Recently, many companies and organizations have required their sub-contractors to have OSHA 10-hour training.  This is a very common practice in the construction industry.  Previously companies just had to show that the supervisor had an OSHA 10-hour card but now, some companies are requiring all the workers from the sub-contractor to have an OSHA 10-hour card. 

The first half of the OSHA 10-hour Construction Course covers certain OSHA-mandated topics, such as an overview of OSHA, tips on how to locate specific OSHA regulations, basic electrical safety, & fall protection. But the remaining 5 hours of the class can be customized to address other OSHA Construction training topics that pertain specifically to your operations (example: scaffolding, excavations, stairways & ladders, cranes, PPE, and tools & equipment . . .).  These classes should be taught by and OSHA 500 or 501 trainer.

OSHA 500 and 501 are the train-the-trainer classes that are taught through The OSHA Training Institute and The National Safety Education Center and other OSHA training sites.

If you are considering hiring a sub-contractor do you want all the workers trained in safety or just the supervisors?  Your call.

This Instruction initiates and establishes a hearing conservation program that complies
with 29 CFR 1910.95 to protect OSHA personnel covered by PER 04-00-003 from the
effects of occupational noise exposure. The Hearing Conservation Amendment to the
OSHA Occupational noise exposure standard, 29 CFR 1910.95, requires that employers
establish a hearing conservation program for employees whose noise exposures equal or
exceed an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) of 85 dBA.

Employers are now mandated to have a hearing conservation program that includes:

• Monitoring of work area
• Audiometric testing program
• Employee notification
• Proper PPE
• Training on hearing protectors
• Annual employee training
• Proper Recordkeeping

The Compliance Resource Center reported earlier that NIOSH had developed online tool to allow users to check their hearing protection in a minute or less.  With this new directive employers might want to take a quick look at this online tool.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008
 
 

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

20th Annual Chicagoland Safety & Health Conference
September 15, 2008 - September 18, 2008
We would like to take this opportunity to announce
our Special Pre-Conference Workshops!
 
Advanced Training Techniques (full day, Monday, 9/15/08)
OSHA 7100 Machine Guarding (full day, Tuesday, 9/16/08)
Electrical Update Course (full day, Tuesday, 9/16/08)
and
1/2 day offerings on Tuesday, September 16:
Preparing for CIH Exam (p.m.), Indoor Environmental Quality (a.m.) and Women in Safety (Panel, a.m.)
and
OSHA 10-Hour in General Industry, Monday & Tuesday, 9/15 and 9/16
 
Please visit our conference website to learn more about these offerings, and to browse the many topics covered in the two-day conference on September 17 and 18, 2008!
  
Many topics to choose from, including sessions on:
General Industry Safety,  Industrial Hygiene, Construction Safety, and
Safety and Health Management
 
Also, back by popular demand:  VPP/SHARP Conference within a Conference!
 
Please join us on September 15 - 18, 2008 at the NIU-Naperville Campus!
 
  Register today!!  Please visit the conference website at www.chisafetyconf.org to browse our exciting topics and to obtain conference information! 
 
Sincerely,
20th Annual Chicagoland Safety & Health Conference Committee
 
©2008 Copyright, The National Safety Education Center
Engineering and Technology Outreach, College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, Northern Illinois University
All rights reserved. No information may be duplicated without permission from NIU-CEET Outreach.
 
 
 

The Compliance Resource Center is now offering to post jobs on the new Job Board Page.  There is NO COST for the posting.  Job will be posted on the page for 1 month unless we are notified to remove it sooner.   We hope this may help some of our readers find a new position during this economic downturn.

If your company or organization would like to post a position, send the job description  to info@thecrcenter.com and please mark it “For Job Page”.  Please include all contact  information where applicants can apply for the position.  

The Compliance Resource Center may contact your company/organization to verify infomation about the position before posting it.   

We all want to help each other during these times.  I hope we can fill up the page with many available positions. 

It is interesting that in the 29CFR 1910, there are 2 parts that have similar, yet vastly different relationships.  Both parts deal with hazardous materials but the difference is only one (1) zero or is it?  1910 part 120 is the regulation for hazardous waste operations and emergency response, and 1910.1200 is the compliance regulation for hazardous communications. 

Hazardous communications almost always is in the top 5 of most frequently cited standards of OSHA violations.  The most common citation is for failing to have a written program 1910.1200(e) and failure to train employees 1910.1200(h).

So what does this mean?  Employers are required to have an updated MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) book on ALL hazardous chemicals/materials in the workplace.  The book should be available to all employees who work with these hazardous materials.  Each time a new or changed hazardous material enters the workplace the MSDS book should be updated.  In addition, all hazardous materials must be properly labeled with a similar 3 or 4 part hazardous label similar to the ones seen above.  Some labels include proper PPE (personnel protective equipment) to be worn when working with this hazardous material.

Another key part of the Hazardous Communication standard is the training.  The training 1910.1200(h)(3) shall include at least:

• Methods and observations to detect the presence or release of a hazardous material in the work area.
• Physical and health hazards of hazardous materials in work area
• Measures take for protection.
• Information including how to use the hazardous labels, MSDS sheets and where employees can get information.

To avoid compliance issues with the Hazcom standard, start with a hazardous materials audit and develop you policies and procedures.  Next write a Hazcom program that includes training, and then do the training.  Remember, every time a hazardous material changes or is introduced into the workplace, or a new employee is put into that environment you must train or retrain all involved.  Avoid the problems and avoid the fines.  Write the program and do the training.

I recently became aware of a journal (Fire Engineering) that has a variety of articles about fire, hazmat and safety. One the articles that came to my attention was by Steven M. De Lisi.   Mr. De Lisi retired after a fire service career spanning 27 years that included serving as a regional training manager for the Virginia Department of Fire Programs (VDFP) and most recently as the deputy chief for the Virginia Air Guard Fire Rescue.

His article, Hazmat Survival Tips: 10 Common Errors Committed During Incidents  addresses issues First Responders have dealing with a hazardous incident.  Today many companies have HazWoper trained personnel, many who might also find some interesting information within this article.  Hazardous incidents are becoming more common as more and more hazardous materials are being transported throughout the United States.  Companies need to make sure they are in compliance with both the US DOT (49 CFR parts 100-185) and OSHA (29CFR part 120).