Don't Let Asbestos Get the Best of You

On May 25 2011, OSHA had issued a news release concerning the US Department of Labor's fines of over $1.2 million to AMD Industries of Cicero, IL. According to the news release, AMD Industries violated OSHA regulations after 5 unprotected and untrained workers were allegedly required to conduct asbestos removal which had  exposed the workers to  cancer causing material. This is not the first time that AMD had a run in with OSHA laws. In December 2010 the company was issued 19 willful and 8 serious health citations. At that time, AMD was conducting an in house asbestos removal project using untrained workers. AMD had failed to provide protective respirators or even warn the workers of the risk to their health. (Source: www.osha.gov)

The general public may be exposed to asbestos in small doses daily in the air. Most people who develop asbestos related diseases were exposed to asbestos at their workplace. The greater the exposure to large quantities of asbestos, the greater the risk of developing a related illness. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. To keep employees safe, employers must know the forms and toxicity level of asbestos. SafetySkills™ provides an Asbestos Hazard Awareness course available at http://www.safetyskills.com/occupational-health-and-safety-series/asbestos-hazard-awareness This course provides information on the basics of identifying asbestos hazards and how to eliminate the hazards in the workplace. For more information on this courses and other safety training courses, please visit us at www.safetyskills.com

National "Don't Fry Day"

The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention has designated that today, the Friday before Memorial Day as “Don’t Fry Day”. The goal of this campaign is to encourage sun safety awareness by reminding everyone to use sun protection while enjoying the outdoors. Start this Memorial weekend off by taking the pledge to not fry today or any day. Millions of Americans will be enjoying the unofficial start to summer this weekend and with all the excitement it is easy to forget to pack the SPF. Did you know that more people will be diagnosed with skin cancer this year than breast, prostate, lung and colon cancer combined? (Source: www.skincancerprevention.org) You can still enjoy the outdoors and stay safe by putting on a shirt, wearing sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher, wearing a hat or sunglasses or hanging out in the shade. You also check the UV index in your area to prevent overexposure to the sun by going to http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/uvindex.html. For this year’s “Don’t Fry Day”, go beyond sunscreen to protect your skin.

Checking a Box May Cause Muscle Strain Due to OSHA's Proposed New Rule on Recordkeeping

OSHA is proposing to revise its Occupational Injury and Illness Recording and Recordkeeping regulation to include a column on the OSHA Form 300 Injury and Illness Log (OSHA 300 Log).  This revision would require employers to check a column if a case they already are required to record is a work related musculoskeletal disorder (MSD). The proposed rule would also require employers to put the totals from the MSD column on the OSHA Form 300A Annual Summary at the end of the year.   

OSHA held a teleconference in April 2011 to gather information from representatives of small businesses about their experience recording work related MSDs and how they believe they would be impacted by OSHA’s proposed rule.  The proposed rule would not change existing requirements about when and under what circumstances employers must record any work related injury or illness. The new rule would only apply to cover MSDs that employers are already required to record under the current OSHA Recordkeeping rule. One small business participant of the teleconference believes that the proposed rule will increase the need for a more thorough investigation to correctly classify work related MSDs.  OSHA is still taking comments on the topic until June 16^th 2011.

SafetySkills™ offers a training course that focuses on OSHA’s current standards of reporting and recordkeeping. This course is available at http://www.safetyskills.com/occupational-health-and-safety-series/osha-reporting-and-recordkeeping. This course will identify OSHA’s general requirement for injury/illness, identify OSHA’s required reporting forms and identify the types of incidents the OSHA requires to be reported. To learn more about this course and others, please visit us at www.safetyskills.com

Distracted Drivers - A Dangerous Dilemma

       Rising gas prices isn’t the only thing that is causing panic on the road. Distracted driving is an epidemic that is sweeping the highways and roadways, causing many injuries and fatalities.  DOT reports that in 2009, more than 5.400 people died in crashes linked to distraction and thousands more were injured. Text messaging is often the cause of distracted drivers which has led thirty states to ban the practice for all drivers.  Employers who allow or encourage texting while driving are in violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. They must understand that it is their legal obligation to create and maintain a safe and healthful workplace. 

       SafetySkills™ addresses the topic in the Distracted Drivers course available at http://www.safetyskills.com/driver-safety-series/distracted-drivers. After the completion of the course, the learner will be able to recognize the causes of driver distraction and the appropriate actions needed to prevent them.  Millions of drivers take the road each day as part of their job. SafetySkills™ wants to ensure that everyone arrives safely. Please visit us at http://www.safetyskills.com/driver-safety-series/distracted-drivers for more information on all the courses available in the driver safety training series.

2010 OSHA Top 10 List of Citations

       OSHA provided a list of the 10 most frequently cited standards for the fiscal year 2010 (Oct 1 2009 to Sept 30 2010 (Source: www.osha.gov). OSHA publishes this list to make employers aware of the areas that cause the most citations and to remind employers on what the standard procedures are to ensure a safe working environment. 

 

 

                   1.     1926.51-Scaffolding

                   2.     1926.501-Fall Protection

                   3.     1910.1200-Hazard Communication

                   4.     1910.134-Respiratory Protection

                   5.     1926.1053-Ladders

                   6.     1910.147-Lockout/Tagout

                   7.     1910.305-Electrical,Wiring Methods

                   8.     1910.178-Powered Industrial Trucks

                   9.     1910.303-Electrical,General Requirements

                  10.   1910.212-Machine Guarding

       Many workers unnecessarily get hurt or injured on the job because of the lack of attention to safety details. SafetySkills™ addresses these common citations and more in our e-learning course library. We are OSHA certified and continuously update our titles with new animations, imagery and interactions to keep the training fresh and engaging. Please take a look at our course library for more information on these courses on more http://www.safetyskills.com/course-catalog.

Stay Cool at Work with Heat Stress Training

       

       A new national outreach campaign by the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration will be focusing on the hazards of working in hot weather. The new initiative was announced on April 26, 2011 from Secretary of Labor, Hilda L. Solis. This campaign will focus on educating workers and their employers about the hazards of working outdoors and the steps needed to prevent heat-related illnesses. The message will focus on water, rest and shade. According to US Dept of Labor, thousands of outdoor workers experience heat illness which begins with heat exhaustion and if not treated immediately, can lead to heat stroke. More than 30 workers died last year from heat stroke. (Source: www.osha.gov)

      SafetySkills™ has developed an OSHA compliant course that focuses heat stress in the workplace. The course is available at http://www.safetyskills.com/heat-stress-in-the-workplace. With this course employees will learn how to identify and prevent the hazardous health effects of high heat. Heat stress can affect a broad span of industries from agriculture and landscaping to construction, oil and gas, road repair and airport baggage handling. For more information on this online course and others, please visit www.safetyskills.com

2011 World Day for Safety and Health at Work

       The 2011 World Day for Safety and Health at Work will be celebrated on Thursday April 28^th. This year’s World Day for Safety and Health at Work will focus on the implementation of an Occupational Safety and Health Management System (OSHMS) as a tool for continual improvement in the prevention of workplace incidents and accidents. (Source: www.ilo.org) The intention is to focus internationally on emerging trends in the field of occupational safety and health and on the magnitude of work related injuries, diseases and fatalities worldwide.

       At SafetySkills™ we have always put workplace safety at the forefront and recognize that workers have a fundamental right to safety but they have an obligation to work safely. Our courses help to provide guidelines and tools to maintain a safe work environment. Please visit us at www.safetyskills.com to learn more about our effective occupational health and safety e-learning courses.