CLEAN WATER ACT

On April 4, EPA inspected Denbury Onshore LLC of Alvin, Texas and found that the company had failed to develop a facility response plan as required by Federal regulations. Specifically, the EPA was inspecting the Central Treating Station oil storage facility in Montgomery County.The company was fined $16, 600 for violating the federal Clean Water Act. This is their third time violating this act.

The Clean Water Act requires oil storage facilities that have a storage capacity of one-million gallons or more to develop and implement FRP to demonstrate a facility's preparedness to respond to a worst case oil discharge.

In July 2011, Denbury Onshore, LLC was fined $13, 905 for a 7, 560-gallon spill and $19, 927 for a 14, 700-gallon oil spill in July 2012. For more information about this article visit: Denbury Onshore Full Article

SafetySkills™ offers many courses that will help prevent your company from making this mistake. Over 10,000 companies choose SafetySkills™ to help meet their environmental and occupational health and safety training requirements. noodleStream.com is OSHA, EPA, and DOT-compliant, competency-based training which is designed to engage the learner through intensive animation, stimulation, and interaction. With over 50 interactive courses on Oil and Gas Training, SafetySkills™ is credible and will help your company meet the needed requirements. For more information, check out our course catalog: Course Catalog.

Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day

Each year on October 10th, a nationwide network of road safety partners celebrates "Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day" to raise awareness about the causes of highway crashes.This year marks the 11th anniversary of this effort as the nation recognizes the importance of road safety.

"Don't be Driven to Distraction-Drive to Arrive" is the catchphrase used by the 2012 "Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day" campaign. Statistics show that in 2012, 11 percent of all drivers under the age of 20 involved in fatal crashes were reported as distracted at the time of the crash. This age group has the largest proportion of drivers who were distracted. Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves. (Monash University) Text messaging is also said to create a crash risk that is 23 times worse than driving while being distracted.

Over 42,800 drivers are killed each year in the US, and 2.7 million drivers are injured. The average person is involved in six vehicle crashes in his or her lifetime. Millions of drivers take to the road each day as a part of their jobs and on average five percent of workers compensation claims are motor vehicle related. SafetySkills™ is happy to offer six driver safety courses that address the basic challenges drivers face on the road. These online safety training courses can help you protect your driver both on and off the job. These courses include: Delivery Driver Safety ,Distracted Drivers , Driver Safety, Hazardous Driving Conditions , Hazards of Speeding and  Road Rage.

17 Million More Global Oil Production Expected by 2020

Global crude oil production is likely to climb from 93 million b/d to 110 million b/d by 2020. The growth would be the largest increase since the 1980s. The largest increases have been seen in Iraq, the US, Canada, Brazil, and Venezuela.

Leonardo Maugeri, conducted a study that forecasts technological advances in unconventional oil production and found that it will help make the Western Hemisphere self-sufficient by 2020. Maugeri is a researcher at Harvard University. He predicts that the US will experience unprecedented output from the advances in unconventional oil production. (Oil and Gas Journal)

This discovery is big, even on a global scale. The combination of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling will make it possible to exploit US tight oil plays and open up a new era. If this new production was to make it to the market, there would be a dramatic collapse in oil prices.

Researchers still wonder if there would be consequences with the new oil development. There is a lot more research still to be completed. New oil production projects could be stymied or delayed without a balance between industry and environmental interest. This production is unique and opens the oil and gas field to many possibilities. 

SafetySkills has a full line of oil and gas safety training. SafetySkills also offers a variety of safety training courses. Training is available in  DVD format for employees without computer access. Check out our website at SafetySkills. Please call us today for more information on course titles, regulations, and pricing at 888-844-3549. 

Summer has Arrived

The month of June officially kicks off the summer holiday! This is a time when SafetySkills looks at off the job safety training such as lawn mower and lawn care safety.The grass is green and growing at a constant pace so it is important to take precautions when using lawn care tools. According to a study done by George Mason University, lawn mower accidents sent 242,000 Americans to the ER between 2004 and 2006. In 2006 an estimated 77,039 people were treated in the ER for accidents involving lawnmowers in 2006.

SafetySkills offers a training course called Lawn Mower and Lawn Care Safety in which every homeowner should take. This course covers the general guidelines for mower safety assessing the hazards associated with lawn care. This course does not have any specific training requirements from OSHA, so it is included in the General Duty Clause. Upon completion, the learner will have received information on the common hazards associated with lawn care equipment and recommended safe operations practices.

OSHA's Campaign to Prevent Heat Illness in Outdoor Workers

With summer fast approaching, it is important for workers to be aware of how to stay safe in hot weather. Heat Illness can be deadly. Every year, thousands of workers are affected by exposure to heat and some even die. Any worker that is exposed to hot and humid conditions is at risk for heat illness. Outdoor workers are at such a high risk for suffering from heat illness in the summer because the body would normally cool itself by sweating. During hot weather and increased humidity, sweating is not enough. Heat illness requires immediate medical attention and should not be taken lightly.

OSHA is launching the heat awareness campaign in hopes of decreasing the amount of workers that suffer heat illness.

It is very important for workers to: Drink water often, rest in the shade, report heat symptoms early, and to know what to do in an emergency situation. Water, rest, and shade are  three key terms to remember when working in hot weather conditions. Heat illness can be prevented and should be monitored closely.

OSHA Launches New Construction Fall Prevention Campaign

A new campaign from OSHA has been launched to focus on fall prevention in the construction industry. April 28 is Workers Memorial Day, which is observed annually to remember workers who died on the job. "The best way to honor Workers Memorial Day is to make sure that another family does not have to suffer the pain of losing a loved one because of preventable workplace injuries," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. 

In 2010, more than 10,000 construction workers were injured while 225 were killed. OSHA's new awareness program will provide employers and workers with life saving information. Educational materials about working safely from ladders, scaffolds and roofs will also be provided. 

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health has teamed up with OSHA to implement the fall prevention program. OSHA and NIOSH will work with trade organizations, labor unions, employers, universities, and all community organizations to promote the fall prevention program. OSHA created a fall prevention Web page to educate viewers on the details of the program.

SafetySkills offers a lot of information over safety and teaches how to maintain a safe environment. SafetySkills also offers a variety of safety training courses. Training is available in a DVD format for employees without computer access. Please call us today for more information on course titles, regulations, and pricing at 888-844-3549.

Unsafe Companies shouldn't get Government Contracts

According to consumer advocacy groups, government agencies award construction contracts to companies with poor safety records on the regular occasion. There are a number of recent cases where contracts were given to companies with long history of health and safety violations.

"Taxpayer dollars should not be wasted on companies that expose their employees to dangerous work conditions," said Justin Fieldman, an advocate for health and safety performance. He also goes on to say,"When government agencies fail to properly assess construction companies for health and safety performance, the results are not only expensive, but deadly."

Citizens want there to be a better procedure for reviewing contractor health and safety performance. The Public Citizen group, a national nonprofit consumer advocacy organization, is calling for lawmakers to require agencies to consider a company's safety violations and injury prevention practices before awarding contracts.

For construction safety, be sure to check out the two courses we offer on the topic: Construction Safety and Struck By and Caught Between. SafetySkills offers a variety of safety training courses. Training is also available in a DVD format for employees without computer access. Please call us today for more information on course titles, regulations, and pricing at 888-844-3549.

Employers Responsible for Providing Safe and Healthful Workplaces

Under the Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) Act of 1970, "Employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women are enforced by setting standards, providing training, education, and assistance."   

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is continuing their alliance to promote safe work practices in environments involving hazardous chemicals. The renewed alliance will increase awareness of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals.

"More than 32 million workers are exposed to 650,000 hazardous chemical products in American workplaces,"  said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health David Michaels.

The above statement is eye opening in the sense that so many citizens are being affected by hazardous chemical products. The Alliance program will educate workers on personal health and they will develop information sheets on health and physical hazards of chemicals. They will also focus on the elements that make Globally Harmonized System (GHS) compliant.

noodleStream.com®, the maker of SafetySkills™, is an Oklahoma based online safety training provider that specializes in hazardous chemical prevention courses. Course titles include Hazard Communication, Chemical Safety, Hazardous Waste Awareness and over 200 additional OSHA compliant courses. Training is also available in DVD format for employees without computer access. Please call us today for more information on course titles, regulations, and pricing at 888-844-3549.

SafetySkills™ New Year's Resolutions for 2012

At SafetySkills we put safety at the top of our list and we hope to inspire others to do so as well. This year we are sharing our New Year’s resolutions to provide some helpful ideas on having a safe and healthy 2012.

1. Be more energy efficient - Mother Earth needs some loving and so do our wallets. Check out this online safety training course for tips on how to be more energy efficient while saving you money.
Protect yourself at work – Let’s vow this year to be more safety conscious. No matter what field you may be in, you may come in contact with something that can be potentially dangerous if you are not wearing the proper personal protective equipment or PPE. This online course can provide helpful tips in choosing PPE and the different types to choose from.
Quit Smoking - A smoker usually at one time or another thinks about quitting smoking. Make 2012 be the first of many smoke free years. Beginning in September of this year, the FDA will require larger, more prominent cigarette health warnings on all cigarette packaging and advertisements in the United States. Give yourself a heads up on what to expect in 2012 by viewing our Carcinogen awareness course. Sometimes a visual reminder is more effective in helping people make a change.
Be a more courteous driver – We know how stressful the workday commute can be. You’ve got places to go and people to see and no one around you is moving fast enough. Here’s an idea, if everyone made the pledge to be more courteous, the rush hour commute may actually be more peaceful. Sometimes a little more quiet time is all a person needs to put them in a better mood. This road rage online safety training course can give you some preventive measures to help you from being pushed over the edge.
Focus more on the road and less on your phone – Don’t be the object of someone else’s road rage because you were not paying attention. Too many accidents occur because people are not paying attention to the road. Don’t add to the statistics and put the phone away while driving. No text or phone call is worth your life or someone else’s. The SafetySkills distracted driver course will help you identify some methods to minimizing or eliminating driving distractions.
Finish home improvement projects – It always starts out with good intentions, the measurements have been taken, all the necessary tools have been purchased and then months later the drywall is still in the exposed status you left it in. Make 2012 the year that you actually finish what you started. To help get you pumped up and ready to go safely, be sure to watch our hand and power tool safety course first before gearing up.
Clean your house more – Life has become so busy that sometimes it’s hard to clean up after yourself or others. Unfortunately you have let it go for so long that you are beginning to wonder when the camera crew from “Hoarders” is going to start knocking at your door. Don’t wait for spring to do some spring cleaning; no time is better than the present. Before you overwhelm yourself with all the cleaning options or have the sudden urge to spray all the cleaning products you have in bathtub, check out this household chemical safety course. Start 2012 off fresh, clean and safe.
Be a better listener – How many times have you been accused of not listening? If you are my husband, this occurrence happens at least once a day. My husband likes to feed me the line that it’s not that he isn’t listening he just can’t hear me because of all the loud noises he endures every day at work. Whether this is actually true for my husband or not (since he always hears me when I say how much something is going to cost), millions of people are exposed to hazardous noise levels at work every year. Protect your ears (and you relationship) by learning how to prevent hearing loss with this online hearing conservation training course (your partner will thank you later)
Travel more – According to a report by the Families and Work Institute, the average vacation time that Americans took each year averaged 14.6 days. A survey done by Expedia.com shows that workers in France earned 30 vacation days, on average, in 2011, and often used every single one of those days. The same goes for employees in Brazil and Spain, Expedia said. In the UK, workers get 25 days and they used all 25. Why let the Europeans have all the fun? Make this year the time to finally get out from behind the desk and use all those vacation days. Before you head out, make sure that your traveling is stress free with this situational travel online training course.
Take more risks – We all think about it at one point or another, we want to be daring, spontaneous and the object of our coworkers jealousy. Let this year be the year to get a little crazy. What about a tattoo? This ink on your body will show people that you are a risk taker even if it’s a little fuzzy kitten on your ankle. Make sure your do your research before diving any risky permanent ink situations. A good start may be to look into the safety regulations that legit tattoo shops have to follow so you are armed with the right questions to ask. This online safety training course is designed show tattoo artists the proper procedures necessary to prevent the spread of bloodborne pathogens.