IOA Risk Services

OSHA Excavation Safety Video

Did you know that working in trenches kills an average of 40 construction workers in the United States every year? Employers MUST follow OSHA’s rules to protect workers in trenches and excavations.

One cubic yard of soil can weigh as much as a car! Unless the trench is cut entirely into stable rock, protection against cave-ins must be used for all trenches more than 5ft deep. Always make sure a competent person is there to supervise and to remove any potential hazards throughout and at the beginning of every shift.

OSHA classifies each soil in a trench as:

  1. Stable rock - most stable
  2. Type A
  3. Type B
  4. Type C - least stable

Depending on the type of soil found at the site of the trench, different protective systems should be used for each trench project such as sloping, benching, shoring, and shielding.

Learn how to apply each protective system depending on its soil type for you and your employees in more detail as shown on the following video:

{"video":"http://youtu.be/P2ayCnJk5NU","width":"400","height":"300"}

To sign up for our upcoming open class on August 9, visit https://safetylinks.net/index.php/training/construction-safety-courses/excavation-competent-person.

For information on onsite Excavations/Trenching classes, call us at 407-353-8165 or email us at info@transportins.net.

Continue Reading

NIOSH

NIOSH Works With Latin America on PPE

Worker protection and educational support in Latin America, including workshops and meetings, have recently been provided by NIOSH’s National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL) to the Institute of Public Health (ISP) from Chile. The main focus during these international arrangements has been on respirator protection and other occupational PPE to protect workers from the dangers of exposure to industrial chemical dusts, chemicals, and more.

NIOSH

Maryann D’Alessandro, Ph.D., director of the NIOSH Pittsburg-based laboratory explains, “these partnerships help promote international stability for U.S. business, continue the tradition of U.S. technological leadership globally and provide information that we can sue in turn to further worker health and safety in the U.S.”

Participants included representatives from the Ministry of Health and Labor, the International Labor Organization, multinational manufacturers of PPE, various academic bodies and industrial sectors such as construction and mining. Audits were also performed on respirator manufacturers in Colombia, Chile, and Brazil for maintenance of their NIOSH respirator certification status.

To view the original article from EHS Today, visit HERE.

To inquire about respirator training or fit testing, visit us at https://safetylinks.net/index.php/respirators or call us at 407-863-8165.

Continue Reading

The Federal Railroad Administration works with OSHA on whistleblower protection

Due to the number of whistleblower complaints in the railroad industry with a high percentage of retaliation allegations, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and OSHA have signed a memorandum agreement that will facilitate the coordination and cooperation of workers’ whistleblower rights.

From 2007 to 2012, more than 900 whistleblower complaints were reported by OSHA and almost 63 percent involved some sort of allegation of retaliation. Although the FRA has a broad authority over rail safety, it does not have direct authority to address whistleblower incidents. It is the Federal Railroad Safety Act’s (FRSA) whistleblower provision act that protects railroad employees from retaliation when they report safety violations, or work-related personal injuries or illness.

The memorandum established procedures to follow complaints any allegations. The FRA will refer railroad employees who complain of retaliation to OSHA. OSHA will then provide the FRA with the copies it receives under the FRSA’s whistleblower provision. In turn, both agencies will work together to assist FRA enforcement staff in recognizing complaints and assist OSHA enforcement staff in recognizing potential violations of railroad safety regulations found in investigations.

“This memorandum is a watershed moment for both railroads and labor alike,” said FRA Administrator Joseph Szabo. He continued, “Securing a process that protects employees who report safety violations is critical to maintaining safety standards in the workplace.”

For more information on FRSA and other industry whistleblower cases, visit http://www.whistleblowers.gov/wb_news_room.html.

 

Continue Reading

CET/CIT

CET/CIT Integrated into BCSP Family of Certifications & Technologist Certifications Improved

Updates straight from the BCSP newsletter...
The Certified Environmental, Safety and Health Trainer (CET) & Certified Instructional Technologist (CIT) certifications are swiftly becoming part of the BCSP family of certifications.CET/CIT Integrated into BCSP Family of Certifications Now Recognizable as BCSP Certifications

CET/CIT

The training certifications' new logo is increasingly featured on BCSP materials, and the new CET/CIT process and applications, results of months of diligent preparation, can be found on BCSP's CET/CIT webpage.

The process of fully integrating the CET/CIT is well underway. By the end of 2012, the certifications' will be wholly operated by BCSP.

Inquiries related to the certification may be made through the CET/CIT Inquiry form.

Technologist Certifications Improved. CLCS Folded into Updated OHST

ohst

The Occupational Health and Safety Technologist® (OHST®) exam began following the most recent set of knowledge required of SH&E technologists this July 2, 2012.

The update, as announced last year, is the result of a validation study to determine the task, knowledge, and skills associated with the OHST practice.The OHST's latest blueprint and reference materials are available on the OHST webpage.

As part of the OHST update, the Certified Loss Control Specialist® (CLCS®) certification is discontinued. CLCS certificants, and those in process of achieving CLCS certification, can contact Barbara Patterson, BCSP Manager of Customer Service, with questions.

Don't forget to view our OHST Prep Course page for more information on our upcoming course that will be held on November 6-8. You can also sign up by calling us at 407-505-2803 or email at info@transportins.net.

Continue Reading

Earl Dotter Photography

The Work of Miners Photographed

Earl Dotter Photography

This morning, I stumbled upon a great online photo display on a specific photographer's work, Earl Dotter, who spent most of his life documenting the work lives of Americans for more than 30 years now.

The image shown here represents what most of his work's focus has been, which is rigorous hazardous work. He started his career in the late 1960’s, when many miner regulations were not in place, as they are today. He gained more interest in coal miners and their work lives during an assignment to the Cumberland Plateau Region of Tennessee.

In 1972, he was later offered to work for the United Mine Workers in America Journal, where he focused on capturing many coal miners' struggles, from dangerous daily tasks to their struggle with “black lung” cases and workers' rights.

One of his most impacting and praised works, THE QUIET SICKNESS: A Photographic Chronicle of Hazardous Work in America, is a collection of vivid portraits and images of coal miners that does an excellent job at capturing an honest look at the hard work and dangers involved. He later on branched out and began to document other occupational subjects, as well.

One thing is for sure. Viewing Dotter’s images can definitely leave an impacting reminder to all safety leaders of their purpose: to protect all workers from health and safety hazards. If you'd like to see more of his work, take 5 minutes to view Dotter’s work through his website at http://earldotter.com/portfolio/stock/.

Continue Reading

Evidence Suggests OSHA Inspections Benefit Organizations

Do you ever wonder how big of an impact OSHA inspections actually have on worker productivity loss or company profit? According to recent studies done in California, inspections can actually save a substantial amount of money to companies and organizations. More than many might believe.

The study, done by Michael Toffel, professor at Harvard Business School and David Levine, professor at Hass School of Business, and Matthew Johnson, doctoral student at Boston University, analyzed inspections conducted in highly hazardous industries in California and found that once done, they reduced injury claims by up to 9.2 percent. They also concluded it saved 26 percent on workers’ compensation costs in the four following years after the inspections were done. An estimated $355,000 was saved in injury claims and compensation for paid lost work.

Overall, there was no evidence showing these inspections led to a drop in sales or profit. These findings make a great example of how important implementing safety procedures, plans and culture in an organization can be highly beneficial in many aspects.

"The OSHA inspection itself affords employers an opportunity to recognize where their safety policies and programs aren't fully effective and, in turn, encourages them to take action, whether that means dealing with a specific hazard noted in the workplace and eliminating or lowering it or changing the way you communicate and train employees," Johnson says. "There are many ways employers can identify and understand the areas where they can improve safety, and OSHA is one of them."

To read the original article, visit http://www.hreonline.com/HRE/story.jsp?storyId=533348983.

Continue Reading

IOA Risk Services

OSHA seeks nominations for members to serve on Federal Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health

WASHINGTON – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) today announced that nominations are being accepted for six new members to serve on the 16-member Federal Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health (FACOSH).

FACOSH advises the Secretary of Labor on matters relating to the occupational safety and health of federal employees. This includes providing assistance to the Secretary and OSHA in an effort to reduce and keep to a minimum the number and severity of injuries and illnesses in the federal workforce. FACOSH also encourages each federal executive branch department and agency to establish and maintain effective occupational safety and health programs.

Nominations will be accepted for three federal agency management representatives and three labor organization representatives. Members will serve terms not to exceed three years.

Nominations may be submitted electronically at www.regulations.gov, the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Submissions may also be sent by mail or facsimile. See the Federal Register notice for details. Nominations must be submitted by September 4, 2012.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

To view the original OSHA press release, visit http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=22626

 

Continue Reading

Forty-Two Percent of Factory Workers Suffer From Hearing Loss

According to a research done by the University of Michigan School of Nursing, 42% of factory workers exposed to noise have hearing loss. The worst part, however, is that about 75% of them claimed having good hearing when asked. The study was done on 2,691 workers from the Midwest automobile factory.

In turn, what researchers concluded from this study is that “a need for development of reliable and valid self-report measures of hearing loss” was the key to better self-reporting hearing ability from workers.

Because specific sources of their hearing loss were not exactly determined—whether it was work-related, environmental, biological, etc.—they did mention a need for surveillance methods, safety policies, and programs to help evaluate the effectiveness of hearing conservation programs, identify health concerns, and prevent occupational hearing loss.

To view the original article, visit http://ehstoday.com/health/news/workers-fail-self-report-hearing-0702/.

For questions regarding occupational noise testing and safety implementation, call us at 407-505-2803 or visit https://safetylinks.net/index.php/industrial-hygiene/noise for more information.

 

Continue Reading

IOA Risk Services

Need Fire Extinguisher Training for Your Crew?

Who requires fire extinguisher training?

OSHA requires fire extinguisher training for your staff if they are expected to user fire extinguishers. Here is what the OSHA regulations say:

1910.157(g)(1) Where the employer has provided portable fire extinguishers for employee use in the workplace, the employer shall also provide an educational program to familiarize employees with the general principles of fire extinguisher use and the hazards involved with incipient stage firefighting.

1910.157(g)(2) The employer shall provide the education required in paragraph (g)(1) of this section upon initial employment and at least annually thereafter.

Our hands-on approach includes instruction on the following topics:
  • Overview of the fire protection equipment
  • Review of proper procedures and fire evacuation routes
  • Emergency preparedness training
  • Alertness to fire hazards
  • Review of the types of fire extinguishers and their proper use
  • Identification of the classes of fires and how each is fought
  • Hands on extinguisher practice
Watch a preview of one of our hands-on classes held in Orlando, FL:

{"video":"http://youtu.be/jXXVKuj9TUo","width":"400","height":"300"}

To register for a class or schedule onsite training, visit https://safetylinks.net/index.php/training/safety-courses-for-all-industries/fire-extinguisher-training-hands-on

Continue Reading