World of Safety
Ottawa School Board Charged in Student’s Death
Fire officials in Ottawa, ON, have charged that city’s Catholic School Board in relation to the death of an 18-year-old student in May 2011. Eric Leighton was part of a group of students building barbecues in the auto shop of Mother Teresa High School when vapors from an empty oil drum exploded.
The student had reportedly been using a grinding tool to cut open a barrel that once contained peppermint oil.
The Ontario Fire Code charge alleges that the school allowed students to weld or cut a totally enclosed container.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is $100,000. The Ontario Ministry of Labour is also investigating Leighton’s death. It has ordered the school to not engage in any hot work projects involving welding, grinding or drilling.
Sleep disorders affecting police officers’safety
A study led by the Dr. Charles Czeisler of the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School has found that many police officers are suffering from the effects of sleep disorders and are consequently putting public safety and their own safety at risk.
Researchers screened about 5,000 police officers across North America and found that 30 percent had a chronic sleep problem, such as insomnia or sleep apnea, which was usually undiagnosed. People with sleep disorders were more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety and job burnout and alarmingly, 46 percent of the police officers polled admitted to having fallen asleep at the wheel, the study found.
Eighteen percent of the officers who reported having sleep disorders admitted to making serious administrative errors, compared to 13 percent of study participants who do not have sleep disorders.
Twenty-four percent of officers with sleep disorders reported having committed other errors or safety violations as a result of fatigue and 34 percent reported being unable to control their temper when dealing with civilians.
NIOSH Raises Red Flag on Erionite Exposure
The National Institute for Occupation Safety and Health (NIOSH) says erionite, a naturally occurring silicate mineral, could be placing North American workers at risk for serious health problems similar to those caused by asbestos exposure.
Disturbance of erionite can generate airborne fibers whose physical properties are similar to asbestos, putting people at risk for developing malignant mesothelioma—a cancer of the lining of the lung and chest cavity or lining of the abdomen.
“Until recently, erionite was not generally considered to be a potential hazard in North America, in part because relatively little risk for exposure was seen,” according to the NIOSH Science Blog. “However, evidence has slowly accumulated linking exposure to erionite with serious adverse health effects in North America, and suggesting that some workers may have a greater potential for exposure than previously thought.”
A road construction worker in Utah was the first worker diagnosed with erionite-related lung disease in 1981. NIOSH says that since the 1980s, gravel pits have been excavated in areas containing erionite deposits and when the gravel is placed on roads, there is a potential for airborne erionite fiber exposure.
There are no regulatory or consensus standards or occupational exposure limits for airborne erionite fibers, although the National Toxicology Program has designed erionite as a known human carcinogen.
NIOSH says risk-reduction recommendations to limit erionite exposures of workers who engage in activities that disturb erionite-containing gravel or soil include educating them about the potential health hazards and control methods for reducing the potential for exposure—including wet methods to reduce airborne dust generation— and providing workers with appropriate PPE.
Parkinson’s Disease Linked to Industrial Solvent Exposure
An international study suggests that workers who are exposed to trichloroethylene (TCE), an industrial solvent, may have six times the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease as workers who are not exposed to TCE.
Researchers in the US, Canada, Germany and Argentina looked at 99 sets of American twins, in which one twin had developed Parkinson’s disease—a degenerative central nervous system disorder characterized by shaking, rigidity, slowness of movement and difficulty walking— and the other had not.
The twins were interviewed to determine their work histories and calculate their potential exposure to six solvents.
The people who were exposed to TCE, perchloroethylene (PERC) and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) were found to be at significant risk for developing the disease, while workers exposed to three other solvents—toluene, xylene and n-hexane, were not found to be at statistically increased risk for being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
“Our findings, as well as prior case reports, suggest a time lag of up to 40 years between TCE exposure and onset of Parkinson’s, providing a critical window of opportunity to potentially slow the disease before clinical symptoms appear,” says study co-author Dr. Samuel Goldman of The Parkinson’s Institute in Sunnyvale, CA.
Info to go: Read more about trichloroethylene health hazards by clicking on the Info to Go safety links here.
Retailer Fined for Asbestos Risk to Customers, Staff and Workers
UK retailer Marks & Spencer has been fined the equivalent of $1,560,000 for failing to protect its customers, staff and other workers from potential exposure to asbestos.
People’s health was placed at risk during renovations of stores in Reading and Bournemouth, England in 2006 and 2007. Asbestos tiles fell from the ceiling to the floor of the Reading store while the store was open to the public.
Bournemouth Crown Court Judge Christopher Harvey Clark told Bournemouth Crown Court that the company “turned a blind eye to what was happening.”
Court heard that contractors removing asbestos during the renovations had not followed proper safety procedures and Marks & Spencer should have ensured that safe removal practices were undertaken.
Inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause fatal lung disease.
Which Occupations Have the Most Smokers?
Three occupations in the United States have the highest percentage of cigarette smokers. Can you guess what they are?
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC’s) Office on Smoking and Health, construction workers, miners and foodservice workers are most likely to smoke.
While 19.6 percent of working adults in the US are smokers, about 30 percent of workers in construction, mining and food services are smokers. The CDC defines a smoker as someone who has smoked more than 100 cigarettes in his or her lifetime and currently smokes either every day or some days.
Factors that may account for a higher number of smokers in those industries include being younger, having fewer years of education and making less money. And those working outdoors may be more likely to smoke since they are not bound by the anti-smoking laws affecting indoor workplaces.
The CDC says librarians and teachers are least likely to smoke, with about nine percent reporting being smokers.
Info to go: Read the CDC smoking prevalence report by clicking on the Info to Go safety links at here.
Dirty Equipment Linked to Listeria Outbreak
The deadliest outbreak of foodborne illness in the US in 25 years is being linked to unsanitary conditions at Jensen Farms, a cantaloupe-packing plant in Colorado.
At least 25 people have died and about 125 others have been made ill from eating cantaloupe contaminated with listeria bacteria. Listeriosis causes cramps, diarrhea, headaches, flu-like symptoms, nausea, fever and vomiting.
The elderly, pregnant women and their unborn children, infants and people with compromised immune systems are at greatest risk for dying from listeriosis. About 20 percent of people who contract it do not survive.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says there could have been low level sporadic Listeria monocytogenes in the field where the cantaloupe were grown, which could have been introduced into the packing facility. Also, a truck used to haul culled cantaloupe to a cattle operation was parked adjacent to the packing facility and could have introduced contamination into the facility.
The FDA also notes that:
- The packing facility’s design allowed water to pool on the floor near equipment and employee walkways.
- The packing facility floor was constructed in a manner that made it difficult to clean.
- Packing equipment was not easily cleaned and sanitized and washing and drying equipment used for cantaloupe packing was previously used for postharvest handling of another raw agricultural commodity.
- There was no pre-cooling step to remove field heat from the cantaloupes before cold storage. As the cantaloupes cooled there may have been condensation that promoted the growth of Listeria monocytogenes.
Australian Safety Authority Accused of Staff Bullying
An Australian workplace safety agency whose activities include investigating complaints of workplace bullying is itself being accused of mistreating its own employees.
An investigation by Melbourne media agency The Age has found a toxic work environment at WorkSafe Victoria, in which employees have complained about being bullied by their bosses and being forced to work in a culture of fear.
“People are really scared to talk,” a former WorkSafe staff member told The Age. “How can we tell other people how to deal with bullying in their workplaces when we don’t?”
The Community and Public Sector Union is calling for an independent inquiry into WorkSafe’s culture. The union has handled more than 20 bullying and stress complaints from WorkSafe workers to date in 2011.
One WorkSafe inspector told a reporter from The Age that the workplace culture is “rotten.”
OSHA Updates Hazard Alert on Formaldehyde Dangers
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a revised hazard alert to hair salon owners and workers regarding potential exposure to formaldehyde when working with certain hair smoothing and straightening products.
OSHA conducted air tests during recent investigations and determined that formaldehyde was present at hazardous levels in salons using Brazilian Blowout Acai Professional Smoothing Solution and Brasil Cacau Cadiveu. As a result of these findings, OSHA issued citations for alleged violations including failure to list formaldehyde on product labels and material safety data sheets (MSDSs) provided to the products’ users.
In late August of this year, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning letter to the importer and distributor of Brazilian Blowout Acai Professional Smoothing Solution, stating that the product is adulterated and misbranded.
Although the solution contains methylene glycol, which can release formaldehyde during normal conditions of use, the product is labeled “formaldehyde free” or “no formaldehyde” and does not list formaldehyde on the MSDS.
“Misleading or inadequate information on hazardous products labels is unacceptable,” says OSHA Administrator Dr. David Michaels. “Salon owners and workers have the right to know the risks associated with the chemicals with which they work and how to protect themselves.”
Info to go: To read the revised OSHA hazard alert on hair smoothing and straightening products, click on the Info to Go safety links here
Safety Director Resigned One Month Prior to Workplace Fatality
A company safety director resigned because he was certain that a serious workplace accident would occur. One month later, David Lenihan’s fears were realized when a worker was fatally crushed in a machine.
Duco International Ltd., based in Salford, England, has been fined the British equivalent of $318,000 for failing to ensure the health and safety of a worker and failing to conduct a risk assessment. The company was also ordered to pay costs equivalent to about $69,000.
Worker Mitesh Prasher, 24, died at a Duco plant near London on Jan. 15, 2008, while operating a machine used to check rolls of rubber and cloth for flaws. Co-workers heard Prasher cry out and found him unresponsive with his left arm, shoulder, head and torso trapped between a rubberized blanket and a roller. He died at the scene.
An investigation by the United Kingdom’s safety authority, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), found that the company had not assessed the hazards of using the machine and that proper machine guarding wasn’t in place.
Furthermore, Duco International Ltd. is said to have failed to provide sufficient training to workers using the machine.
“This needless tragedy is typical of what can happen when health and safety management systems fail,” says HSE Inspector Ray Kelly. “Had the hazards been assessed, the lack of any guarding would have been highlighted and this death could have been avoided.”
Info to go: Read more about machine guarding in the Info to Go safety links here
