------------------------------------
|
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.
Genya Mallach – CSP
As part of a standard, pre-work permit inspection by the local township, it was discovered the exterior of a church (and local pre-school) had been painted with lead-based paint! Unfortunately, the estimates to remove and repaint the church were far beyond the church’s budget. At the acrimonious and finger-pointing church review meeting, a voice suddenly called out, “I’ll take care of it for half the cost of the lowest estimate!” Salvation!
However, when the contractor began the job,
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?
Why do we care about particles floating around in our air? Bruce Groves explores how the environmental air monitoring in the future will be able to locate (in real time) the place, the direction of the pollution source so that we can take measures to stop or reduce the indicated pollution sources. The goal AND end result are to develop as clean a living and working area as possible.
Did you know that, in fiscal year 2010, OSHA issued approximately 94,000 citations? Using this data, OSHA has just released its Annual Top 10 list of Most Cited Violations. Use it as a warning or indicator that that OSHA is following these trends and will be targeting companies most likely to have employees working with these hazards.
|
|