Getting Ready for GHS

Recently, OSHA held a public hearing to propose a new rule that would align their Hazard Communication System (HCS), with the United Nation’s Globally Harmonized System (GHS). Like most companies adapting to the new OSHA, you are probably wondering what this will mean for you. First, you should understand that the GHS is broken down into three major components: physical hazards, health and environmental hazards, and hazard communication. The physical hazards and health and environmental hazards components revolve around testing chemicals in order to classify the type of hazards associated with the chemical or chemicals that make up the product. The ...

Reporting: Separate OSHA logs from Workers Comp

This time of year companies are reviewing and preparing their injuries and incidents reports in order to complete their OSHA logs, which must be posted by February 1. OSHA recording is usually a daunting task for most, especially if you have more than 100 employees, or just a significant number of indemnity claims. Usually, the hardest part of completing OSHA logs is mentally separating the rules of workers compensation with the recordable requirements of OSHA. So to make it easier for you we have noted the most common mistakes below. Failing to check behind your TPA (Third-Party Administrator) ...

OSHA Standard – Electric Shock First Aid Requirements

With the new year came a more comprehensive standard issued by OSHA to cover "Work Hazards and Safety Practices in the Electric Power Industry" (29 CFR 1910.269) was released to help provide more specific guidance for employers and employees regarding safe work practices with workers engaged in the generation, transmission and distribution of electric power. Of primary importance is emphasis of work teams of at least two employees, as one must be available to provide CPR in the case of cardiac arrest of ventricular fibrillation. The "269" standard requires employers to comply with the medical services and first aid provisions in 1910.151, ...

ASSE Announces Voluntary Roadwork Safety Standards

While the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) may regulate certain aspects of the construction industry which relate to road and highway work, the absence of a blanket standard that addresses this sector of employment safety in detail has been a major concern to certain workplace injury watchdogs. The most recent attempt to impose some type of order on the mish-mash of overlapping roadwork safety policies has come from the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE). On January 5, 2010 the ASSE announced that it had completed a voluntary consensus standard dubbed “Work Zone Safety For Highway Construction." The ASSE has ...

OSHA Smackdown: $1.4 million in Fines to CES

One January 4th OSHA issued citations against Chemical & Environmental Services LLC, a Houston-based waste management and transportation services company for a series of incidents dating back to December 2008 involving several fatalities at the company's Griggs Road and Port Arthur facilities. From the OSHA announcement: Based on the most recent investigation, OSHA has issued 15 willful citations with proposed penalties totaling $1,050,000, alleging that 15 pieces of electrical equipment were unsafe to use in the tank wash area due to the presence of flammable and combustible vapors. Two additional willful citations with proposed penalties totaling $125,000 have been issued. One alleges ...

Clean Room Spill Control Options

Spill control is a topic familiar to anyone whose company works with hazardous materials. The need to make sure that chemicals, fluids or other materials are never given the opportunity to come into contact with and negatively impact the health of workers is a built-in assumption when dealing with the design of a facility or safety program. On a more intimate level, spill control is also important in a number of the different safety microcosms that can be found throughout certain types of organizations. When considering an overall containment strategy, it is important not to overlook small scale solutions that ...

Rain Gear – Tips and Considerations

Not every climate experiences winter in quite the same way. While some workers are forced to deal with snow and ice, others instead are treated to long months of low light, fog and driving rain. Depending upon the details of a region’s topography and weather history, for risk managers winter can often mean planning for a protracted period of wet conditions. There are two primary issues which can lead to an accident due to the presence of rain. The first is the water itself, which poses a threat in several ways. Water can cling to almost any surface, making it slippery ...

Welding Site Safety Plans

Much of the focus regarding welding safety concerns the actual worker doing the welding. Face shields, protective clothing and electrical precautions almost always focus on the welder in order to make sure that they perform their task without exposing themselves to potential injury. However, there are other considerations to make when planning for welding to occur within a facility or job site. Not only should the worker directly involved in the welding be afforded the proper tools and training to perform his or her job safely, but the surrounding area and all other employees should also benefit from the same level ...

Procedures For Safe Aerosol Can Disposal

If your industry makes regular use of aerosol cans, then you know just how much of a hassle it can be to find storage space for all of your empties until it is time to take them to the local hazardous waste disposal site. Even if you do have a dumpster or storage room dedicated to aerosol cans, you might be nervous about the idea of stockpiling an item that is well known to be a risk for accidental explosion. When empty, these cans can maintain enough of their original propellant and contents to transform into a flammable projectile should ...

OSHA Secretary Lays Out Five Green Reform Principles

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently participated in a special workshop organized by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) on the subject of ‘Going Green.’ More specifically, the emphasis of the meeting was on the idea that new government initiatives surround the creation of environmentally-friendly or ‘green’ jobs also offered an opportunity for OSHA to get in on the ground floor of a brand new industry and ensure that employee safety is built in from the bottom up. Making a presentation at the workshop was new OSHA Assistant Secretary David Michaels, who outlined a series of ...

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Getting Ready for GHS

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Reporting: Separate OSHA logs from Workers Comp

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OSHA Standard – Electric Shock First Aid Requirements

With the new year came a more comprehensive standard issued by OSHA to cover “Work Hazards and Safety Practices in the Electric Power Industry” (29 CFR 1910.269) was released to help provide more specific guidance...

Read more of this article