REI NYC Workers to Get Respirators

REI agreed to update its Respiratory Protection Program to include the voluntary use of approved half-face tight-fitting respirators in the retailer’s Soho store in New York City, resolving three OSHA citations.
Workers in REI’s below-ground ski and bike repair shop complained about the health risks of inhaling vapors from chemicals used in their work, particularly from melted plastic and wax used in ski repairs.
REI pushed for voluntary use of N95 masks while worked opted to use half-face respirators.
The OSHA citation stemmed from an anonymous complaint filed last winter and a subsequent OSHA site visit in February 2024.
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Georgia contractor NOR-D LLC has been cited and penalized in the November 2023 death of a 54-year-old laborer who stepped on a Macon-area warehouse skylight and fell about 19 feet.
OSHA found the contractor, which has more than 20 years of experience, could have prevented the fatality had it provided the five-man crew with required fall protection.
The agency identified nine serious violations and cited NOR-D for a serious violation for not ensuring the availability of accessible medical treatment for the injured employee.
The statutory penalty proposed was more than $61,000.
NOR-D was earlier this month was issued a Notice of Administrative Dissolution/Revocation by Georgia’s Secretary of State, its third such notice in less than two years. Previously, the company was reinstated by the state.
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Karm Safety Solutions has added 14 online courses to its OSHA and MSHA training lineup, including a Fall Protection Competent Person Training course.
Other online training options now include continuing education CCB credits for commercial contractors and residential contractors, as well as LCE credits for landscapers, the Oregon company said.
Next month, it will also add Rigger Signal Person Competent Person Training to its roster of online courses.
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