OSHA's data on employer specific injury and illness incidence rates is now publicly available on Data.gov and its website. OSHA collects work-related injury and illness data from more than 80,000 employers within specific industries and of a certain employment size. The agency uses this data for its strategic management plan and as a targeting mechanism for its Site-Specific Targeting enforcement program. Data is now searchable from 1996 to 2007 and can be used by interested individuals or groups to look at establishment-specific injury and illness data. The information includes the establishment name, address, industry, and associated total case rate; days away, restricted and transfer case rate; and days away from work case rate. Suspect or unreliable data is not included in this database.

OSHA has produced two new videos that feature training and guidance on respirator safety. The "Respirator Safety" video shows healthcare workers how to correctly put on and take off respirators, such as N95s. The "Difference between Respirators and Surgical Masks" video explains the particular uses for each one and how they prevent worker exposure to infectious diseases. Viewers can watch both English and Spanish versions by visiting the Department of Labor's YouTube site. Videos have proven to be useful and have been viewed 2,153 times in only two days.

OSHA elevated its San Antonio office from district to area office status with increased staffing to address the safety and health of high risk construction workers. A particular focus is being given to Latino construction workers, who are at greater risk of being killed or injured in the workplace. San Antonio is the seventh largest city in the United States with a population of more than two million people. Population and business growth prompted OSHA to make this expansion. Texas sees more construction workplace fatalities than any other state. For that reason, OSHA launched a construction safety sweep in Texas in July 2009, increasing the number of inspectors for a concentrated effort to prevent injuries and fatalities at construction sites. To learn more about the office expansion, read the news release.

Department of Labor officials and U.S. marshals seized a company president's vehicle after he failed to pay $7,500 is back wages as part of an OSHA whistleblower case. The federal seizure order resolved the lawsuit filed after the company violated whistleblower provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act by terminating a worker whose complaint was suspected of prompting an OSHA inspection. Read the news release for more details. Visit OSHA's Web site to learn more about whistleblower protection for workers.

A 45-year-old worker was killed in an explosion when an altered piece of equipment ignited flammable vapors inside a tank he was cleaning. This was the third worker killed in less than a year at one of CES Environmental Services' facilities. OSHA fined CES more than $1.4 million for allowing unsafe electrical equipment use in the presence of flammable and combustible vapors. CES also stored flammable and reactive chemicals together that posed fire and explosion hazards. "It is unfortunate but true that you need a sizable fine to get the attention of employers who don't respect the lives of their employees," said Assistant Secretary Michaels. Read the news release for more information.

OSHA has revised its acetylene standard by replacing references to outdated consensus standards with updated references reflecting current acetylene industry work practices. Details on the notice of proposed rulemaking and direct final rule are available in the Aug. 11 Federal Register.

OSHA published a final rule Sept. 9 revising the personal protective equipment sections of its general industry, shipyard employment, longshoring and marine terminals standards concerning requirements for eye- and face-protective devices, and head and foot protection. More information can be found in the Sept. 9 Federal Register.

A Ronkonkoma, N.Y., masonry contractor with a history of worksite safety violations again has been cited by OSHA, this time at a Forest Hills, N.Y., worksite. The contractor has been cited for five alleged repeat violations of safety standards and faces a total of $120,750 in new fines. See whole story.

OSHA has proposed seven citations with penalties totaling $136,000 against a contractor for violating federal workplace safety standards. See whole story. See whole story.

The Home Builders Association of St. Louis and Eastern Missouri and the Carpenters' District Union Council renewed their OSHA strategic partnership in August 2006 to reduce injuries, illnesses and fatalities in the construction industry. According to the partnership's 2008 evaluation, more than 3,000 employees received at least 32,000 hours of job safety and health training leading to the abatement of more than 1,200 potential job hazards.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is warning the public and electricians, plumbers and other contractors who perform work in attics about the potential risks of asbestos exposure from contaminated vermiculite insulation. Vermiculite from a Libby, Mont., mine containing asbestos was sold from 1919 to 1990 and used in the majority of vermiculite insulation in the United States. EPA's guidance document (English/ Spanish) and vermiculite web page offer ways to help reduce exposure.

OSHA's Kansas City, Mo., Region launched a regional emphasis program focusing on reducing exposure to lead in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska workplaces. The program includes targeted inspections at worksites where there is a potential for lead exposure, and also covers complaints and referrals.

Oil refineries nationwide received letters from OSHA providing them with data on compliance issues found under the Refinery National Emphasis Program and urging the refiners to comply with their obligations under the process safety management standard. To assist in compliance efforts, OSHA recommends that employers review the directive or contact their local OSHA offices.

When a compliance safety and health officer from OSHA's Chicago North Area Office arrived at a jobsite in April to conduct a trench inspection, he observed an employee working in an unprotected 8-foot-6-inch deep trench. The employee had exited the trench and was preparing to re-enter when the compliance officer identified himself. The employee then voluntarily agreed to not re-enter the trench until adequate cave-in protection was provided. The CSHO began identifying signs of cracks and fissures to the employer as indicators of a potential collapse and explaining the dangers of working in such conditions. Within minutes, the wall collapsed in the area where the employee had been working.

The stress of working in hot weather is a concern for many as summer approaches. For the thousands of workers exposed to the oftentimes lethal combination of heat, humidity and physical labor, a few precautions can go a long way to preventing many heat-related injuries or deaths. OSHA's "Heat Stress" QuickCard™ offers a good first step in acquiring prevention information. The card is also available online in Spanish. Copies of the laminated card can be ordered, at no cost, through the agency's publications Web page or by calling 202-693-1888. Visit OSHA's Safety and Health Topics page on heat stress to learn more about this hazard and ways to avoid it.

OSHA issued worker safety and health guidance for H1N1 flu, including fact sheets on "What Employers Can Do to Protect Workers from Pandemic Influenza" (English/Spanish), "Respiratory Infection Control: Respirators Versus Surgical Masks" (English/Spanish), and "Healthcare Workplaces Classified as Very High or High Exposure Risk for Pandemic Influenza" (English/Spanish). QuickCards™ were also released on "Pandemic Flu Respiratory Protection" (English/Spanish) and "How to Protect Yourself in the Workplace during a Pandemic" (English/Spanish).

OSHA will issue an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on combustible dust hazards and convene related stakeholder meetings. The purpose is to evaluate possible regulatory methods and request data and comments on issues related to combustible dust such as hazard recognition, assessment, communication, defining combustible dust and other concerns. Visit OSHA's Safety and Health Topics Web page on combustible dust to learn more about this hazard.

"Controlling Silica Exposures in Construction," "OSHA's Small Business Guide for Ethylene Oxide" and "Pneumatic Nail Gun Safety Tips" QuickCard™ are three new information resources available on OSHA's Web site.

Employers and workers in the tower communication industry have benefitted from OSHA's partnership with the National Association of Tower Erectors to promote safety and health. According to the partnership's 2008 annual evaluation, participants experienced a 40 percent decrease in the average total recordable case incidence rate, and a 37 percent decrease in the average days away from work, job transfer or restriction rate from 2007 to 2008. Outreach strategies including a public service announcement campaign and newsletter stressing the importance of safe work practices contributed to the partnership's success.

Assigned Protection Factors, a new guidance document, provides employers with information for selecting respirators for employees exposed to contaminants in the air. A limited number of copies are available for ordering from OSHA's publications page or by calling 202-693-1888.

The Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin formed an OSHA Strategic Partnership to raise occupational safety and health awareness in the construction industry. During the partnership's first year, the average days away from work, job transfer or restriction rate was 75 percent below the 2007 Bureau of Labor Statistics' national average. More than 5,000 employees, managers and supervisors received safety and health training which led to the abatement of potential job hazards and 100 percent compliance with OSHA standards.