Workplace Safety Awareness Council Blog

Can Safety Goals Really Reduce Workers Comp Costs?

2009-09-29T00:02:00.000-04:00

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Why Should You Create Safety Goals?
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Last week I was in Phoenix to present at the PAHCOM Conference and what a great event! The general feeling we're getting out there is that safety managers are more interested in the return on investment of safety than ever before.

And it makes great sense! A recent study by Liberty Mutual found that for every dollar spent on safety you can expect a $3 - $4 return on the $1 investment! That's pretty powerful stuff, in any economy.

Think it doesn't work? While working with a group of municipal power companies in Florida, one risk manager was able to reduce his company's
workers comp and liability insurance costs from $1 million dollars to just above $275,000 in a three year period. That's not a one time savings
of $625,000 - its an annual savings of $625,000 based on smart safety goals - $625,000 each and every year!

Imagine what a similar savings would do for your company. better yet, imagine what a similar savings would do for you personally. Think job
security, a healthy raise, new doors opened, the ability upgrade your position and salary. Pretty good options, especially in this economy!

To find out how to achieve similar savings in your organization, join us for a webinar entitled:

"Establishing Safety Goals That Reduce Workers Comp Costs and Keep Employees Safe"

This webinar may just be the jump start you need to make some serious changes in your organization and career:

http://tinyurl.com/Safety-Goal

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Is your company a safe place to work? How do you know?
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Did you know that OSHA has established benchmarks for each industry? These benchmarks allow OSHA to measure your organizations safety record against the national average for your industry. If you exceed that national average, expect a visit from your local OSHA office!

The good news is that you can proactively measure your safety record and take steps to improve it as necessary!

By attending this webinar you will learn:

* Get management "buy-in" by communicating your safety programs "ROI"
* How your workers comp costs can be reduced by a establishing your safety program
* How OSHA established your injury benchmark
* How to set realistic and attainable safety goals that encourage compliance
* Using a safety committee to keep your injury goals on track
* The dangers of implementing a safety incentive program
* How to measure your company's injury rate

Reducing costs, improving morale, avoiding fines, increase productivity - these are just a few of the benefits of safety benchmarking and effective goal setting.

By attending this webinar, you'll learn how to easily establish safety related goals that will save your company money and most importantly - keep your employees safe!

Seating is limited to reserve your spot now: http://tinyurl.com/Safety-Goal

The ABC's of OSHA Compliance - Its Not as Difficult as You Might Think

2009-09-15T09:32:00.001-04:00

I just arrived back from a presentation in Fort Lauderdale Florida for a group of Facility and Maintenance Managers. My presentation was entitled "Top 10 OSHA Violations in a Built Environment" and I'm happy to say it was a rousing success!

I had the opportunity to speak with a number of building managers and chief engineer types and one of the common issues was "cryptic nature" of the OSHA regulations. . .

I hear this a lot. In fact it seems that this perception is what keeps most organizations from developing a sustainable safety program.

The good news is that OSHA compliance does not need to be difficult, time consuming or expensive. In fact we've just announced a new webinar which will provide you with a roadmap for OSHA compliance in 6 easy steps.

http://tinyurl.com/ABC-OF-OSHA

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OK, so Where do I Start and are There Only 6 Steps?
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Like any big project, you have to break it down into bite-sized steps. . .
We can breakdown OSHA compliance into 6 major steps:

(1) Conduct "Job Hazard Analysis" of potentially dangerous tasks

(2) Develop written safety programs that address these hazards

(3) Train employees on proper safety procedures when working around these hazards

(4) Conduct regular safety inspections so dangerous items can be corrected

(5) Be sure to remember the "Administrative Requirements" like OSHA recordkeeping and posters

(6) Get familiar with the OSHA regulations that speak to your hazards

Once we examine each of these six steps and develop a system for completing each, the goal of OSHA compliance gets easier.

How many of these steps has your organization completed?
Do you understand and have you mastered each of these steps?

If you're finding OSHA compliance to be difficult of time-consuming, why not join our webinar on the ABC's of OSHA Compliance. . .

http://tinyurl.com/ABC-OF-OSHA

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The 5 Reasons we Are Not OSHA Compliant and Our Rebuttal
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(1) This responsibility was dumped in our lap with no warning, much less any training

Rebuttal: Deal with it! If your name is going to be attached to it, you better protect yourself (and your job) and figure this out.

(2) I'm too busy with my "real job" to spend time on safety

Rebuttal: You need to organize your safety program so its on "auto-pilot". That way you're not taking too much time from your "real-job". See also rebuttal #1.

(3) The regulations are too complicated and I'm lost

Rebuttal: This is true until you learn how to look up the OSHA regulations.
Remember the first you went to the library to check out a book?
I do - I was in first grade and was utterly lost - until I learned the Dewey Decimal System.
Learn OSHA's system and this become a non-issue.

(4) My employer doesn't care about safety and compliance issues

Rebuttal: Your employer doesn't understand the potential return on investment a safety program can bring. Typically for every $1 spent on safety programs, organizations get a $3 - $4 return. That's pretty good right? Wouldn't it be nice to turn your safety program into a "profit center"?

(5) OSHA won't bother us so why worry about being compliant

Rebuttal: You've been lucky! The fact is under our new Administration OSHA has been given
more authority and is better funded. In fact they are in the process of hiring additional compliance officers. Beware of complacency. . .

http://tinyurl.com/ABC-OF-OSHA

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You're Invited to the "ABC's of OSHA Compliance" Webinar
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Are you responsible for OSHA compliance in your organization?
If so you’ve probably realized its not always easy to understand the often confusing OSHA standards. Many people in this scenario simply give up resulting in unsafe work practices and non-compliance.

Learning Objectives:

By attending this webinar you will learn:

6 easy steps to a safe and compliant worksite
Administrative requirements (paperwork) that is often overlooked
Lean how to look up OSHA regulations (it’s not as hard as you think)
A 5 step process for answering any OSHA question
Understand what training you are required to provide employees
The MBWE formula for safety inspections – this is critical!
How to quickly create the written safety plans that OSHA requires

This webinar is a must for organizations who want to be proactive in their safety programs. By attending you’ll learn how to quickly and easily become OSHA compliant while protecting your most valuable resource - your employees!

http://tinyurl.com/ABC-OF-OSHA

Why is OSHA Recordkeeping Such a Hot Topic?

2009-09-07T19:44:00.001-04:00

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Why is OSHA Recordkeeping Such a Hot Topic?
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This month, OSHA will begin a National Emphasis Program (NEP) on injury and illness record keeping. OSHA plans to review the record keeping practices of employers with low incidence rates in typically high-injury industries.
The inspections will evaluate the following areas, according to a report from Constangy, Brooks and Smith LLP.

* Medical files for 2007 and 2008 occupational and non-occupational cases. Those may include 301 forms, workers’ compensation records, absentee records and audiograms.

* Employee and management interviews to determine effectiveness of the employer’s record keeping system.

* Record keeper interviews to determine knowledge and level of training, as well as any employer interference in proper record keeping.

* An inspection of the facility to confirm that hazards present match those on the record keeping forms.

This program is the result of Congressional hearings last year that questioned the effectiveness of OSHA’s injury and illness reporting.

http://www.wpsac.org/webinars.php?page=recordkeeping

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What Can You do to Prepare?
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To prepare for these OSHA inspections, we recommend that employers:

(1) Ensure that the employees responsibly for recordkeeping have been properly trained and training is documented;

(2) Make sure there is an OSHA 301 or its equivalent for every recordable case;

(3) Review all injury & illness cases from 2007 and 2008 to determine if they are accurately reflected in the OSHA 300 Logs

(4) Review the procedures for reporting injuries and illnesses within your company. Also, ensure that employee privacy is maintained as required by OSHA and HIPAA.

(5) If your company uses a safety incentive program, evaluate whether the incentive program discourages the reporting of work-related injuries or illnesses.

(6) Determine if superviosrs within your organization discourage employees from reporting workplace injuries and illnesses.

http://www.wpsac.org/webinars.php?page=recordkeeping

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You Can Also Attend the Essential OSHA Recordkeeping Webinar Next Week!
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Don't let another year go by wondering if you are following OSHA's rules for Injury and Illness Recordkeeping. Sign up now for this information and easy to follow webinar:

http://www.wpsac.org/webinars.php?page=recordkeeping

You're Invited: Essential OSHA Injury & Illness Recordkeeping Webinar

2009-09-01T14:17:00.008-04:00

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You're Invited: Essential OSHA Injury & Illness Recordkeeping Webinar
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Last week we mentioned the "Essential OSHA Injury & Illness Recordkeeping Webinar"
scheduled on Tuesday September 15, 2009 at 2:00pm - 3:30pm and we wanted to make sure
you received the invitation.

http://www.wpsac.org/webinars.php?page=recordkeeping

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OSHA Injury & Illness Recordkeeping Changes
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We'll the kids are back in school, Labor Day is right around the corner and Football season is about to kick off. Which of course got me thinking about how quickly this year has flown by. Only four months until the New Year!

Before long we'll be putting together our annual OSHA reports and posting them for three months (if you're not aware of this requirement - READ THIS BLOG ENTRY)!

I mention the OSHA Injury & Illness Logs because some very interesting things are taking place behind the scenes with OSHA.

Let me start with some background from last year. . .

On April 22, 2008 U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Chairman of the Senate HELP Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety and U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy (D-WA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee asked the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate whether OSHA is effectively working to ensure that employers are accurately reporting injuries and illnesses in the workplace.

Senators Murray and Kennedy referenced academic studies that employers OSHA logs CAPTURED ONLY 31% of illnesses and 33% of injuries that are reported in other databases.

They also found that the BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses did not account for up to 68% of work-related injuries and illnesses occurring annually in Michigan from 1999 to 2001. [http://www.nycosh.org/reference_library/Rosenman.pdf].

Another academic study found that the actual number of work-related injuries and illnesses is 40% higher than the BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses estimate.

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What Does OSHA say About Injury & Illness Reporting?
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On July 15, 2009 OSHA held a meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH). One of the topics discussed was OSHA's recordkeeping initiative, in particular the forthcoming Injury and Illness Recordkeeping National Emphasis Program (NEP).

At this NACOSH meeting Dave Schmidt, Director - OSHA Office of Statistical Analysis referenced the academic studies noted above and also mentioned OSHA’s own recordkeeping audits have shown that between 10% and 20% of the workplace injuries and illnesses are under-recorded. So even by OSHA's own admission, employers were not accurately reporting the true nature and frequency of work related injuries and illnesses.

In August 2008, the GAO Study initiated by Senators Murray and Kennedy, one of the stated objectives was to “assess OSHA's efforts to ensure that employers are properly recording injuries and illnesses.”

Further OSHA has been provided funding in FY 2009 Budget to “enhance enforcement and oversight of injury and illness recordkeeping to ensure complete and accurate recording and reporting by employers”.

In other words - OSHA's on the "Hot Seat". They have to prove that they are ensuring accurate recordkeeping. How can they prove that?

They could be more diligent in looking at employer recordkeeing logs when they visit.
They could perform more random audits.
They might decide to target certain industries where recordkeeping violations are probable. They could even target organizations with low injury rates, thinking that the low injury rates are a result of under-reporting. . .

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Employer Related Concerns
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From an employer standpoint one of the OSHA recordkeeping challenges we've heard repeated many times is how difficult it is to know if an injury is an OSHA recordable or not. Employers often feel that there is too much "gray area" and the rules are difficult to follow. Because of this typically one of two things happens:

1. Employers record every injury no matter how minor for fear of breaking the law.
2. Employers under record injuries and illnesses since they are unsure what is required.

Either of these scenarios is counterproductive as it potentially hides problems within an organization and discourages positive corrective action. It also provides the Bureau of Labor Statistics and OSHA with faulty data. Of course purposely under reporting to hide workplace injuries and illnesses does happen but surprisingly we have found that many employers are inaccurately recording workplace injuries and illnesses due to a lack of familiarity with the 1904 regulations.

Don't put off your injury & illness recordkeeping concerns. Join us for this excellent webinar on September 15, 2009 at 2:00pm.

Its our best attended webinar each year for good reason!

http://www.wpsac.org/webinars.php?page=recordkeeping

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Here are just a few of the areas we will cover during the webinar:
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The #1 OSHA recordkeeping violation - and how to make sure your company doesn't get nailed for it
What injuries and illnesses must be recorded and why its critical to avoid"over-reporting"
How the OSHA 300 Log trips up many managers, and what you can do so you don’t get saddled with a costly citation
A valuable 4-step action plan that you can use to determine when an injury needs to be documented
CAUTION! If you are exempt from OSHA Form 300, you are not exempt from the BLS Survey Form. Find out why
How to show "good faith" in your OSHA records so you'll never get slapped with an expensive "willful" violation
How your documentation techniques should change between your OSHA 300 Log and the 301 Incident Report
How HIPAA views OSHA recordkeeping and what privacy mechanisms are required
Which OSHA injury & illness documents must be made available to employees and which are off-limits

Here's what is included with this webinar:

One full hour of instruction
Thirty minutes of live call answering
Latest required OSHA forms emailed to participants
Entire 29 CFR 1904 Recordkeeping regulations emailed to participants
Presentation and handouts emailed to participants - over 65 pages!
Participants can email their questions to instructor prior to the tele-seminar
Special webpage dedicated for participants - includes forms, DART rate calculator, Industry benchmarks and more!

BONUS: Can't attend the live webinar? Listen to the recorded version anytime - anyplace!

We have limited space available so get signed up today:
http://www.wpsac.org/webinars.php?page=recordkeeping

OSHA Begins to Refocus on Enforcement Activities

2009-08-17T01:01:00.001-04:00

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OSHA Begins to Refocus on Enforcement Activities
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We mentioned this a few months ago but its worth repeating and providing an update or two. . .

President Obama put together a report on the upcoming budget and it had some very interesting things to say about the OSHA budget. In particular here is what the report says:

"For the past eight years, the Department's labor law enforcement agencies have struggled with growing workloads and shrinking staff. The President's Budget seeks to reverse this trend. The Budget will increase funding for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, enabling it to vigorously enforce workplace safety laws and ensure the safety and health of American workers"

On February 17, 2009 the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was signed into law by President Obama. The Act is an extraordinary response to a crisis unlike any since the Great Depression, and includes measures to modernize our nation's infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief, and protect those in greatest need.

Well what does this have to do with OSHA?
OSHA role is to ensure that worker protection laws are enforced as recovery infrastructure investments are carried out.

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What This Means For Employers and Their Recordkeeping Responsibilities
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How will OSHA carry out these responsibilities - after all this will cost more money right?

Well thanks to new budgets OSHA is looking at a $27 million increase over previous years budgets and requires OSHA to improve its tracking of workplace injuries and illnesses.

This last sentence is interesting - "requires OSHA to improve its tracking of workplace injuries and illnesses".

The funding increase also contains a $52 million increase for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which is aimed at improving the reporting of workplace injury statistics.

Look for OSHA to shortly announce a National Emphasis Program (NEP) on OSHA Injury & Illness Recordkeeping. This NEP is the result of heat OSHA's been taking from a number of corners including a GAO report initiated by Senator Kennedy.

We'll be talking more about this on our blog in September so stay tuned. . .

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Bad Performers Beware: Severe Violators Inspection Program (SVIP)
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Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Jordan Barab announced a new program named the Severe Violators Inspection Program (SVIP) at a recent House Subcommittee in April.

"Some changes under consideration for the program include mandatory -- not recommended -- follow-up inspections, more inspections of other establishments of an identified company, and additional enhanced settlement provisions," Barab continued "The new program will include a more intensive examination of an employer's history for systemic problems that would trigger additional mandatory inspections".

He also told the House subcommittee that he's suspended the practice of setting goals for new VPP sites and Alliances to direct OSHA's resources instead to enforcement.

This new program is a welcome additional to OSHA's arsenal directed to the bad performers -

The question is:

Are you on the list (or will you land on it in the future) and what will you do to stay off the list?

Heat Stress & Employers Responsibilities

2009-08-03T12:50:00.006-04:00

Earlier this year I was conducting training in Dubai and what I remember as I got off the plane and waited for my taxi was the intense heat - at midnight! I'm from Florida and quite used to hot weather but this was different, Dubai after all is a little slice of concrete paradise carved into the desert and the temps reach 120 degrees without a blink.

Because of these unbearable temperatures, Dubai passed laws that outside work may not be performed between 11:00am and 2:00pm. This was to serve as a protection from the heat. Not a bad idea, but what about your business. Shutting down work may be a bit extreme, so what other precautions can you take - and how does OSHA view your responsibility to protect workers from heat?

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First - what are symptoms of of a heat exposure problem?
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Symptoms of Heat Exhaustion

* Headaches, dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting.
* Weakness and moist skin.
* Mood changes such as irritability or confusion.
* Upset stomach or vomiting.

Symptoms of Heat Stroke

* Dry, hot skin with no sweating.
* Mental confusion or losing consciousness.
* Seizures or convulsions.

Preventing Heat Stress

* Know signs/symptoms of heat-related illnesses; monitor yourself and coworkers.
* Block out direct sun or other heat sources.
* Use cooling fans/air-conditioning; rest regularly.
* Drink lots of water; about 1 cup every 15 minutes.
* Wear lightweight, light colored, loose-fitting clothes.
* Avoid alcohol, caffeinated drinks, or heavy meals.

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Next - what could you do to protect workers?
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Using the recommended process of Engineering Controls, then Work Practices (Administrative Controls) and then PPE, here are a few ideas:

1. A variety of engineering controls including general ventilation and spot cooling by local exhaust ventilation at points of high heat production may be helpful. Shielding is required as protection from radiant heat sources. Evaporative cooling and mechanical refrigeration are other ways to reduce heat. Cooling fans can also reduce heat in hot conditions. Eliminating steam leaks will also help. Equipment modifications, the use of power tools to reduce manual labor and personal cooling devices or protective clothing are other ways to reduce the hazards of heat exposure for workers.

2. Work practices such as providing plenty of drinking water -- as much as a quart per worker per hour -- at the workplace can help reduce the risk of heat disorders. Training first aid workers to recognize and treat heat stress disorders and making the names of trained staff known to all workers is essential. Employers should also consider an individual worker's physical condition when determining his or her fitness for working in hot environments. Older workers, obese workers and personnel on some types of medication are at greater risk.

3. Alternating work and rest periods with longer rest periods in a cool area can help workers avoid heat stress. If possible, heavy work should be scheduled during the cooler parts of the day and appropriate protective clothing provided. Supervisors should be trained to detect early signs of heat stress and should permit workers to interrupt their work if they are extremely uncomfortable.

4. Acclimatization to the heat through short exposures followed by longer periods of work in the hot environment can reduce heat stress. New employees and workers returning from an absence of two weeks or more should have 5-day period of acclimatization. This period should begin with 50 percent of the normal workload and time exposure the first day and gradually building up to 100 percent on the fifth day.

5. Employee education is vital so that workers are aware of the need to replace fluids and salt lost through sweat and can recognize dehydration, exhaustion, fainting, heat cramps, salt deficiency, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke as heat disorders. Workers should also be informed of the importance of daily weighing before and after work to avoid dehydration.

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OK, but does OSHA require you to protect workers from heat and sun exposure?
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An April 16, 1998 Interpretation Letter from OSHA says that worker exposure to the sun's radiation is discussed indirectly under 29 Code of Federal Regulations 1910.132(a) pertaining to personal protective equipment. Employers are to use effective forms of protection such as wide-brim hats and long sleeve clothing. In situations where the only effective means of protection is sun screen, then it too may be used.

If OSHA can prove over exposure to the sun and an employer did not move to protect the worker, a general duty clause citation may be issued.

For further information, OSHA has provided some great information in the OSHA Technical Manual: http://osha.gov/dts/osta/otm/otm_iii/otm_iii_4.html

Another great idea is to print out the Heat Stress Quick cards and provide them to all employees as a reminder of precautions they can take
OSHA Quick Card http://osha.gov/Publications/osha3154.pdf

Give these ideas some serious thought and see if your company can implement these ideas.

Its a brutal summer out there, but remember - winter is right around the corner and then we'll discuss freezing temperatures!

The Ten Commandments for Todays Reliability Pros

2009-07-02T22:31:00.008-04:00

In the past I've quoted or mentioned my good friend Joel Leonard over at SkillTV (www.SkillTV.net). He's known in certain circles as the "Maintenance Evangelist" and he really does get out there and "preach the good word" about maintenance and reliability.

Well Joel has created a new article entitled: The Ten Commandments for Todays Reliability Pros, and since we have so many plant maintenance folks onboard and maintenance and reliability have a direct impact of a safe workplace, I'd thought I'd share his article in ten commandments style! Good stuff Mr. Leonard - good stuff indeed. . .

With the rash of recent headline disasters traced back to maintenance and operational functions, don’t we need to elevate our reliability performance standards? From rail track sensors sending faulty signals in DC causing two trains to collide, killing and injuring several passengers; to an explosion at a meat processing plant traced to contractors venting natural gas, killing 3 and injuring dozens; and even an ammonia leak burning a workers lungs inside out at a chicken processing plant, shouldn’t we respond?

As companies are cutting corners to save money short-term, as we transition to new workers while baby boomer generation retires, and as we implement more and more sophisticated equipment, our challenges are steep and perhaps are at biblical proportions.

These results are purposely not etched in stone to provide flexibility to adjust to the continual changes in advanced technology and new strategies. However these should serve as a guide to help current and future reliability pros garner more support and understanding from executive and operational leaders.

Thou shalt make Maintenance & Reliability a profit contributor for the collective good of the entire company.
Thou shalt know the critical equipment whose products delight customers while keeping the land, air and water clean and pure.
Thou shalt schedule moments of rest and repair for the critical equipment.
Thou shalt maintain the critical equipment to appease the spirits of Quality and Operations.
Thou shall not falsely worship reactive maintenance or implement fix it when it breaks mentalities.
Thou shall not covet maintenance that serves no useful purpose.
Thou shall not steal uptime away from production in times of upheaval and crisis.
Thou shall not take the life of equipment with poor practices.
Thou shall not place false equipment history in the asset bible (CMMS).
Thou shallt convince top execs that reliability and maintenance is to be supported not just managed.
Thou shalt not wait until tomorrow to document your work, for it shall never get done
Thou shalt not assume anything when investigating a failure, lest you overlook important details
Thou shalt not allow emotions to determine the focus of your work, instead sort by criticality
Thou shall not allow anyone to misuse the good name of Maintenance in vain and blame it for the shortcomings of the organization as a whole. Respect maintenance, it is critical to the success of any organization and should not be seen as just an overhead or cost center.
The stores are a holy sanctity, thou shall respect them and keep them full, use suppliers to consign the stock where possible to reduce cost and Develop relationships with key suppliers, treat them as your partners.
Thou shall respect thy skilled tradesmen, do not allow your trades to die, train well the young and develop the old in modern techniques.
Thou shall not covet another’s processes, take time to review and benchmark then adopt the best bits. Remember the basics, sometimes good people and good tools are all you really need.

Oh, you may have noticed that there are actually 18 listed above. The responses were so good that could not shrink to ten. And after-all, since I don’t have to lug huge stone carved tablets down a mountain, why not have more?

Your success largely is dependent on your ability to create solutions, manage performance and develop miracles to achieve profits in a down economy, meanwhile keeping your business environment safe. Since you have god-like responsibilities, you choose which commandments to follow. Now it is your turn to add, change or delete to advance your organization.

P.S. If you like the article, give Joel a shout at Joel@SkillTV.net - tell him we sent you!

Is Your First Aid Kit Obsolete? New ANSI Standard Causes Concern

2009-06-17T22:20:00.014-04:00

Do you have a first aid kit at the workplace? OSHA requires it per 29 CFR 1910.151(B) "Adequate first aid supplies shall be readily available."

The question then becomes, "what is considered adequate"? Well strangely enough there once was a time when an employer had to have a licensed medical professional prescribe the proper contents for the first aid kit!

Don't remember ever doing that did you (we didn't either). OSHA then became wiser and changed the wording as we see above. Of course that wording just complicated things so they clarified rather nicely the required first aid kit contents in Appendix "A" of 29 CFR 1910.151 where it states:

An example of the minimal contents of a generic first aid kit is described in American National Standard (ANSI) Z308.1-1998 "Minimum Requirements for Workplace First-aid Kits." The contents of the kit listed in the ANSI standard should be adequate for small worksites. When larger operations or multiple operations are being conducted at the same location, employers should determine the need for additional first aid kits at the worksite, additional types of first aid equipment and supplies and additional quantities and types of supplies and equipment in the first aid kits.

Well now Z308.1-2009, American National Standard -- Minimum Requirements for Workplace First Aid Kits and Supplies, has received ANSI approval and becomes effective. There are some changes to the contents, new types of first aid kits and a required supply list to include a first aid guide.

Should you start buying new first aid kits that now match the newly revised ANSI standard?

Although perhaps a good idea to match the current standard, OSHA has only adopted the requirement to meet the 1998 version of ANSI Z308.1 standard. As long as your kits at least meet that standard, you should be good to go, if you are a typical small workplace.

OSHA still requires that the employer evaluate the workplace, the workers, the task performed, the employee count, types of injuries possible etc and then make a decision on the first aid kits and their requirements.

How best can this be done? By conducting a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA).

You do know how to conduct a JHA right?

If not, come back to this blog and we'll talk about the JHA. . .

OSHA Fines Walmart for Post-Thanksgiving Sales Blitz Death

2009-05-27T23:58:00.005-04:00

Ever been to a post-Thanksgiving sale? One of the really early ones where a crowd of people storm the doors at 6:00am and pick apart a store? I did once, and that was quite enough. . .

Well Walmart is now feeling the pain from their November 28, 2008 sales blitz. During this sales blitz Jdimytai Damour of an employee at a Valley Stream, N.Y. store was trampled to death and about 11 people sustained injuries, according to the DA's office.

Now OSHA doesn’t protect shoppers per se, their mission is to protect workers and in this case an employee died, so OSHA comes on board. Interesting enough, the 11 members of the public are not protected by OSHA but the pressure OSHA put on Walmart to create better crowd control policies and procedures will serve to protect employees and public alike.

OSHA's concluded employees were exposed to being crushed by the crowd of 2,000 because the store failed to implement reasonable and effective crowd management principles. OSHA maintained that the store should have provided its employees training and tools to safely manage that crowd.

"Effective planning and crowd management could have prevented this incident and its grave consequences," said Robert Kulick, OSHA's regional administrator in New York. "Wal-Mart must now take steps to ensure that a situation such as this one never happens again."

So the question begs to be asked: What foreseeable hazards exist in your workplace, and more importantly, what will you do to better protect the workforce?

Just Arrived Back From Kenedy Space Center

2009-05-12T20:22:00.000-04:00

I just arrived back from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and had a great time. Looks like NASA is going to retire the space shuttle and transition into a new breed of craft, so i figured now would be a great time to see a final liftoff.

One of the concerns for this flight is the space junk floating around near the Hubble telescope where the shuttle is going for repairs.

I found it interesting that NASA has calculated the risk for a catastrophic collision with junk during the mission at 1 in 229. A typical shuttle mission is calculated at a 1 in 300 risk and it appears their threshold for tolerance is 1 in 200.

The crew spent Tuesday checking the outside of the shuttle for any damage from debris during launch, finding four nicks that initially seem minor, but there is some concern. We all remember what happened when Space Shuttle Columbia got hit by a piece of foam during launch and later disintegrated during re-entry.

But the biggest danger on any shuttle flight is getting hit with space junk or tiny space rocks at high speeds during orbit, not during launch. Because objects circle the Earth at high speed, something as small as one-third the width of a dime can penetrate the shuttle's cabin, causing a major—maybe even fatal—problem, according to NASA.

Of course NASA has prepared for this contingency and they even have a backup space shuttle on the launching pad right now ready to rescue the crew should additional damage occur.

So this brings up a great question, whats your contingency plan for workplace emergencies? Hopefully you've conducted your hazard analysis. You've used a hierarchy of control to eliminate or at least reduce the hazards in the workplace. Sometimes things happen. operator error, equipment malfunction, so called acts-of-god. If this happens, do you have a backup plan?

You should and we encourage you to start reviewing or developing those plans this month. Of course should you need assistance, we're here to help. next month we'll talk about contingency plans, so be looking for our e-newsletter. . .

FREE WEBCAST: The Swine Flu Pandemic - Urban Myths and Real Solutions for Preparing Your Business

2009-05-10T23:04:00.004-04:00

URGENT: Readers of this blog are invited to a very special free webcast on swine flu and how to keep your employees safe!

The Swine Flu epidemic has spread throughout North America and now threatens to mutate into an even more aggressive influenza. How will you prepare? How will your business be affected?

Have you developed a business continuity plan that addresses influenza epidemics? What proactive steps can you take to protect your employees and your business?

In this 90 minute webcast you'll learn:

:: Proactive steps you can take to protect employees
:: "Urban Myths" related to swine flu and how to determine what’s accurate
:: Key components of an emergency response plan (we'll include a plan template you can download)
:: Resources provided by local, state and federal health agencies
:: How to approach cleaning and maintenance protocols before, during and after an outbreak
:: Security and travel related issues
:: Effective communication with employees, suppliers, clients and contractors.

This timely webcast also includes a question and answer session which allows you to get answers to your most pressing influenza issues.

Title: The Swine Flu Pandemic: Urban Myths and Real Solutions for Preparing Your Business

Date: Thursday, May 14, 2009

Time: 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM EDT

Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/298571818

P.S. After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

P.P.S. Sign up for this webcast and you'll be able to download the webcast in its entirety.
Listen when you'd like as many times as you'd like!

Onsite OSHA Bootcamp Now Available!

2009-05-10T22:57:00.002-04:00

We just finished up a great OSHA Bootcamp in Oklahoma City last week. Our thanks go out to the wonderful participants who joined us for two-days. Those who attended came away with a true gameplan for compliance. Each received a copy of the OSHA Navigator PRO software and are well on their way to a safer workplace.

What makes the OSHA Bootcamp unique, is the small number of participants we allow to attend. We find that when our Bootcamps are kept small (12 or fewer attendees) the participants get more from the training event, and that’s our goal.

One problem though. . .

Although we have ten Bootcamps scheduled this year, each are sold out and we can't take on additional registrations. We may be offering additional Bootcamps later this year (after the Fall) but right now the only way you can experience the OSHA Bootcamp is to bring it onsite.

We don't charge per person. Our fee is all inclusive (meaning we pay for all travel arrangements etc) and it’s a very effective way to get your staff trained and OSHA compliant. Many of our clients have found that the savings achieved from conducting an OSHA Bootcamp onsite more than covers the cost of the training!

To find out more about the OSHA Bootcamp and how to bring it onsite visit:
http://www.wpsac.org/bootcamp.html

Reserve Your Seat For Free OSHA Update Classes!

2009-05-10T22:52:00.003-04:00

The Workplace Safety Awareness Council has been awarded a Federal grant to develop and deliver free OSHA training covering this newly updated electrical standard and the half-day classes are filling up quickly - in fact we've averaged 100 people in each class and half of the classes filled up where we had to shut down registrations!

Each attendee will receive a CD-ROM filled with training documents, video and PowerPoint that you can take back and train your employees.

There are only 13 classes left!

June 15 Buffalo, NY
June 16 Syracuse, NY
June 17 Albany, NY
June 18 Springfield, MA
June 19 Boston, MS

July 13 Philadelphia, PA
July 14 Newark, NJ
July 15 Trenton, NJ
July 16 New York, NY
July 17 Providence, RI
July 21 San Juan, PR

August 10 Louisville, KY
August 11 Nashville, TN
August 12 Memphis, TN

To find out more or to reserve your seat at this free class just visit:
http://www.wpsac.org/free.html

OSHA Investigating Building Collapse at Dallas Cowboy Training Facility

2009-05-10T22:44:00.005-04:00

It would seem that 250lb linebackers who run a 4.5 second 40 yard time and violently collide into other professionals at equal size and speed would be dangerous enough. . .

Last week in Irving Texas, however the unexpected happened. During a microburst up to 70-mph winds, the Cowboys 85 foot tall practice bubble collapsed. Nearly 70 players, coaches, and members of the media were inside the steel framed structure.

A total of 12 people were injured including a 33-year-old Dallas Cowboys staff member who was
left paralyzed. Scouting assistant Rich Behm suffered a spine fracture that caused permanent paralysis from the waist down, the team confirmed Sunday.

Thankfully, nobody died however the life of Rich Behm has been forever changed. Now, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is onsite.

Representatives of Summit Structure of Allentown, Pa., and Cover-All Building Systems, of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, which built the facility, could not be reached Sunday.

In 2007, a Pennsylvania judge, relying on Timbie's expert assessment, found that a structure Summit built for the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority on the Delaware River collapsed because of "failure of the design" to account for snow buildup on the roof, court documents show. That structure had a double roof construction, which is different from the Dallas Cowboys' structure.

Judge Allan Tereshko wrote that the Philadelphia structure collapsed "under the weight of the first significant snowfall" of the year, conditions that "would have been easily tolerated by the building had it been properly designed and constructed."

Based on first impressions it appears that Summit Structure is in hotwater once again for a substandard building.

Questions remain however for the Dallas Cowboys: Did they do their due diligence in selecting a trustworthy vendor?

Did they ensure that all inspections were completed by their local municipality (there is a rumor that final inspections didn't happen)? Did the Cowboys develop a "severe weather policy" which would require personnel to leave the practice bubble and seek more suitable shelter?

No doubt the courts and OSHA will quite busy figuring this one out. . .

The lesson for you? Analyze your workplace for hazards (including severe weather hazards) and create policies and deliver training to protect employees.

Need an incentive? Hurricane season is right around the corner. . . .

Are You Required to Retire Your Older Portable Fire Estinguishers?

2009-04-09T00:29:00.005-04:00

Recently we've received a number of questions about NFPA 10 - Maintenance code for portable fire extinguishers. In an effort to unify NFPA code with Underwriters Laboratory (UL), the latest version of NFPA 10 requires that PFE's manufactured before October 1984 shall be removed from service at the next 6 year maintenance interval or 12 year hydrotest, whichever comes first.

Does this mean that you need to retire and replace all of your older portable fire extinguishers? Well, OSHA does not reference UL 299 or UL711 and that is the crux of NFPA’s reasoning behind the retirement of the older extinguishers.

In their regs OSHA says:
1910.157(e)(4) The employer shall assure that stored pressure dry chemical extinguishers that require a 12-year hydrostatic test are emptied and subjected to applicable maintenance procedures every 6 years. Dry chemical extinguishers having non-refillable disposable containers are exempt from this requirement. When recharging or hydrostatic testing is performed, the 6-year requirement begins from that date.

In 29 CFR 1910 Subpart L - National Consensus Standards - 1910 Subpart L App B
OSHA references GUIDELINES where employers can go to receive GUIDANCE in complying with the REGULATIONS. These guidelines are non-mandatory as identified in OSHA’s comments:

NOTE: The following appendix to Subpart L serve as nonmandatory guidelines to assist employers in complying with the appropriate requirements of Subpart L.
ANSI/NFPA No. 10, Portable Fire Extinguishers.

So right now, OSHA does not require you to retire your older extinguishers, however OSHA does require that the PFE’s be maintained and in working order and depending on the age of the PFE’s it might be good to retire it, but it’s not required across the board.

The next question is "Does your local building code or municipality (or other authority having jurisdiction) recognize and enforce NFPA 10? If the answer is yes, you'll need to follow the NFPA standards.

One last thought: Does your company own the portable fire extinguishers and use simply use a third party vendor to maintain them? Of course in this scenario your company would be responsible to retire and replace them (at your cost) if local code has adopted NFPA 10.

More typically the vendor owns the extinguishers and you would lease them. This of course would make the retirement and replacement of the PFE’s the responsibility of the vendor.

Hothead Chili Contest and How it Relates to Safety. . .

2009-04-08T22:34:00.004-04:00

Good friend and Maintenance Evangelist Joel Leonard talks with Fred Echols, host of All Things Considered/Weekend Virginia on WVTF and Radio IQ in Roanoke/Charlottesville, Va., about using an infrared camera to measure the heat that radiates from the foreheads of contestants who eat hot sauce.
For details follow the link: http://www.myfox8.com/news/morningnews/

For those of you who know of Joel's work, you'll also know of his now world famous maintenance crisis song, which you can catch on the plantservices.com site. For more information about the contest, see The Hothead Contest blog and The Asheboro Chili Cookoff blog.

2009-04-01T14:05:00.004-04:00

Well today is April 1st and unless you've been hiding under a rock you've probably been hit with some sort of "April Fools Story". It happens every year, we read a story and believe its true until we remember - "Oh wait - you got me, its April Fools Day". Our twist on April Fools Day is a little different. . . .

We've just completed a video and we're calling it "Safety is no Joke". Its a great collection of "funny" safety pictures (and we're using the term "funny" very loosely). The best part is the video is synced to the dueling banjo music from the movie Deliverance! You can't want this video without smiling - I promise!

http://www.wpsac.org/banjovideo.php

Be sure to sign up for our e-newsletter at the end and do us a huge favor and forward the link to a friend and help us get the word out - Safety is no Joke!

How will OSHA change with our new President?

2009-03-26T00:18:00.003-04:00

Just arrived back from the TFM Forum at the Del Coronado in San Diego. What a great hotel and what a great event! We were able to meet in small focus groups and discuss safety one-on-one - what a great experience.

One issue that came up was the changes to OSHA that we can expect now that we have a new President in office. You've probably heard me say that when we have a Republican in office we typically don't see many changes to OSHA. Reason? The focus is on keeping the "business machine" churning and we don't want to add regulations that may negatively impact business.

When a Democrat is in office we typically see OSHA get more funding and more regulations created. After all, the Democratic platform is "looking out for the little guy".

Recently President Obama put together a report on the upcoming budget and it had some very interesting things to say about the OSHA budget. You can read the report in its entirety(fy10-newera.pdf) but page 83 speaks about OSHA. In particular here is what the report says:

"For the past eight years, the Department’s labor law enforcement agencies have struggled with growing workloads and shrinking staff. The President’s Budget seeks to reverse this trend. The Budget will increase funding for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, enabling it to vigorously enforce workplace safety laws and ensure the safety and health of American workers"

Now understand that we're not taking a political stand here. I'm simply stating historical reality, so be warned, OSHA may be changing and you better be ready!

By the way, if the Hotel Del Coronado sounds familiar, there's been about a half dozen movies filmed there including "Some like it Hot" and "The Stuntman". Here is a picture at sunset:

Can you save $635,000 a year by developing your safety program?

2009-03-25T23:57:00.005-04:00

Just arrived back from the NFM&T conference in Baltimore and we had a great group.
The general feeling we're getting out there is that safety managers are more interested in the return on investment of safety than ever before. And it makes great sense! A recent study by Liberty Mutual found that for every dollar spent on safety you can expect a $3 - $4 return on the $1 investment! That's pretty powerful stuff, in any economy.

Think it doesn't work? While working with a group of municipal power companies in Florida, one risk manager was able to reduce his company's workers comp and liability insurance costs from $1 million dollars to just above $375,000 in a three year period. That's not a one time savings of $625,000 - its an annual savings of $625,000 based on smart safety goals - $625,000 each and every year!

Imagine what a similar savings would do for your company. better yet, imagine what a similar savings would do for you personally. Think job security, a healthy raise, new doors opened, the ability upgrade your position and salary. Pretty good options, especially in this economy!

To find out how to achieve similar savings in your organization, click on this link for a recent webinar that we conducted. This webinar may just be the jump start you need to make some serious changes in your organization and career:

http://www.wpsac.org/webinarinquiry.php?webinar=webinar3

See you on the blog very soon!