Safety in American warehouses is regulated by a series of standards from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, commonly known as OHSA. The US Congress created OSHA under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which was signed into law by President Nixon on December 29, 1970. The main focus of OSHA is to prevent work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths. Since the administration began, occupational deaths have been cut by 62 percent and injuries have declined by 42 percent.
Archive for the ‘Construction Safety’ Category
The Seriousness of Fall Hazards and the Effect of Injuries on Your Business
Did you know that falls are the leading cause of construction accidents with over 500 fall related deaths occurring every year? Fall protection training is an important part of a worker’s overall safety training. Identifying fall hazards and deciding how best to protect workers is the first step in reducing or eliminating fall hazards. Occupational fatalities caused by falls remain a serious public health problem.
Small Misses Add Up to Large OSHA Fines
OSHA is commonly thought of as a red tape-laden, bureaucratic behemoth government organization that stunts job growth and reduces bottom-line profits.
Yet the facts state otherwise. Take a look and see for yourself. Some stats will surprise you, others will shock you, but all point to a single, indisputable fact: OSHA actually saves companies money in the long run.
Breaking Down OSHA’s Proposed Silica Rule
Crystalline silica is naturally found in soil, sand, granite, and many other minerals used within the concrete industry. Millions of U.S. workers in high risk jobs such as abrasive blasting, foundry work, stonecutting, rock drilling, quarry work and tunnelling are exposed to dangerous levels of silica which can lead to serious health hazards in the form of cancer and respiratory issues, and OSHA is proposing changes to current regulations that would decrease these risks, with new rules expected to be finalized in February. Why Is OSHA Proposing a New Crystalline Silica Rule? • OSHA’s current permissible exposure limits (PELs …
Keeping Contractors Safe
Do you need a safety road map when it comes to keeping contractors safe?
Contract and temp workers are increasing at rapid rate but are still among those most injured on the job.
The reasons for this should be clear and starts with lack of training and on the job experience.
5 steps that can help you keep your workers safeare:
- Do your homework before you hire, look into safety track records
- Assess the risk of the job your hiring for
- Make sure you spend enough time training your workers until they fully understand
- Perform check-ins and assessments throughout your project
- Evaluate performance after the job is wrapped and make hiring changes if necessary!
Hearing Loss Presents a Grim Future for Sufferers
Once your hearing has been damaged the cost alone prevents most from ever seeking help to aid their impairment.
With so few options out there, the cost of a single hearing aid averages at about $2,500 each, with most consumers needing 2. This presents an understandable obstacle for those in their 60’s , 70’s and 80’s with little extra disposable income.
For those suffering in silence, hearing loss, believe it or not can result in isolation, depression, increased cognitive decline and risk of falls.
With over 30 million people exposed to noise hazards related to hearing loss yearly, it is important to remain aware of the potential hazards within your workplace and practice proper hearing safety .
Trenching and Excavation Safety Updates from OSHA
Being buried alive is not something that only happens in horror movies. Trench collapses happen too often leaving workers suffocated by heavy debris depicting a far worse image than movie directors could ever recreate.
In hopes to continue to lessen the frequency and severity of trench collapses OSHA has OSHA recently published an updated to their trenching and evacuation safety guide.
Some of the key takeaways from this updated version includes:
- Safety factors to be considers up through the bidding process of a job
- Maintenance of materials and equipment
- Greater detailed section on hazards associated with excavations.
Read the source article at American Industrial Hygiene Association
Confined Space Rule Enforcement Extended Again
For those of you who haven’t yet heard OSHA has decided to extend the Confined space in construction standard to January 8, 2016 for residential construction employers.
The rule originally became effecting on August 3, 2015 to bring the construction industry the same safety protocols that the general industry has had for many years, however companies are claiming that they need more time to properly train their employees and get the proper equipment made necessary by the new regulation.
OSHA has estimated that the enforcement of the OSHA Confined Spaces In Construction standard could save up to 800 construction worker lives yearly.
Being Prepared For OSHA At All Times
With all this talk about OSHA using their time more wisely so they are able to perform more in depth inspection it seems like a good time for a refresher course on what they will be looking for.
Even companies who are doing what they think is in the best interest of their workers’ safety can fall victim to OSHA fines during an inspection. Making sure that all workers are on the same page starts with having a written safety plan. When an inspector shows up chances are this is one of the first things they will ask for.
During an inspectors walk through they will be looking at an areas they may have received a complaint about, however they can opt to perform an entire investigation. Areas to pay special attention to include chemicals, fumes, noise, workers at heights and any clear and present hazards.
If you really need a few more hours before an impromptu visit by OSHA you can request an inspection warrant however it may raise the curiosity level for what you might be trying to hide.
As always keeping up regularly with your workplace safety program is the best way to prevent violations and fines.
OSHA Permissible Exposure Limits RFI Gets AIHA’s Feedback
Many Permissible Exposure Limits (PEL) have not been changed since 1971, the inception of OSHA .To put thing in perspective, workers are being “protected” by the same standards used over 40 years ago.
As workplace processes grow and change one might imagine so do the chemicals in those processes, not always in a safer direction.
As OSHA finally begins the long road to updating the PEL standards the American Industrial Hygiene Association® (AIHA) earlier this month filed comments outlining potential revisions to OSHA’s current risk and feasibility assessment approaches and requests additional information regarding chemical management for the workplace that may be more efficient, while still protecting worker health and safety.