Occhealth Bulletin
15 February 2010
What's new at OSHA - February 2010
Category: OSHA Updates
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/qt01152010.html
OSHA proposes recordkeeping change to better identify Musculoskeletal Disorders
OSHA has recently proposed a change to the OSHA Form 300 (Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses) to include a column for employers to record work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs). The column was originally included in the 2001 Recordkeeping Final Regulation but was deleted in 2003 prior to the regulation becoming effective. OSHA hopes that the inclusion will help provide employers with information needed to better identify and prevent work-related MSDs while improving “the accuracy and completeness of national work-related injury and illness data”. To read more about this change, take a look at OSHA’s national news release.
OSHA listens
OSHA held a public meeting on February 10 (9am-5pm EST) in the Frances Perkins Building auditorium of the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington D.C to hear views, ideas and comments from OSHA stakeholders on the issues that face the agency. OSHA is welcomed views on various issues but generated questions for public comment including:
1. What can the agency do to enhance and encourage the efforts of employers, workers and unions to identify and address workplace hazards?
2. What are the most important emerging or unaddressed health and safety issues in the workplace, and what can OSHA do to address these?
3. How can the agency improve its efforts to engage stakeholders in programs and initiatives?
Click here for more information about the meeting.
Valuable guidance on implementing workplace violence prevention programs for late-night retailers
OSHA has recently updated their guidance booklet entitled “Recommendations for Workplace Violence Prevention Programs in late-night retail establishments”. In 2007, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics as many as 167 retail trade workers were killed whilst at work (mostly homicides), half of whom were employed in late-night establishments including gasoline stations, liquor and convenience stores. Although fatality rates have been declining since 1998, OSHA urges employers to do all they can to help prevent these fatalities by implementing robust workplace violence prevention programs. OSHA suggests that, although not exhaustive, the “updated recommendations identify risk factors and describe feasible solutions”. To read more about this story and to access the guidance booklet click here.
For further news from the world of occupational health, read our news review bulletins from the Examinetics, Inc. website (www.examinetics.com).