OSHA Clarifies Requirement That Construction Workers Wear High-Visibility Warning Garments
     High-visibility warning garments are required safety attire for highway and road construction workers according to a new letter of interpretation recently released by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. In 2004, OSHA issued a letter of interpretation about the use of high-visibility apparel in highway construction. The letter emphasized that section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act requires workers in highway work zones to wear high-visibility apparel.
     However, the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission ruled that OSHA's letter indicated a more limited position: high-visibility garments are only required where the Federal Highway Administration's Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) mandates their use. Therefore, OSHA is issuing a new letter stating that all highway and road construction workers must wear high-visibility apparel regardless of whether the MUTCD requires them. OSHA considers road and construction traffic a well-recognized hazard to highway/road construction workers. Bureau of Labor Statistics reinforced the need for using safety apparel when data from 2003 to 2007 showed there were 425 road construction work zone fatalities.

Click here for the interpretation letter.
 

OSHA Awards More Than $6.8 Million in Safety and Health Training Grants
     OSHA awarded more than $6.8 million in grants for safety and health training and educational programs to 30 recipients, including labor unions, employer associations, colleges and universities, and other nonprofit organizations. The Susan Harwood Training Grants support workplace safety and health programs that educate workers in industries with high hazard and fatality rates, workers with limited English proficiency, hard-to-reach workers and supervisors, and small business employers. These grants will support training programs addressing topics such as crane safety, fall protection, combustible dust, and emergency preparedness and response ( pandemic influenza).

Click here for the full listing of grants with topics and locations.

Free Safety Training Videos for Temporary Workers
     Temporary workers could benefit from a new video that provides occupational safety and health training. The video includes a general safety orientation and six modules focusing on identifying hazards at construction, landscaping, manufacturing and food distribution sites, warehouses and offices. It is a product of an alliance among OSHA's Columbus, Ohio, Area Office, the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation, OSHA On-site Consultation, Staffmart, and the Ohio Staffing and Search Association.

Click here for more information and to access the videos.

Combustible Dust Hazards - Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
     OSHA has addressed the need for a combustible dust standard by publishing an advance notice of proposed rulemaking on October 21.  This is an initial step in developing a standard to address combustible dust hazards in 29CFR Part 110.  In this advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR), OSHA is requesting comments, including data and other information, on issues related to the hazards of combustible dust in the workplace. For the purposes of this notice, the term "combustible dust" includes all combustible particulate solids of any size, shape, or chemical composition that could present a fire or deflagration hazard when suspended in air or other oxidizing medium. OSHA plans to use the information received in response to this notice in developing a proposed standard for combustible dust. Interested parties are invited to submit comments in response to this ANPR by January 19, 2010.

Click here for the Federal Register notice with more information.

NIOSH Safety and Health Topic - Body Art
     For people who do not know much about the body art industry, tattoos and body piercings appear as permanent markings and decorative metal. But this industry is actually a unique form of art. Tattoo artists can honor people or memories that were an important part of a person's life. Body piercers intricately place each piercing to express a person's individuality or culture. The body art industry is unique because its artists express themselves through living art, but in doing so, artists may also come in contact with their client's blood. Because of this, tattoo artists and body piercers may also be exposed to a bloodborne pathogen such as hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). These bloodborne pathogens are viruses that are spread by coming in contact with the blood of an infected person. Body artists may be exposed to a bloodborne pathogen by getting stuck with a used needle or if blood splashes into their eyes, nose, or mouth.
     Bloodborne pathogens can be dangerous and may cause permanent illness. Not only are artists at risk, but so are their families. If an artist gets one of these viruses, he or she may become ill and not be able to support his or her family, or may possibly expose family members to the virus.
     The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) looked at artists' work practices to see what can be done to lower their chance of being exposed to a bloodborne disease.

Click here for the full report and recommendations.

More on body art is available on the NIOSH Science Blog.

OSHA Focus on Standup Forklift Under-ride Hazards
     Forklift truck operators must look in the direction of travel and keep the forklift under control at all times. One of the potential hazards faced by standup forklift operators is the crushing hazard that can arise when traveling, with the forks trailing, in a warehouse near a storage rack or similar obstruction. The risk is that a horizontal rack beam (crossbar) or similar obstruction might enter the operator’s compartment in a situation referred to as "under-ride." This Safety and Health Information Bulletin (SHIB) discusses ways to reduce the crushing hazard to the operator associated with under-ride. Awareness of the precautions and safety measures highlighted in this SHIB can help prevent serious injuries and fatalities related to warehouse operations.
     The purpose of this SHIB is to:

• Alert standup forklift operators and employers to the crushing hazard to the operator associated with under-ride;
• Identify standup forklift features that are available on new equipment or that can be installed on standup forklifts to address the hazard (ANSI/ITSDF B56.1-2005, para. 4.5.3, 7.30, 7.36.);
• Identify arrangements or modifications of storage racks that might reduce the risk of under-ride;
• Recommend work practices that can be implemented by the employer to eliminate the under-ride hazard;
• Stress the importance of training employees on the safe operation of standup forklifts; and
• Ensure that employees follow safe operating procedures.

Click here for the full report.

Click here to download as a PDF file.

News You Can Use

American Heart Association Focus On Work-Site Wellness Program for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention
     With over 130 million Americans employed across the United States, workplaces provide a large audience for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke prevention activities. Experience has shown that workplace wellness programs are an important strategy to prevent the major shared risk factors for CVD and stroke, including cigarette smoking, obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, physical inactivity, and diabetes. The societal benefits of a healthy employed population extend well beyond the workplace. As such, comprehensive, culturally sensitive health promotion within the workplace can improve the nation’s health.

Click here to download the report.

Source: American Heart Association

Chemicals and Noise - A Hazardous Combination
     It is no surprise that most work-related hearing loss is caused by noise exposure, and that genetics and age can also be contributors. What may not be as well known is that some chemical exposures can pose a potential risk to hearing. Both animal experiments and human studies suggest that certain chemical exposures may cause "ototoxic" effects (damage the hearing and balance functions of the ear). In general, the exposure concentrations that cause these effects are considered high. However, exposure to some of these chemicals and noise at the same time can significantly increase the risk of developing ototoxic effects.
     Effects of chemical exposure on hearing Ototoxic chemicals can cause hearing loss on their own, however when combined with noise exposure, the effects can be even more severe. Organic solvents are the most commonly identified chemicals, but others may also be involved (e.g. metals and chemical asphyxiants). The hearing frequencies affected by solvent exposure are different than those affected by noise. Research suggests that solvents may interact synergistically with noise. Even when noise and chemicals are at permissible exposure levels, the impact of a combined exposure can do more damage than a higher exposure to either hazard alone.

     Some chemicals associated with hearing loss

• Benzene
• Carbon disulfide
• Carbon monoxide
• Ethylbenzene
• Hydrogen cyanide
• Lead
• Mercury
• n-Hexane
• Solvent mixtures
• Styrene
• Trichloroethylene
• Toluene
• Xylene

Click here for the full report.

Source: The Health and Safety Report (Canada)

Risk Control Hierarchy Clarifies Electrical Safety
     A clear and realistic set of objectives goes a long way in driving continuous improvements in electrical safety. Resources can be allocated and priorities can be defined once objectives are set. The risk control hierarchy (RCH) in the ANSI-Z10 standard (American National Standard for Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems) provides electrical safety professionals with an excellent roadmap for setting the right safety objectives that result in the reduction of electrical risks. For example, when a Department of Energy electrical safety program is analyzed under the light of the RCH, many potential electrical safety improvements begin to jump off the page. The RCH not only helps improve a plant electrical safety program, but it also inspires manufacturers to improve their electrical equipment designs. Lastly, the RCH provides a means to measure the effectiveness of an electrical safety initiative, much the same way a project manager uses financial measurements (return on investment or payback analysis) to evaluate a project.
     Building a successful electrical safety culture will reduce the number of workplace fatalities and electrical accidents. However, accomplishing that task does not happen overnight. It takes time, effort and persistence to ripen the attitudes, beliefs and values necessary to harvest a culture of electrical safety. Still, very little can happen until safety priorities are set and budgets are approved. This understanding begs the question: How do we identify electrical safety priorities and strategically allocate budgets to fund them? Moreover, how can we measure our success? The answer is with the risk control hierarchy (RCH).

Click here for the full report.

Source: EHS Today
 

1. CUT IT OUT - In 2006 there were 115,320 recordable injuries in private industry due to cuts and lacerations (an increase of over 13% from 2005).

2. CUT IT OUT - ANSI/ISEA 105 (USA) and EN388 (Europe) have test methods and ratings to measure the cut resistance of industrial hand protection.

3. CUT IT OUT - Kevlar , Spectra and Dyneema are excellent cut resistant man-made fibers that can be used to manufacture gloves.

4. CUT IT OUT - The cut resistant properties of Kevlar, Spectra and Dyneema gloves can be reinforced with coatings such as rubber, nitrile, and polyurethane.

5. CUT IT OUT - The ultimate cut resistant gloves are made from metal mesh (like chain mail).

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

Norman Rivkin is Chairman of the Board and has been with Saf-T-Gard for over 73 years

• What Norm likes about Saf-T-Gard: "The cooperative attitude of our staff solving industrial personal protection problems AND dealing with customers and sources around the world."

• What makes Norm's day: "Seeing orders come in from customers we have served for fifty years."

• Norm's outside interests are: "Golf, bridge, world travel, reading. "

• Anything else: "Fascination with the fast pace of computerized business today."