FAA Wants OSHA to Enforce Some Occupational Safety and Health Standards

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In the past, worker safety sometimes has taken a back seat on the plane to aviation safety in general. Soon, however, the skies might become friendlier for flight attendants and other crew members. While the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) aviation safety regulations continue to take precedence, the agency is proposing that OSHA be able to enforce certain occupational safety and health standards currently not covered by FAA oversight.

“Safety is our highest priority and that certainly extends to those who work in the transportation industry,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Under this proposal, flight attendants would, for the first time, be able to report workplace injury and illness complaints to OSHA for response and investigation.”

“The policy with the FAA will not only enhance the health and safety of flight attendants by connecting them directly with OSHA but will, by extension, improve the flying experience of millions of airline passengers,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis.

Flight attendant workplace issues could include things such as exposure to noise and bloodborne pathogens, and access to information on hazardous chemicals. The FAA and OSHA will continue to work to identify any additional conditions where OSHA requirements could apply. They also will develop procedures to ensure that OSHA does not apply any requirements that could affect aviation safety.

“Flight attendants contribute to the safe operation of every flight each day,” said acting FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. “This proposed policy is an important step toward establishing procedures for resolving flight attendant workplace health and safety concerns.”

“We look forward to working with the FAA and the airlines to assure the protection of flight attendants,” said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health.

Through the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, Congress required the FAA to develop a policy statement to outline the circumstances in which OSHA requirements could apply to crew members while they are working on aircraft.

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Source : EHStoday.com

Check on theme parks regularly

KUALA LUMPUR: Theme park operators must be able to ensure the safety of its visitors or bear the responsibility should accidents occur.

National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said the responsibility of guaranteeing visitors at theme parks are safe was in the hands of the management.

"They must have adequate warning signs for the public. It is also necessary to ensure that all safety instructions are visible to visitors."

Lee said park employees must also ensure visitors are aware of and adhere to safety rules on rides, and supervise all dangerous rides.

"They cannot take it for granted."

Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations chief executive officer Datuk Paul Selva Raj said all theme parks should be regularly inspected by authorities.

"The operators might not realise their equipment is damaged and continue to operate, posing a danger to visitors."

He said theme parks in the country were not up to international standards.

Lee and Selva Raj were responding to the recent case involving a 14-year-old boy who fell off a water slide at a theme park in Malacca.

He suffered cracks to the skull and received more than 30 stitches on the head and chin.

An Occupational Safety and Health Department spokesman said they had initiated investigations into the case and would be sending a team to inspect the theme park.

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Source : New Straits Times

Western Metals Earns SHARP Recognition

Western Metals Recycling’s Salt Lake City, Utah, scrap recycling facility has received the SHARP (Safety & Health Achievement Recognition Program) designation from the Utah Department of Labor. SHARP is an OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) award given to businesses that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to workplace safety and health.

Jim Ramsey, Western Metals Recycling’s (WMR) Salt Lake general manager, and Dennis Schofield, WMR Salt Lake plant manager, accepted the award on behalf of WMR.

“We could not have achieved SHARP status without the effort and commitment to safety that each of you displays every day. Safety is our core value at Western Metals and the entire team is firmly united behind our goal of zero accidents,” says Schofield.

John Ferriola, Nucor Corp.’s president and COO, says, “Thank you for what you do every day for Western Metals Recycling, and most importantly thank you for doing it safely. Achieving this award is truly an honor. WMR Salt Lake City teammates should be proud to be the first of DJJ’s recycling facilities to earn this prestigious award . . . but they will not be the last. Nothing is more important than safety. Absolutely nothing.”

Source : RecyclingToday