Newsletter 12th Edition

Good morning! Here at Safety Knights we are constantly looking for ways to to make your life as an EHS professional better. However, in order to do that we need to hear from you! We want to know what you like, what you don’t like and what else we can be doing to bring more value to you. So, if you want your voice heard, consider filling out a short survey here. Now, let’s dive into this weeks edition!

THIS WEEK’S TIPS

Tips you’ll find in this weeks edition:

• Winter Safety Driving Tips

• Carbon Monoxide Safety

• NIOSH Nanotechnology Safety Guidance

INDUSTRIAL
Jurassic Park or Just a Semiconductors Factory?

Stop me if you’ve heard this before. The promise of fortunes to be made with technological advancement leads to a company rushing to get a facility built and opened, resulting in worker deaths, injuries and what could be described as total disaster. No, this isn’t the plot to Jurassic Park.

The announcement of the CHIPS and Science Act, promising $280 billion in funding to counteract the downturn in U.S. semiconductor manufacturing has been met with a great excitement and for good reason. But like most things met with blind excitement, there is something concerning lying just below the surface.

The semiconductor industry has a long history of workplace health, safety and environmental issues ranging from exposure to chemicals like trichloroethane (TCE), glycol ethers, and 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA) which resulted workers experiencing health issues like miscarriages, birth defects and cancer at rates significantly higher than other industries. Knowledge of exposure to these chemicals and their health risks were rarely shared by companies with their employees. To make matters worse, surrounding communities were not spared the environmental and health destruction. During the 1980s, locals residing in South San Jose became alarmed by a surge in miscarriages and birth defects. Their suspicion turned towards water contamination, sparked by a spill of chemical solvents that had reached 2,000 feet from a nearby Fairchild Semiconductor facility. Investigations conducted by county and state health officials substantiated their fears, highlighting that residents in the contaminated area faced roughly twice the miscarriage rates and three times the instances of birth defects compared to a nearby, uncontaminated control neighborhood. In 1984, Santa Clara County led the nation in EPA Superfund cleanup sites with 20, 16 of which stemmed from computer manufacturing.

Fast forward to 2024 and its natural to think that the problems of semiconductor manufacturing has surly been resolved, and yet, things are pointing to a new set of issues. In the hast to build sprawling industrial complexes, it appears as if history is on track to repeat itself before construction is even complete.

Construction Issues

According to construction workers at a facility under construction in Phoenix, “Injuries and safety violations are rampant”, according to workers, with one being quoted as saying, “It’s easily the most unsafe site I’ve ever walked on…I’ve been in the trades 17 years … everyone that works at the hall and out there on-site agrees that it’s by far the most dangerous, unorganized job site they saw.” Labor representatives have reported two construction worker deaths which the company, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) denies. Complicating the matters is the complex hiring structure TSMC utilizes, making it difficult for the Arizona Department of Safety and Health (ADOSH) to track incidents occurring on site. Additionally, construction workers have reported a plethora of additional safety issues ranging from a man falling off a ladder breaking both of his legs, multiple cases of workers falling through scaffolding, low lighting in stairwells and on scaffolding, along with tripping hazards throughout the construction site, a fire caused by welders from a non-union contractor, reported fabricated false alarm instances, such as an active-shooting drill that turned out to be a gas leak the company is alleged to have wanted to cover up, along with multiple crane incidents and unskilled labor making dangerous mistakes. Unfortunately, reports of death and serious injury are not unique to this semiconductor manufacturing site. Back in July, a worker was killed at an Oregon Intel semiconductor facility in what has been called, “the worst accident in Oregon's semiconductor industry in many years”.

Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like working at Jurassic Park might be better than on a semiconductor site. When it comes down to it, worse case, I’ll probably get injured or killed but, at least I would have seen a dinosaur.

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SEASONAL WORKPLACE
Winter and You.

With 45 million people under a winter storm warning, and temperatures finally dipping around the entire country we thought this would be a great time to talk winter safety.

Driving
In the winter months, employees face increased occupational risks while traveling and driving in colder conditions. To address these hazards, safety plans should develop customized journey management plans for workers using company vehicles. These plans include risk assessments, strategic planning, communication protocols, and emergency preparedness. Leveraging safety technologies, such as GPS tracking and automated check-in systems, enhances the effectiveness of journey management, ensuring the safety of traveling employees. The benefits of journey management include improved safety, reduced stress, and enhanced employee well-being. Planning ahead allows employees to focus on their tasks and enjoy a safer journey.

Our #1 Winter Driving Safety Tip

Picture this. You’re driving along on a rural road. There is several feet of snow on the sides of the road. The sun is shinning but it’s cold. You hit a slippery spot and your vehicle ends up stuck in the snow off the road and your stuck. Before you do anything like call for help, we suggest you get out of the car and make sure your tailpipe is clear of any snow. Every year we read about people who stayed in their warm car, heat on, waiting for help, only to succumb to carbon monoxide poisoning before help arrives. In a situation like this it’s easy and natural to think that the cold is the biggest threat. Afterall, you can feel cold. It’s uncomfortable but, carbon monoxide, that’s the danger you don’t see coming until it’s too late. Which is why this is our #1 winter driving safety tip.

Carbon Monoxide

Speaking of carbon monoxide, don’t ignore your CO detectors if they are going off. They aren’t “acting up” they are doing their job and telling you there is a problem. A recent incident where CO detector alarms where ignored hit close to home, a little too close. More than 100 people, including children where exposed to “extremely high” levels of carbon monoxide at an ice hockey rink resulting in hospitalization with close to 90 people requiring hospitalization and medial treatment. It’s been reported that the CO levels reached and exceeded 300 ppm with the highest reading reaching 400 ppm. Well above the fatal level range of 150-200 ppm. So, when did the rink know about a potential issue? Days before and it was all recorded.

When I say this hit too close to home, it’s because I regularly play hockey at this rink, which has cameras that record games we can watch later. It was these same cameras that recorded a conversation between two rink employees.

"The carbon dioxide [sic] alarm is going off," one person said.

Another person could be heard saying "yeah, we know, we can't fix it." 

The moral of the story, unless you want to be known as the place that almost killed a bunch of people from CO poisoning. Don’t ignore your CO detectors.

WORKER HEALTH
What we’re working on for 2024!  

Who doesn’t love a good bag of Doritos? Doritos factory workers, that’s who. The spicy seasoning used on the Flamin' Hot Doritos are starting to cause health concerns for workers. A factory in Australia is reporting various health effects in employees such as sneezing, coughing, eye and skin irritation, runny nose, sore throat, chest discomfort, and difficulty breathing when coming into contact with the spicy seasoning. PepsiCo, owner of Doritos stepped up safety measures. "To further enhance these measures at our Adelaide site, there is mandatory mask wearing during production of this product, and we are installing additional extraction fans."

New Protection Starts January 15th.

Starting January 15, 2024, permanent rules for outdoor work during wildfire smoke in Eastern Washington are implemented. The Department of Labor and Industries requires employers to train and communicate with employees, develop medical attention plans, and take action based on air quality levels, specifically focusing on particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5). The rules are year-round, mandating air quality monitoring and employer actions at different AQI levels. Firefighters and ventilated vehicle workers are exempt, and measures range from information dissemination to providing masks based on air quality severity.

Forestry, Mining and Pulp, oh my!

Canadian officials from, Workplace Safety North and the Occupational Cancer Research Centre have released new posters outlining the top occupational disease risks in the mining, forestry, and pulp and paper sectors. The data is based on the Occupational Disease Surveillance System and includes risks such as silicosis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in mining, carpal tunnel syndrome and laryngeal cancer in forestry, and asbestosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the pulp and paper sector. The posters aim to raise awareness and promote health and safety measures in these industries.

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NEWS
Your Virtual Water Cooler

• Texas Workforce Commission Issues Required Workplace Violence Reporting Notice.

• OSHA to publish details of workplace injuries under new reporting rules.

• Be proactive about your health and safety this winter.

• What are Ice Cleats Used For? Exploring the Workplace Applications of Ice Traction Devices.

• Dying in the Fields as Temperatures Soar.

• NIOSH Reviews Past Nanotechnology Guidance and Needs for Future Research.

• OSHA and NLRB Set Forth MOU to Strengthen Protections for the Health and Safety of Workers: A 2024 Outlook.

• B.C.’s asbestos licensing requirement now in effect.

• Does your workplace need a wobble room?

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