Be Aware Safety Tips
Where We Have Been and Where We Are Headed: Some OSHA Insight By Laura Helmrich-Rhodes, CSP, Ed.D.
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t is difficult to say what might be an important workplace safety subject by the time this issue of Springs goes to print. As I write this, the global number of COVID-19 cases just marked 2 million. It appears the reopening of businesses under best precautions possible may be of greatest interest. Protecting workers, of course, is in the scope of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Some are aware that some states administer worker safety themselves through state-run OSHA. Other states rely on federal OSHA and enforcement (for a list of state plans, visit www. osha.gov/stateplans/statestandards). Federal OSHA has created COVID-19 guidance (and provides materials in Spanish too). In their April 13, 2020, interim guidance memo (www.osha.gov/memos/2020-04-13/ interim-enforcement-response-plan-coronavirus-disease2019-covid-19), area federal OSHA offices are encouraged to protect their own employees and use electronic resources to follow up on non-health care informal complaints. This memo also gives guidance on identifying risk levels. In other words, OSHA is also concerned about their own employees being exposed to COVID-19 and doing what they can to prevent compliance personnel from becoming ill. Referring to the OSHA (and referenced Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) materials on the OSHA website is the best place to find resources for safe return to or continuing to work under the threat of COVID-19. For example, as I write this, OSHA just published a “Safe Return to Work for Manufacturing” news release, which underscores the importance of seeking guidance from OSHA directly in this fluid situation. The best advice is to check the OSHA website regularly for updates on how to protect employees (www.dol. gov/newsroom/releases/osha/osha20200416). In the meantime, let’s look at OSHA’s activity during the past year, specifically their interaction with this industry. Data were obtained from federal OSHA based on our North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS), which is a four to six-digit code that arranges businesses based on operations. This number is used for a variety of things including workers’ compensation risk determination. A company may have more than one appropriate NAICS number depending on various operations. The NAICS number for this inquiry was 332613, Spring and Wire Product Manufacturing.
Referring to the OSHA (and referenced Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) materials on the OSHA website is the best place to find resources for safe return to or continuing to work under the threat of COVID-19. The Data Over the year dating April 16, 2019 to April 16, 2020, there were 10 OSHA visits (this includes both state and federal OSHA data). A total of 17 citations were levied against those 10 companies. Seven of the visits were “partial.” This means they were not “wall-to-wall” inspections. Three of the seven were “referrals.” This means that another agency of some sort alerted OSHA to the need for a Compliance Safety and Health Officer (CSHO) to visit the employer. Potential referrals come from other government offices, such as, wage and hour, environmental protection, and emergency management such as ambulance/fire agencies. Referrals can also come from the media. The data presented does not specify where the referrals originated. Two of the visits were due to employee complaints. Three of the 10 were “planned.” These are often part of local or national emphasis programs (NEP). Examples of a local or national emphasis program would be amputation prevention, combustible dust explosion prevention or forklift safety. These are developed by a national agenda as well as local needs and driven by injury/fatality data. A
Laura Helmrich-Rhodes, CSP, Ed.D., is an independent regulations compliance consultant to the Spring Manufacturers Institute (SMI). A former member of PA/OSHA Consultation, she is an associate professor in the Safety Sciences Department at Indiana University of Pennsylvania where she teaches graduate and undergraduate classes on topics such as OSHA standards, safety communications, workers’ compensation and human relations. Rhodes is available for safety advice and information. Contact SMI at 630-495-8588 or laurahrhodes@gmail.com.
SPRINGS / Summer 2020 / 11
