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Bringing in the New Year is always an exciting time for everyone. People enjoy setting new goals, looking forward to the journey that the New Year brings and starting that resolution they promise they are going to keep. While the New Year brings many things to look forward to, it also is a time where we look back at the year that has passed and take a moment to reflect on what has happened. 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! When it comes to training, OSHA takes it seriously because training keeps workers safe and reduces incidents. “General Industry” is defined by OSHA as any industry not directly involved with agriculture, construction, and maritime industries. As a result of the broad “General Industry” definition, one of the most popular OSHA Outreach courses is the 10-hr General Industry Training which teaches safety and health hazard recognition and prevention. What is the importance of effective health and safety training for General Industry? Martha Hernandez focuses on the importance of the 10 hour General Industry Outreach course. when I am asked for my thoughts on whether to attend an on-line or instructor-led HazWOPER training class, my immediate response is clear! It is CRITICAL to actually learn what is taught in these classes not just fulfill the OSHA requirement. Why? These workers will be working on a HAZARDOUS WASTE SITE, and the knowledge learned in a HazWOPER class allows them to appropriately protect themselves. Learn more about Instructor Led HazWOPER training! Emilcott has created a handy quick reference table of “EHS Regulatory Submissions and Postings for January thru April 2011″. Each submission has links to more detailed explanations and weblinks — a gentle reminder to get organized! Included are EPA TSCA New Chemicals, EPA Greenhouse Gas Reporting, OSHA Recording and Reporting, NJ Emission Statement Rule, Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, and the NPDES Stormwater Program. Did you know that the OSHA Illness and Injury Summary Log, 300A, is used for more than just recordkeeping at your site? By documenting your company’s illness and injuries properly, you shape OSHA’s future initiatives! Specifically, OSHA Summary 300A Forms are gathered by the OSHA Data Initiative (ODI) to help direct OSHA programs and measure its own performance. Learn more about how the OSHA Summary 300A (which is required to be posted on Feb 1!) affects your company, your industry and health and safety across the nation. Dust control is an important way to keep what’s in the ground out of the air and out of your lungs. The standard method for controlling dust is to spray water on the ground. This practice works fine until your water truck freezes solid. So, what do you do when Jack Frost is nipping at your nose and the dust is flying in the air? I was pleased to see that companies are requesting contractors and service providers to be prequalified for safety during the bidding process. Conceptually, prequalification for safety should “raise the safety bar” and, companies with a well-developed safety plan should be rewarded for their proactive ethos with a competitive edge in the marketplace. Does on-line verification actually does improve health and safety plans or just rubber-stamp paper safety programs? |
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