OSHA safety regulations, contractor safety programs, and ladder manufacturers alike do not require fall protection systems for portable ladders. This is primarily due to the fact that while ladder use is certainly involved in many accidents, it’s simply proper usage of the ladders that will provide a safe working environment. For instance, the angle that a straight or extension ladder is placed against a wall or structure is critical to ladder safety. If the base of the ladder is placed too far away from the wall (see figure 1), there is more outward lateral pressure on the feet than the ladder was designed for. What this means to you is that the ladder is much more likely to slip out from under you than you realize. Ladder engineers design the foot dimensions and materials based on the anticipated load, but only at the correct angle – any more lateral forces on the feet is just asking for trouble.
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The rates of workplace injuries and illnesses in 2007 occurred at a rate of 4.2 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers—a decline of .2 cases from 4.4 cases in 2006. Also, the number of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses reported in 2007 went down slightly to about 4 million cases, compared to 4.1 million cases in 2006. The total recordable injury and illness incidence rate has declined by 0.2 cases per 100 workers each year since 2003, when estimates from the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses were first published using the North American Industry Classification System. Some key findings of the 2007 Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses were:
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Employers cannot assume that their subcontractors will have total responsibility for the safety of their employees under a recent court ruling from the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in St. Louis.  Many general contractors write into contracts with their subcontractors that the  subcontractor is totally responsible for the health and safety of their own employees. In some cases, the contracts may assume that subs take on the total responsibility for the safety of their employees.  But this court decision says that an employer can no longer avoid OSHA liability simply by subcontracting work to another entity.

If the employer maintains some degree of safety control over the worksite then that company is called a “controlling employer.”  As a controller employer, the company can be held responsible by OSHA for hazardous conditions on the site, even if they did not directly create them or expose their employees to the conditions.

General contractors should always understand their OSHA responsibilities on the worksite and that all subcontractors are following applicable OSHA rules and regulations. This may also mean that OSHA may increase its focus on work sites, particularly construction sites, where it can cite multiple employers for a single safety or health violation.  This decision also increases the potential for criminal liability for multiple employers where an employee is killed at the work site.

The decision also opens the door for OSHA to reinforce its multi-employer worksite policy.  The multi-employer worksite policy says that a company that is not considered a controlling employer can be held responsible for an unsafe condition it created even if its employee was not involved in an ensuing accident.

According to recent figures released at a DOL presentation May 12, 2009, MSHA will not be receiving much in the way of additional funding for its programs.  While OSHA get a 10 percent budget increase, MSHA will only get 2 percent.   The DOL defends their position saying that over the past several years, MSHA has received large budget increases, which have allowed the agency to step up its enforcement significantly.

However, for instance, the state grants program under MSHA, an $8 million program will not be receiving any additional monies in FY 2010.  As far as enforcement efforts, enforcement at MSHA, presently a $237 million program for 2010 is budgeted at a little over $242 million, barely a 2% increase.  From MSHA’s Office of Standards, Regulations and Variances, the 2010 budget figures show barely any increase ($50,000) in its $3 million program to promulgate new regulations.

And funding for compliance assistance to employers, which could help employers comply with mine safety regulations, working with MSHA as partners, presently is non-existent.  According to the DOL presentation, “…MSHA’s enforcement programs do not set aside funding for compliance assistance activities. MSHA offers compliance assistance to labor unions, employers and individual workers to help them understand the safety and health laws and fully comply with them…”

Furthermore, mine safety itself  isn’t highlighted in any of the budget materials.  Is protecting the nation’s miners simply not a priority for the Department?

Labor Secretary Hilda Solis warns that OSHA will increase inspections at federal worksites in connection with projects funded by the economic stimulus bill, with a special focus on construction work.  “As you undertake these new projects, please be mindful that the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration may be conducting increased inspections of federal worksites…” Solis said.

She singled out construction work as including “some of the more consistently hazardous worksites,” saying OSHA would be “focusing its resources to account for the anticipated increase in construction projects and related activities” as a result of the stimulus funding.

The three-page letter further urged the other cabinet secretaries to “…take steps to safeguard both federal workers and contractors…” involved in stimulus bill projects that fund expanded infrastructure, new construction projects, or any other new work or worksites.  Solis also urged the cabinet secretaries to enroll their staff in a two-day training program OSHA will be offering for federal employees at OSHA Training Institute centers across the country.

President Obama’s fiscal 2010 budget request seeks funding for 130 new OSHA inspectors, with a special focus on foreign-speaking inspectors to address changes in workplace demographics. Solis told a Senate appropriations subcommittee May 13 that the budget request will “restore OSHA’s enforcement presence in the nation’s workplace.”

More than $88 billion in stimulus funds has been disbursed, according to the White House’s first quarterly report on the stimulus, released May 13.

Safety meetings are an integral part of any Safety Awareness Program.  The meetings are also an important part of making sure all the workers are properly trained in the various aspects of safety on the job.  Safety meetings can be held on a formal or informal basis and may encompass a wide variety of topics and issues.

The formal safety meetings are announced and preplanned in order to provide employees with information about safety week, training issues, regulations, hazard protection and many other important issues.  Informal meetings are often a short seminar about one particular issue and are a very effective way to address a specific job or task that needs attention.

It is a well known fact that a safety meeting is an excellent way to encourage safety awareness among employees.  When fellow employees get together and discuss the various issues and hazards they have encountered, together they can discuss ways to eliminate the hazards and increase each other’s knowledge in the process.

Holding a safety meeting is a great way to get employees actively involved in safety awareness and is a great way to get feedback from each other.  A safety meeting is another way of getting employees to share information about common workplace hazards and to work together to come up with a solution to address the issues brought forth.

By holding a safety meeting you are getting your employees to become aware of how to properly use protective equipment, lifting techniques and any other safety procedures.  It is also a good time to address safety hazards before they develop into larger problems.

Having a safety meeting is another way to present new safety rules, equipment and preventative measures.  It is an excellent way to talk about new rules and to refresh workers about the rules that are already in place.

A safety meeting is an excellent way to keep employees apprised of information about accident causes and types, as well as how to avoid them.  Safety meetings are a way for the company to maintain accurate accident statistical information and an important tool in tracking ways to prevent common workplace accidents.

Basic elements of safety meetings include advanced planning, proper preparations, adequate supervision and documentation.  Sometimes selecting a particular topic for a safety meeting is not such an easy task, sometimes you can choose the topics if you review new laws and industry standards, review new company policy and procedure information, evaluate current industry safety standards and asking employees which topics they want to see addressed.

The best time to hold a safety meeting is first thing in the morning when all the workers are fresh and aware.  Review the information and present any safety issues in an interesting and thorough manner, make sure the meeting begins and concludes at the projected times and present an agenda for the next meeting.

Safety meetings are an effective tool in keeping workers aware of the latest safety information in the industry.  By keeping employees up to date on current and new industry safety procedures and rules, an employer will find workplace accidents are dramatically decreased, which results in substantial cost savings for the company.

With the advent of construction booming, it is now more important than ever before to be aware of your surroundings and protect yourself against potential hazards in the workplace.  It is not only the responsibility of the company and job foreman to make certain that all risks and hazards are addressed, it is also very important that the workers be aware of their surroundings and take every precaution possible to prevent injury to themselves or others.  Construction safety awareness can result in saving lives and a drastic reduction of preventable accidents on the job site.

There is no question about it, safety must be the highest priority for anyone on a job site.  There are guidelines and protocol that are enacted to maintain a safe environment and straying from this path can result in injuries or fatalities.  This is why safety in the workplace has become an ever growing concern, and companies are investing a lot of money in making sure the highest standards are being utilized.  There are manuals and procedures that every worker must be familiar with, and most companies hire specialist to teach safety classes on a yearly basis to ensure that every employee is updated on the information.

There are many reasons why safety has become a hot topic for employers everywhere; worker safety, adhering to government standards, fines levied against the businesses for violating safety codes, injured workers, rising cost for workers compensation insurance and lawsuits are just a few of the many reasons.  Laws are designed to protect the company as well as the workers who do the jobs, but without proper safety orientation the laws are completely useless.

On the job injury factors on two issues: directly and indirectly.  Directly an injured worker can cost a company an enormous amount of money in lost revenue,workers compensation claims,  medical insurance claims and lost wages and injury pay,  are just to name a few.  Direct factors are the only ones that are going to be covered by the companies insurance carrier, so there is no direct loss of revenue to the company per say.

Indirectly, when a worker is injured on a job site accident, there are many other things that one must consider.  When there is a worker injured on a job site, management must deal with the inconvenience of a lost worker as well as the fallout that occurs because of the injury.  There may be lawsuits,the costs of legal counsel,  fines, and whether or not there is a third party involved in the accident, these factors all play an important indirect role in safety violations.

When workers, managers and supervisors adhere and enforce the safety rules and guidelines they are protecting themselves, their workers, the public and their profits.  When you can prevent an accident in the workplace it will save you time and revenue, by increase workplace effectiveness and in the cost of insurance premiums.  Failure to be in compliance with safety guidelines results in many obstacles that a business must incur, so if accidents can be prevented this will assist the business to operate more smoothly.

Good safety practices mean that the job is running smoothly which in turn generates more company revenue, and more revenue trickles down from management to the workers.  Safety is not just a word it is a concept that must be given serious credence, it must be of the utmost importance to everyone involved.  The benefits of having a company with a good safety record are that you generate a good impression of your company and draw in a better quality of workers.  All of these factors tied together, and help to create a company with a a reputation for the highest standard of safety and this in turns generates more direct revenue for the company, so in a word, safety pays.

Protecting you eyes will keep you from experiencing any unforeseen workplace accidents. Workplace eye injuries are a common occurrence and each day more than 2,000 people experience an eye injury.  Of these injuries, approximately 10-20% will result in some form of either temporary or permanent vision loss.

Some of the most common reasons for eye injuries in the workplace can be linked to flying objects (wood, glass, metal, etc.), tools, particles, chemicals, powerful radiation or any combination of these factors.  There are three things you can do now to help protect yourself against an eye injury.  You should know the eye safety dangers at your job and complete and eye hazard assessment.  Take precautions to eliminate any hazards prior to working and use machine guards, work screens or other controls.  Make sure you always use the proper eye protection on the job.

You should always wear protective eye wear on the job whenever there is a situation that presents a chance for injury.  Anyone else working in the area or even those just passing through, should always take precautions and wear protective eye wear as well.

You may be wondering what types of safety eye wear are available.  You can get safety eye wear in prescription and nonprescription, goggles, a face shield, welding helmets and in a full-face respirator.   The kind of safety eye wear you will need depends upon the hazards of your workplace.  If you work in an industry that has flying particles or objects, or dust, you should wear safety glasses with side protection at the very least.  If you work with chemicals you should wear goggles and if you are exposed to radiation, you need to use special-purpose safety glasses, goggles, face shield or a helmet designed for the job.

Safety glasses can come in glass, plastic and polycarbonate materials.  All three forms of safety glasses must meet or exceed the minimum safety standards for your industry.  Glass lenses are not easy to scratch, may be used around harsh chemicals, can be made in prescription form and can be rather heavy and uncomfortable.  Plastic lenses are lightweight, will provide splatter protection, may not easily fog up and are not as scratch resistant as glass.  Polycarbonate lenses are lightweight, protect against splatters, will not easily fog, are much stronger than glass and plastic, not as scratch proof as glass and are more impact resistant.  Whichever type you choose will depend upon your individual needs and the industry in which you work.

Protecting your eyes in the workplace does work and may prevent you from being injured or blinded. It pays to educate yourself about the workplace safety information on your job and adhere to it for your safety and the safety of those you work with.  Your eyesight is a precious thing and you should do everything possible to protect yourself against needless accidents in the workplace.

Here are some tips on what to do if an OSHA officer visits your site.

Duplicate the Compliance Officer’s moves.

If he takes a measurement or photograph, take your own measurement or photo, perhaps from another perspective for your records. If unsure, feel free to ask why he has a particular interest in a given area. Remember, whatever is in site is subject to inspection, so try to escort him via the safest route. Offer no information other than what you’re asked for- an attempt to smooth-over or talk your way out of an apparent hazard helps no one, and could be detrimental.

Conduct a closing conference.

At this time, you will review with the Compliance Officer any apparent violations and discuss possible methods and time periods necessary for correction. The compliance Officer will explain that the violations found may result in a citation and a proposed financial penalty, will describe the employer’s rights, and will answer all questions. Remember to speak only in terms of alleged violations.

Citations.

OSHA is required by law to issue citations for violations of safety and health standards. The agency is not permitted to issue warnings. Citations include: a description of the violation, the proposed penalty if any, and the date by which the hazard must be corrected. In most cases, citations are prepared at the local OSHA office and mailed to the employer. OSHA has up to six months to send the Notice of Penalty, with it usually taking two to three months on average for you to receive this notice.

Contesting/ Negotiating a Citation

Employers have 15 working days upon receipt to file an intention to contest OSHA citations. An employer may request an informal conference with the area director to discuss any citations issued if you feel an OSHA citation is unreasonable. Citations may disputed for two common causes; that the citation is false, or that the citation’s dollar penalty is excessive. Two less common but still worthy pursuits are; disputing the citation’s contention that the danger was real, serious, and that an accident was likely to occur, and that you were responsible for causing the unsafe conditions. While this may not relieve you completely of a penalty, it may count toward negotiating a better deal.

Contesting is frequently a good idea since OSHA will typically negotiate with the employer to a lesser penalty amount. The agency and the employer can then arrange a settlement agreement to resolve the dispute, and more importantly, to demonstrate that the hazards were eliminated.

Victor,

WOW! These manuals are awesome. I need to know what permissions I have as far as copies. I need to use this safety plan for 4 of my projects and each project needs at least two sets of manuals, one for the jobsite and one for the client to review and keep. Are you able to make these copies or can we make copies?