Tobacco Smoke in the Workplace
     The Surgeon General's December 9, 2010 report on tobacco smoke and health provides the latest findings about the adverse effects of even small amounts of tobacco smoke. NIOSH offers resources to help employers and workers prevent workplace exposures to tobacco smoke and to encourage workplace-based smoking cessation programs. Together with efforts to improve workplace health protection, these health promotion efforts are important parts of a comprehensive approach to improving workers’ health.
     In one place you can find:

• NIOSH Resources
• Health Hazard Evaluations
• Other Resources
• Surgeon General's Reports

For more information.

OSHA Announces Stakeholder Meeting on Noise Control Interpretation and Extends Comment Period
     The Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced that it is extending by 90 days the official comment period on the proposed interpretation titled "Interpretation of OSHA's Provisions for Feasible Administrative or Engineering Controls of Occupational Noise," which was published in the Federal Register on Oct. 19. Interested parties are encouraged to submit comments by March 21, 2011. The agency also announced that it will hold a stakeholder meeting before the end of the comment period to listen to the concerns of businesses and workers about the proposed noise interpretation.
     Thousands of workers every year continue to suffer from preventable hearing loss due to high workplace noise levels. Since 2004, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that more than 125,000 workers have suffered significant, permanent hearing loss. In 2008 alone, BLS reported 22,000 hearing loss cases.
     Responding to continuing high levels of hearing loss among employees in the nation's workplaces, the notice proposed to make enforcement of the hearing conservation standard consistent with enforcement of other OSHA standards by clarifying the term "feasible administrative or engineering controls" as used in OSHA's general industry and construction occupational noise exposure standards.
     OSHA's current enforcement policy for noise exposures less than 100 decibels has not accurately reflected the noise standard's requirements that feasible engineering and administrative controls be used as the primary means of reducing noise exposure. Instead, OSHA has allowed many employers to rely upon a hearing conservation program, including the use of hearing protectors such as ear plugs.

For more information.

 
NIOSH Alert: Preventing Injuries and Deaths from Skid-Steer Loaders
     The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) requests assistance in preventing injuries and deaths among workers who operate, service, or work near skid-steer loaders. This type of loader is commonly used in agriculture, construction, and general industry for materials handling and excavating. NIOSH studies in the 1990s suggested that employers, supervisors, and workers may not fully appreciate the potential hazards associated with operating or working near skid-steer loaders and they may not follow safe work procedures for controlling these hazards. This Alert describes six deaths involving skid-steer loaders and recommends methods for preventing similar incidents.

For more information and to download Publication Number 2011-128.
 

OSHA Rescinds Residential Roofing Fall Protection Exception
     OSHA announced a new directive withdrawing a former one that allowed residential builders to bypass fall protection requirements. The directive being replaced, issued in 1995, initially was intended as a temporary policy and was the result of concerns about the feasibility of fall protection in residential building construction. However, there continues to be a high number of fall-related deaths in construction, and industry experts now feel that feasibility is no longer an issue or concern.
     OSHA's action rescinds the Interim Fall Protection Compliance Guidelines for Residential Construction, Standard 03-00-001. Prior to the issuance of this new directive, Standard 03-00-001 allowed employers engaged in certain residential construction activities to use specified alternative methods of fall protection rather than the conventional fall protection required by the residential construction fall protection standard. With the issuance of today's new directive, all residential construction employers must comply with 29 Code of Federal Regulations 1926.501(b)(13). Where residential builders find that traditional fall protection is not feasible in residential environments, 29 CFR 1926.501(b)(13) still allows for alternative means of providing protection.
     Construction and roofing companies will have up to six months to comply with the new directive. OSHA has developed training and compliance assistance materials for small employers and will host a webinar for parties interested in learning more about complying with the standard.

For more information.

To view the directive.

News You Can Use

Seven Electrical Safety Habits for a Safer Workplace

• Fact: One person is electrocuted every day in the workplace.
• Fact: More people in the 25- to 44-year-old age group are electrocuted in the workplace than any other age group.

     The above statistics are sobering, surprising, and worrisome. Every employer wants to protect their employees in the work environment, but it is often a matter of “how can we make the workplace safer” rather than “do I really need to make it safer.” Employers will do what they can to ensure workers are safe, and they want to know what can be done to make that happen.
     Consider seven habits that will make the workplace safe for electrical work. Statistics show that if these seven electrical safety habits are followed, electrical incidents are greatly reduced if not eliminated.

• Habit 1 – Always Verify Absence of Voltage and Use Insulating Gloves and Tools
• Habit 2 – Establish Boundaries for Worker Safety from Shock and Arc Flash Hazards
• Habit 3 – Always Wear Arc-rated Daily Wear and a Face Shield
• Habit 4 – Always Use a GFCI with Cord- and Plug-connected Tools and Extension Cords
• Habit 5 – When Feasible, Create an Electrically Safe Work Condition
• Habit 6 – Identify Higher Hazard Levels and Adopt Proper PPE or Engineering Controls to Mitigate Those Hazards
• Habit 7 – Measure, Audit, and Continuously Improve Electrical Safety Processes

Practicing the seven electrical safety habits will go a long way in making a workplace safer.

For the full report.

Source: Render Magazine and e-Hazard Management, LLC

Is Your High Visibility Garment Program Compliant With U.S. Law?
     There is a need to help safety professionals create an effective high visibility garment program that is complaint to new U.S. regulations and one that will increase the chances of workers wearing the correct garment for the task. Consider the following 5 steps to create an effective garment program compliant to federal law.

• Step 1: Understand your obligation under federal law.
• Step 2: Complete a Risk Assessment
• Step 3: Select and design garments for your workers based on risk assessment and needs for design, functionality, comfort, durability, and appearance.
• Step 4: Write a garment specification based on specific performance criteria for each garment type.
• Step 5: Implement a Garment Program.

     An effective garment program should include filing any necessary documents or records, training for workers, a plan for maintaining and replacing garments, re-assessment of garment class as job functions and/or sites change, and training for workers. Worker training should include understanding the importance of wearing high visibility apparel, when and where to wear garments on the job site, how to wear the garments, how to properly maintain and store high visibility garments, and when to replace. While the actual lifetime of garments in the field may vary depending on exposure and care conditions, general guidance from FHWA4,5 on the useful life estimates of garments worn daily is approximately 6 months, and garments not worn daily may last up to 3 years. Lastly, as job duties, seasons, time of day, flame hazards, and temperatures change, remember to re-evaluate your risk assessments and garment choices to ensure that your workers are continuing to wear the right garment for the job.

For the full report.

Source: 3M Occupational Health and Environmental Safety Division

Successful Worksite Health Programs Require Implementation and Management Support
     To meet their goal of lowering health care costs, worksite health promotion programs must be well implemented and have strong management support.  If either element is missing, health care costs may actually increase, according to an in-depth evaluation of health promotion programs and practices at PPG Industries. Researchers analyzed survey data from 37 PPG worksites, including specific evaluations of program implementation and management support. The relationship between these factors and the reduction in health care costs achieved by the worksite health promotion program was assessed.  At worksites with higher scores for either implementation or management support – but not both – health care costs actually went up after the health promotion program was introduced. The average increases were about $950 and $1,400 per employee per year, respectively.

For the full report.

Source: EHS Today and the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

New Year Resolutions

1. I RESOLVE IN 2011 . . . to reduce both the number and rate of occupational injuries and illnesses where I work.

2. I RESOLVE IN 2011 . . . to be pro-active, not reactive, in addressing worker safety and health. 

3. I RESOLVE IN 2011 . . . to consider safety products not as commodities but as the specialized equipment necessary to protect our most valuable assets - our workers.

4. I RESOLVE IN 2011 . . . to invest in saving lives through CPR training and acquiring automated external defibrillators for our company.

5. I RESOLVE IN 2011 . . . to extend the safety commitment to my home and family.

Want more information on any of this month's Saf-T-Tips?  E-mail us for a prompt reply.

Luis Ramirez is a warehouse team leader and has been with Saf-T-Gard over 15 years.

• What Luis likes about Saf-T-Gard: "I like the way everybody works to get the job done."
• What makes Luis' day: "Get the job done on time."
• Luis' outside interests are: "Spend more time with my family and friends."
• Anything else: "Thank you STG for your support."