Construction & Safety Acronyms

The newly revised 2010 edition of "Construction & Safety Acronyms" is now available for purchase. For details, visit www.lulu.com/product/paperback/construction-safety-acronyms/13052749

OSHA's Semiannual Regulatory Agenda is Available

OSHA's regulatory plan contains a statement of the Department's regulatory priorities and regulatory actions. It can be viewed at www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=FEDERAL_REGISTER&p_id=21872

Among other things, OSHA will be continuing its review of the Bloodborne Pathogen standard. It will also be looking at exposure to Crystalline Silica, Confined Spaces in Construction, Electric Power Transmission and Distribution; Cranes and Derricks, and Methylene Chloride.

Click the hot-link above to get the details and time schedules for various actions.

OSHA Appoints New Head of the Construction Directorate

Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health David Michaels, Ph.D., MPH, has appointed Jim Maddux as the new director of the agency's Directorate of Construction, effective 20 December 2010. Maddux most recently served in OSHA's Directorate of Standards adn Guidance as teh Director of the Office of Physical Hazards adn Acting Director of the Office of Engineering Safety. Maddux has held several leadership positions at OSHA, including Director of the Office of Maritime and Acting Deputy Director for the Directorate of Standards and Guidance.

He began his career with OSHA in 1990 as a statistician in the Office of Statistics, and joined the Directorate of Standards and Guidance in 1998. Maddux has been a project director, author and contributor to numerous OSHA standards and guidance projects, including the payment for personal protective equipment standard, injury and illness recordkeeping regulations, ergonomics guidelines, and several maritime standards and guidance products. He has a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Maryland, University College, an associate's degree in computer information systems from Laramie County Community College, and an associate's degree in chemistry from Northern Wyoming Community College.

"Jim has been a valuable member of the OSHA team for over 20 years," said Michaels. "I congratulate him on his new position, and I am confident that he will be an effective leader in construction safety working to accomplish the agency's mission of protecting America's workers."

I will withold judgement on his appointment until I see how he performs, but I don't see any field experience listed in his credentials. Although field experience may not be necessary, it certainly gives an individual a different perspective.

Fatal Fall From Scaffold

Trying to convince workers on construction sites that scaffold platforms must be "fully planked," and to get them to understand just what that means, can be difficult. Often, they cannot understand why it is so important.

Well, you can tell them about the guy in Canada who fell 20 feet to his death because he stepped through an opening in the scaffolding on which he was working.

Canada's "Journal of Commerce" reported yesterday that a 60 year old worker was found dead after the accident - there were no witnesses to the accident.

Read the whole story at www.journalofcommerce.com/article/id41936/

Robert Bosch Tool Corp Recalls Bosch Hammer Drills Due to Electrical Shock

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is ilegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Bosch Hammer Drills

Units: About 20,000 units

Importer: Robert Bosch Tool Corporation, of Mt. Prospect, Illinois

Hazard: The models have a grounding system and trigger switch that could cause ground wire abrasion and/or ground connector failure posing a shock hazard. In addition, the switch trigger could become stuck in the "on" position posing an injury hazard to the user.

Incidents: None

Description: Bosch 1/2 inch 2-speed Hammer Drill with model number HD19-2, HD19-2D, HD19-2L adn 1/2 inch 2-speed Hamer Drills with model number HD21-2 are included in this recall. "BOSCH" is printed in red lettering on the side of the drills.

Sold at: Home improvement, hardware and major retailers nationwide and various distributors from September 2009 through August 2010 for between $140 and $220.

Manufactured in: Switzerland

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the hammer drill and return hammer drill to Robert Bosch Tool Corporation for repair.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Bosch toll-free at (866) 244-2110 between 7 am and 7 pm CT Monday through Friday or visit the firm's website at http://www.boschtools.com/

COSC is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell them about it by visiting https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx

Ryobi Recalls Cordless Drills Due to Fire Hazard

Ryobi Recalls Cordless Drills Due to Fire Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Ryobi Model HP 1802M Cordless Power Drills

Units: About 455,000

Importer: Ryobi Technologies Inc., of Anderson, S.C.

Hazard: The switch on the cordless drill can overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: Ryobi has received 47 reports of the drills overheating, smoking, melting or catching fire, including 12 reports of property damage to homes or vehicles. Two of the incidents involved minor burns from touching an overheated switch.

Description: The Ryobi Model HP 1802M cordless drill is powered by an 18 volt rechargeable NiCad battery. The drills are blue and black in color with "Ryobi" appearing in red and white on the left side. The model number can be found on a white label on the right side of the drill.

Sold at: Home Depot from January 2001 to July 2003 for about $100.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled drill, remove the rechargeable battery and contact Ryobi to receive a free replacement drill.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Ryobi Customer Service at (800) 597-9624 between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm's website at www.ryobitools.com

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CPSC is still interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell us about it by visiting https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. The CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed significantly to the decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.

To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054. To join a CPSC e-mail subscription list, please go to https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. Consumers can obtain recall and general safety information by logging on to CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov.

American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE)

Are you a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers? If you are a safety professional and not a member, you are doing yourself a disservice!

I just moved back to upstate New York after a 14 year absence. And, last evening, I attended a meeting of the Central New York Chapter of ASSE. I've been an ASSE member for 25 years and as I moved around I joined chapters in Orlando, Fort Myers, and Dallas - all were very rewarding experiences. But, the CNY Chapter is where I started and it was great to renew old friendships.

It's interesting that all of the Safety Professionals with whom I commiserated over the years have become great friends. I remained in contact with many from Central New York over the past 14 years, and many from Central Florida, and will continue to keep in touch with my friends in Southwest Florida and Dallas. These people enrich my life both personally and professionally and we all continue to rely on each other for support in our careers.

I cannot imagine my safety career without my fellow ASSE members and if you are a safety professional who has not yet found ASSE - find your local chapter and join today! Click here for joinder information.

After my 14 year hiatus from the CNY ASSE Chapter, it felt like I hadn't even been away! So, the "moral of the story" is - if you join, attend your local chapter meetings! The networking is one of the most valuable things offered.