Occhealth Bulletin
19 October 2009
What's new at OSHA - Oct 2009
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: www.osha.gov/as/opa/quicktakes/qt10152009.html
National Emphasis Program launched to assess the accuracy of record keeping
This month, OSHA announced the launch of a National Emphasis Program (NEP), on record keeping, to assess the accuracy of illness and injury data recorded by employers and businesses. NEP will focus on industries with the highest rates of worker injury and illness. OSHA will inspect injury and illness data collected by employers, undertake interviews with selected employees and carry out a limited health and safety inspection of workplaces. Keeping accurate health and safety data records is vital. The information collected helps OSHA determine which workplaces to inspect and employers to understand and identify areas of worker safety and health that they should focus in their workplace.
Reducing risk of falls during structural steel assembly
Structural steel assembly is commonplace in the construction industry. OSHA issued a trade release this month outlining revisions to the steel erection compliance directive for the OSHA Steel Erection Standard. The changes have been made to two enforcement policies. One policy is in relation to steel studs or “shear connectors” which bind concrete to the steel. The other is in relation to the installation of a “floor or net within two stories or 30 feet, whichever is less.” According to OSHA, falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests that of 1,204 fatalities that occurred in 2007, 447 were as a result of falls. The revisions to the two policies aim to help reduce these statistics.
Resource to highlight health and safety issues associated with silica exposure
Hazardous dusts and chemicals often cause respiratory complications or illnesses in unprotected workers. Crystalline silica, of which Quartz is the most common form, is present in numerous masonry and construction materials including bricks, concrete, slate and stone aggregate. Exposure to crystalline silica dusts is known to cause a serious lung condition known as silicosis and an increase risk of lung cancer and other systemic (rest of body) disorders. OSHA has published an excellent guide entitled ‘Controlling silica exposures in construction’ explaining the associated risks with exposures to the dusts but most importantly ways in which silica exposures can be controlled. For example, the document outlines the importance of wetting cutting/grinding systems or alternatives such as vacuum dust collection systems when using construction tools including stationary masonry saws and also hand-operated grinding tools. The publication also outlines relevant exposure limit data and useful references to appropriate regulations. To download the guide as a pdf file click here.
For further news from the world of occupational health, read our news review bulletins from the Examinetics, Inc. website (www.examinetics.com).