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MSHA – Mine Fatality #30

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

MINE FATALITY – On August 30, 2023, a belt foreman died when a belt conveyor take-up unit component broke and struck him.

Accident scene where a belt foreman died when a belt conveyor take-up unit component broke and struck him.
Best Practices
  • Examine work areas for hazards found during the shift. Report hazards and defects immediately and do not work in unsafe conditions.
  • Ensure there are no obstructions in the travel path of the belt conveyor take-up system prior to tensioning.
  • Examine any belt or linkage assembly for signs of deformation such as cracking, lateral deflection or distorted connections.
  • Train miners to recognize and avoid potential hazards from sudden releases of stored energy.
Additional Information

This is the 30th fatality reported in 2023, and the sixth classified as “Powered Haulage.”

McCraren Compliance offers a full range of safety and health training and consulting services. Plus we can help you incorporate well-being into your traditional systems in order to support the Total Worker Health of your workforce.

Call 888-758-4757, email info@mccrarencompliance.com or visit our website www.mccrarencompliance.com

Original article published by MSHA

MSHA – Mine Fatality #28

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

MINE FATALITY – On August 21, 2023 a crusher lid that was being moved into place struck a miner when the rigging broke. The miner died from his injuries on August 23, 2023.

Accident scene where a crusher lid that was being moved into place struck a miner when the rigging broke.
Best Practices
  • Do not work under suspended loads.
  • Use properly rated lifting equipment and ensure that the load is well secured.
  • Attach tag lines to suspended loads to steady or guide the load.
  • Communicate lift plans to all persons working in the lift zone. Follow manufacturer’s recommended work procedures.
Additional Information

This is the 28th fatality reported in 2023, and the twelfth classified as “Machinery.”

McCraren Compliance offers a full range of safety and health training and consulting services. Plus we can help you incorporate well-being into your traditional systems in order to support the Total Worker Health of your workforce.

Call 888-758-4757, email info@mccrarencompliance.com or visit our website www.mccrarencompliance.com

Original article published by MSHA

Winners of 2023 Road Safety Student Art Contest Announced by U.S. Department of Transportation

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Winning artwork will be displayed in the U.S. Department of Transportation headquarters building in Washington, D.C

Washington, D.C. – Today, The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced the winners of the 2023 Road Safety Student Art Contest. The annual event helps highlight the need for all roadway users to focus on safety.

“The colorful vision and imagination we saw in this year’s art pieces were remarkable,” said FMCSA Administrator Robin Hutcheson in congratulating the winners. “To translate an idea into a meaningful design is challenging, and we’re thrilled to display the final products.”

Each year, students ranging from kindergarten through high school are invited to enter the Road Safety Art Contest and use their artistic skills to raise awareness about how to stay safe on the road, particularly when driving, biking, or walking around large trucks and buses. This year’s Road Safety Student Art Contest received over 200 entries from students across the United States.

The winning artwork of the following 12 students will be displayed in the U.S. Department of Transportation headquarters building in Washington, D.C., as well as featured in the 2024 Road Safety Student Art calendar that will be available later this year.

Grades K-2 winners:

  • Grand Prize – Ewan Park, Texas
  • People’s Choice – Manaswin Radically, North Carolina
  • Honorable Mention – Mazherah Cohen, Florida

Grades 3-5 winners:

  • Grand Prize – Brandon Lee, California
  • People’s Choice– Natalie Ng, Texas
  • Honorable Mention– Noelle Cho, Illinois

Grades 6-8 winners:

  • Grand Prize – Austin Wong, California
  • People’s Choice – Noah Cho, Illinois
  • Honorable Mention – Michelle Jinx, New Jersey

Grade 9-12 winners:

  • Grand Prize – Sanjay Ravishankar, New Jersey
  • People’s Choice – Christie Bae, Virginia
  • Honorable Mention – Alex Yoon, Oklahoma

The contest is an initiative under FMCSA’s Our Roads, Our Safety® partnership, which comprises more than 30 governmental, safety, industry, and private organizations. Through this effort, young artists remind all road users about the shared responsibility we all have to keep America’s roadways safe. With fatal crashes on the rise, increasing road safety awareness is a priority for DOT as part of its National Roadway Safety Strategy.

To learn more about the Road Safety Student Art Contest and see high-resolution versions of the winning entries, visit https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/OurRoadsArtContest.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

Original article published by FMCSA

Welders tell researchers why they don’t always wear PPE

Posted on by McCraren Compliance
"Hazards of welding"
Image: rusak/iStockphoto

Tempe, AZ — A recent study indicates that many welding workers believe some of their tasks don’t warrant the use of personal protective equipment.

Commissioned by CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training, researchers from Arizona State University surveyed 124 members of the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association and the Mechanical Contractors Association of America. They also interviewed 23 workers from nonunion firms in the Southwest United States that have fewer than 10 employees.

The result: Nearly 64% of the workers who were surveyed said they’ve heard co-workers say a welding task was too simple or quick to make shields or ventilation equipment necessary. An equal percentage cited “personal preference,” while 63% find PPE uncomfortable and 60% said it’s inconvenient or “too much trouble.”

At the same time, 10 of the 23 workers who were interviewed said their employers don’t provide any safety measures or equipment, while 13 said their employers offered only general PPE such as gloves or eye and ear protection. Hazards associated with welding include burns and exposure to fumes and nanomaterials.

Those workers agreed that their experiences likely differed from the survey group’s “because contractors belonging to professional associations employ union workers who have documented safety requirements.”

McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication

Criminal Charges

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Colorado contractor awaits sentencing on manslaughter charge after failing to protect employees in 2021 trench collapse that killed 23-year-old worker

A4S LLC, owner Peter Dillon failed to use legally required trench protection systems

BRECKENRIDGE, CO – The owner of an Avon construction company whose failure to follow required federal safety standards led to the 2021 trench collapse death of a 23-year-old employee in Breckenridge now awaits a November sentencing date after pleading guilty to manslaughter on Aug. 3, 2023.

The plea follows a criminal referral by the U.S. Department of Labor after Peter Dillon and his now defunct company, A4S LLC refused to require the use of proper safety equipment to protect his workers. The refusal contributed to a trench collapse in which a company employee, Marlon Diaz, suffered fatal injuries as he installed a residential sewer line.

After an investigation of the incident by the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, A4S LLC received three willful citations in May 2022 for not ensuring the excavation was inspected by a competent person, failing to instruct employees on the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions and not having a trench protective system in place. OSHA also issued the company a serious citation for not having a safe means of exit within 25 lateral feet of employees working in a trench.

Continue reading “Criminal Charges”

Holding Violators Accountable

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

US Department of Labor sues Waukegan contractor who refuses to pay more than $360K in penalties for repeatedly endangering roofing employees

Contractor operating as ECS Roofing Professionals cited 9 times since 2014

Photo: OSHA

CHICAGO – The U.S. Department of Labor has filed suit in federal court to force a Waukegan roofing contractor to pay $360,531 in penalties for repeatedly exposing employees to falls from elevations, the leading cause of fatal injuries in the construction industry.

Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago, the action follows an Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission decision on March 6, 2023, that affirmed the citations issued by the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration after its investigation found that Joshua Herion — operator of ECS Roofing Professionals Inc. — exposed employees to deadly fall hazards at two separate job sites in Illinois and Wisconsin in October 2022.

Specifically, OSHA determined the contractor did not provide employees required fall arrest systems, a safety net or guardrails as they installed siding and roofing materials atop roofs in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, and at a job site in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

After OSHA issued citations and fined ECS Roofing $226,530 for the Illinois violations and $134,001 for violations in Wisconsin, the company contested the citations and penalties with the commission. Despite the commission’s decision affirming the penalties in full, Herion has failed to pay the penalties which led the department’s Office of the Solicitor in Chicago to file suit to recover the penalties.

Continue reading “Holding Violators Accountable”

Researchers call for more worker awareness in ‘moderately hazardous’ environments

Posted on by McCraren Compliance
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Photo: D3Damon/iStockphoto

Waterloo, Ontario — Workers in moderately hazardous environments may be more likely than those in highly hazardous workplaces to underestimate the degree of safe behaviors needed to avoid injury or illness.

That’s according to Waterloo University researchers. The team recently conducted four different studies to find out in which of the two types of workplaces safety incidents are more common.

In two of the studies, they analyzed historical workplace injury data and found that moderately dangerous environments were associated with the most incidents. The other studies involved people completing work simulations in which they knew the level of danger and how to safely engage with it.

Findings show that under moderately dangerous conditions, participants exhibited only a “moderate degree” of safe behaviors. Despite being aware of the hazards in the moderately dangerous conditions, the participants under-allocated time and effort needed to work safely.

The researchers recommend safety training that explains the need for workers to increase their safe behaviors sharply in response to small increases in the hazard level of workplace situations.

“In highly dangerous environments, individuals engage in a high degree of safety behaviors, which offsets the chance of an accident,” lead study author James Beck, a psychology professor at the university, said in a press release. “In moderately dangerous environments, people usually engage in some safety behaviors, yet most people do not engage in enough safety behaviors.”

The study was published online in the journal Personnel Psychology.

McCraren Compliance offers a full range of safety and health training and consulting services. Plus we can help you incorporate well-being into your traditional systems in order to support the Total Worker Health of your workforce.

Call 888-758-4757, email info@mccrarencompliance.com or visit our website www.mccrarencompliance.com

Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication

U.S. DOT Invests Nearly $15 Million to Improve Pipeline Safety

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Photo: PHMSA

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) today announced it is awarding $14.8 million in grants to fund projects and activities to improve pipeline safety. These grants will support important pipeline safety training and educational programs, as well as the advancement of pipeline safety technologies. Recipients include state pipeline safety programs; state One-Call and damage prevention centers; community and non-profit organizations; and six universities.

“To ensure the safety of the world’s largest pipeline system—we need every level of government and the non-profit sector working to mitigate risk,” said PHMSA Deputy Administrator Tristan Brown. “These grants will provide states, non-profits, first responders and academic institutions with the resources necessary to better protect the public.”

PHMSA is awarding grants for five of its programs across the country, including:

  • $1.1 million in One-Call Grants to provide funding to state agencies in promoting damage prevention, including changes with their state underground damage prevention laws, related compliance activities, training, and public education.
  • $1.5 million in State Damage Prevention Program Grants for states to establish or improve state programs designed to prevent damage to underground pipelines.

Continue reading “U.S. DOT Invests Nearly $15 Million to Improve Pipeline Safety”

Teamsters call for strong federal oversight of driverless trucks

Posted on by McCraren Compliance
Washington — Federal regulation of autonomous trucks must “prioritize both workers and safety,” the International Brotherhood of Teamsters says.
sh.truckLights.web.jpg

Photo: gorodenkoff/iStockphoto

In a recently released framework document, the Teamsters list suggestions Congress and federal regulators should consider when forming federal policy on autonomous trucks. Among them: Include a requirement for human operators and don’t issue rules that override any on the state level that have “greater protections.”

The labor union provides five principles to guide policy: regulating the vehicle, regulating the operator, regulating operations, interaction with other laws and workforce impacts.

Mandating that autonomous trucks be operated by humans subject to DOT requirements governing commercial driver’s licenses and hours-of-service regulations is among the Teamsters’ top objectives. The union also wants to uphold state regulations that might require more human operators and monitors or greater licensing standards and restrictions on autonomous vehicle use than a federal policy might stipulate.

Other proposed provisions:

  • Authorize the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to revoke operating authority for the use of AVs by any operator at its discretion because of safety issues.
  • Require motor carriers that want to deploy AVs to report the location and function of vehicles in use.
  • Ensure Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards – not a waiver – regulate the design, construction and performance of highly automated vehicles and automated driving systems.
  • Require any recipient of federal funding, federal transit funding or holder of FMCSA operating authority to publicly disclose planned AV use and its expected workforce impacts.

“Strong federal AV policies must prioritize both workers and safety,” Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said in a press release. “Any legislation that puts workers and the general public at risk will be met with aggressive opposition by the Teamsters and our allies.”

A developing AV law in California holds the Teamsters’ backing. On Sept. 11, the California Senate and Assembly passed A.B. 316, which would prohibit autonomous trucks weighing more than 10,000 pounds from operating on state roadways without human drivers.

The legislation also would keep the California Highway Patrol and Department of Motor Vehicles from considering permits for AVs until 2029.

O’Brien, in a separate release, affirmed the Teamsters’ backing of the bill while calling on California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) to sign it. Neglecting to do so would put “the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of truck drivers at risk, while jeopardizing public safety.”

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication

Biden-Harris Administration Announces Grants to Improve the Commercial Driver’s Licensing Process and Get More Safe Truck Drivers on the Road

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Historic funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law helps streamline CDL issuance and expand opportunities to Veterans and in underserved communities

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced it will award approximately $48 million in grant funding to increase commercial driver’s license (CDL) driver training opportunities and continue to improve the process to obtain a CDL. This funding is aimed at improving the resiliency of our national supply chain and strengthening America’s trucking workforce. It is one of the many ways the Biden-Harris Administration is demonstrating its continued commitment to its Trucking Action Plan.

“Every day, we all count on food, clothing, medicine, and other goods that reach us thanks to America’s truck drivers,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “With these grants, we are helping states bring more well-trained drivers into this essential field, strengthening our supply chains for years to come.”

FMCSA is awarding more than $44 million to states and other entities to operate national CDL programs through the Commercial Driver’s License Program Implementation (CDLPI) grant. This will help states expedite CDL issuance and renewals and ensure states electronically exchange conviction and disqualification data. (Note: This data pertains primarily to motor vehicle traffic control-related convictions and other convictions and disqualifications outlined in 49 CFR 383.51 not all conviction data). It will also implement regulatory safety requirements supporting the National Roadway Safety Strategy and develop human trafficking outreach and education materials for CDL drivers. Examples of projects funded include hiring state personnel to reduce CDL skills testing delays, improving CDL reporting, maintaining accurate driver records, and training CDL skills test examiners.

Thanks to the more than $3 million investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training grant (CMVOST) recipients will also increase their capacity to train veterans and their family members, individuals from underserved and refugee communities, and other Americans to safely operate CMVs, obtain their CDLs, and enter the truck and bus driving profession.

“This essential funding provided through the CMVOST grant program will help expand and diversify the pool of trained drivers, with an important focus on attracting Veterans and individuals from underserved and refugee communities,” said FMCSA Administrator Robin Hutcheson. “We’re proud that these grants are giving priority to current and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces, including National Guard, Reservists, and their family members, to pursue a commercial driver’s license.”

Read more about FMCSA’s grants and financial assistance.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

Original article published by FMCSA