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Have you ever driven by a crew constructing a new house or installing a new roof? Have you noticed a guardrail system in place to keep workers from falling when working on the upper levels? Or have you seen a personal fall arrest systemsthat will lock and hold a falling worker like a seatbelt in your car? Most likely you have not seen either of these fall protection systems in place for residential projects! Nearly one residential construction worker dies each workday as a result of falls. OSHA believes that no job is worth a life. For workers employed by a mid-sized contracting group or a small crew engaged in house painting or outside repairs, OSHA has published a new directive which mandates the use of fall protection for all residential construction workers at heights of 6 feet off of the ground. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Fall Protection Policy for Residential Construction went into effect on June 16, 2011.
It happens every summer at hospitals and clinics across the country…first-year and advanced residents and fellows start a new training-at-work year. As part of the infection control strategies at these healthcare facilities, respiratory protection training and fit testing campaigns move into full gear to ensure that everyone is covered (literally and figuratively). It is important for medical staff – new or seasoned – to know when and why they are required to wear respiratory protection – the training is an essential part of the OSHA Respirator Standard. At large teaching hospitals, departments charge with respiratory protection programs must provide support to 800 to 1000 (or more!) en masse. Planning is imperative and cooperation from the medical staff makes the process smoother for everyone.
Do you have hazardous chemicals in your workplace? If you think the answer is no, are you sure? Let’s start with a definition! OSHA defines a hazardous chemical as one that presents either a physical or a health hazard. Many common and readily available products such as paints, cleaners, and other materials found in the workplace meet this definition. In fact, last year OSHA issued over 6,300 violations to companies that failed to comply with this standard. Learn more about your Right-to-Know!
Slips, trips, and falls aren’t at the top of anyone’s “most glamorous” EHS topics list. Many people perceive slips, trips, and falls as minor incidents resulting solely from either carelessness or clumsiness. Quite the opposite — slips, trips, and falls are a very costly and serious worker safety issue. In 2008, these incidents cost American businesses a staggering $13.67 billion in direct workers compensation costs. That’s more than any other cause and more than the combined cost of the third through sixth ranked causes.
OSHA has been busy throughout May 2011! The following is a summary of highlights of interest to Emilcott clients. In a nutshell, instead of putting the onus on employers to become more aware of OSHA, OSHA is streamlining existing rules to match other government agencies (radical!), listening to employers before leaping into new regulations, and looking at alternative messaging techniques to market segments that frequently fall in the cracks.
In 2010, 782,000 students nationwide attended OSHA Outreach Training courses with an 11% increase in students attending the 10-hr Construction Industry Training — the highest attendance of all courses offered. What is the driving force for the high and rising class attendance? Bids for construction projects with both public and private funding now require that employees of contracting companies complete and pass the OSHA Outreach in Construction courses to reduce project liability and cost.
On April 15, OSHA announced revisions to the Outreach Training Programs as part of a continuous improvement program. Effective immediately, these new requirements apply to both the trainers and training materials.
For a project health and safety administrator, it is vital to be able to communicate with your team members and with outside resources. How do you keep tabs on who is where and what is happening? How do you find if something has gone wrong or someone needs help? As the Field Safety Manager for a 300-mile electric power transmission power line construction project, one of my first tasks was to address the question “How do you make communication possible across 275 miles of relatively unpopulated, harsh mountainous territory”? Specifically, I had to meet OSHA’s requirements for communication: 29 CFR 1926.35 “Employee Emergency Action Plans” and 29 CFR 1926.50 “Medical Services and First Aid”. In fact, these are the reasons that OSHA implemented the Standards listed above – life and death situations may depend upon it!
March 25, 2011 marks the centennial of the Triangle Shirtwaist Company fire — just 45 minutes from the Emilcott office in Morristown. It was the type of workplace that women my own age worked… I could have been trapped in the shop! That realization makes me think how lucky I am — and how far workers’ rights have come in the U.S. I am familiar with the Occupational Safety and Health Act (“OSHA”), and its mandate that every one of us has the right to a workplace free of recognized hazards. So, where did all this policy begin…?
For the company, job site or RPP administrator who does not understand why a qualified and empowered Respiratory Protection Program Administrator is a big deal, this blog highlights a triple-play of Top 5 facts that illustrate the importance of qualified training for Respiratory Protection Program Administrators: Top 5 OSHA violations, Top 5 reasons to be qualified, and Top 5 OSHA compliance indicators!
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