Workplace Safety Awareness Council Blog

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!

Labels: 10 Hour OSHA Card, dubai, heat exhaustion, heat stress, heat stroke, Safety, sun block

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?

Labels: 10 Hour OSHA Card, Crowd control, Walmart, workplace safety

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

Labels: 10 Hour OSHA Card, OSHA Bootcamp, OSHA Training, Safety