Uncategorized Archives - Martin Technical

Martin Technical Welcomes Emilee Trask as Operations Manager

Louisville, CO – October 26, 2022

Martin Technical, Inc. is pleased to announce the hiring of Emilee Trask as Operations Manager. With more than 15 years of experience in operational services, Trask is a wealth of knowledge and a respected professional in the industry.

“Emilee brings proven leadership with operational experience and expertise that will allow Martin Technical to continue to flourish and grow towards reaching our short- and long-term goals. Her mindset and approach align clearly with where Martin Technical currently is and where we plan to be. Emilee will have an exceptionally positive impact on our company, our customers, and our teams to provide long-term success for all.” Says Donny Snyder, Chief Operating Officer at Martin Technical.

As Operations Manager for Martin Technical Emilee’s key responsibilities will be to oversee business operational systems, processes, and infrastructure while looking for opportunities for improvement.

Referring to her joining Martin Technical, Emilee states, “With a long track record in startup culture, growing revenue, allocating resources, and streamlining company objectives, I am here to help keep our departments smiling while we grow to our greatest potential.”

To contact Emilee Trask, please email EmileeT@MarTechnical.com or call (720) 503-8709.

About Martin Technical / Safety Hive

Martin Technical is a privately held safety solutions company whose mission is to improve workforce safety by providing reliable and trusted solutions to employees who care about the greater good. We are experts in providing practical safety and efficiency services that make plants and facilities better, safer, and more efficient. Martin Technical safety services include engineering, inspection, implementation, consulting, and training services. Safety Hive, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Martin Technical is a Safety Technology Solution and Software Provider that digitizes and automates safety to help predict and prevent workplace safety incidents through technology and data.

To learn more, please visit www.MarTechnical.com, www.SafetyHive.com, call 866-234-6890, or email info@MarTechnical.com.

October 26, 2022

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Creating a Safe Work Environment for Warehouses

Warehousing is one of the riskier industries due to high-powered machinery and vehicles operating within proximity of each other. Rapid growth in e-commerce is driving an ever-increasing demand for the delivery of products in shorter timeframes. Industrial and commercial warehouses are to keep up with this demand while complying with the current safety expectations. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports thousands of injuries, illnesses, and deaths in the warehousing industry annually. Many of those are caused by workplace accidents such as slips or falls, hazardous materials, and equipment malfunction. Warehouse safety should be the employers’ utmost priority to keep employees safe, ensure efficient operation, maximize productivity, and minimize injury or damage. Below are some factors to consider when planning a safe work environment for warehouse employees.

Building a Safety Culture and Procedures

Establishing comprehensive safety procedures can help prevent workplace accidents in warehouses and promote a safe work environment. An engaging safety procedure starts from the top-down; management should walk the talk in cultivating such values into the company culture. While employees may have the required certification for the job, this does not always include in-depth safety training. Thus, providing ample opportunities for employees to access safety resources, including signage, safety stickers, regular safety meetings, and safety training, is essential in creating a safe work environment. Consider developing training programs with the help of industry subject matter experts that offer blended and interactive training solutions. Ideally, a comprehensive training program should include a good mix of on-site training, hands-on validation, online learning, webinars, toolbox talks, and virtual reality courses in multiple languages for easy access.

Other good practices include posting signs around the warehouse indicating different safety procedures, regular communication on safety tips, and announcements on new safety procedures. Incentivize workers to take safety courses and recognize their efforts to demonstrate exemplary safety protocol. Consider putting together a safety handbook or manual that includes potential hazards, safety protocols, and rules.

Lockout/Tagout Procedure

Establishing a complete and comprehensive Lo ckout Tagout program that includes clear and precise lockout procedures for all workers is imperative, especially in heavy machinery warehouses. Routine training on using the equipment, shutting it down correctly, and isolating the power sources by following the proper lockout tagout procedures can prevent accidents and avoid fines, ensuring the highest level of safety in your warehouse.

Key Takeaways

Warehouse workers are more likely to internalize the safety culture and take it seriously when they know the company is responsible, accountable, and invested in their well-being. A safe work environment helps warehouses build a good relationship with their employees and supports businesses in achieving higher recognition.

Recycling Plant Cited in Fatal Fall

TOCCOA, GA – A recycling plant has been cited in a fatal fall that occurred on December 2020 in Toccoa, GA. OSHA (The Occupational Safety and Health Administration) has cited Scrap Master Inc. after determining they failed to equip stairs and platforms with guardrails to prevent falls, exposing workers to fall hazards.

The inspection also resulted in citations for failures to mount and mark fire extinguishers, repair powered industrial trucks, provide a training program on powered industrial trucks, develop and utilize specific procedures for employees performing service and maintenance activities on machines, and prevent workers from being exposed to occupational noise levels above the allowable time-weighted average.

In total, OSHA cited Scrap Masters with eight serious and five repeat violations, which resulted in a proposed $164,308 in penalties.

OSHA Acting Area Director Michael Hejazi was quoted as saying, “Implementing required safety procedures can mean the difference between a tragic incident and everyone going home safely to their families.”

The recycling plant cited in the fatal fall, Scrap master Inc. recycles plastic automobile gas tanks, according to OSHA’s press release. The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Martin Technical provides fall safety training to prevent accidents such as these.

June 24, 2021

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Coal Factory Claims One Worker’s Life in South Korea

YEOSU, South Korea – Sunday, January 10th, 2021, a 33-year-old mechanic for a coal storing company at the national industrial complex in Yeosu died after his body got stuck in a machine used for coal transportation.

According to Yeosu Fire Station, the contract worker was caught in the machine starting around 7:55 p.m. Sunday and was taken out from the machine at 10:32 p.m. by rescuers dispatched to the scene.

The badly injured worker was transported to a nearby hospital in cardiac arrest and ultimately died there around 11:42 p.m. The accident occurred while he was inspecting the machinery with another worker, who was the one that initially reported the emergency to the company.

Police and labor authorities in South Korea are investigating the exact circumstances of the incident and whether there have been any violations of safety guidelines. Machine Safety is essential to stay trained and informed of, even with routine inspections.

In 2018, another worker fell to his death three meters off of a conveyor at the same company.

Sourced from Yonhap News.

January 19, 2021

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OSHA Investigates Worker Trapped by Machine

Hudson, N.C.- Last Tuesday, 12/29/20, at Sealed Air Corp. plant in Hudson, North Carolina, worker Alan Rothenberger was trapped in a machine for 45 minutes.

He was airlifted to a hospital and is currently in a coma due to brain damage caused by lack of air-flow to his brain for 10 minutes after the incident.

The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) division has begun its investigation into the incident.

“Based on the preliminary information that we have at this time, an employee was threading up a machine when their body was pulled into the machine causing crushing injuries to their torso,” OSHA said in a statement.

The incident is believed to have taken place when rollers did not have a clear stop or release button accessed, potentially being a lockout tagout machine issue or fault. Sealed Air. Corp manufactures bubble wrap and foam.

Originally sourced from wsoctv.com

Image: pri.org

January 5, 2021

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Worker Falls at Canadian Steel Mill

Winnipeg, Canada – Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health is investigating at Gerdau Long Steel North America after a worker was injured in an accident at the mill in Selkirk on the weekend.

A spokesperson for the steel mill confirmed to press that a worker at the Gerdau Manitoba Steel Mill was injured and is expected to be released in “the next day or two.”

According to the province, the unnamed worker fell approximately eight feet from a stepladder and sustained a “serious leg injury,” and then was airlifted to a nearby hospital.

The incident is now under investigation. The company was issued two improvement orders related to ladders directly relating to this incident.

Improvement orders are issued when a priority contravention is noted; they require measures to be put in place by a specified timeframe in order to ensure the safety and health of workers. Approximately 7,000 improvement orders are issued annually in the province of Manitoba.

Every company has different needs and training requirements, which is why Martin Technical offers blended learning solutions internationally to countries like Canada.

Workplace Safety and Health have been notified of three other serious incidents ranging in injuries at the workplace this year, the spokesperson told the press. Some of these incidents also warranted improvement orders.

Sourced from CTV News.

Image from forgemag.com

December 7, 2020

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Three Story Fall Kills Plant Worker, Injures One More

Commerce, GA- A construction worker at the SK Battery plant in Jackson County, Georgia was declared dead after he sustained injuries from a three story fall.

The accident itself took place November 4, 2020 at the plant’s Formation Building. Reportedly the worker fell through a hole in an air vent 46 feet above the ground, later landing on top of a female worker standing below who also sustained injuries.

Jackson County deputy coroner, Jeff Rogers, said the 34-year-old Augusta man suffered brain injuries and was kept on life support until this weekend. The female worker remains in critical condition but is ultimately expected to survive.

Some workers have told reporters at FOX 5 they worry sub-contractors are sacrificing safety for speed. “You take chances in our trade and you wind up dead,” warned Randy Gregory when FOX 5 Atlanta talked to him in September.

This month’s accident follows other recent injuries at the site. Recently, one worker was hospitalized after he fell through a ceiling, while another allegedly fell through a roof. Fall Protection Training actively addresses the factors that lead to such incidents like these three occurring.

Deputy coroner Rogers said the investigation by OSHA will determine whether the man who died followed safety procedures and at what fault the subcontractors and company will be held at.

“They’re going back out to the site,” explained the deputy coroner. “They’re interviewing witnesses, employees that were there that saw the accident.”

Originally sourced from Fox 5 Atlanta.

Image from claycorp.com

December 2, 2020

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Plant Worker Crushed Under 25,000 Pound Mold

Bruce Township, MI- A plant worker died last Tuesday at a factory after a 25,000-pound manufacturing mold fell on top of him. The factory, about 40 miles north of Detroit, is part of Romeo Rim Inc, which creates custom injection molding services, and had recently celebrated a year without any safety incident.

Deputies and the Bruce Township Fire Department found the man, identified as 42-year-old Davi Spano, underneath the equipment that had fallen from one of the interior plant walls.

“At this time, this incident appears to be a tragic accident,” the sheriff’s office was quoted as saying. The accident was responded to just before 10am, and no other workers were reported to be injured.

The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) was contacted following the incident, authorities said. Martin Technical reiterates the need for on-site training and courses to prevent such incidents from occurring.

Originally sourced from ABC News.

November 20, 2020

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Top Glove Worker Loses Hand in Machine Accident

Ipoh, Malaysia – A worker at a Top Glove factory in Ipoh, Malaysia lost his hand in an accident at the end of October.

The incident occurred at the factory at approximately 5:54 AM when the worker’s hand was severed because it was caught in a rotating shaft of a machine. Reportedly, the worker is in stable condition and was initially treated with first aid at the factory then taken to the hospital.

One of the worker’s colleagues told Free Malaysia Today they have been under pressure as a factory to keep up with the demand of supplying medical PPE/gloves during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2018, A Thomson Reuters Foundation exposed and uncovered that some Top Glove workers were working significantly overtime, logging 12-hour shifts and clocking 90 to 120 hours of overtime a month.

This incident in Ipoh occurred towards the end of 13 shift for this particular worker.

Top Glove has said that the company has complied with Malaysian labor laws. Top Glove is the world’s largest manufacturer of gloves, and the news of this machine incident comes weeks just weeks before it has been reported that as many as 17 employees tested positive for Covid-19 since January.

Martin Technical aims to reduce worker injury through proper training and safety services.

Originally sourced from Free Malaysia Today.

November 10, 2020

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Explosion at Sugar Factory Injures 4 Workers

Nampa, ID- The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is currently investigating an explosion that occurred last month at Amalgamated Sugar as an open case.

Jessica Anderson, an Amalgamated Sugar spokeswoman, stated that the explosion occurred in the morning in a sugar beet pulp steam dryer. The cause of the explosion remains unidentified, and the damage reported to the factory is regarded as minimal.

Anderson said that none of the injuries were life-threatening; four were treated with first aid, one worker, William McMilian, was taken to a local hospital for injuries and further examination. McMillian suffered second degree burns on his head and on his back, as well as third degree burns on his arm that possibly will require a skin graft.

The employees were wearing appropriate fire protection gear, according to Anderson, though McMillian said that the protective gear did not stop the injuries from occurring.

“We are still investigating the situation, and will release more details as they become available,” Anderson told the Idaho Press.

This is not the first accident occurring at Amalgamated Sugar’s Nampa facility; over the past 35 years, four people have died at the factory. The most recent death happened in 2009 with the death of worker Mario Munoz, 45, whose body was discovered in an auger. The company ultimately paid $18,900 in fines in an OSHA settlement in the case of this 2009 death.

Sourced from KTVB and IdahoPress

November 3, 2020

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