Union County Safety Council Newsletter

April 2019 EDITION

Sponsor

Your Union County Safety Council Officers, October 2018 - September 2019

President—Brian Dostanko (Human Resources Director, City of Marysville (937-645-7366)

Vice-President—Robert “Cricket” McClintock (Union Rural Electric) (937-537-0400)

Secretary—Rachel Gwilliams (Honda Trading America Corp) (937-644-8033)

Safety Manager—Angie Venable (Union County Chamber of Commerce) (937-642-6279)

Information - Cooperation - Motivation

March Recap What Is New At OSHA?

Safety Council Awards Banquet

April 10, 2019

6:00 p.m. - Der Dutchman

Guest Speaker: Mr. Dave Caperton

Every year more than 4,500 Americans die from workplace injuries. And perhaps as many as 50,000 Americans die from illness in which workplace exposures were a contributing factor. However, millions suffer serious non-fatal injuries or illnesses annually. In the state of Ohio, OSHA investigated 56 fatalities for fiscal year 2018. Who responds when I report an incident? The OSHA Area Office that responds to a report is based on where the work is being performed. In Union County, that would be the Columbus Area Office.

OSHA’s key tools to keeping workers safe are enforcement, outreach, and compliance assistance. One area of enforcement is penalties. Penalties are adjusted annually for inflation. As of January 2019, a serious & other than serious violation will result in $13,260 per violation. A willful or repeated violation will result in $132,598 per violation. And failure to abate a violation is $13,260 per day. Other areas of enforcement are emphasis programs. There is a national emphasis program surrounding trenching & excavations. All open trenches will be inspected no matter if a violation is observed. This is to decrease the number of trench collapses. There has been an increase in fatal incidents from 2011 – 2016. With the sharpest increase happening in 2016. Our region is emphasizing falls in construction, powered industrial vehicles, grain handling facilities, lead, wood pallet manufacturing, building rehab (gut rehab), and federal agencies. Noise and silica are still in development. Additionally, there are specific requirements involving Recordkeeping. If you are unaware of what those are, you can go to OSHA’s website. Just know that you must report a fatality within 8 hours. In-patient hospitalization, amputation or loss of an eye must be reported within 24 hours. When you report a hospitalization it must be when the worker is actually admitted to the hospital. You can report the incident by calling your local office if the incident happens during business hours, the OSHA hotline, or on-line. Finally, employers are responsible for ensuring that their crane & derrick operators are certified. The only certifications that OSHA will accept are by type only or by type and capacity.

The second key tool for OSHA is outreach. Outreach events that OSHA will be participating in this year are stand-up for grain engulfment, work zone awareness week, fall prevention stand-down, heat illness prevention, trench safety stand down, OSHA trenching initiative (2016 there were 37 fatalities), and Safe + Sound campaign. Other outreach initiatives that OSHA is working on are protecting temporary workers, young workers, and workplace violence. You can go to OSHA’s website for more information about these events.

The third key tool for OSHA is compliance assistance. OSHA has had 20 million visitors to their website, 262,000 responses for help to their hotline, 14,000 emails were answered for assistance, and 26,000 small businesses were helped through consultation. Any small business can call OSHA or BWC for help with identifying workplace hazards, help with providing correction assistance for those hazards, and establishing safety and health programs. There is no cost for this service and there are no penalties or citations assessed if you receive assistance from OSHA. A Compliance Assistant Specialist works out of an OSHA Area Office, provides general information about OSHA’s standards and compliance assistance resources, and does not go to individual business but only does group presentations such as seminars, workshops, and speaking events.

Awards will be presented to local businesses for all of their

hard work at keeping their employees safe.

Practice Good Housekeeping (www.nsc.org)

We often think of spring cleaning as getting our homes in order. As an employer, have you stopped to think about your workplace as well? Good housekeeping, according to OSHA, protects employees from injuries, keeps the workplace clean and most importantly, results in improved safety. Workplace housekeeping can be as simple as eliminating fire hazards or removing hazardous chemicals. In 22017, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 4,414 preventable workplace deaths in the US. Another 4.5 million injuries were reported, costing employers $161.5 billion. While these statistics are alarming, you can become part of the solution and eliminate hazards. Unclutter Your Work Environment It is important to keep aisles, exits, and stairways free from clutter. An untidy work environment can lead to injuries and ergonomic issues. Clutter leaves less space to move around, impacting employee productivity. Store items properly and in designated locations. This will help prevent an overflow in hallways, stairwells, and other areas, Also, make sure electrical cords are secured and out of walkways to prevent tripping hazards. Protect Your Employees From Fire Hazards In the US, workplace fires and explosions kill 200 employees and cause more than 5,000 injuries each year, according to OSHA. Fire safety is everyone’s responsibility. As an employer, you should design escape routes for your facility and conduct frequent fire drills. Sprinklers and smoke alarms also should meet state fire codes and should be tested regularly. Eliminate Falls In The Workplace Falls are the second-leading cause of on-the-job preventable deaths and the number one cited concern for general industry and construction employers. The main culprits? Ladders and walking surfaces. New safety mats are being designed to help eliminate falls and some employers grind surfaces to make sure they are even. Recognizing hazards can help keep your facility safe. Aside from workplace housekeeping, it also is important to conduct regular safety walk-arounds of your facility. Not only will this show your employees your commitment toward their safety, but it will show the effectiveness of your organization’s safety program. OSHA offers a great resource guiding employers through pre-inspection activities, walk-around tutorials and demonstrates how to evaluate your workplace post-inspection.

Distracted Driving Awareness Month (www.nsc.org)

Keep Employees Safe on the Road

Distracted Driving Awareness Month is a united effort to recognize the dangers of distracted driving and eliminate the preventable deaths that it causes. Every day, at least nine Americans die and 100 are injured in distracted driving crashes. Cell phones, dashboard touchscreens, voice commands, and other in-vehicle technologies pose a threat to our safety. The consequences of those distractions are not worth the convenience they offer. As car crashes are the number one cause of workplace death, with distraction being a leading factor, be a part of the effort to save lives. At the start of your next meeting, talk to your employees about this very important issue. Just one second of your attention is all it takes to change a life forever.