure all farm workers aretrained to perform their jobssafely and effectively. Every ma-chine operator should be famil-iar with the operator’s manuals,machine controls, maintenancepractices, warning labels, andemergency procedures. Tragic

injuries often happen shortly af-ter a critical machine breakdownor malfunction.

• Train workers in chemical haz-ard communication. Make sureall workers receive instructionon the chemical hazards they areexposed to and understand theinformation. Also ensure thatworkers know how to protectthemselves, including whattype of personal protectiveequipment or respiratory protec-tion they might need. Distributeor post material safety datasheets for all employees to readand label all chemical contain-ers appropriately.

• Beware of grain “drowning.”Flowing grain behaves much likequicksand. It can pull you in andsuffocate you within seconds.Shut off all unloading equip-ment, automatic unloadingcircuits, and other devices beforeentering a grain bin. Work inpairs. Follow other proceduresfor safe entry into con-fined spaces.

• Protect yourself from back in-juries. Many common farm tasksinvolve a lot of heavy lifting,which, if performed incorrectly,puts unnecessary strain on yourback and surrounding muscles.If possible, adjust your work

Training workers in the hazards associated with farm work can help reduceinjuries.

Despite its peaceful appearance, farming is one of the country’s most deadlyoccupations. Photo by Anne Crown-Cyr

Jo b Sa f e t y & H e a l t h Q u a r t e r l y34

practices to minimize the needto lift heavy objects. For ex-ample, automate heavy liftingtasks such as filling fertilizerboxes so you do not need to per-form them manually. When youneed to lift, position yourself cor-rectly in front of the load and useboth hands to draw the load to-ward your body. Lift with your

legs, not your back. In addition,be sure the seat on any equip-ment you use is adjusted prop-erly.

• Think about your body’s needs.Your body is not much differentthan the equipment you dependon. When you put your bodyunder the strain of long days andhard work, it needs good fuel to

Jo b Sa f e t y & H e a l t h Q u a r t e r l y34

Inspecting farm equipment before use and training workers to operate it safety canhelp save lives. Photo by Don Breneman

perform at peak efficiency. Makesure to get enough fruits, veg-etables, whole grains, and lowfatmeat and dairy products to pro-vide you with some needed nu-tritional balance. Drink plentyof water to avoid dehydrationand reduce the risk of heat stress.

• Watch out for kids at all times.As you move agricultural equip-ment around in the yard, shed,or from field to field, beware ofchildren who may be playing inthe area. Discuss the dangers offarm equipment with them, andput work areas off limits to them.In addition, ensure that anyyoung people who operate haz-ardous machinery are properlytrained and supervised. Teenag-ers and young adults experiencemore workplace injuries in agri-cultural injuries than do theiradult coworkers. JSHQ

Shutske is a safety and healthspecialist for the University ofMinnesota Farm Safety andHealth Program.

Other Agricultural Hazards

Agricultural workers confront awide range of hazards throughoutthe year. Among them are chemi-cal pesticides and fertilizers usedin the fields and toxic gases thatbuild up in poultry and swinebarns, manure pits, and silos. Slips,trips, and falls also are commonhazards in these areas. Many agri-cultural workers are injured orkilled by overturned vehicles orfrom being run over by or thrownfrom equipment. Livestock han-dling poses additional risks, and

some workers receive injuriesfrom being kicked or trampled.Agricultural operations also ex-pose workers to ergonomic prob-lems resulting from non-adjust-able machinery seats or strenuousworking postures and permanenthearing loss from working aroundexcessive noise without hear-ing protection.

For more detailed informationabout safety and health issues inagricultural operations, visit theOSHA website at www.osha.gov.

Fall 2001 35

SHA has only a few stan-dards that apply specifi-cally to employers engaged

in agricultural operations that in-volve the growing and harvestingof crops, plants, vines, livestock,and livestock products. Thesestandards require the following:• Field sanitation services includ-

ing toilets and hand-washing fa-cilities and potable drinkingwater for employees;

• Rollover protection structures,or ROPS, on tractors; and

• Guarding for moving machin-ery parts on farm field equip-ment, farmstead equipment,and cotton gins.Other standards that apply to

agricultural operations cover an-hydrous ammonia storage andhandling, logging operations,signs for slow-moving vehicles,cadmium, conditions at temporarylabor camps, and retention of De-partment of Transportation mark-ing, placards, and labels for haz-ardous materials received by theemployer. In addition, the hazardcommunication standard requiresemployers to inform workersabout all chemical hazards onthe job. OSHA standards do notcover pesticides applied inthe field, which are coveredby the Environmental Protec-tion Agency.

OSHA may, in certain situa-tions, issue citations and proposepenalties under the General DutyClause of the Occupational Safetyand Health Act. In these cases,OSHA must show that an em-ployee is exposed to a serious haz-ard, one likely to cause death orserious bodily harm. The agencyalso must show that the employer

or industry recognizes theexistence of the hazard and thatthere is a feasible means of cor-recting it.

Since 1997, enforcement forthe two most frequently used stan-dards in the agricultural sector—those covering field sanitationand temporary labor camps—hasbeen the responsibility of the Em-ployment Standards Administra-tion’s Wage and Hour Division.The Secretary of Labor transferredenforcement authority to benefitfarm workers, because the Wageand Hour Division has a largerenforcement presence in agricul-ture because of its activities un-der other labor laws, including theMigrant and Seasonal AgriculturalWorker Protection Act. OSHA,however, retained enforcementauthority of the temporary laborcamp standard in egg, poultry, andred meat production establish-ments, as well as for all post-har-vesting processes. Activities thattake place after harvesting, in-cluding poultry and red meatslaughterhouses, processing, pack-aging, and warehousing, are con-sidered general industry opera-tions. OSHA’s general industrystandards cover these activities.

For more than 24 years, OSHAhas been directed by Congress inits annual appropriations bill tolimit activities on small farms. Forthis reason, OSHA does not en-gage in any activity on farms with10 or fewer employees if the farmshad no temporary labor campwithin the past 12 months. JSHQ

Rogers is a safety specialistin OSHA’s Directorate of Compli-ance Programs.

Farm Safety: OSHA’s Roleby Helen Rogers

gricultural safety and healthprograms in the 26 statesand territories with OSHA-

approved safety and health plansmust be at least as effective as thefederal program, but they are notnecessarily identical to it. Tenstates have agricultural standardsthat differ from or go beyond fed-eral OSHA’s standards. For ex-ample, seven states have a differ-ent field sanitation standard, fourstates have an independent stan-dard banning the use of short-handled hoes, and three stateshave a different temporary laborcamps standard.

California, Oregon, and Wash-ington have the most extensiveagricultural standards. In addition,these states apply general industrystandards to agriculture.

Thirteen states and Puerto Ricoretain enforcement authority forfield sanitation and temporary la-bor camps. These states are Ari-zona, California, Hawaii, Mary-land, Michigan, Nevada, NewMexico, North Carolina, Oregon,Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia,and Washington.

Unlike Federal OSHA, somestates with OSHA-approved stateplans enforce standards on farmswith 10 or fewer employees. Thesestates use only state funds to sup-port their enforcement efforts andfocus on farms with the highestinjury and illness rates. In addition,a few states, including Oregon,Washington, and North Carolina,exercise authority over farm workerexposure to pesticides, togetherwith other state agencies.

Here are examples of agricul-tural safety and health initiatives

Agricultural Safety inOSHA State Plans

by Carol Sanford

O A

Jo b Sa f e t y & H e a l t h Q u a r t e r l y36

Washington has increased enforcement activity and strengthened temporarylabor camp standards. Photo courtesy of Washington Department of Labor & Industries

designed to protect workers in threestates with OSHA-approved plans:• Oregon provides tax breaks to

growers and community groupsthat construct, rehabilitate, or

install temporary labor camps forfarm workers. Growers provid-ing housing also may qualify fortax exemptions from the state.Oregon also administers a

state-funded inspection exemp-tion program for agriculturalemployers with 10 or fewer per-manent, year-round employeeswho participate in consultationand training activities.

• Washington has improved hous-ing for cherry harvest workers byrenting large military-style tentsto growers and by setting up mo-bile community-based camps.The state also provides loans togrowers to improve labor campconditions, including wells; hasstrengthened its temporary laborcamp standards; and increasedenforcement in orchards.

• California’s Agricultural Safetyand Health Inspection Project,established in 1999, is designedto reduce fatalities and seriousinjuries by 15 percent by 2003.As a 5-month pilot project in1999, inspections doubled to505, while violations cited andpenalties imposed tripled—andinjuries and illnesses in agricul-ture declined by 27 percent from1998. The state increased agri-cultural inspections to 1,128 inFiscal Year 2000, up 9 percentfrom 1999.

• North Carolina’s Gold StarGrowers Program recognizesgrowers with registered migrantcamps in 100-percent compli-ance with state OSHA standardsfor 2 years. A Gold Star Flag Pro-gram provides a flag and specialrecognition to growers in 100-percent compliance with allsafety and health standards per-taining to agriculture, and withno injuries or accidents for2 years. All Gold Star Growersreceive a certificate and mayconduct their own pre-occu-pancy inspection for 1 year. JSHQ

Stanford is a program analyst inOSHA’s Office of State Programs.

The Oregon legislature allocated $1 million to improve agricultural workerhousing in the state. Photo by Trudi A. Tyler

The North Carolina Department of Labor’s Agricultural Safety andHealth Initiative uses billboards to promote safety and rural roadways.Photo by Vanya C. Jones

Fall 2001 37

ShowcasingOSHA’s Bestand Brightest

The Glen Williamson Forum memorializes anOSHA leader while inspiring other industrial

hygienists to follow in his footsteps.

by Donna Miles

early 500 attendees re-cently packed into anauditorium at the Ameri-

can Industrial Hygiene Conferenceand Exposition in New Orleansto hear about “OSHA’s Most In-teresting Health Cases for 1998through 2000.”

The third annual GlenWilliamson Forum featured whatcoordinator Cindy Coe, OSHA’sRegional Administrator in At-lanta, calls “OSHA’s best andbrightest” sharing details abouttheir most unusual or significantcases. “Our goal today is to give yousome insight into how we operatein the field,” Coe told the gather-ing of industrial hygienists, manyunfamiliar with OSHA’s opera-tions. “We want you to understandwhat brings us into a workplaceand what OSHA industrial hygien-ists do to assess workplace hazards.

“But most importantly, we aregoing to show you the solutionsthat employers implemented as aresult of our intervention to con-trol the hazards,” Coe said. “It hasmade these workplaces much saferand more healthful than when wefirst found them.”

The 10 presenters from OSHAoffices throughout the country didnot approach the podium unpre-pared. Each worked closely withone of three OSHA mentors: Coe;Rich Fairfax, head of the Director-ate of Compliance Programs; andKeith Motley, Deputy Director ofthe Salt Lake Technical Center, topolish their presentations. “This isgreat professional development forthe presenters,” says Fairfax. “Itgives them an opportunity to speakbefore a group to discuss a problemthey found: what happened, whatthey cited, and how it was abated.”

Another benefit of the annualforum, Fairfax says, is that it helpsdispel misconceptions aboutOSHA’s industrial hygienists. “Itshows that we’re not a bunch of

N

OSHA participants in the forum were: back row, from left: Richard Fairfax,David Banas, Daniel Corcoran, Jim Critopoulos, Kevin Kolesa, Carolyn Wilson-Smith, and Keith Motley; front row, from left: Cindy Coe; Leigh Jackson,George Yoksas, Michael Wacker, Janet Barker, and Michael O’Sullivan.

Jo b Sa f e t y & H e a l t h Q u a r t e r l y38

stormtroopers,” he says. “We’re outthere making a real difference inworkers’ lives.”

“A lot of employers and employ-ees benefit from OSHA,” agreesMotley. “This forum gives usa chance to share some of ourmost interesting and valuable suc-cess stories.”

Coe says the forum demon-strates the “solid industrial hygienework” OSHA’s industrial hygien-ists perform every day in a widerange of situations. Dean Wingo,Director of the Fort Worth AreaOffice, who counted Williamson asboth a mentor and close friend, saysthe material presented at the forumwould have made Williamsonproud. “He would be bursting hisbuttons over the good work we’redoing,” Wingo says.

This Year’s Presentations

David BanasAssistant Area DirectorCalumet City Area Office, IL

Two painting subcontractor em-ployees became exposed to high-level radiofrequency radiation(RF) while painting and weather-proofing two towers on top of theSears Tower in Chicago. A broad-casting station had continued tobroadcast from an antenna on oneof the towers rather than switch-ing to an alternate antenna, andthe employees, working at approx-imately 1,600 feet above gradelevel, momentarily became part ofthe actual antenna circuit. Oneemployee wearing steel-toed shoesreceived severe leg burns.

During his presentation, Banasdiscussed the OSHA assessment,which included an evaluationof personal protective equip-ment, exposure monitoring, andwork practice measures, as wellas the hazards associated with

radiofrequency radiation and effec-tive protection.

Banas says the incident helpedpromote awareness about the dan-gers of radiofrequency radiation.The owner of the company thatregulates employee exposure to RFon the Sears Tower wrote an articleabout the incident for a nationalbroadcast magazine. This drew na-tional attention to the importanceof recognizing RF safety hazards,using proper personal protec-tive equipment, and contactingand working with the localOSHA office.

Dimitrios “Jim” CritopoulosSafety EngineerMobile Area Office, AL

Due to an unexpected power lossat a chemical manufacturing facil-ity, sodium hydrosulfite inside adryer decomposed, creating highlevels of sulfur dioxide. The toxicgas leaked into a nearby controlroom through a hole in the ductwork for the positive-pressure air-conditioning system. Not realizingthat the gas had contaminated thecontrol room, two employees en-tered it and removed their self-contained breathing apparatus.One employee died instantlyand another suffered permanentbrain damage.

During his presentation,Critopoulos reviewed his evalua-tion of the situation and steps the

employer took to prevent any re-currence. This included installinga backup power system on the dry-ers and a new deluge system on thedryers to flood the area in the eventof decomposition, stopping theprocess. The employer also offeredemployees training in accordancewith OSHA’s Hazardous WasteOperations and Emergency Re-sponse standard. Critopoulos calledthe opportunity to participate inthe forum “an honor” and said hefound gratification in sharing in-formation about protections fromdecomposition hazards that couldsave other workers’ lives.

Michael O’SullivanIndustrial HygienistAlbany Area Office, NY

An employee at a coatingsmanufacturing company wasmanually dumping 50-pound bagsof ball clay into a mixer to createcoatings that contained 30 percentcrystalline silica. While inspectingthe company as part of OSHA’s na-tional emphasis program for silica,O’Sullivan took samples and foundthat the employee had a silica ex-posure at levels twice the permis-sible exposure limit, or PEL. Noengineering controls were in place,and the worker’s respiratory protec-tion was ineffective. In response toOSHA’s findings, the employerdevised an employee-assisted auto-mated mixing process that reducedemployee exposures to less thanhalf the PEL.

During his presentation,O’Sullivan discussed controlmeasures that can be effective inreducing exposures to silica inmanufacturing operations.

David Banas’ work centered aroundhigh-level radiofrequency radiation.

Fall 2001 39

George YoksasArea DirectorMilwaukee Area Office, WI

OSHA received a referral fromthe Wisconsin State Health De-partment reporting high concen-trations of mercury in employees ata mercury reclamation and recy-cling facility. Employees at the fa-cility process flourescent lamps, labpacks, medical waste, soil, andother materials. The employer’smedical surveillance testing indi-cated that several employees hadhighly elevated urine mercury lev-els. Kenneth Lee, an industrial hy-gienist in the Milwaukee Area Of-fice, took samples and found expo-sures above the PEL and employ-ees working without the benefit ofengineering or administrative con-trols. As a result of OSHA’s inter-vention, the employer establishednew protocols, including improvedmedical surveillance. Lee’s follow-up inspection indicated airbornemercury levels below the PEL andsteadily reduced employee urinemercury levels.

During Yoksas’ presentation, hediscussed Lee’s case, including op-erations that can produce high air-borne mercury levels and medicalsurveillance that can detect andmonitor exposures. He also dis-cussed engineering, administrative,and work practice controls.

Kevin KolesaIndustrial HygienistSt. Louis Area Office, MO

Kolesa evaluated employee ex-posures in a family-owned businessthat manufactures tear gas and pep-per spray mace. During the produc-tion process, employees dissolvedthe tear gas powder in process ves-sels by manually adding methylenechloride. After mixing, they addred pepper, pump the material intoopen canisters, cap the lids, andpressurize the containers with ni-trogen. Because the area was notadequately ventilated, the employ-ees used full-face respirators withdust cartridges. Kolesa’s samples,however, indicated that their ex-posure to methylene chloride wasabove the PEL. In response, theemployer immediately put employ-ees in self-contained breathing ap-paratuses, and subsequently in-stalled a local exhaust ventilationsystem. The employer also isolatedthe part of the process involvingcanister filling, reducing exposuresbelow the PEL.

During his presentation, Kolesadiscussed OSHA’s methylene chlo-ride standard as well as processcontrols to eliminate this andother serious hazards. He says hewas gratified to play a role in pro-tecting two employees from a haz-ardous situation, and felt that pre-senting his case in front of a largegroup of his peers at the GlenWilliamson Forum built up hisprofessional confidence.

Michael WackerIndustrial HygienistMadison Area Office, WI

A small pharmaceutical estab-lishment compounded hormonereplacement therapy prescriptionsfrom several steroid hormones: es-tradiol 17 beta, estone, estriol,progesterone, and testosterone.

Despite the lack of establishedPELs and minimal available infor-mation on safe work practices,Wacker took samples to evaluateexposure levels to the hormones.He made recommendations to theemployer about engineering con-trols, personal protective equip-ment, training, and biologicalmonitoring to protect employees.

During his presentation, Wackerdiscussed hazards involved in thisfast-emerging industry and sug-gested steps that need to be takento further develop sampling proto-cols and establish occupationalexposure limits.

Janet BarkerIndustrial HygienistOklahoma City Area Office, OK

While sandblasting the interiorof a water tower, employees hadexposures to silica and lead. Barkeralso identified the problems withrespiratory protection, hazard com-munication, hearing conservation,and scaffolding. As a result,the employer introduced appropri-ate personal protective equipment

Kevin Kolesa detected workeroverexposures to methylene chloride.

Janet Barker identified a wide range ofhazards associated with sandblasting awater tower.

Jo b Sa f e t y & H e a l t h Q u a r t e r l y40

and implemented work practicecontrols to reduce exposure levelsand abate the other hazards.

During her presentation, Barkerdiscussed hazards associated withthe construction industry and ap-propriate controls. She says beingselected to participate in the forumwas a great honor, and she enjoyedbeing able to share her case, alongwith other OSHA industrial hy-gienists from OSHA. Barker saysshe was amazed at the variety of thecases presented, and enjoyed hear-ing about and learning from theother compliance officers’ work.

Leigh JacksonIndustrial HygienistMobile Area Office, AL

An environmental remediationcompany was removing residualgrain and feed additives from silosin a former feed manufacturingmill. The site had been vacant forseveral years and the additives werein various stages of decay. The ma-terial inside the silos was not free-flowing as anticipated, so the em-ployer broke it loose by introduc-ing high-pressure water from thetop and bottom of the silos. As thecleaning progressed, water andsludge accumulated in thebuilding’s basement. The additionof water and air to the bacteria inthe decaying material acceleratedthe biological decomposition pro-cess, generating toxic gases. Twoemployees who entered the areadied from exposure. OSHA sam-pling revealed the presence ofmethane- and hydrogen sulfide-producing bacteria in the waterand sludge.

During her presentation, Jack-son discussed provisions ofOSHA’s confined space entrystandard and biological hazardsthat workers may encounter in en-vironmental remediation andcleaning operations involving

organic matter. “This case was sig-nificant because it involved thecreation of a permit-required con-fined space with a hazardous atmo-sphere and biological hazards,”she says.

Carolyn Wilson SmithCompliance Safety

and Health OfficerJackson Area Office, MS

An employee at a synthetic rub-ber and adhesive manufacturingfacility died from exposure to hy-drogen sulfide while adding sodiumhydrosulfide to magnesium chlo-ride measuring tanks. Smith’sevaluation revealed that theemployee’s respiratory protectionand other personal protectiveequipment was deficient and thatthe employer had failed to addressthe hazards of non-routine tasks. Inresponse, the employer modifiedthe process to fully enclose theoperation, preventing employ-ee exposure.

During her presentation, Smithdiscussed hazards associated withmixing incompatible chemicals.She says participating in the forum“gave me an opportunity to sharemy work and experience with otherhealth-related professionals.”

Daniel CorcoranIndustrial HygienistOmaha Area Office, NE

Employees at a metals reclaim-ing facility extracted metals fromzinc oxide dust contaminated withother metals. They dumped super-sacks of the dust into a hopper thathad inadequate ventilation. Othersources of exposure included duststirred up from unloading boxcars with a skid steer, poorlycovered dust conveyors, and both

Daniel Corcoran found employeeoverexposures to lead and cadmium.

The forum attracted a large crowd interested in hearing about OSHA’s cases.

Fall 2001 41

mechanical and manual dry-sweep-ing. Corcoran collected samplesand found that employees hadoverexposures to both lead andcadmium. In response, the em-ployer implemented a wet slurrysystem for conveying the zinc ox-ide dust and began purchasing asmuch of the raw material as pos-sible in slurry form. In addition, the

y all accounts, Dr.Glen R. Williamsonwas a legend within

the occupational safetyand health community.The 22-year OSHA vet-eran, who died suddenlyat age 49 in 1997, hadworked his way upthrough the ranks. Hestarted his career as an in-dustrial hygiene trainee inthe Little Rock, AR, AreaOffice, served as AssistantRegional Administratorfor Federal-State Opera-tions in Dallas and asArea Director for theLittle Rock Area Office,then returned to Dallas asDeputy Regional Admin-istrator of the RegionalOffice. A certified indus-trial hygienist who earnedhis doctorate in industrialhygiene from the Univer-sity of Oklahoma, he was called on to serve as Act-ing Director of Safety Standards and on a widerange of task forces for OSHA’s national office, in-cluding OSHA’s special outreach effort onbloodborne pathogens.

“He was the ultimate industrial hygienist,” saysDean Wingo, Director of the Fort Worth Area Of-fice. “He was very committed to occupationalhealth and took great pride in what OSHA was

Who Was Glen Williamson?

Dr. Glen R. Williamson was a highly respectedOSHA leader.

doing to improve work-place safety.”

John Miles, OSHA’sRegional Administrator inDallas, says Williamsonbrought enthusiasm, inno-vation, and leadership tohis fellow industrialhygienists. “He was a go-getter with great new ideasand the energy to followthrough with them,”he says.

Gil Saulter, who retiredin 1995 as OSHA’s Re-gional Administrator inDallas, says Williamsondemanded excellence ofhimself and inspired it inothers. “He was always rar-ing to go,” says Saulter. Headded with a chuckle,“The only thing I had todo was put on the brakesevery once in awhile andremind him that every-

body is not as driven as he was.”“Glen was the consummate professional,”

agrees Cindy Coe, OSHA’s Regional Adminis-trator in Atlanta and coordinator of the GlenWilliamson Forum. “He was a great ally forworkers everywhere. He was a wonderful men-tor. And, he was a dear friend that I miss still.

“This forum represents everything that Glenstood for. He would be very proud.” JSHQ

employer installed a contained, au-tomated dumping station, repairedthe conveyor system, and retrofit-ted the sweeping machine to elimi-nate dry sweeping. Sample resultsfollowing these actions indicatedthat exposures to lead and cad-mium had fallen below the PEL.

During his presentation,Corcoran discussed how alternative

control procedures effectively elimi-nated a metal dust exposure hazardwithout the need for an elaborateventilation system. He said he en-joyed the opportunity to present asuccess story to his professionalpeers and to meet, work with, andlearn from his coworkers. JSHQ

B

Jo b Sa f e t y & H e a l t h Q u a r t e r l y42

or employers faced with chal-lenging workplace safety andhealth issues, help is just a click

away. OSHA’s “e-Tools” are free andavailable confidentially, 24-7.

E-tools are software programsand compliance assistance toolsthat “walk” employers throughchallenging safety and health issues

and common problems to find thebest solutions for their workplace.They can tap into the expertise ofOSHA experts—epidemiologists,risk assessors, attorneys, and othersafety and health professionals—toreduce workplace injuries and ill-nesses, save money, and understandcomplex OSHA standards. In some

cases, e-Tools can tailor responsesto fit employers’ individual work-place needs.

OSHA created e-Tools with thehelp of trade associations, laborunions, local governments, and thepublic. Employers can use themonline or download them to get theinformation they need.

OSHA offers employers expert safety andhealth assistance through a variety of e-Tools.

Tackling the

E-Worldwith E-Tools

F

Jo b Sa f e t y & H e a l t h Q u a r t e r l y42

Fall 2001 43

E-Tools come in two user-friendly forms: Expert Advisors andElectronic Compliance AssistanceTools, known as e-CATs. In addi-tion, a totally new generation of e-Tools coming soon will combineboth decision tree logic softwareand graphics, giving users en-hanced capabilities and the best ofboth worlds.

The Expert Advisors are inter-active software programs that askemployers basic questions abouttheir worksites and print out a de-tailed report based on their re-sponses. These e-Tools can guideemployers through complicatedOSHA standards or help themidentify potential hazards at theirworkplaces, based on their indus-try classification. Expert Advisorseven can help employers calculatehow much worker injuries and ill-nesses cost them each year. ExpertAdvisors cover a wide range of top-ics, including the following:

• Asbestos,• Cadmium,• Confined spaces,• Fire safety,• Hazard awareness,• Lead,• Lockout/tagout,• Respiratory protection, and• Workers’ rights.E-CATs take a different approach

by providing detailed, illustratedinformation about common prob-lems and practical solutions. Draw-ings, photos, text descriptions, andchecklists help clarify complexissues and identify appropriate strat-egies to reduce hazards. Manye-CATs describe specific technolo-gies used in different industries, andothers cover more general issues.Employers and employees alike finde-CATs helpful in identifying work-able solutions to their workplaceproblems.

OSHA’s OutreachAmong topics e-CATs covers arethe following:

• Baggage handling,• Beverage delivery,• Computer workstations,• Construction,• Grocery,• Lockout/tagout,• Logging,• Nursing homes,• Respiratory protection,• Safety and health management,• Scaffolding,• Sewing,• Silica, and• Warehousing.E-Tool users, particularly those

with limited experience in safetyand health issues or who do nothave an industrial hygienist orsafety professional on staff, praisethe tools for providing reliable an-swers to their questions. Some saye-Tools alerted them to hazardsthey did not even know about—giving them an opportunity to fixthem before a worker got hurt.

“I found [the OSHA HazardAwareness Advisor] to be a high-quality, interactive, highly educa-tional tool for self-guided hazardassessment,” reports Mark Mont-gomery, founder and CEO of Glo-bal Web Interactive NetworkLLC. “What an idea!” says SueKoopman, health and safetytrainer at Lawrence LivermoreNational Laboratory. “We are al-ways looking for tools to help usbe in compliance, and this toolwould make consistent informa-tion available.” Steve Noble, man-ager for Photo Marketing Associa-tion International’s Environmen-tal Activities, agrees. “This is ex-actly what I have been looking forto assist our members,” he says.

To access the e-Tools, visit theOSHA website at www.osha.gov.Click on the “e-Tools” box. JSHQ

OSHA recently launched acampaign to help get the word outto employers about e-Tools andpromote their use in their work-places. The campaign emphasizesthe benefits of e-Tools: that theyare free, completely confidential,and accessible 24 hours a day,7 days a week.

A new brochure, OSHA e-ToolsSafety and Health Solutions, de-scribes expert advisors and e-CATsand explains how employers canuse them to learn about and reduceworkplace injuries and illnessesamong their workers. OSHA hasdistributed the new brochure anda complimentary CD to varioussmall business organizations.

“Our goal is to reach out toemployers to make sure they knowabout e-Tools and put themto use in their workplaces,” saysJohn L. Henshaw, Assistant Sec-retary for Occupational Safety andHealth. “We want them to recog-nize the benefits e-Tools canprovide in terms of fewer injuriesand illnesses, cost savings, andincreased productivity.” VisitOSHA’s website for more informa-tion on e-Tools.

Fall 2001 43

OSHA distributed a sample e-Tools CDto various small business organizations.

Jo b Sa f e t y & H e a l t h Q u a r t e r l y44

SHA recently awarded$10.6 million in SusanHarwood Training Grants

to 61 nonprofit organizationsfor safety and health trainingprograms. Grant monies wereawarded for workers employed inhigh-risk activities or hazards andthose affected by new or revisedOSHA standards.

“These grants are a key part ofOSHA’s safety and health partner-ship and compliance assistanceprograms with workers and em-ployers that contribute to our over-all safety and health mission,” saysSecretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao.

The grants target safety andhealth training programs in con-struction; bloodborne pathogens;ergonomics; electrical power gen-eration, transmission and distribu-tion; and hard-to-reach workers.The five training topics are basedon injuries and illnesses in selectedindustries identified in the OSHAStrategic Plan.

“Training supported by thesegrants takes a proactive approachin America’s workplaces, focusingon workers who are most atrisk,” says OSHA AdministratorJohn L. Henshaw.

OSHA selected 28 new grant-ees, including 15 that provide out-reach to Hispanic workers, through

a national competition open to allnonprofit organizations. Re-cipients include five universities orcolleges, four labor-managementcouncils, five unions, four em-ployer associations, and 10 othernonprofit organizations.

OSHA awarded the grants for12 months. The average federalaward is $150,000. If first-year per-formance is satisfactory and fundsare available, grants may be re-newed for an additional year.

In addition, OSHA awarded$4.7 million to renew 33 existinggrants for another year. This in-cludes $3.3 million for 17 Institu-tional Competency BuildingGrants, which are intended to de-velop ongoing safety and healthtraining and service programs thatwill continue after the grant periodends. Also included is $1.4 millionfor 16 Strategic Planning Grantsthat assist nonprofit organizationsin targeting specific hazards in con-struction, food processing, andnursing homes.

The training grants are namedin honor of the late SusanHarwood, a former director of theOffice of Risk Assessment inOSHA’s Health Standards Direc-torate. She helped develop stan-dards to protect workers from awide range of hazards. JSHQ

$10.6 Millionfor TrainingOSHA awards the Susan Harwood Training Grants.

O

New recipients of theHarwood grants are the follow-ing: AFSCME Training andEducation Institute; AmericanNurses Foundation; Joint Com-mission Resources, Inc.; Memo-rial Hermann HealthcareSystem; Rutgers, The State Uni-versity of New Jersey; AssociatedBuilders & Contractors, Inc.,Central Texas Chapter; BuildingTrades Labor-Management Or-ganization of Washington State;Construction Education Foun-dation; Labor-ManagementConstruction Safety Alliance;Laborers’ Health & Safety Fundof North America; NationalRoofing Contractors Associa-tion; Roofers & WaterproofersResearch & Education JointTrust Fund; Safety & Health forIndustrial Education & LaborDevelopment; Western IowaTech Community College; Con-struction Safety Council; North-west Public Power Association;Utility Workers Union ofAmerica, AFL-CIO; ArnotOgden Medical Center; Com-munication Workers of Ame-rica; International Brotherhoodof Teamsters; PennsylvaniaFoundry Association; St. LouisUniversity; Forest IndustrySafety and Health Training Al-liance Inc.; Kirkwood Commu-nity College; National SafetyCouncil; Retail, Wholesale &Department Store Union;Southeast Michigan Coalitionon Occupational Safety &Health; and Texas EngineeringExtension Service.

For a list of current granteesthat received a 1-year extension,see the OSHA website atwww.osha.gov.

New HarwoodGrantees

Fall 2001 45

201A Hazardous MaterialsShortened version of course #201introduces OSHA general indus-try standards as well as other con-sensus and proprietary standardsrelated to hazardous materials.

Tuition: $728Dates: February 11-15

202 Advanced AccidentInvestigationProvides advanced information onaccident investigation techniquesand methods with emphasis onvarious cause analysis techniques.

Tuition: $560Dates: January 8-11

207 Fire Protectionand Life SafetyAddresses potential fire hazards,emergency operations, and appli-cable safety code references.

Tuition: $1,064Dates: January 10-18

221 Principles of IndustrialVentilationCovers use of industrial ventilationto control hazardous air contami-nants and OSHA policy and stan-dards.

Tuition: $1,064Dates: January 31-February 8

245 Evaluation of Safetyand Health ProgramsFocuses on assessing safety andhealthy programs, with emphasison techniques to evaluate theirthoroughness and effectiveness.

Tuition: $560Dates: February 12-15

301 Excavation, Trenching,and Soil MechanicsFocuses on OSHA safety standardsand the safety aspects of excavationand trenching.

Tuition: $560Dates: January 8-11

302 Tunneling andUnderground OperationsCovers the safety and health as-pects of underground operationsand the related OSHA standards.

Tuition: $504Dates: January 29-February 1

309 Electrical StandardsProvides an indepth study ofOSHA’s electrical standards andthe hazards associated with electri-cal installations and equipment.

Tuition: $1,400Dates: January 29-February 8

310 Applied Spray Finishingand Coating PrinciplesIdentifies the hazards associatedwith spray finishing and coatingoperations with a review of indus-trial processes and applicable re-quirements and standards.

Tuition: $560Dates: February 26-March 1

322 Applied Welding PrinciplesFocuses on the processes and haz-ards associated with welding opera-tions and OSHA requirements forgeneral industry and construction.

Tuition: $560Dates: December 11-14

OSHA Training Institute, Des Plaines, IL

OSHA Training

Course dates are subject tochange. For more completecourse descriptions or to reg-ister for courses or request atraining catalog, call (847)297-4913; visit www.osha.govand click on Outreach; orwrite: OSHA Training Insti-tute, 1555 Times Drive, DesPlaines, IL 60018.

Students in the OSHA Training Institute’s Applied Welding Principles class learnsafe work practices. Photo by Steve Zanos

Jo b Sa f e t y & H e a l t h Q u a r t e r l y46

330A Safety and Health in theChemical Processing IndustriesShortened version of course #330provides an overview of hazard rec-ognition and control techniqueswithin chemical processing indus-tries.

Tuition: $728Dates: December 3-7

500 Trainer Course inOccupational Safety and HealthStandards for the ConstructionIndustryProvides guidelines for private-sec-tor personnel to teach the 10- and30-hour construction safety andhealth course to their employeesand interested groups. Graduatesreceive cards verifying their autho-rization to teach the constructioncourse.

Tuition: $728Dates: February 4-8

502 Update for ConstructionIndustry Outreach TrainersUpdates graduates of course #500who are active trainers in the out-reach program on OSHA con-struction standards, policies, andregulations.

Tuition: $504Dates: December 4-6

503 Update for GeneralIndustry Outreach TrainersUpdates graduates of course #501who are active trainers in the out-reach program in OSHA generalindustry standards and policies.

Tuition: $504Dates: December 18-20

The OSHA Training Institutehas a program for other institu-tions to conduct OSHA coursesfor the private sector and federalagencies. These include EasternMichigan University/UnitedAuto Workers, Ypsilanti, MI,(800) 932-8689; Georgia Tech-nological Research Institute, At-lanta, GA, (800) 653-3629;Great Lakes OSHA TrainingConsortium, Minneapolis, MN,(800) 493-2060; Keene StateCollege, Manchester, NH, (800)449-6742; Metropolitan Com-munity Colleges–Business andTechnology Center, Kansas City,MO, (800) 841-7158; NationalResource Center for OSHATraining, Washington, DC,(800) 367-6724; National SafetyEducation Center, DeKalb, IL,(800) 656-5317; Niagara CountyCommunity College, Lockport,NY, (800) 280-6742; Red RocksCommunity College and Trini-dad State Junior College, Lake-wood, CO, (800) 933-8394;Texas Engineering Extension Ser-vice, Mesquite, TX, (800) 723-3811; University of California,

OSHA Training Institute Education CentersSan Diego, (800) 358-9206; andUniversity of Washington, Seattle,(800) 326-7568.

For course lists and dates, tuitionrates, and registration information,contact the individual institutionor visit OSHA’s website atwww.osha.gov.

The National Safety Education Center offers OSHA training at NorthernIllinois University’s conference center in Rockford, IL. Photo by Joe Whinnery

Niagara County Community Collegeoffers a wide range of OSHA coursesin Lockport, NY. Photo by Janet Schultz

Jo b Sa f e t y & H e a l t h Q u a r t e r l y46

Fall 2001 47

Description of AccidentAn employee sitting in a loopedchain was lowered approximately17 feet into a 21-foot-deepmanhole. Twenty seconds later, hestarted gasping for air and fell fromthe chain seat face down into theaccumulated water at the bottomof the manhole. An autopsydetermined that oxygen deficiencywas the cause of death.

Accident PreventionRecommendations1. Instruct employees to recognize

and avoid unsafe conditionsassociated with their workenvironment [Title 29 Code ofFederal Regulations (CFR) Part1926.21 (b)(2)].

2. Instruct employees on hazardsinvolved in entering confinedor enclosed spaces. Test theatmosphere for adequateoxygen and other toxic vaporsand mists before entering andwhile working in the spaces.Monitor operations and beprepared for potential emer-gencies that require rescueoperations. [29 CFR 1926.21(b)(6)(i) and (b) (6)(ii)].

3. Provide and require employeesto use appropriate respiratoryprotection in dangerous orcontaminated or potentiallydangerous or contaminatedatmospheres if engineeringcontrols are not feasible. [29CFR 1926.103 and 1910.134].

FatalFactsAccident Report No. 39

Accident Type AsphyxiationWeather WarmType of Operation Boring, JackingCrew Size SixCollective Bargaining NoCompetent Safety Monitor on Site? NoWorksite Inspected Regularly? NoTraining and Education Provided? NoEmployee Job Title LaborerAge/Sex 23/MaleExperience at This Type of Work 1 DayTime on Project 1 Hour

4. Use suspended scaffolds thathave the proper rated capacityand anchorage points. Whenusing single-point suspendedscaffolds, have the riggingdesigned by a qualified personand the chair seat reevedthrough four corners orreinforced by cleats. Train eachemployee in the proper use ofscaffolds. [29 CFR 1926.451 (a)and (d), 1926. 452(o), and1926.454.

Sources of Help• 29 CFR 1926 and 1910 cover

various aspects of construction.

• OSHA-funded free onsiteconsultation services areavailable to help the smallbusiness employers identify andcorrect workplace hazards, anddevelop or improve an effectivesafety and health managementsystem, or both. Contact theOSHA regional office in yourarea for additional information.

• For more information on thisand other safety and healthtopics as well as OSHA stan-dards and technical assistance,visit OSHA’s website atwww.osha.gov. JSHQ

Accident Summary

NOTE: The case described here is representative of fatalities caused by improper work practices. No special emphasis or priority is implied,nor is the case necessarily recent. The legal aspects of the incident have been resolved, and the case is now closed.

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Jo b Sa f e t y & H e a l t h Q u a r t e r l y48

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SafeWorks

Office and Store FixtureManufacturer

Concerned about high noise lev-els, an employer of 22 requested anOSHA onsite consultation to as-sess noise exposures for the 6 work-ers involved in spraying sinks witha protective coating.

Deficiencies FoundThe consultant learned that af-

ter employees coat the products,they expose them to a vibrationprocess to dissipate air bubbles inthe coating. The vibrations createdsound pressure levels of 96 to 101decibels [dB(A)], as measured onthe A scale of a standard soundlevel meter at a slow response.

Personal noise dosimeter read-ings at three workstations showedall three employees being exposedsignificantly above OSHA’s per-missible exposure limit of 90 dB(A)averaged over an 8-hour workday.No engineering controls were inplace to reduce the noise exposure.Further, although some employeeswere wearing hearing protectiondevices, the company had notimplemented an effective hearingconservation program.

Consultant’s AnalysisThe employer used a metal con-

veyor system throughout the facil-ity to move parts from one area toanother. The consultant deter-mined that metal-to-metal contactbetween the office fixtures andmetal conveyor rollers substantiallyboosted noise levels during the vi-bration process.

Consultant’s RecommendationsThe consultant recommended

that the manufacturer take thesesteps to reduce noise levels inthe facility:• Replace metal rollers on the vi-

bration conveyor with non-me-tallic rollers.

• Require hearing protection foremployees exposed to noise lev-els at 90 dB(A) or more averagedover an 8-hour day.

• Establish and maintain an effec-tive hearing conservation pro-gram for all employees exposedto noise at levels of 85 dB(A) ormore averaged over an 8-hourday.

Results and BenefitsThe company replaced all metal

rollers on its conveyors with nylonrollers and substituted plastic partsfor most other metal conveyorparts. As a result, the highest em-ployee exposure the consultantmeasured during a followup visitwas 82 dB(A) averaged over an8-hour day, well below the OSHAlimit. In addition, the employerimplemented a continuing hearingconservation program as recom-mended. JSHQ

Noise Exposure:An Employer Turns to OSHA for Help

SafeWorks briefly summarizesthe results of an employer’s re-quest for workplace safety andhealth assistance. Such assis-tance can help the employeridentify and correct workplacehazards, develop or improve aneffective safety and health man-agement system, or both. Smallbusiness employers can receivethis assistance, without cost,under a consultation programfunded largely by OSHA andadministered by state agenciesand universities. Contact theOSHA regional office in yourarea for additional informationon the consultation program, orvisit the agency’s website atwww.osha.gov.

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