Occhealth Bulletin
17 December 2009
What's new at OSHA - December 2009
Category: OSHA Updates
OSHA guide comes to the aid of Emergency Medical Service responders
OSHA has just released a new publication to support Emergency Medical Service (EMS) responders when giving aid to victims who have been exposed to hazardous substances and chemicals. OSHA defines EMS responders as those who provide pre-hospital emergency medical care or transportation services. The 104-page pdf document entitled ‘Best Practices for Protecting EMS Responders’ provides information and guidance to employers of EMS responders. The first part of the report helps employers to determine roles that their workers play in an emergency situation and assesses the hazards that they may face when dealing with a dangerous chemical/substance release incident. Two sections of the publication are dedicated to providing ‘best practices on training and equipping EMS responders during treatment and transport of potentially contaminated victims’. The guide also provides recommendations with regards to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and levels of training that EMS responders should receive. The final section of the document provides the reader with information about the processes involved in hazardous substance decontamination. The guide is available to download from the OSHA website and will be available as a printed hard copy from January 1st 2010.
Maritime Advisory Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (MACOSH) meeting announced
A two-day meeting is planned for January 19-20 in Washington D.C. to discuss health and safety issues in maritime industries (particularly shipyards, marine terminals and longshoring, and commercial fishing). A number of issues will be discussed including scaffolding and welding hazards as well as topics concerning arc flash guidance, commercial fishing industry guidance, safety zones in marine terminals, and speed limits in marine terminals. For more information about the meetings and how to submit comments, take a look at the Trade News Release from the OSHA website.Ski resort workers should consider PPE in keeping safe this seasonThe ski and snowboard season is here again! OSHA recommends that Ski Resort Workers consider appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as helmets to help keep them safe in the event of an accident or incident. The PPE pages on the OSHA website offer information about PPE, standards associated with PPE and appropriate forms of PPE for workers that face workplace hazards.
The OSHA website has a “What’s new” feature that is highly recommended. Items from the last 30 days can be found here: www.osha.gov/whatsnew.html. In addition, “OSHA Quick Takes” is a “twice-monthly e-news memo with information, updates, and results from OSHA about safety and health in America's workplaces.” To see the latest Quick Takes release, click here: http://www.osha.gov/as/opa/quicktakes/qt12012009.html.
For further news from the world of occupational health, read our news review bulletins from the Examinetics, Inc. website (www.examinetics.com).