Here We Grow Again

The OSHA Training Center is expanding again! In 2016 we will be offering OSHA standards-based training in Honolulu, Hawaii; Guam; Reno, Nevada; and at two new California locations - Santa Rosa and Irvine. Adding to our current locations in California - Dublin, Sacramento, Carson, San Bernardino and Bakersfield - as well as the Las Vegas area and Phoenix, Arizona, the OSHA Training Center will bring more OSHA safety training closer to more students than ever before.

OSHA 511 - OSHA Standards for General Industry is being offered on November 17-20, 2015, at our new Southern California location:

Orange County Fire Authority

1 Fire Authority Road

Irvine, CA 92602

Stay tuned for more detailed information and upcoming 2016 courses at all our locations in the coming weeks! Visit the OSHA Training Center website for a schedule of current 2015 courses.

2016 Schedule of OSHA Training Center Courses Coming Soon!

The OSHA Training Center 2016 Schedule of Courses will be published shortly, so visit our OSHA Safety Training Courses webpage soon for a complete list of 2016 courses at a location near you.

Retail Employers Urged to Implement Safety Measures to Prevent Injuries

As the holiday season draws near and the volume of sales and shoppers rapidly expands, it is vitally important for retail employers to implement safety measures to prevent workplace injuries. Retail employers need to be aware of the potential hazards of managing large crowds during the holiday season and throughout the year when major sales events attract a much higher number of shoppers.

Implementing a crowd management plan and following a few simple guidelines can greatly reduce the risk of unnecessary harm to retail employees. In order to assist retailers in developing a plan to manage crowds of shoppers, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has published a helpful fact sheet, Crowd Management Safety Guidelines for Retailers.

According to OSHA's safety guidelines, some key elements of an effective crowd management plan include:

• On-site trained security personnel or police officers;
• Barricades or rope lines for pedestrians that do not start right in front of the store's entrance;
• The implementation of crowd control measures well in advance of customers arriving at the store;
• Emergency procedures in place to address potential dangers;
• Methods for explaining approach and entrance procedures to the arriving public;
• Not allowing additional customers to enter the store when it reaches its maximum occupancy level; and
• Not blocking or locking exit doors or routes.

Thoughtful planning and implementation of an effective crowd management action plan can greatly reduce the potential hazards of major sales events and help prevent avoidable injuries or worse to retail employees and customers.

OSHA Training Center Offers Oil & Gas Industry Hazards Recognition and Standards Course to Help Protect Workers

An increase in worker fatalities in the oil and gas industry has been an unfortunate byproduct of the rapid employment growth in the industry. 112 workers were killed in the oil and gas industry in 2013, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with the majority of fatalities occurring among workers with less than one year on the job. Oil and gas industry workers face many hazards, including motor vehicle crashes, fires, explosions and electrocution.

The OSHA Training Center is offering OSHA 5810 - Hazards Recognition and Standards for On-Shore Oil and Gas Exploration and Production in Bakersfield, California, on November 16-19, 2015. This 4-day course, the result of a broad collaboration of oil and gas producers, service companies and industry trade associations, provides employees and employers the opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills to anticipate, recognize, evaluate and control hazards common to the on-shore oil and gas exploration and production industry.

OSHA's Final Recordkeeping Rule Requires Notification from Employers of Workplace Fatalities and Severe Injuries

OSHA issued a final recordkeeping rule, effective January 1, 2015, requiring employers to notify OSHA when an employee is killed on the job or suffers a work-related hospitalization, amputation or loss of an eye. The new rule, which also updates the list of employers under federal OSHA jurisdiction partially exempt from recordkeeping requirements, is designed to enhance OSHA's ability to target its resources to save lives and prevent further injury and illness.

For more information on OSHA's final recordkeeping rule, including FAQs and additional resources, visit Updates to OSHA's Recordkeeping Rule or read OSHA's Updates to OSHA's Reporting and Recordkeeping Rule: An Overview Fact Sheet.

The OSHA Training Center is offering a one day overview of OSHA's recordkeeping standards, policies and procedures, OSHA 7845 - Recordkeeping Rule Seminar, on December 11, 2015, in Dublin, California.

Injury and Illness Prevention Programs Help Reduce Workplace Hazards

Injury and Illness Prevention Programs are an effective tool for reducing occupational injuries, illnesses and fatalities. Many workplaces have already adopted these programs as part of OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) and Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) for small employers, leading to significant decreases in workplace injuries. Many organizations report a transformed workplace culture that can lead to higher productivity and quality, reduced turnover, reduced costs and greater worker satisfaction as a result of implementing Injury and Illness Prevention Programs.

Effective Injury and Illness Prevention Programs should include the systematic identification, evaluation and prevention or control of general workplace hazards as well as the hazards associated with specific jobs and tasks. Major elements of an effective program include:

• Management Leadership to set clear goals, assume responsibility for program implementation and maintenance and provide resources to support program success;
• Worker Participation in all aspects of the program, including implementation, inspections, investigations, reporting and protection of workers' rights;
• Hazard Identification and Assessment, including input from workers, incident investigations and communication of hazards to all affected workers;
• Hazard Prevention and Control, including planning, verification and discussion of hazard controls with affected workers;
• Education and Training to ensure that workers understand the process for recognizing, reporting and controlling hazards;
• Program Evaluation and Improvement, including periodic review, modifications as needed and continuous improvement.

For more information visit the OSHA Training Center's Managing Safety and Health Resources webpage.