Sensible Safety Newsletter
3rd Quarter 2014
In This Issue
Safety Q&A
Injury Prevention
Training
OSHA news
OSHA Citations
Sensible Safety Tip
Supervisors are the key to injury prevention. Train them on safety rules and hold them accountable for the safety of their employees.
  
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On-site safety consulting and training is available for companies residing in the greater Chicago area.
Checkout all the services available through SSS.

  
Ask a Safety Professional

Why would my company be inspected by OSHA ?

 

Since it is not possible for OSHA to inspect all 7 million workplaces across the U.S., the agency has a process to prioritize which workplaces are inspected.
  1. If there indicators that the workplace has imminent danger situations.
  2. If there has been a fatality or catastrophic event at the workplace.
  3. If an employee has filed a complaint with OSHA.
  4. Another agency or organization provides information to OSHA regarding the hazardous conditions in a workplace.
  5. Following up on assigned corrective actions from a previous inspection.
  6. If there is a planned or program focused investigation for a specific industry.

OSHA will arrive unannounced so it is always important to be prepared with how to handle a surprise inspection.

 

  
  
Email your safety question to: csp@sensiblesafety.net
Injury Prevention

FREE New Interactive Training Tool that Highlights Hazard Identification.

 

 

OSHA has announced a new interactive webtool that will help small businesses identify and correct hazards in the workplace. The tool allows employers and workers to explore how to identify workplace hazards in the manufacturing and construction industries and address them with practical and effective solutions.

"Hazard identification is a critical part of creating an injury and illness prevention program that will keep workers safe and healthy on the job," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels. "This new tool not only educates employers about how to take control of their workplaces and protect workers, it also demonstrates that following well-established safety practices is also good for the bottom line."

Hazard identification training tool can be found on OSHA's website at

 OSHA Outreach Training

The OSHA Outreach Training Program for General Industry provides training for workers and employers on the recognition, avoidance, abatement, and prevention of safety and health hazards in general industry workplaces.  

 

This class is intended for entry to mid-level workers to help ensure that workers are more knowledgeable about workplace hazards and their rights, and contribute to your businesses overall productivity.

 

Next schedules sessions will be offered in November of 2014 at the NIU Campus in Hoffman Estates, IL. 

 

OSHA 10-Hour  November 10-11, 2014

 

Register now for $250 

  

OSHA 30-Hour  Novermber 10-14, 2014

 

Register now for $650
OSHA News

OSHA Launches Annual Campaign to Prevent Heat-Related Illnesses

 

Heat-related illnesses can be fatal, and employers are responsible for keeping workers safe," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez. "Employers can take a few easy steps to save lives, including scheduling frequent water breaks, providing shade and allowing ample time to rest."

In 2012, there were 31 heat-related worker deaths and 4,120 heat-related worker illnesses. Heat illness disproportionately affects those who have not built up a tolerance to heat, and it is especially important for employers to allow new and temporary workers time to acclimate. Workers at particular risk include those in outdoor industries, such as agriculture, construction, landscaping and transportation.

Visit OSHA's heat campaign Web page for free educational materials in English and Spanish, as well as a free heat app for mobile devices

 

OSHA News

OSHA Issues 2014 Inspection Plan

 

OSHA has issued its annual inspection plan under the Site-Specific Targeting 2014 program. The plan directs enforcement resources to workplaces with the highest rates of injuries and illnesses. The SST plan is based on data collected from a survey of 80,000 establishments in high-hazard industries.

The SST program is one of OSHA's main programmed inspection plans for high-hazard, non-construction workplaces with 20 or more workers. OSHA also implements 13 National Emphasis Programs and approximately 140 Regional and Local Emphasis Programs that intensify inspections of hazards or industries such as lead, silica, shipbreaking, trenching/excavations and process safety management. See the news release for more information.

OSHA Citations
Brulington Northern Santa Fe Railway
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway has been ordered to pay more than $526,000 in back wages and other damages to two workers following an investigation by OSHA. The agency found that the company, based in Fort Worth, Texas, violated the whistleblower provisions of the Federal Railroad Safety Act by terminating the employees in 2010 and 2011 for reporting injuries that occurred at the company's Havre, Mont., terminal.
 

"An employer cannot retaliate against employees who report an injury," said Gregory Baxter, OSHA's regional administrator in Denver. "OSHA recognizes that employers can legitimately have, and apply, policies to require prompt injury reporting; however, that is not what happened here. When employers mask their retaliatory intent through application of a policy or rule, they violate the law."

 

Burlington Northern has been ordered to pay back wages with interest, compensatory damages and attorney's fees, while reinstating and expunging the two employees' work records. Read the news release for additional details. 
OSHA Citations
Custom Rubber Products LLC, Houston Texas

 

Following an incident where a machine operator's arms were crushed, OSHA has cited Custom Rubber Products LLC with eight willful egregious violations. Proposed penalties for the Houston facility total $560,000.

"Moving machine parts can crush workers or amputate fingers or limbs in an instant," said Eric Harbin, OSHA's acting regional administrator in Dallas. "Safeguards are essential for protecting workers from these preventable injuries. Employers must ensure that guards are functioning on machines that can cause these injuries, and there is no excuse for failing to provide them."

Prompted by a complaint, OSHA's inspection found that the company created a dangerous work environment by failing to protect machine operators and other workers in the machine area from hazards created by rotating parts. During the inspection, OSHA became aware of two other incidents that had previously occurred at the facility involving employees being severely injured while operating similar machinery. See the news release for more information.

Safety Program Solutions
Sensible Safety Source supports your health and safety program development.  We offer a variety of safety programs, training tools, checklists, and webinars designed for U.S. DOL OSHAs general industry regulations 29CFR 1910. 

 

Injury prevention takes commitment, planning, and preparedness.  SSS can help you with the planning preparedness.

Sensible solutions for small and mid-sized businesses.

 
Sincerely,
 

Brenda Allard 
MBA, CSP
Owner 
Sensible Safety Source LLC

Sensible Safety Source OSHA program management tools can be downloaded through a link that is provided once the checkout process is completed.   Sensible Safety Source LLC terms and conditions apply.

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