OSHA Issues New National Emphasis Program for Chemical Facilities
     OSHA issued a new National Emphasis Program (NEP) for chemical facilities to protect workers from catastrophic releases of highly hazardous chemicals. The new NEP replaces OSHA's 2009 pilot Chemical Emphasis Program which covered several OSHA regions around the country. The program* establishes policies and procedures for inspecting workplaces that are covered by OSHA's process safety management (PSM) standard. The program's inspection process includes detailed questions designed to gather facts related to PSM requirements and verification that employers' written and implemented PSM programs are consistent. The intent of the NEP is to conduct quick inspections at a large number of facilities that will be randomly selected from a list of worksites likely to have highly hazardous chemicals in quantities covered by the standard.

For more information.

Download the National Emphasis Program for Chemical Facilities

New OSHA Educational Videos for Construction Safety
     OSHA has released 12 educational videos about potential hazards in the construction industry. The educational videos are brief, easy to understand, and geared to the needs of employers and workers. One in every five workers killed on the job nationwide is in construction-totaling nearly 800 construction worker deaths every year. The videos are based on real-life incidents and include detailed depictions of hazards and the safety measures that would have prevented these injuries and fatalities. OSHA's videos cover falls in construction, workers who are struck by vehicles and heavy equipment, sprains and strains, trenching and excavation hazards, and carbon monoxide poisoning. Most of the videos are two-to-four minutes in length, and all but one are animated. Each video is available in English and Spanish for Web viewing.

To view the videos.

OSHA Advisory Committee Meetings This Month - Open to the Public
     OSHA has scheduled a meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH) Dec. 14-15, in Washington, D.C. NACOSH is a continuing advisory committee established under the OSH Act of 1970 that has advised the Secretaries of Labor, and Health and Human Services for nearly 40 years on worker safety and health issues. The tentative agenda includes remarks from the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health and the Director for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; Work Group reports; and discussions on electronic health records and prevention through design. A final agenda will be made available on the NACOSH website. Work Groups will meet on the morning of December 14 and report back to the full committee on the December 15.
     OSHA will also hold a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH) Dec. 13-16 in Washington, D.C. ACCSH, established under the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, advises the Secretary of Labor and Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health on construction standards and policy matters. The agenda includes an update on OSHA's construction enforcement and outreach efforts, rulemaking projects, a presentation from the Seattle Tunnel and Rail Team (START); ACCSH's consideration of, and recommendations on a direct final rule/proposed rule to update personal protective equipment standards on head protection for construction work and a proposed rule on Standards Improvement Project (SIP) IV; and a presentation from the Office Engineering Services on sewage treatment plant failure. The full committee will meet December 15-16. Work Groups will meet December 13-14.
 

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News You Can Use

Hygiene Association Addresses Common Misconceptions on Ergonomics
     The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) first adopted its position statement on ergonomics in 1997 and subsequently amended its position several times since then.  AIHA is aware of the controversy regarding whether ergonomics is a science, whether ergonomic injuries can be adequately diagnosed, and whether ergonomic regulations or controls increase the cost of doing business.  The new position paper addresses several misconceptions.

• Misconception #1: Ergonomics is not a science.
• Misconception #2: Ergonomics is costly.
• Misconception #3: The injuries are not real because there is no way to diagnose them.
• Misperception #4: There is no way to show what is causing ergonomic injuries because they have no dose-response relationship.
• Misperception #5: Fixing ergonomic problems will slow production. It will require employers to slow down the work process or hire more workers to do the same work (e.g., two people to lift or carry something).
• Misperception #6: Many of these problems are due to outside activities like bowling, knitting, gardening, home repair or sports.
• Misperception #7: Ergonomic assessments are complicated. Employers, particularly small employers, do not have the knowledge or expertise to do ergonomic assessments, and hiring an ergonomist to do them is cost prohibitive.

For the complete position paper.

Source: American Industrial Hygiene Association
 

In Unfit Men, Heavy Work May Increase Fatal Heart Disease Risk
     High physical work demands are linked to an increased risk of death from ischemic heart disease (IHD) - but only for men who aren’t physically fit, reports a study in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM). The increase in risk is not explained by the higher rates of heavy work and health risk factors among men at lower socioeconomic levels, concludes the new research, led by Andreas Holtermann, PhD, of Bispebjerg University Hospital, Copenhagen.
     A previous study of 5,250 Danish men found an increased risk of death from IHD (such as heart attack) in men with high physical work demands and low physical fitness. However, social class was a potential confounding factor: men at lower socioeconomic levels are more likely to have jobs involving heavy work. They also have higher rates of lifestyle risk factors, such as smoking and obesity.
     Among men who did heavy work, risk was about 40 percent lower for those with high physical fitness. This difference was not statistically significant, however.

For the complete report.

Source: Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
 

Expert Offers Suggestions for Reducing Re-Injury and Returning Injured Employees to Work
     Every employer has experienced a workers’ compensation claim that at first glance, seemed to be for a minor injury. As months and even years go past, the claim snowballs into full-fledged disability and the employer is left wondering what happened and if anything could have been done to prevent the high workers’ comp costs and the loss of quality of life for that employee. Some employees experienced childhood incidents – such as abuse, alcoholism or drug abuse – which make it more difficult, physically and emotionally, to recover from a work-related injury. There also are other factors, such as pain tolerance and general attitude, which can impact recovery time. The employee’s attitude about the workplace, the employer and coworkers and supervisors also can impact his or her ability to recover from an injury.

For the full report.

Source: EHS Today Magazine.

ASSE Offers Critical Tips for Preventing Campus-Related Fires
     Each year several college students are injured and killed in preventable campus-related fires. In an effort to prevent injuries and fatalities caused by fires that occur in college residence halls, off-campus housing, fraternity/sorority houses, and to raise awareness about life-saving fire prevention knowledge as students head back to school, the American Society of Safety Engineers’ (ASSE) Fire Protection Practice Specialty (PS) group is providing free fire prevention and safety information and tip sheets. These tips and tools for fire prevention and awareness provide students, parents and school administrators with valuable information for identifying hazards, planning an escape route in the event of a fire, fire prevention and more.

For the full report.

For links to the fact sheets and tips.

Source: American Society of Safety Engineers

Sports Lesson for EHS Professionals: Organization-Wide Effort Drives Results
     The downside of sports analogies for occupational safety and health (OHS) programs is that they sometimes miss the big picture. If we focus exclusively on coaching theories, our annual “Health and Wellness MVP” award or how our department can win the “Super Bowl of Safety,” we may forget that health and safety performance ultimately depends on and benefits the entire organization, not just a few spotlighted individuals. The same is true in professional sports. Plenty of smart coaches and star players never win a championship, while great organizations achieve excellence year after year regardless of personnel and other challenges. So let’s take the sports-OHS analogy to the next level and explore how the organizational components that drive great sports franchises parallel key areas separating OHS champions from the rest of the pack.

For the full report.

Source: EHS Today Magazine

1. HANDS THAT DO WORK - Need protection from chemical, physical and electrical hazards.
2. HANDS THAT DO WORK - Need barriers to protect products and processes from contamination.
3. HANDS THAT DO WORK - Should have hand protection that is comfortable and fits properly.
4. HANDS THAT DO WORK - Can be cleaned and sanitized with safe yet industrial strength hand cleaners and lotions.
5. HANDS THAT DO WORK - Are also the hands that hug our loved ones.

Want more information on any of this month's Saf-T-Tips?  E-mail us for a prompt reply.

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