February Safety Spotlight from the OSHA Training Center

Accident (Incident) Investigation

OSHA strongly encourages employers to investigate all incidents in which a worker was hurt, as well as close calls, in which a worker might have been hurt if the circumstances had been slightly different. Investigating a worksite incident- a fatality, injury, illness, or close call- provides employers and workers the opportunity to identify hazards in their operations and shortcomings in their safety and health programs. Addressing underlying (root) causes is necessary to understand why an incident occurred, to develop truly effective corrective actions and to minimize or eliminate serious consequences from similar future incidents. 

Upcoming OSHA 7505 - Introduction to Accident Investigation classes from the OSHA Training Center include:

February 11 | Reno, NV

February 26 | Honolulu, HI

March 11 | Southern CA - Bakersfield

May 17 | Santa Rosa, CA

Hazardous Materials

OSHA's general industry standards for hazardous materials handling covers a wide variety of hazardous materials, including flammable and combustible liquids, compressed gases, LP-gases and cryogenic liquids. Hazardous materials and toxic substances pose many health hazards to workers, such as irritation and sensitization, as well as physical hazards, including flammability, corrosion and reactivity, which can damage lungs, skin and eyes. OSHA requires that all workers with potential exposure to hazardous materials receive training in the proper handling and storage of hazardous and toxic substances.

Upcoming OSHA 2015 - Hazardous Materials classes include:

February 22-25 | San Francisco Bay Area - Dublin, CA

March 8-11 | Las Vegas, NV Area (Henderson)

May 2-5 | Southern CA - Carson

July 19-22 | Southern CA - Irvine

Excavation and Trenching Safety

Excavation and trenching are among the most hazardous construction operations. Cave-ins pose the greatest risk and are much more likely than other excavation related accidents to result in worker fatalities. Other potential hazards include falls, falling loads, hazardous atmospheres and incidents involving mobile equipment. Trench collapses cause dozens of fatalities and hundreds of injuries each year.

OSHA revised Subpart P, Excavations, of 29 CFR 1926.650, 29 CFR 1926.651 and 29 CFR 1926.652 to make the standard easier to understand, permit the use of performance criteria where possible, and provide construction employers with options when classifying soil and selecting employee protection methods. For more information, see Trenching and Excavation Safety, published by OSHA.

Upcoming OSHA 3015 - Excavation, Trenching and Soil Mechanics classes include:

March 1-3 | Sacramento, CA Safety Center

March 14-16 | Honolulu, HI

April 11-13 | Southern CA - Carson

May 23-25 | San Francisco Bay Area - Dublin, CA

A complete schedule of classes can be found at OSHA Training Center Classes by Date.

Bay Area Safety Symposium

The Bay Area Safety Symposium will be held in San Ramon, California, on March 9, 2016, and will feature over 20 leading experts in the occupational safety field, including a keynote panel discussion on "Making Safety Matter." For full agenda and registration, please visit www.SafetyBayArea.com.