Are you shipping products that may be hazardous? Do you even know how to find out? Is your training up-to-date with the Refresher courses mandated by the DOT and FAA? Have you considered the cascade of repercussions that shipping one package incorrectly could cause for your company or fellow workers? Only trained persons are permitted to be involved with the transportation of hazardous materials. It is what makes the process work safely…for everyone! Understand more about DOT and IATA training today – to protect yourself and the public.
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?
Have you been properly trained to use your respirator and fit-tested to make sure it is actually stopping hazards from reaching your lungs?Are you confident that you are using your respirator properly and that the respirator that you have selected is the best for the contaminants you are exposed to? How about the person next to you – are they in compliance? Learn why compliance with respirator regulations is good for you and your lungs.
As a Safety Professional, a Hazardous Materials Manager and an authorized OSHA Construction Standards Outreach Trainer, I’m trained on multiple levels to recognize compliance-driven occupational safety violations. However, what does it take to change laws and habits that affect workers and citizens? In our society and legal system it seems that, yes, someone (or many) has to tragically die before change and regulation are considered. When it comes to saving lives at work, on the road or at home, we are a reactive society. We don’t do anything until we have determined the cost of safety: the value of life versus the cost of fixing the dangerous condition. And, just how much is a life worth these days? And who is going to pay the costs of training, new equipment, and enforcement of regulation or practices?
Dr. Michaels states that OSHA needs to transform how it addresses workplace hazards, and in its relationship to employers and workers. As such he outlines a new strategy that is a clear shift from recent years indicating that there is a “new sheriff in town” and business (ALL businesses) should take heed. Here are some of my extrapolations and thoughts regarding 6 of these transformational items — consider how they will affect your business or workplace.
Health and safety rules must to apply to all, without exception. When management creates and “lives” a proactive safety culture, it will get the best results. Without enforcement of the policies, there is not only the risk of worker injury, but an erosion of the “safety culture” of the organization and a negative impact on morale. Plus, it is the employer and management who will be responsible for any fines or penalties handed out as well as increased insurance premiums, particularly workman’s compensation. Often, they are found personally responsible.
Every year there are millions of preventable home-related incidents and accidents “that result in nearly 20,000 deaths and 21 milion medical visits”. Paula Kaufmann, Certified Industrial Hygienist, makes observations about safety all around us — not just for the workplace.