Greetings,

The 2009 OSHEP Conference is Here!

            The 2009 OSHEP Conference will be held this year on February 18th, 2009 at the Hilton East Brunswick.  This annual one-day educational and networking event has attracted a wide diversity of attendees from across the tri-state area. 

This year, OSHEP is proud to have leaders and visionaries in the field of safety and health as plenary and workshop speakers.  Some of these notable leaders include Commissioner David Socolow from the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development; Commissioner Joseph Fiordaliso from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities; Robert Kulick, the OSHA      Region II Administrator; Bill Margaretta, President of the New Jersey State Safety Council, and Barbara Rahke, Director of PhilaPOSH, among many other experts and speakers.

The safety and health workshops at the conference are geared towards giving you, the audience, knowledge, information and tools about how to improve safety and health in your workplace.  These solutions-based workshops include:

Mapping the Workplace for Hazard Identification

Presenters: Barbara Rahke, Director of PhilaPOSH; Nicole Charles, Training

Designated Persons Training for the PEOSH Indoor Air Quality Standard

  Presenter: Keith Bobrowski, Research Scientist - NJDHHS

Practical Ergonomics at Work

  Presenter: Matthew Kozak, Project Developer, CSEA, Inc.

Safe Patient Handling in New Jersey

  Presenter: Claire Galiano, Vice President, UFCW Local 152

Emergency and Disaster Response and Planning

            Presenter: John Malool, Course Director, UMDNJ School of Public Health

OSHA Update with OSHA New Jersey Area Directors

Presenters: Patricia Jones, OSHA Area Director – Avenel; Lisa Levy, OSHA Area Director – Hasbrouck Heights; Philip Peist, OSHA Area Director – Parsippany; Paula Dixon-Roderick, OSHA Area Director – Marlton

            The registration deadline for the conference has now been extended to February 2, 2009.  However, space is limited so act soon and register by downloading the registration form and mailing it in as soon as possible.  For more information about the conference, call or email Komilla John, Program Coordinator for OSHEP at (609) 989-8289 or kjohn@njaflcio.org.

Visit www.njaflcio.org to download the Conference Registration form.

New OSHEP Partnership Launched

The staff of the New Jersey State AFL-CIO and OSHEP would like to wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year.  As 2009 begins to take shape, many of us are looking at new beginnings and new horizons.  Politically, the change in administration in Washington is poised to have a big impact on the occupational safety and health landscape of our nation and our state.

Here in New Jersey, we have always believed in being at the forefront of worker advocacy and this year, we hope to take the program further than ever before.  To begin with, OSHEP is proud to announce the launch of a new partnership with the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations.  The School of Management and Labor Relations at Rutgers University has a long and proud tradition of training, educating and empowering New Jersey's workforce with superior academic programs and a committed staff. 

OSHEP extends a warm welcome to Dr. Susan Schurman and Dr. Adrienne Eaton, who are co-Principal Investigators on the grant.  Also joining the OSHEP family at Rutgers is Dr. Barry Schlegel, who is the new OSHEP Program Director.  Dr. Schlegel is very well known and respected among the safety and health professionals in New Jersey.  His extensive list of previous responsibilities includes working as a Consultant with Emilcott Institute and managing the UMDNJ School of Public Health Safe Schools Program.  We would also like to welcome Amy Bahruth who will assist with curriculum development and Stephanie Atkins, who is the OSHEP Administrative Specialist at Rutgers OSHEP. 

A Warm Welcome to our new Trainers

OSHEP is especially proud to welcome two new trainers to its staff.  Edward Aldrich and William Hartzell joined the OSHEP team in September and October 2008, respectively.  Both trainers come to the New Jersey State AFL-CIO family with extensive experience in occupational safety and health and in providing a wide variety of OSHA training.

Bill Hartzell has previously worked with Construction Services International Services before joining IBEW Local 269 as an OSHA Instructor in 2000.  He has numerous certifications as an OSHA outreach trainer and great experience in teaching a variety of adult and young workers. 

Ed Aldrich has previously worked as a Project Manager with Construction Services International Services before joining the IBEW Local 269 training team as an OSHA Outreach Trainer.  He has numerous certifications along with great experience teaching occupational safety and health to a diverse audience.

A Push for Workers' Rights under the New Administration

On January 6, 2009, worker safety and health advocates came together to release a set of recommendations aimed at reducing worker injuries and illnesses and improving safety and health for hardworking Americans.  The American Public Health Association's (APHA) Occupational Health and Safety Section and the National Council on Occupational Safety and Health called for immediate action to minimize work-related injuries and illnesses that can cause serious health problems.

These recommendations call for strengthening the OSHA infrastructure; ensuring that protecting America's workforce is a top priority for the Obama Administration; ensuring that all injuries and illnesses in every workplace in the nation are counted; and, assuring that all workers–regardless of their ethnicity, race, nationality or the industrial sector in which they work--have the right to the same safe and healthy working conditions. 

The complete recommendations are outlined in Protecting Workers on the Job: Seven Priorities for Federal Action in 2009, and can be found by visiting the APHA website at http://www.apha.org

Violation of Safety Rules Costly for Tyson Foods

Tyson Food Incorporated, the largest provider of chicken, beef and pork in the country, recently agreed to pay a $500,000 fine and serve one year probation.  The penalties were issued following the death of an employee at its Arkansas plant, over 5 years ago, on October 10, 2003.  According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Tyson pleaded guilty to a willful violation of an OSHA standard resulting in death of an employee.

Jason Kelley, an employee of Tyson, died after being overcome by hydrogen sulfide gas while attempting to repair a leak in a steam processor.  Along with the death of Kelley, another worker and two emergency personnel were hospitalized due to exposure during the rescue.

A statement from prosecutors said that management was aware at the time that the gas was present and did not do enough to reduce exposure.  Since the accident, Tyson has implemented changes in production, new ventilation and engineering controls, alarm systems and more employee training.  Tyson hopes these changes will prevent an accident like this from happening again.

New OSHA Training Guidelines for Outreach Training Program

  OSHA has made some changes to the Construction and General Industry training program guidelines which went into effect in 2008.  These changes affect the way 10 and 30 hour OSHA courses will now be taught and the content that will be included in the courses.

Most of the changes in these Guidelines are to the mandatory focus areas for both the 10 hour and 30 hour Construction and General Industry courses.  The main focus area affected for the Construction Industry training course is the Electrical Safety & Falls (Focus Four) category. Additional training time is now allotted for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Health Hazards, and Stairways & Ladders.  The General Industry training course also includes mandated training time for PPE, Hazard Communication, and Materials Handling.

  Other changes in the Outreach Training Guidelines focus on The Outreach Training Report.  These additional training guidelines pertain to trainers completing student cards; approval requirements for 50 or more students; approval for video conferencing; outreach training tips; and, possibility of training in different languages.

  To learn more about new guidelines and how they may affect you as an OSHA Outreach trainer or attendee, visit the OSHA website at the following website:

            http://www.osha.gov/dte/outreach/construction_generalindustry/summary_changes.html.

Sunoco Refinery Fined by OSHA

OSHA has cited Sunoco, Inc. for workplace safety and health violations (34), proposing $305,000 in fines.  The Westville, N.J. oil refinery has 472 employees.  As a result of the investigation, the company has been issued citations for 25 serious violations, with a penalty of $105,000; and 9 repeat violations, with a penalty of $200,000.  OSHA's Marlton Area Office conducted the investigation and is in charge to ensure compliance of all OSHA regulations for the Sunoco employees.  The repeat violations are due to the company's inadequate process safety management procedures; failure to determine the presence, location and quantity of asbestos-containing materials at the worksite; and failure to affix labels to all products containing asbestos. 

OSHA issues repeat violations when it finds a substantially similar violation of any standard, rule or order. The 25 serious violations ranged from dangerous floor conditions, to failure to investigate incidents that could result in a catastrophic release of highly hazardous chemicals.  A serious citation is issued when death or serious physical harm is likely to result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

Sunoco, Inc. has 15 business days from receipt of its citations to contest them before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The company can ensure future abatement of all serious hazards, as well as compliance with OSHA regulations, by establishing an effective safety and health management system.