OSHA Safety Research Articles

Detection of Heavy Metals in Educational Institutions’ Indoor Dust and Their Risks to Health

In addition to human health, there are typical pollutants that significantly determine the quality of life and deteriorate the quality of the air. Although these pollutants are familiar in outdoor environments, they also pose a health threat in indoor environments. These need to be monitored and controlled. Children, who spend most of their time in these environments, are especially exposed to these pollutants, and such contaminants pose a threat during their learning and growing periods. In this study, the detection of heavy metals in indoor dust in educational institutions and their health risks were evaluated. Heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, mercury, and cadmium, which are named differently due to their densities, were detected, and their effects on children were determined. The measured values of heavy metals cadmium and arsenic were above the standard values of OSHA (Occupational Health and Safety Administration), one of the health and safety organizations. However, when educational institutions were examined, an increase in the amount of arsenic due to drinking water used, cadmium batteries containing batteries, the use of batteries, and the pigment feature in oil paint derivatives supplied with cadmium may increase the values. The other heavy metals such as Al, Zn, Hg, and Pb remained below the limit values. A health risk assessment was made by considering the data obtained from the samples taken from the educational institutions in Konya province, as well as factors such as environmental conditions, the number of students, the area per capita, temperature, and humidity. The causes of polluting sources and the precautions to be taken have been determined.

TAAC - TMS Adaptable Auditory Control: A universal tool to mask TMS clicks

BackgroundCoupling transcranial magnetic stimulation with electroencephalography (TMS-EEG) allows recording the EEG response to a direct, non-invasive cortical perturbation. However, obtaining a genuine TMS-evoked EEG potential requires controlling for several confounds, among which a main source is represented by the auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) associated to the TMS discharge noise (TMS click). This contaminating factor can be in principle prevented by playing a masking noise through earphones. New methodHere we release TMS Adaptable Auditory Control (TAAC), a highly flexible, open-source, Matlab®-based interface that generates in real-time customized masking noises. TAAC creates noises starting from the stimulator-specific TMS click and tailors them to fit the individual, subject-specific click perception by mixing and manipulating the standard noises in both time and frequency domains. ResultsWe showed that TAAC allows us to provide standard as well as customized noises able to effectively and safely mask the TMS click. Comparison with existing methodsHere, we showcased two customized noises by comparing them to two standard noises previously used in the TMS literature (i.e., a white noise and a noise generated from the stimulator-specific TMS click only). For each, we quantified the Sound Pressure Level (SPL; measured by a Head and Torso Simulator - HATS) required to mask the TMS click in a population of 20 healthy subjects. Both customized noises were effective at safe (according to OSHA and NIOSH safety guidelines) and lower SPLs with respect to standard noises. ConclusionsAt odds with previous methods, TAAC allows creating effective and safe masking noises specifically tailored on each TMS device and subject. The combination of TAAC with tools for the real-time visualization of TEPs can help control the influence of auditory confounds also in non-compliant patients. Finally, TAAC is a highly flexible and open-source tool, so it can be further extended to meet different experimental requirements.

Private Equity Buyouts and Workplace Safety

AbstractThis paper presents evidence of a large, persistent decline in establishment-level workplace injury rates after private equity (PE) buyouts of publicly traded U.S. firms. We find that firms experience fewer OSHA safety violations after buyouts and that a larger decline in injury rates is associated with an increased probability of exit via IPO. Employment reductions after buyouts are concentrated in relatively low-injury-risk establishments. Overall, our results suggest that buyouts improve workplace safety and that PE acquirers benefit from this improvement. We explore possible causes of these changes through interviews with executives of companies acquired in buyouts and through cross-sectional analysis.

Elements of Safety Management System in the Construction Industry and Measuring Safety Performance – A Brief

Construction industry is considered to be one of the most hazardous industries in the world. The reason could be attributed to its hazardous nature as it is an accident-prone industry. Thus, a need for better understanding of safety management system is essential for improving safety performance in this sector. This paper discusses briefly the elements of safety management by presenting different systems (such as Oregon OSHA Occupational Health and Safety Administration, and OTAR Overseas Territories Aviation Circle) and elaborating their elements. It also discusses two types of measuring safety performance the first is the lagging indicators and the second is the leading indicator. In addition, a field study was conducted to explore contractors’ perception on safety management. A questionnaire was distributed to construction firms. 200 responses were collected and analyzed. All of the results showed positive answers which indicate that safety in performance in Egypt is slightly above average as all means were close to average.

Assisting New York Dairy Farms with Preparing for OSHA Safety Inspections

ABSTRACTIn 2013, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced a Local Emphasis Program targeted at New York farmers. This program involved random inspections of dairy farms across the state. This article provides an overview of the efforts made in New York to prepare farmers for these inspections. As a result of this program launch, several safety services offered by the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health were significantly impacted, and required expansion and modification in order to meet the needs of New York farmers.

Comparing Online and In-Person Delivery Formats of the OSHA 10-Hour General Industry Health and Safety Training for Young Workers

Seven school districts or comprehensive high schools were enrolled in online OSHA 10-hour General Industry or Construction health and safety training via CareerSafe to determine the feasibility of online training for students, given limited resources for in-person trainings. A two-campus school district was analyzed comparing OSHA 10 for General Industry across in-person, supervisor-level teachers as authorized trainers, and online course formats. The online training courses were completed by 86 of 91 students, while another 53 of 57 students completed in-person training. Both groups completed identical OSHA-approved quizzes for "Introduction to OSHA," the initial 2-h module consistently provided in OSHA 10 courses across topics and formats. Results indicated teacher supervision was critical, and girls had higher online course completion rates, overall quiz scores, and never failed. Though both cohorts passed, in-person had significantly higher scores than online; both struggled with two questions. Online OSHA 10 for General Industry can be an efficient learning tool for students when limited resources prevent widespread availability of in-person courses.

Required coefficient of friction during turning at self-selected slow, normal, and fast walking speeds

This study investigated the relationship of required coefficient of friction to gait speed, obstacle height, and turning strategy as participants walked around obstacles of various heights. Ten healthy, young adults performed 90° turns around corner pylons of four different heights at their self selected normal, slow, and fast walking speeds using both step and spin turning strategies. Kinetic data was captured using force plates. Results showed peak required coefficient of friction (RCOF) at push off increased with increased speed (slow μ=0.38, normal μ=0.45, and fast μ=0.54). Obstacle height had no effect on RCOF values. The average peak RCOF for fast turning exceeded the OSHA safety guideline for static COF of μ>0.50, suggesting further research is needed into the minimum static COF to prevent slips and falls, especially around corners.

Five Bad Environmental and Safety Decisions Leading to Catastrophic Results

A power plant hired a painting contractor with a poor safety record history. Five painters perished in a fire when the contractor failed to adhere to OSHA's safety standards. The power plant faced criminal charges. Although later acquitted, the company had to pay millions in restitution and endure a public trial. A refinery with a major air permit operated without an environmental staff and endangered its neighbors and workers. Executives pleaded guilty to criminal charges. Another oil refinery failed to implement its own internal EHS audit findings months before a catastrophic explosion that killed fifteen employees and injured hundreds.

Ruling Without Real Rules--Or How to Influence Private Conduct Without Really Binding

The circumstances under which administrative agencies should utilize interpretive rules, opinion letters, enforcement manuals, and other similar forms of guidance, and the practical and legal effect on the public of the use of such forms of guidance, is subject to considerable debate. On the one hand, the agency guidance embodied in such typically informal administrative actions may be viewed as helpful advice that may allow a private citizen to avoid a run-in with the law, or at least consciously to make a decision that she is willing to accept the risk of such a run-in. On the other hand, such guidance might be seen as a way for the government to influence the conduct of private citizens without undertaking relatively more formal procedures, such as a notice-and-comment rulemaking in accordance with Administrative Procedure Act (APA) requirements, that clearly would give the agency action the force of law. In the paper, as a means of considering the legal and practical impact of informal administrative actions, I examine the circumstances surrounding the issuance and quick withdrawal of an informal opinion letter by an office director of the Occupational Health and Safety Commission. The letter stated that that OSHA safety standards apply to home offices. I conclude that the OSHA letter should not be binding as a matter of law because it was not issued under sufficiently clear delegated authority and should not be entitled to Chevron deference which, for practical purposes, would render it binding. Moreover, I conclude that in this particular instance OSHA's action was inappropriate because bringing home offices within OSHA's regulatory purview almost certainly should have been, and would have been, recognized by agency officials as a step of such public import as to counsel some form of more formal and participatory process culminating in action by the agency head, rather than a letter from the director of a compliance office who issues hundreds of similar advice letters a year. This article is derived from a presentation on interpretive rules at the February 2001 meeting of the Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice Section of the ABA. Other participants on the panel were Professors Peter Strauss, William Funk, and Robert Anthony.

OSHA inspections: Process and outcomes in programmed inspections versus complaint-investigated inspections

Inspections are an important tool for enforcing OSHA regulations. As with any enforcement procedure, OSHA inspections are an effective tool to the extent that they are conducted in a consistent manner. In this study we compared 3,000 inspections randomly initiated by OSHA with 3,000 inspections conducted by OSHA in response to an employee complaint. Significant differences in both process and outcome variables were found between the two types of inspections. We discuss the findings in terms of the “threat effect” as a tool for enforcement of OSHA safety standards.

Voluntary Protection Programs: Changing Attitudes Toward OSHA and Advancing Worker Health and Safety

Voluntary Protection Programs: Changing Attitudes Toward OSHA and Advancing Worker Health and Safety

Identifying and measuring indoor biologic agents

6. ACGIH. Air sampling instruments for evaluation of atmospheric contaminants. 7th ed. Cincinnati, Ohio, 1989. 7. Lodge JP, ed. Methods of air sampling and analysis. 3rd ed. Chelsea, Michigan: Lewis Publishers, 1989. 8. Ness SA. Air monitoring for toxic exposure. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1991. 9. Maslansky CJ, Maslansky SP. Air monitoring instrumentation. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1993. 10. U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA safety and health standards 29 CFR 1910, No. 1910.1000. 11. U.S. Code of Federal Regulations. 40 CFR, Pt 50. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1989. 12. ACGIH, 1993-1994, TLV's for chemical substances and physical agents and biological exposure indices. Cincinnati, Ohio, 1993. 13. NIOSH guide to chemical hazards. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CDC, DHHS (NIOSH) publication No. 85-114, 1989. 14. WHO. Indoor air quality research, report on a WHO meeting, Stockholm, August 27-31, 1984. Copenhagen: World Health Organization. 15. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation, Office of Atmospheric and Indoor Air Programs, Indoor Air Division, Building Air Quality. A guide for building owners and facility managers, 1991.

Union attacks Phillips explosion settlement

The Oil, Chemical & Atomic Workers International Union is denouncing the Occupational Safety & Health Administration for a settlement agreement just reached with Phillips 66. That agreement settles charges issued against Phillips by OSHA after the October 1989 explosion and fire that destroyed the company's Pasadena, Tex., chemical complex and killed 23 workers. This agreement is proof positive that OSHA has no serious intent to stem the tide of fires and explosions in the petrochemical industry, says Robert E. Wages, president of OCAW, which represented workers at the complex. Under the agreement, announced Aug. 22, Phillips will pay a $4 million fine and implement corporatewide process safety management procedures to settle citations arising from the accident. However, Phillips admits no liability in connection with the accident, and the firm maintains that no OSHA or other safety standards were violated. Phillips has stated that the accident occurred when well-established and understood plant procedu...

Are Osha Health Inspections Effective? A Longitudinal Study in the Manufacturing Sector

We examine the impact of OSHA health inspections on compliance with agency regulations in the manufacturing sector, with a unique plant-level dataset of inspection and compliance behavior during 1972-1983, the first twelve years of OSHA enforcement operations. Two major findings are robust across the range of linear and count models estimated in the paper: (1) the number of citations and the number of violations of worker exposure restrictions decrease with additional health inspections in manufacturing plants; and (2) the first health inspection has the strongest impact. The results suggest that prior research focusing on the limited impact of OSHA safety regulations may under-estimate OSHA's total contribution to reducing workplace risks.

Safety Regulation and Workplace Injuries

Most public policy discussions of workplace injuries and safety regulation focus on the frequency with which injuries occur. This is the approach that dominates most economic studies of either the impact of industrial safety legislation or the more general economics of occupational health and safety.' None of the theoretical models of the firm's response to injury risk explicitly consider the severity of injuries [15; 16; 12; 4; 14; 25]. In empirical work, Cook and Gautschi's [6] finding that OSHA citation activity reduced days lost due to injuries in Maine manufacturing firms is the only case in which injury severity is addressed in a study of the impact of OSHA. Chelius [4] has used a severity measure in empirical analysis of pre-OSHA state safety regulation. The major studies of the impact of OSHA standards on injury frequency have found little or no impact attributable to this form of safety regulation [18; 25; 9]. The purpose of this study is to analyze the conjecture that the effect of OSHA safety regulation has been to reduce the severity of workplace injuries rather than the frequency with which they occur. The theoretical analysis of the impact of the standards on the frequency of injuries is extended to explicitly consider their impact on the severity of injuries. An index of injury severity is constructed using work injury records and impairment scales developed by the American Medical Association. A cross-section-time-series model is specified and estimated to test the impact of safety regulation on injury severity. The possible trade-off between injury frequency and severity is examined.

OSHA and experimental safety design

OSHA and experimental safety design

Regulatory agency budgets up in fiscal 1981

The Administration's fiscal 1981 budget proposal contains mixed results for the federal regulatory agencies that affect the chemical community. Budgets for most of the agencies would be up, but the inflation rate in fiscal 1981 will pretty much determine whether the agencies gain ground, hold their own, or lose in fiscal 1981. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission by anyone's standards would be the biggest winner in the budget proposal. In the wake of the Three Mile Island accident, the agency is slated for a budget increase of 25%, or $94 million, to $468.5 million. It also would get 356 new people. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration would get a hefty increase. It is slated for a budget increase of 13% to $211.8 million. OSHA's enforcement budget of $128.5 million, up 6% is expected to provide for 65,000 federal inspections in fiscal 1981, 3000 more than in 1980. Resources for OSHA's safety and health standards development ...

Rotary Car Dumper Systems

This paper, in general, discusses the technically important points in total planning of rotary car dumper systems. Total systems installations include, aside from terrain and trackage, such items as car retarders, electronic weigh scale platens, the many combinations of dumpers, car ejectors, train positioners and hammermills. Pollution control and OSHA safety provisions are also discussed. The paper will also explain technological details of design which promotes smoothly operating systems.

Priority Assignment of OSHA Safety Inspectors

A priority assignment model for OSHA safety inspectors was developed and tested using 34,500 actual employee injuries from a total of 105,000 injuries in Missouri during 1973. The model combines expert opinions concerning selection of injury criteria and data from, reports of employee injuries. First the model computes a relative accident performance score for each employer. Employers are then grouped by general industrial classification and ranked according to their relative accident performance score. This “worst-first” ranking provides the rationale for assigning OSHA safety inspectors to employer locations. The model and research have been reviewed by Region VII OSHA personnel and implementation is currently under consideration within the Department of Labor. This model could replace current random assignment of inspectors in Missouri. Region VII, and the nation.

Regulatory Policy

Paul W. MacAvoy, ed., Ford Administration Papers on Regulatory ReformPaul W. MacAvoy, ed., Federal Energy Administration RegulationPaul W. MacAvoy and John W. Snow, eds., Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory ReformPaul W. MacAvoy and John W. Snow, eds., Regulation of Entry and Pricing in Truck TransportationPaul W. MacAvoy, ed., Deregulation of Cable TelevisionPaul W. MacAvoy, ed., Federal‐State Regulation of the Pricing and Marketing of InsurancePaul W. MacAvoy, ed., OSHA Safety Regulations