OSHA recently fined a roofing company over $200,000 when an employee was killed when he fell 16 feet through a skylight. OSHA issued eight willful citations to the company for its failure to provide fall protection in hoisting areas and on low-sloped roofs; failing to cover skylight openings to prevent falls; and not training employees about fall hazards. Seven of the citations allege per-instance willful violations of three OSHA requirements. A willful violation is defined as one committed with an intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and regulations.

Falls are the #1 cause of worker’s death in the construction industry.  The Compliance Resource Center reported on (ANSI)/ASSE Z359.2 fall protection in May of 2007.  Fall protection must be provided at four feet in general industry, five feet in maritime and six feet in construction. Here are some Fall Protection Tips from OSHA:

Fall Protection Tips
• Identify all potential tripping and fall hazards before work starts.
• Look for fall hazards such as unprotected floor openings/edges, shafts, skylights, stairwells, and roof openings/edges.
• Inspect fall protection equipment for defects before use.
• Select, wear, and use fall protection equipment appropriate for the task.
• Secure and stabilize all ladders before climbing them.
• Never stand on the top rung/step of a ladder.
• Use handrails when you go up or down stairs.
• Practice good housekeeping.  Keep cords, welding leads and air hoses out of walkways or adjacent work areas.

DECO (Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and OSHA) are presenting a FREE webinar on Combustible Dust. 

Combustible Dust Webinar
May 14, 2008 10:00-11:00 AM
To register, send your email address to rita.mosley@illinois.gov

Mr. John Newquist, Region 5 Assistant Regional Administrator, will be
conducting training on the new National Emphasis Program (NEP) on
Combustible Dust.
The purpose of this NEP is to inspect facilities that create or handle
combustible dusts which can cause intense burning or other fire
hazards when suspended in air, and can lead to explosions.
Combustible dusts are finely ground organic or metal particles, fibers,
fines, chips, chunks, flakes, or small mixtures of these materials.
Types of dusts include, but are not limited to, metal (aluminum and
magnesium), wood, plastic, biosolids, organic (sugar, paper, soap and
dried blood), and dusts from certain textiles. Combustible dusts can
be found in the agricultural, chemical, textile, forest and furniture
products, wastewater treatment, metal processing, paper products,
pharmaceutical and recycling operations (metal, paper and plastic)
industries.
Please join us in the Webinar.
When: 05/14/2008 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Time Zone: (GMT-06:00) Central Time (US and Canada)
Location: At your computer, or join us at the training site in Rockford,
Illinois at the EiigerLab, 605 Fulton Avenue.

To Register for this no-cost seminar: send your email address to
rita.mosley@illinois.gov

OSHA has a Small Business Handbook available to employers.  This booklet is not intended to be a legal interpretation of the provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 or to place any additional requirements on employers or employees.  The book along with OSHA’s FREE On-Site Consultation Service can assist small businesses in compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.

OSHA’s On-Site Consultation Program, funded largely by the agency, is a service provided to employers at no cost. Through this program, employers can find out about potential hazards at their worksites, improve their occupational safety and health management systems and even qualify for a 1-year exemption from routine OSHA inspections.  The On-site Consultation Program can help small bussinesses achieve Sharp StatusHow You Can Participate In SHARP
To participate in SHARP, you must: 

• Request a consultation visit that involves a complete hazard identification survey;
• Involve employees in the consultation process;
• Correct all hazards identified by the consultant;
• Implement and maintain a safety and health management system that, at a minimum, addresses OSHA’s 1989 Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines;
• Lower your company’s Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred (DART) rate and Total Recordable Case (TRC) rate below the national average; and
• Agree to notify your state Consultation Project Office prior to making any changes in the working conditions or introducing new hazards into the workplace.

The important fact to remember is, consultation services are totally separate from enforcement and do not result in penalties or citations.  Your only obligation will be to commit yourself to correcting serious job safety and health hazards — a commitment which you are expected to make prior to the actual visit and carry out in a timely manner. 

Safety Online recently reported that NIOSH, OSHA and NHCA (National Hearing Conservation Assoication), recently signed and agreement  to help prevent work-related hearing loss.  The partners agreement is to provide resources, speakers, recommend best practices and more.

Currently NISOH has a Hearing Conservation Program Evaluation Checklist available.  Over a year ago I reported  on this site, that International Safety Equipment Association petitioned OSHA about reducing the level of noise exposure in the work place.  Now there will be a greater effort to protect workers hearing and make more resources available to employers.

There has been 2 recent, serious incidents and deaths involving cranes.  OSHA compliance is for cranes and derricks is found at 29 CFR part 1926.550.  Here is a link to an ABC news video describing recent crane incidents including the “The Big Blue” crane incident in Milwaukee.

The Crane Certification Association of America in Vancourver, WA purpose  is to promote crane safety, improve the certification profession and address the subject of crane safety in governmental forums.

In fulfilling its purposes, the Association shall have the following objectives:

• To develop and/or promote educational information for increasing the knowledge and capabilities of the membership.
• To develop and/or disseminate information and materials that will carry out the purposes of the Association and serve the public.
• To provide and/or support forums for the interchange and acquisition of professional knowledge among its members.
• To foster liaison with governmental agencies that implement such other programs and projects that are consisted with the purpose of the Association.
• To conduct its affairs in a manner that will reflect the standards, purposes and objectives of the Association.
• Provide testing for practicing crane surveyors.
• Provide a professional designation to all members who successfully pass the Certified Crane Surveyors (CCS) test.

Another association which promotes safety is the CMAA Crane Manufacturers Association of America.  The CMAA is part of of the OSHA Alliance Program.  

Here is a link to an 8 minute video about crane safety provided by OSHA and The Department of Labor. 

According to Prevent Blindness America, 90 percent of all eye injuries are preventable simply by wearing the proper eye protection. The organization has designated March as Workplace Eye Health and Safety Awareness Month to encourage workers in all industries to protect their eyes now to ensure healthy vision in the future.

“Our vision is something that so many people take for granted until it’s damaged,” said Daniel D. Garrett, senior vice president of Prevent Blindness America. “We hope to encourage employers and employees to make sure that eye protection is on the ‘to do’ list every day.”

Most eye injuries occur in production, transportation and service industries. OSHA requires employers to provide a safe work environment. In fact, the group states that eye and face protection must be provided whenever necessary to protect against chemical, environmental, radiological or mechanical irritants and hazards. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that eye injuries total more than $300 million annually in lost production time, medical expenses and worker compensation.

“Not only does practicing eye safety at work make good business sense, most importantly, it is integral in ensuring the health of employees, which is any company’s most valuable asset,” Garrett said.

Prevent Blindness America recommends the following tips to promote safety in the workplace:
Safety eyewear must have “ANSI Z87″ clearly marked on all glasses or goggles and should be worn at all times whenever eye hazards are present.
Workers should know where the nearest eyewash station is at their job site and how to use it.
Employers should be notified immediately if safety hazards are discovered.
Employees should have regular eye exams to make sure their vision is adequate to do their jobs safely.
Those who already have reduced vision should ask their employers if prescription glasses or goggles can be provided.

Prevent Blindness America offers several free fact sheets and brochures to safety managers and consumers. Employers may also request information on the Wise Owl safety education program by calling 1-800-331-2020 or visiting the workplace section of http://www.preventblindness.org/

 One of the most common questions I get asked about is Exits Routes (Means of Egress) and Emergency Action Plans.  These two are synergistic with each other.  A good Emergency Action Plan should include all exit routes.  Too often we hear of employees getting injured or dying in an emergency situation.  Proper planning and training can help eliminate many of these incidents.