Chairs made in China and sold by Office Depot Stores have been recalled due to fall hazard by Raynor Marketing.

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.

150,000 of the Quantum Realspace PRO™ 9000 Series Mid-Back Multifunction Mesh Chair and Multifunction Mesh Chair with Headrest were sold through Raynor Marketing LTD, of West Hempstead, N.Y.  The manufacturer is Comfort Office Furniture, LTD, China aka Evergood Co. Ltd.

The bolts attaching the seat back on the recalled chairs can loosen and detach, posing a fall and injury hazard to consumers. Raynor has received reports of 33 seatback detachments and 14 injuries involving bumps and bruises.

This recall involves the Quantum Realspace PRO™ 9000 Series Mid-Back Multifunction Mesh Chair SKU # 510830 and the Quantum Realspace PRO™ 9000 Series Mesh Chair with Headrest SKU # 690690. The Realspace PRO™ Mesh Guest Chair is not involved in this recall.

These chairs were sold Exclusively at Office Depot stores nationwide and on the Web at www.OfficeDepot.com from May 2006 through August 2009. The mid-back chairs sold for about $300 and the chair with headrest for about $350.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled office chairs and contact Raynor to receive a free repair kit.

Consumer Contact: For additional information and to receive a free repair kit, contact Raynor toll free at (866) 244-8180 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site at www.Quantumchair.com/recall

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.

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OSHA has cited Industrial Pipe Fittings LLC (IPF) for 47 alleged serious violations following an inspection at the company’s facility in Corsicana.

OSHA’s Fort Worth Area Office began its inspection on April 20 when a worker had his hand crushed in-between a rotating, unguarded drum drive wheel and pipe while performing an overwrapping operation at the drum drive wheel machine station. The serious violations include failing to provide machine guarding on lathes, drum drive wheels and saws; provide fall protective equipment, ensure workers are protected from electrical hazards, provide training for forklift operations and hazard communication.

“This company failed to provide a safe and healthful working environment for its workers,” said Zachary Barnett, OSHA’s area director in Fort Worth. “If OSHA’s standards were followed, it is possible this serious injury could have been avoided.”

The other-than-serious violations included failing to meet OSHA’s respiratory requirements by informing workers of the precautions and use of wearing a respirator and failing to provide a written personal protective equipment hazard assessment.

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The Dodge Co. Inc. cited for 41 safety and health hazards. Formaldehyde and other hazards lead to $138,000 in U.S. Labor Department OSHA fines for embalming fluid manufacturer.

OSHA has cited The Dodge Co. Inc. for 41 alleged violations of workplace safety and health standards at its Cambridge, Mass., production plant. The embalming fluid manufacturer faces $138,000 in fines for inadequate safeguards involving formaldehyde stored and used in manufacturing processes at the plant as well as for various chemical, mechanical, and electrical hazards. These were identified during comprehensive OSHA inspections conducted over the past several months.

OSHA found that the plant lacked a process safety management (PSM) program. They also discovered that the plants procedures to proactively assess and address hazards associated with processes and equipment using large amounts of formaldehyde. It was also noted that the plant also lacked controls and other safeguards to reduce the levels of formaldehyde to which some workers were overexposed.

OSHA also identified numerous deficiencies in the plant’s respiratory protection, emergency response, hazardous energy control, chemical hygiene and chemical hazard communication programs as well as electrical hazards, unguarded moving machine parts, untrained forklift operators, failure to maintain work floors in a clean condition, and the use of unapproved forklifts where flammables are used.

“Workers’ exposure to excess formaldehyde levels can impact their health, while the other conditions cited here pose more acute safety hazards,” said Paul Mangiafico, OSHA’s area director for Middlesex and Essex counties. “All of these hazards must be effectively corrected for the safety and health of the plant’s workers.”

As a result, OSHA has issued the company 38 serious citations for these hazards plus, four other-than-serious citations for incomplete and inadequate recordkeeping. OSHA issues serious citations when death or serious physical harm is likely to result from hazards about which the employer knew or should have known.
Detailed information about process safety management and formaldehyde is available online at:

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/processsafetymanagement/index.html   and

http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_General_Facts/formaldehyde-factsheet.pdf.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, meet with OSHA’s area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, OSHA’s role is to promote safe and healthful working conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, outreach and education. For more information, visit:

http://www.osha.gov.

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October 14, 2009

OSHA Statement re: H1N1-related Inspections

WASHINGTON - To ensure the protection of frontline healthcare and emergency medical workers at high risk of infection with H1N1 virus, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration will soon issue a compliance directive to ensure uniform procedures when conducting inspections to identify and minimize or eliminate high to very high risk occupational exposures to the 2009 H1N1 influenza A virus.

The Directive will closely follow the CDC’s Interim Guidance on Infection Control Measures for 2009 H1N1 Influenza in Healthcare Settings, Including Protection of Healthcare Personnel.

In response to complaints, OSHA inspectors will ensure that healthcare employers implement a hierarchy of controls, including source control, engineering, and administrative measures, encourage vaccination and other work practices recommended by the CDC. Where respirators are required to be used, the OSHA Respiratory Protection standard must be followed, including worker training and fit testing.

The CDC recommends the use of respiratory protection that is at least as protective as a fit tested disposable N95 respirator for healthcare personnel who are in close contact (within 6 feet) with patients with suspected or confirmed 2009 H1N1 influenza.

“Employers should do everything possible to protect their employees,” Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor Jordan Barab said. Barab emphasized, however, that where respirators are not commercially available, an employer will be considered to be in compliance if the employer can show that a good faith effort has been made to acquire respirators. The employer will also need to implement a hierarchy of controls such as feasible engineering controls, administrative controls, and the use, as appropriate, of personal protective equipment, such as gloves and respirators to protect workers while providing close-contact care.

Since a shortage of disposable N95 respirators is possible, employers are advised to monitor their supply, prioritize their use of disposable N95 respirators according to guidance provided by CDC, and to consider the use of elastomeric respirators and facemasks if severe shortages occur. Healthcare workers performing high hazard aerosol-generating procedures (e.g., bronchoscopy, open suctioning of airways, etc.) on a suspected or confirmed H1N1 patient must always use respirators at least as protective as a fit-tested N95, even where a respirator shortage exists. In addition, an employer must prioritize use of respirators to ensure that sufficient respirators are available for providing close-contact care for patients with aerosol-transmitted diseases such as tuberculosis.

Where OSHA inspectors determine that a facility has not violated any OSHA requirements but that additional measures could enhance the protection of employees, OSHA may provide the employer with a Hazard Alert Letter outlining suggested measures to further protect workers.

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A notice from the Kentucky Department for Public Health:

The Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH) is actively monitoring the swine flu outbreak and is asking health care providers and public health officials to be on the alert for potential cases of swine flu in Kentucky. While no cases have yet been identified in Kentucky, DPH is asking that physicians, hospitals, public health workers and other health care providers submit samples from any patient testing positive for influenza A or that a health care provider strongly suspects might be infected with swine flu to the State Public Health Laboratory for further testing.  

DPH also asks that Kentuckians who may have traveled recently to Mexico or affected areas, or who are planning such travel, be alert for the symptoms of swine flu in the following ways:

-  Monitor yourself and travel companions for symptoms of fever, chills, headache, sore throat, cough, body aches, and vomiting or diarrhea.

-  If symptoms of influenza-like illness develop within seven days of travel return, seek evaluation by a health care provider as soon as possible.

-  Be sure to tell your health care provider about your recent travel and suggest testing for influenza.

-  Stay home from work, school and other public places until you are feeling well.

As always, DPH reminds individuals to take common sense precautions to prevent illness, including: avoiding close contact with those who are ill; staying home when sick; covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing; avoiding touching the eyes, nose or mouth; and frequent hand washing.

Currently, there are approximately 40 confirmed cases of swine flu in the U.S., a number that is expected to grow. The World Health Organization and CDC have reported numerous human cases of a severe respiratory illness in at least three different regions of Mexico. The number of cases has risen steadily since the beginning of April 2009. Laboratory testing of patient specimens has confirmed infections with swine influenza (”swine flu”) A/H1N1 virus.  This is a newly emerging, animal-origin virus that is now being spread from an infected person to another person.

For more information on swine flu and updated case counts, visit: http://cdc.gov/swineflu or http://healthalerts.ky.gov

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No sooner than the new administration was sworn in, OSHA published a notice of proposed rule making on occupational exposure to diacetyl and food flavorings containing diacetylThe Jan. 21 edition of the Federal Register will contains a U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on occupational exposure to diacetyl and food flavorings containing diacetyl.The proposal seeks public comments on issues related to occupational exposure to diacetyl and food flavorings containing diacetyl, including the relationship between exposure to diacetyl and the development of adverse health effects; methods to evaluate and monitor exposure; methods to control exposure; employee training; medical observation for adverse health effects related to diacetyl exposure; and related topics.The agency will accept public comments on the proposed rule for 90 days. To submit comments electronically, log onto http://www.regulations.gov, the federal e-rulemaking portal, and follow the online instructions. Alternatively, if comments do not exceed 10 pages, they may be faxed to 202-693-1648. Or, if submitting comments on paper by mail, hand delivery or courier service, send three copies to the OSHA Docket Office, Docket Number OSHA-2008-0046, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution Ave. N.W., Room N-2625, Washington, D.C. 20210.

Outbreak is causing massive recall

Ergon Energy (Australia) workers started suffering from multiple symptoms while wearing potentially toxic uniforms that were provided to wear in the workforce. Blisters and vomiting were some of the reactions while others were going numb and suffering from rashes. Ergon has ordered the employees to cease wearing the uniforms and submitted a claim to CSIRO for testing. The Electrical Trades Union is asking for a recall.

Due to the large number of uniforms being recalled, giant measures are being taken to not only ensure a refund, but to manage the safety of the Ergon Energy workers.  The general managers of operating support services for Ergon has handed out “recall kits” that contain handling instructions, plastic gloves, and a large plastic bag to store the hazardous uniform.   The uniforms will then be removed from all Ergon Energy sites and stored until further instruction is given to the company.These measures are being taken to “ensure the health, safety, well-being and peace of mind of employees and their families.”These uniforms were from a small company importing into Australia. Another reason to KNOW the company you are purchasing from and NOT going with a treater without a track record. There are several treaters with track records all over the world but short term companies might offer great prices. Be alert and ask questions.Read full story with interviews