OSHA Weekly: January 2018

OSHA News for December 2017

Hello,

Are we frozen yet? It has not been above freezing since December 24. I hope you dress in layers and have good warm gloves.

This month’s PowerPoint is a short Laboratory Safety ppt. I see many hazards in laboratory besides bloodborne. Ventilation in the hoods is rarely adequate. Training in mixing of chemicals and PPE is necessary to prevent explosions and deaths.

I ended the year with 2399 trained which is more relaxing than last year. I was glad to take the weekends off to prepare instead of teaching.

I will be speaking at the Blackhawk College Safety Summit January 10, 2018 in Moline IL. I will be covering 20 frequently missed serious hazards in manufacturing. Call 309-796-5718 to register. OSHA’s Brian Bohast will speak on the 2017 Fall Protection standard for industry. John Deere’s Ergonomist Janelle Haines will speak on ergo. Nick Walters, Tom Bielema and Angela Moore are the other speakers.

My most frequently taught subjects in 2017

1. Fall Protection.

2. OSHA 30

3. Trenching

4. OSHA 500

5. Confined space

OSHA News.

1) OSHA issued a long interpretation on qualifications of fall protection trainers. I could not find it on the OSHA site so I included the pdf.

2) Scott Mungo passed through confirmation hearings to be head of OSHA.

http://www.durabilityanddesign.com/news/?fuseaction=view&id=17806

3) OSHA wins silica appeal.

https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-employment-osha/oshas-rule-for-silica-dust-survives-industry-challenge-dc-circuit-idUSL1N1OQ17G

4) OSHA offers snow removal tips.

http://triblive.com/local/regional/13117389-74/osha-offers-tips-to-guard-against-snow-removal-hazards

5) Worker fatalities jumped 300+. According to BLS, 5,190 fatal work injuries died on the job in 2016, a 7-percent increase from the 4,836 fatal injuries reported in 2015 and the third year in a row the number has increased.

https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cfoi.nr0.htm

6) “The Department of Labor will work with public and private stakeholders to help eradicate the opioid crisis as a deadly and growing workplace issue.”

https://www.osha.gov/news/newsreleases/trade/12192017

7) The stopgap extends federal funding through Jan. 19. This means OSHA is on frugal spending until the final budget.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/after-passing-tax-overhaul-gop-returns-to-infighting-as-shutdown-deadline-looms/2017/12/21/dfad1890-e659-11e7-ab50-621fe0588340_story.html?utm_term=.8f997d676ca1

8) Under the settlement agreement, Bartlett is required to review its safety and health management system and consult with industry experts to conduct a detailed audit of the system’s effectiveness. As well, the employer will give its internal safety manager authority to:

• Stop unsafe operations;

• Obtain a qualified third party to review new installations or material modifications to certain equipment;

• Update housekeeping and preventive maintenance programs;

• Enhance training procedures; and

• Report to OSHA on a quarterly basis throughout the term of the agreement.

Six worker died in the explosion.

https://safety.blr.com/workplace-safety-news/equipment-and-process-safety/agriculture/OSHA-grain-company-settle-citations-20-sites-affec/

9) Rather, the EPA rule requires that workers be evacuated to a distance 100 feet from the spray equipment until the equipment has moved on. For pesticides where respirators are required to be used by the applicator, the Oregon OSHA proposal would require evacuation to 150 feet — 50 feet more than the EPA rule. And it would require that evacuation last at least 15 minutes after the spray equipment moved on, rather than end immediately, as is the case with the EPA rule.

http://registerguard.com/rg/opinion/36228897-78/proposed-pesticide-drift-rule-would-exceed-epas.html.csp#

10) Cal/OSHA Issues Advisory on Respiratory Protection for Harmful Exposure to Wildfire Smoke. When outdoor workers are exposed to air quality that is designated "Unhealthy", "Very Unhealthy" or "Hazardous" by local air quality management districts, employers are required to provide filtering respirators such as masks labeled N95 and certified by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

https://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/prnewswire/press_releases/California/2017/12/19/DC73882

OSHA Weekly

Saturday, January 6, 2018

OSHA December 2017

Translate