OSHA Updated Worker Safety Cards Available As Safety Enforcement Continues

While continuing to keep the heat up on enforcement, the Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA) recently released new and updated educational brochures and a series of new QuickCards it intends to promote worker safety.

Construction, Other Safety Education & Resources Updated

Focusing on worker safety in the construction, general and maritime industries, the recently released brochure topics available here include workers’ rights, employer rights and responsibilities following an OSHA inspection, construction industry digest, small entity compliance guide for respiratory protection standard and laboratory safety guidance.  These new resources are part of a broad range of worker health and safety guides, standards and related materials published by OSHA covering a broad range of industries.

The emphasis on these industries is based in part on the high injury incidence in these businesses.  OSHA statistics show that of 4,070 worker fatalities in private industry in calendar year 2010, one-fifth (751 or 18.5%) were in construction. The leading causes of worker deaths on construction sites were: falls, electrocution, struck by object, and caught–in/between. These “Fatal Four” were responsible for nearly three out of five (57%) construction worker deaths in 2010:

• Falls – 260 out of 751 total deaths in construction in CY 2010 (35%)
• Electrocutions – 76 (10%)
• Struck by Object – 63 (8%)
• Caught-in/between – 32 (4%)

Employers of workers involved in construction, general and maritime industries also frequently are found to have committed violations that fall within the Top 10 most frequently cited OSHA standards violated in FY2010:

• Scaffolding, general requirements, construction (29 CFR 1926.451)
• Fall protection, construction (29 CFR 1926.501)
• Hazard communication standard, general industry (29 CFR 1910.1200)
• Ladders, construction (29 CFR 1926.1053)
• Respiratory protection, general industry (29 CFR 1910.134)
• Control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout), general industry (29 CFR 1910.147)
• Electrical, wiring methods, components and equipment, general industry (29 CFR 1910.305)
• Powered industrial trucks, general industry (29 CFR 1910.178)
• Electrical systems design, general requirements, general industry (29 CFR 1910.303)
• Machines, general requirements, general industry (29 CFR 1910.212)

Construction industry and other employers should review safety practices and compliance for compliance with these and all other standards and to address other potential safety risks to minimize OSHA and other occupational injury related liabilities.   and ensure their documentation of these efforts meets OSHA requirements and also positions the employer to defend against potential sanctions in the event of an employee injury or OSHA audit.

Because of the heavy use of subcontractors in these industries, employers also should be cognizant of potential exposures that can result from other businesses and workers on site.

In addition, employers should take care to ensure that all required documentation of safety practices and notifications dictated by OSHA are maintained and properly preserved.  

In the event of an accident or other safety hazard event, employers also should engage counsel and other needed experts to timely investigate, provide notification and redress and manage resulting exposures under OSHA, worker’s compensation and other laws.

For Help With These Or Other Matters

If you would like help reviewing or defending your organization’s occupational health and safety or other employment or risk management concerns or wish to discuss arranging for Ms. Stamer to conduct training or speak for your organization, please contact Ms Stamer here. 

Immediate past Chair of the American Bar Association (ABA) RPTE Employee Benefits & Other Compensation Group and current Co-Chair of its Welfare Benefit Committee, Vice-Chair of the ABA TIPS Employee Benefits Committee and past Vic e-Chair of its Worker’s Compensation Committee, a council member of the ABA Joint Committee on Employee Benefits, and past Chair of the ABA Health Law Section Managed Care & Insurance Interest Group, Ms. Stamer is recognized, internationally, nationally and locally for her more than 24 years of work, advocacy, education and publications on health and other employee benefit and related workforce, insurance and health care matters. 

A board certified labor and employment attorney widely known for her extensive and creative knowledge and experienced with employment, health and safety, employee benefits, compensation and other internal controls and workforce matters. She has 24 plus years experience helping employer and other clients develop and operate legally defensible programs, practices and policies that promote the client’s human resources, employee benefits and  other management goals.  Ms. Stamer also is a widely published author and highly regarded speaker on these and other human resources matters who is active in many other employee benefits, human resources and other management focused organizations. 

You can learn more about Ms. Stamer and her experience, review some of her other training, speaking, publications and other resources, and register to receive future updates about developments on these and other concerns from Ms. Stamer here. For important information concerning this communication click here.

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This entry was posted on Monday, December 5th, 2011 at 4:27 PM and is filed under Employee Benefits, Employers, OSHA, Retirement Plans, Tax. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.