Safe Workplace and Safety News

OSHA announced on Tuesday that it has cancelled CPL 02-02-053. The annoucement states:

"OSHA Instruction CPL 02-02-053 Guidelines for First Aid Training Programs, 01/07/1991, is cancelled. "Best Practices Guide: Fundamentals of a Workplace First-Aid Program" provides OSHA's current guidance on this issue."

The announcement states that the reason for cancellation is that CPL 02-02-053 is out-of-date.

This notice, which cancels a directive, describes a Federal program change for which State adoption is not required. The referenced "Best Practices Guide: Fundamentals of a Workplace First-Aid Program" provides OSHA's current guidance on this issue and is available for State use.

Labels: First Aid, OSHA

A free chart, showing required PPE, is available from the Hazardous Material Labels (HazMatLabels) web site.

The chart shows hazardous material categories across the top, and lists the required PPE for each category. The bottom half of the chart has pictograms for each of the required PPE and for each PPE shows the categories that require that PPE.

This chart is available free to businesses, government agencies, non-profits, schools and the military.

Labels: Industrial Safety, PPE

The June 2007 issue of Occupational Hazards magazine reports on an OSHRC decision that invalidates a 1976 ruling that general contractors are responsible for supervising OSHA compliance of their subcontractors.

The opening paragraph of the article states:

The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC) decision, in a case involving home builder Summit Contractors, held that citing a general contractor solely because it is a so-called “controlling employer” is inconsistent with 29 CFR 1910.12(a), a regulation that governs the application of OSHA’s construction standards in 29 CFR Part 1926. That regulation states, in part, that “Each employer shall protect … each of his employees engaged in construction work by complying with” Part 1926 (emphasis added). The commission held that issuing a citation to a so-called “controlling employer” whose own employees were not exposed to an alleged violation was inconsistent with the phrase “his employees.”

This decision removes the need for general contractors to "patrol" work sites conducting safety inspections covering areas in which the general contractor's employees are not involved. While the general contractor is still responsible for the safety of their own employees, they are no longer responsible for the safety of subcontractor employees. There are some exceptions to this, however. For example OSHA standards in Part 1926 have their own multi-employer requirements related to steel erection in Subpart R.

I recommend reading the entire article, which is titled: End of the Line or a Chance for a Fresh Start?

Labels: Construction / Installation, safety regulations

5S is a lean manufacturing technique that uses cleaning and organization to improve a variety of aspects of a business, including quality, productivity and safety. At its heart is is a very simple system that generally costs little to implement.

It is called 5S because it is based on a five step process. Each step is identified by a word beginning with the letter "S".

Sort - Eliminate unnecessary items in the work area.

Set In Order - Establish effective storage and organization.

Shine - thoroughly clean the area and the equipment in it.

Standardize - Establish standards for keeping the work area clean and organized.

Sustain - Maintain what has been accomplished

I recently read an article in Modern Machine Shop magazine that provides a good overview of the benefits several facilities saw from using 5S. The article is titled "Success In Workplace Organization Efforts"

A free guide the summarizes the 5S System is available on the Custom Sign Makers web site.

A guide to the standard color coding system used for 5S is available from Graphic Products, Inc.

Labels: Lean Manufacturing

A "mobile contractor" is a contractor who brings crews to various work sites. The workforce is not permanantly based on one work site, but works on maintenance and construction projects on multiple worksites.

Repcon Inc. in Corpus Christi, Texas became the first mobile contractor to receive OSHA's VPP STAR designation. The first mobile site to achieve VPP STAR status was PPL Electric Utilities in Pennsylvania in 2005, however Repcon is the first mobile contractor to achieve VPP STAR.

The Caller-Times in Corpus Christi reported:

"OSHA area director John Giefer said he hopes other companies follow in Repcon's footsteps now that OSHA has expanded the program to include mobile work sites."

"Before the mobile work site designation was established, Giefer said, only fixed sites such as refineries received Star status."

"OSHA wanted to tap into a large group of employees that were being neglected under (the Voluntary Protection Program's) previous regulations," Giefer said. "We started a partnership with Repcon in 2002 to see if we could establish a system where they could be honored."

Labels: VPP

Schools are closing for the summer and teenagers are starting their summer jobs. The following is reprinted from an OSHA fact sheet:

Most youth find paid employment, either during the summer or year-round, before graduating from high school. Young workers, ages 14-24, are at risk of workplace injury because of their inexperience at work and their physical, cognitive, and emotional developmental characteristics. They often hesitate to ask questions and may fail to recognize workplace dangers. OSHA has made young workers a priority within the agency and is committed to identifying ways to improve young worker safety and health. OSHA's Young Worker Initiative addresses this group's safety and health through a multi-pronged outreach program.

OSHA Outreach
OSHA offers multiple outreach resources to help young workers and their employers, parents, and teachers prevent and reduce injuries and illnesses in the workplace.

Teen Workers Safety and Health Topics page http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/teenworkers/index.html

• Information about teen worker rights and responsibilities.
• Informational resources directed toward teens, parents, employers, and teachers.
• Real stories about teens injured or killed at work.
• Descriptions of potential workplace hazards and how to prevent injury.
• Sections on seasonal jobs (summer and winter), their hazards, and injury prevention.
• Electronic tools on young worker safety and health in agriculture and in restaurants.
• Young worker resources in Spanish.

Publications

• Teen Workers – Brochure, OSHA 3244
• Teen Workers – Poster, OSHA 3231
  This brochure and poster describe teens' right to a safe and healthy workplace and their responsibility to be safe.

Young worker events

• YouthRules! programs in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division which include a summer job fair and activities to promote workplace safety and health, and child labor laws.
  
  
• Participation with career/technical education organizations in meetings and student career/technical skills competitions. www.youthrules.dol.gov

OSHA Education and Training

• Several of OSHA's Regional and Area Offices periodically offer training for career/technical teachers for use in school occupational safety and health courses. Other OSHA offices have worked with youth groups on safety and health programs and developed training for youth in specific workplaces.
  www.osha.gov/html/oshdir.html
  
  
• OSHA awards Susan Harwood Training Grants to nonprofit organizations for preparation of occupational safety and health curricula for audiences including young workers. www.osha.gov/dcsp/ote/sharwood.html

OSHA Cooperative Programs

• OSHA's Alliance Program enables employers, trade or professional organizations, and educational institutions interested in young workers to collaborate with OSHA on projects to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses in this age group. Alliances that include a prominent young worker safety and health component include the American Society of Safety Engineers, the Industrial Truck Association, and the National Safety Council and SkillsUSA. www.osha.gov/dcsp/alliances/focus/youth_ alliances.html
  
  
• OSHA has Young Worker Coordinators in each of the 10 OSHA regions to assist a variety of groups including employers, small businesses, trade associations, and community groups with outreach, education, and training for young workers. These coordinators meet periodically by teleconference to discuss, plan, and evaluate OSHA young worker programs.
  
  
• OSHA founded and organizes periodic meetings of the Federal Network for Young Worker Safety and Health (FedNet), 11 federal agencies that collaborate to maximize the impact of federal resources for young worker safety and health while avoiding duplication of effort. FedNet products include an informational packet about youth fatalities in illegal forklift operations, checklists to guide teens through a first employment experience, and an article about protecting young workers from workplace violence. www.youngworkers.net

Labels: workplace safety

Fall Protection

An article in the May 2007 issue of Facility Safety Management magazine points out some problems with safety equipment used for fall protection. The article, written by Thomas G. Dolan, states:

The main issue is that "the different components of the lanyard do not really fit together. Therefore the standards, which may appear to be met in theory are not necessarily met in practice."

One of the problems is that snap hooks have the possibility of "rollout"--"which means that when the snap hook and D-ring are hooked together, if they are rolled over, pressure can apply to the gate and the mechanism will become undone."

The article points out that this type of failure is possible with most connections currently in use. Mr. Dolan then goes on to offer a method for keeping workers safe.

Other problems such as a lack of proper labeling, inadequate training, improper sizing of fall protection equipment, and a lack of certification of equipment and parts are also discussed.

Labels: fall protection, Industrial Safety

SRS construction forces earn award for safe hours

Bechtel Savannah River Inc. (BSRI) has set a new site record and Bechtel National record for hours worked without losing any time due to a job-related injury or illness. Construction forces have surpassed 20 million safe hours, extending the record they set in May 2004, when they exceeded the previous site record set by DuPont Construction in 1988.

BSRI Construction also holds the Bechtel U.S. record for the project logging the most "safe hours." To put this accomplishment in perspective, the average U.S. construction company would incur 241 lost-time injuries in 20 million exposure hours.

Michael Graham, president of BSRI, praised construction workers and their supervisors for their dedication to protecting themselves and their co-workers.

"The men and women of Bechtel Construction are the best. The hazards they face daily involve excavations, hoisting and rigging, confined space entry, chemicals and radiation. I am extremely proud of them and the fantastic job they have done and continue to do," he said.

As a token of the company's gratitude and in recognition of this world-class performance, construction employees will attend a BBQ celebration and receive commemorative golf shirts.

"However," Graham said, "the best gift is that our construction employees are able to return home from work every day injury-free."

Washington Savannah River Company (WSRC) President Leo Sain said the construction achievement is one of several positive signs about the continuing strength of the SRS safety culture.

"Construction continues to set a remarkable pace, and the entire workforce is accepting the challenge of improving on a world-class performance," Sain said.

He added that SRS has been recognized for continued safe performance in 2007 by the South Carolina Manufacturers Association, the South Carolina Department of Labor and Gov. Mark Sanford.

In addition, WSRC was recognized by the Department of Energy (DOE) last year for earning the DOE Voluntary Protection Program Legacy of Stars Award, culminating six years of "Star Status" achievement. This is the highest level of safety recognition in that program.

WSRC, a Washington Group International company, operates the SRS for DOE. The WSRC team includes BSRI., BNG America Savannah River Company, BWXT Savannah River Company and CH2 Savannah River Company.

Labels: workplace safety

I've been searching for safety statistics for the construction industry this morning and found it surprisingly difficult to find information. Most of the available information seems to be published by attornies looking to attract clients. If you know of a good source of information on accidents in the construction industry, please add it as a comment to this post.

Lawcore.com had some information that shows that of the 5,915 workplace falities in 2000, 2118 of those were construction related... more than any other occupational group. However, it woud be more useful to know the number of fatalities/injuries per thousand manhours worked. The lawcore.com web site states that falls, trenches and electrical accidents are the most common causes of fatalities on construction sites.

Statistics from Ireland on another legal web site confirm this. This McGarr Solicitors' site reports:

"The study showed, in the case of the sample of incidents reviewed, that 20% involved falls; 20% involved ladders or scaffolds; 11% involved contact with power lines; 9% involved collapse of trenches."

Labels: Construction / Installation