All 21 OSHA workers assigned to the agency''s Manhattan area office have been accounted for, according to an OSHA spokesperson. The office, located at 6 World Trade Center, no longer exists because it was obliterated in the Sept. 11 cataclysm.
The workers evacuated the building soon after two jetliners loaded with fuel slammed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center.
In addition to the OSHA office, several government vehicles were destroyed in the attack.
OSHA has established a temporary area office for Manhattan at its Hasbrouck Heights, N.J., office.
OSHA, along with several other federal agencies and the City of New York, is continuing to work on rescue and clean-up operations.
OSHA is providing advice to employees and volunteers on how to use personal protective equipment (PPE). The OSHA spokesperson said this work is especially important for volunteers engaged in the rescue work, as they may be unfamiliar with the proper use of PPE.
OSHA is also working with the private sector and with professional societies such as the American Industrial Hygiene Association and the American Society of Safety Engineers to coordinate needed equipment and supplies.
Contact information for the temporary OSHA Manhattan area office is: 500 Route 17 South, 2nd floor, Hasbrouck Heights, N.J. 07604; Tel: (201) 288-1700; Fax: (201) 288 7315.
by James Nash