OSHA Issues Guidance to Alert Employers of Commonly Cited COVID-19 Standards OSHA compiled data from heavily cited establishments to create two new resources for employers to use during the current pandemic. By Nikki Johnson-BoldenNov 10, 2020 OSHA issued a guidance and accompanying one-pager on November 6 to clarify to employers which standards are most frequently cited during coronavirus-related inspections. The guidance was created to help employers protect workers and increase compliance with OSHA requirements. The documents are based on data from citations that were issued in health care facilities and meat processing plants. They provide resources that address the most cited standards, which include respiratory protection, PPE, and recording and reporting occupational injuries and illnesses. The one-pager advises employers to follow procedures such as proper PPE use in the workplace, providing medical evaluations before a worker is fit-tested and storing respirators and PPE in a way that protects them from damage. For more information, visit osha.gov. About the Author Nikki Johnson-Bolden is an Associate Content Editor for Occupational Health & Safety. Let's block ads! (Why?)

NFPA Releases New Guide for Firefighters Based on Fire Science A new 13-chapter document is intended to teach firefighters effective strategies for search, rescue and fire suppression. By Nikki Johnson-BoldenNov 06, 2020 The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) released NFPA 1700, a Guide for Structural Fire Fighting, on November 4. The document, which was made by the Technical Committee on Fundamentals of Fire Control Within a Structure Utilizing Fire Dynamics, is the first from the NFPA to connect fire dynamics research to response strategy, tactics and best practices for firefighter controlling fires within a structure. It arrives after the NFPA received a request for a new standards project in 2014. NFPA 1700 gives evidence-based recommendations based on fire investigations and dynamics to people who respond to structure fires. The guide emphasizes the importance of PPE and methodologies for contamination control. “NFPA 1700 provides guidance for the development of structural firefighting standard operating procedures based on quantifiable research and analysis,” said Chris Dubay, P.E., NFPA vice president and chief engineer. More information on the Guide For Structural Fire Fighting, visit nfpa.org. About the Author Nikki Johnson-Bolden is an Associate Content Editor for Occupational Health & Safety. Let's block ads! (Why?)

The Medical Center of the Americas Foundation Wins Grant to Further Health Care Worker Safety The MCA received a grant from The Workers Lab, which is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. By Nikki Johnson-BoldenNov 05, 2020 The Medical Center of the Americas (MCA) Foundation was awarded $75,000 from The Workers Lab as part of the Innovation Fund grant cycle on November 2, according to the El Paso Herald. The MCA will use the grant money to advance worker health and safety for nurses by launching the Nurse Innovator Project. This project will connect nurses and experts in the El Paso area in the hopes of creating improvements for safety in the nursing industry. “We are excited that this grant from The Workers Lab Innovation Fund will allow the MCA, in collaboration with nurses, other frontline healthcare workers and the regional Fab Labs, to design and implement a program specifically created for nurse innovators,” said Nancy Lowery, Director of Innovation at the MCA Foundation. The coronavirus pandemic highlighted shortcomings of workplace safety for health care workers—this will be taken into account by the project team when cultivating solutions to this health and safety issue. More information on the MCA Nurse Innovator Project, visit mcamericas.org. About the Author Nikki Johnson-Bolden is an Associate Content Editor for Occupational Health & Safety. Let's block ads! (Why?)

What Should Be Included in Every Occupational Health and Safety Training Program Occupational health and safety training is an extremely important activity at the workplace. By Jennifer DawsonNov 05, 2020 More than 1.4 million workers are affected by a serious job-related injury or illness each year. Focusing on enhanced prevention can reduce this number as well as the severity of workplace injuries. Injury illness and prevention programs are tools that can effectively offer a safer work environment for employees by assessing threats, education and training and program evaluation. Because workplace incidents are costly at physical, financial and emotional levels to employees and their families, implementing an effective occupational health and safety (OH&S) training is imperative to avoid expensive and fatal consequences. The OH&S Program Should Cover the Basic Elements The main objective of a program is to lay out a plan of action that will prevent accidents and occupational diseases. Recognizing that each organization’s needs differ from the other, there are some common elements though that should be present in the plan such as a policy statement, accountability and the general responsibilities of all employees. The program should also outline individual responsibility, health and safety procedures, reporting protocols, employee orientation and training. In addition, workplace inspections must take place at regular intervals to check that the job site is safe and at the same time carry out an assessment of threats with the appropriate recommendations to fix the problems. Leaking ceilings, faulty wirings, malfunctioning work equipment and poor ventilation are some areas that affect workers’ health and safety. Emergency procedures must also be included in the program and training in cases where an impending threat such as fires, flood or hazardous waste contamination appears, among others. Moreover, should there be situations at the workplace, everyone must be able to do first aid and know where the medical equipment and supplies are being kept. Let's block ads! (Why?)

Streamline Your Chemical Management with SaaS SaaS solutions can pull SDS information directly from the chemical manufacturer or distributor, keeping your SDS management system compliant. By Christine Wyman McCartyNov 05, 2020 As part of a comprehensive environmental, health and safety (EHS) program, preventing exposure to chemical hazards is critical to protecting your employees. Preventing chemical hazard exposure starts with a safety data sheet (SDS) management system designed to support the elimination, substitution, exposure control or use of hazardous materials. Many organizations focus their SDS management system on meeting the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard. However, according to OSHA, hazard communication and respiratory protection routinely fall in the top 10 workplace safety violations. In order to meet the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard, many organizations turn to physical binders to house SDSs provided by their suppliers. These documents include the properties of each chemical: • The physical, health and environmental hazards • Protective measures • Safety precautions for handling, storing and transporting the material While these binders can help track chemicals in use, this manual system also comes with major limitations. Binders make it hard to respond to workers’ questions, account for the location of materials, print secondary container labels and prevent exposure by automating purchasing approvals or managing inventory to support threshold reporting. Savvier organizations, however, are now more effectively managing their EHS and chemical programs by leveraging Software as a Service (SaaS) platforms. As outlined in a recent report, 5 Reasons Firms Should Embrace SaaS for EHS Software, adopting a SaaS solution is now seen as one of the first steps an organization takes on the road to digitally transforming its operations. When it comes to chemical programs, SaaS-based chemical management solutions can streamline chemical management by providing easy access to chemical intelligence, protecting employee safety and increasing reporting visibility. Let's block ads! (Why?)

Protecting Your Company From COVID-19 Workplace Safety Whistleblower Claims Employers should consider encouraging a culture that allows open discussion regarding safety concerns in the workplace and allows employees to raise such concerns with their managers. By Mini KapoorNov 04, 2020 The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of whistleblower complaints to OSHA alleging inadequate protection of employees from COVID-19 in the workplace. OSHA protects employees who complain about unsafe or unhealthy conditions in the workplace from retaliation by employers. Specifically, Section 11(c) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act prohibits employers from discharging or in any manner discriminating against any employee for making such complaints. Considering the upward trend of COVID-19 whistleblower complaints by employees, employers should consider proactively implementing measures in the workplace to minimize the potential for COVID-19 safety complaints. The sections below discuss practical steps that employers can take in that regard. Enforcing COVID-19 Safety Rules In Compliance With Applicable Federal, State And Local Guidance Maintaining the workplace in compliance with the applicable COVID-19 guidance may minimize the risk of and boost defenses against whistleblower complaints of unsafe or unhealthy conditions in the workplace. Employers should make good faith efforts to implement and enforce applicable safety rules in the workplace, including COVID-19 specific standards adopted by some state OSHA programs. Where available, industry-specific guidance must be followed, and where industry-specific guidance is not available, employers should strive to implement the safety standards consistently adopted by other employers in the industry. In circumstances where it is infeasible to implement the recommended safety rules, alternative means for protection that provide equal or greater protection should be explored and implemented to help demonstrate due diligence. Further, in view of the evolving COVID-19 safety guidance, employers should stay current with the applicable guidance from federal, state and local governments. Promoting Communication Regarding Safety In The Workplace Let's block ads! (Why?)

OSHA Issues New Respiratory Protection Guidance Health care workers in long-term care facilities are at high risk of becoming infected with the coronavirus—OSHA’s new respiratory guidance aims to protect them from exposure. By Nikki Johnson-BoldenNov 04, 2020 OSHA issued a respiratory protection guidance that focuses on protecting nursing home, assisted living and long-term facility workers from coronavirus exposure on October 30. The guidance suggests that employees at such facilities use cloth face coverings, face masks or authorized surgical masks. Workers should wear this PPE the entire time they are inside the facility, regardless of whether they are displaying COVID-19 symptoms. Health care workers who maintain close contact with residents of long-term care facilities are instructed to use a NIOSH-approved N95 filtered mask or an equivalent that suits the OSHA Respiratory Protection standard. More information on OSHA’s guidelines for respiratory protection in assisted living facilities can be found at osha.gov. About the Author Nikki Johnson-Bolden is an Associate Content Editor for Occupational Health & Safety. Let's block ads! (Why?)