The Safety Net L O C AT I O N C O N S U LT I N G
DESIGN & ENGINEERING
DESIGN-BUILD
FEBRUARY 2019
IT’S ALWAYS SAFETY FIRST. CONSTRUCTION & CONTRACTING
VOLUME 13 ISSUE 2
Heart Disease: It Can Happen at Any Age
H
eart disease doesn’t happen just to older adults. It is happening to younger adults more and more often. This is partly because the conditions that lead
to heart disease are happening at younger ages. February is Heart Month – the perfect time to learn about your risk for heart disease and the steps you need to take now to help your heart. Heart disease—and the conditions that lead to it—can happen at any age. High rates of obesity and high blood pressure among younger people (ages 35-64) are
SAFETY FIRST. Austin employees have
putting them at risk for heart disease earlier in life. Half of all Americans have at least one of the top three risk factors for heart disease: high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking.
worked 2,566,942 hours without a Lost Time Accident through 12/2018.
continued
You Could Be at Risk Many of the conditions and behaviors that put people at risk for heart disease are appearing at younger ages: • High blood pressure. Millions of Americans of all ages have high blood pressure, including millions of people in their 40s and 50s. About half of people with high
• Smoking. More than 37 million U.S. adults are current smokers,
physical activity guidelines of
and thousands of young people
getting 150 minutes a week of
start smoking each day. Smoking
moderate-intensity activity.
damages the blood vessels and can cause heart disease. affect your risk for heart disease include:
which increases blood pressure.
• Obesity. Carrying extra weight puts
Replacing foods high in sodium
control. Having uncontrolled high
in 3 Americans—and nearly 1 in 6
blood pressure is one of the biggest
children ages 2 to 19—has obesity.
• High blood cholesterol. High
• Diabetes. Diabetes causes sugar to build up in the blood. This can damage blood vessels and nerves
cholesterol can increase the risk for
that help control the heart muscle.
heart disease. Having diabetes and
Nearly 1 in 10 people in the United
obesity, smoking, eating unhealthy
States has diabetes.
foods, and not getting enough physical activity can all contribute to unhealthy cholesterol levels.
Americans, including children, eat too much sodium (salt),
stress on the heart. More than 1
harmful conditions, such as stroke.
• Unhealthy eating patterns. Most
Other conditions and behaviors that
blood pressure don’t have it under
risks for heart disease and other
Only 1 in 5 adults meets the
with fresh fruits and vegetables can help lower blood pressure. But only 1 in 10 adults is getting enough fruits and vegetables each day. Diet high in trans-fat, saturated fat and added sugar increases the risk factor for heart disease.
• Physical inactivity. Staying physically active helps keep the heart and blood vessels healthy.
4 Ways to Take Control of Your Heart Health You’re in the driver’s seat when it comes to your heart. Learn how to be heart healthy at any age. 1. Don’t smoke. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you do smoke, try to quit. 2. Manage conditions. Work with your health care team to manage conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. This includes taking any medicines you have been prescribed. Learn more about preventing and managing high blood pressure and high cholesterol. 3. Make heart-healthy eating changes. Eat food low in trans-fat, saturated fat, added sugar and sodium. Try to fill at least half your plate with vegetables and fruits, and aim for low sodium options. 4. Stay active. Get moving for at least 150 minutes per week. You can even break up the 30 minutes into 10-minute blocks.
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OSHA Penalties Adjusting in 2019 OSHA’s civil penalties amounts for violations of workplace safety and health standards will increase in 2019 to adjust for inflation. The adjusted maximum penalty amounts will take effect upon publication in the Federal Register. New penalties for willful and repeat violations will be $132,598 per violation; serious, other-than-serious, and posting requirements are $13,260 per violation; and failure to abate violations are $13,260 per day beyond the abatement date.
OSHA Promotes Fall Protection Resources
from floor openings, skylights, fixed scaffolds, bridge decking, reroofing and leading edge work. Another resource is the agency’s fall prevention training guide, which provides a lesson plan for employers, including several toolbox talks. Fact sheets on ladders and scaffolding provide guidance on the safe use of these types of equipment while
Fall hazards continue to be problematic in the safety industry.
performing construction activities.
EHS Today Staff 01-14-19
A brief video, 5 Ways to Prevent Workplace Falls, encourages employers to develop a fall prevention
With falls leading OSHA’s top 10
plan to ensure the job is done safely,
list of violations year after year, the
provide the right equipment, and
agency is bolstering its efforts to
train workers to use the equipment
increase awareness about its fall
safely. OSHA is working with industry
prevention resources.
stakeholders to provide informative
The agency has developed a
compliance assistance resources.
collection of compliance assistance
The sixth annual National Safety
resources to address falls in the
Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in
workplace, the leading cause of
Construction will be held May 6-10,
worker fatality in the construction
2019. The week-long outreach event
industry. These resources, which
encourages employers and workers to
continue the goals of the
pause during the workday to discuss
Department’s Office of Compliance
fall hazards and how to prevent them.
Initiatives (OCI), encourage and
In addition, OSHA’s series of fall
improve employee morale, increase
safety videos show how to prevent
productivity, and lower workers’
construction-related fall hazards
compensation insurance premiums.
facilitate compliance evaluations. Falls can be prevented if employers
plan and to provide workers with fall protection and training. Lastly, OSHA’s on-site consultation program provides valuable services for job creators separate from enforcement. OSHA recently published an analysis demonstrating how the agency’s on-site consultation program contributes $1.3 billion to the national economy each year. Job creators who implement workplace improvements can reduce lost time due to injuries and illnesses,
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Accident Prevention Begins with a Conversation
Without management commitment to safety, a company cannot achieve best-in-class results. David G. Lynn - EHS Today 01-15-19
Have you ever asked the question, “What else can I do to
Management commitment is one of the most important
improve our safety culture?” The answer may be in your next
elements you can evaluate in your program. Without
conversation. One of the most common safety weaknesses I
management commitment to safety, a company
see in organizations is a lack of management engagement
cannot achieve best-in-class results. For example, a
with employees. As a general rule, leaders support safety
typical corporate mission statement shows management
wholeheartedly from behind a computer, but they fail to gain
commitment on paper, but our scorecard measures how
the value of personal interaction with employees in a safety
well the commitment is translated to the workforce. If the
context. The result is that workers develop a lack of trust and
safety commitment is not visible and consistent, it does not
frustration in management’s commitment to safety. At the
exist in the minds of workers.
same time we ask, “What else can I do?” The remarkable
The assessment took one week to complete. The result
solution is that we need to talk to people.
revealed the client had a safety management system,
A couple years ago, I helped one of my clients identify
but did not score well in the management commitment
ways they can improve their safety culture. The first step
category. They did not have effective ways to engage
was to conduct a baseline safety performance assessment.
employees. In other words, they did not talk with workers
I introduced them to our Principle to Practice Safety
about safety on a frequent basis. They did not participate in
Scorecard. The process utilizes a standard protocol that
safety audits, safety meetings or pre-job briefs, and they did
measures the effectiveness of critical safety principles
not make it a habit to approach people about safety.
and practices such as management commitment. We
The management team had minimal visibility in a safety
compared how my client demonstrated management safety commitment versus how industry leaders demonstrate safety commitment.
context. They supported safety from behind their computer and they delegated all of the “safety responsibilities” to the
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safety professional. This created a huge gap between the
• Learn something about the process.
workers and management. Their safety program existed only
• Find a way to make an improvement.
on paper. To fill this gap between commitment on paper and commitment in reality, we introduced a SAFE Dialogue process. The simple SAFE acronym is a proven error prevention
• Show support and take ownership of safety. • Make a difference in safety performance by engaging the workforce in a useful manner.
tool that raises situational awareness with a conversation.
The intent for the SAFE Dialogue conversation is NOT to:
The initiative required the plant manager, staff and
• Develop a long “to do” list for the safety coordinator.
department managers to leave their meetings and
• Pass off the safety responsibilities to others.
walk into the plant and engage employees face-toface. They committed to do this once a week using the
• “Get in the weeds” with every little detail.
SAFE Dialogue format. The technique raises situational
The value of the program was a visible demonstration
awareness with progressive questions about critical steps,
of consistent safety commitment. Leaders developed
potential errors, consequences and controls. The SAFE
relationships with employees in the SAFE Dialogue forum and
Dialogue provides a forum for all leaders to learn what
improvements followed.
workers deal with on a daily basis. While gaining a better understanding of the risk with each step, leaders also
Strategic Communication Strategy
developed a relationship with workers in a safety context.
To promote the program, the leadership team adopted
The SAFE Dialogue engagement responsibilities included:
a strategic communication strategy. The first step was to
• Once a week, the plant manager, staff and department managers performed a SAFE Dialogue. • They observed a specific operation and they talked to a minimum of two people. • They used the SAFE Dialogue tool as their talking points. • They asked employees the following questions: S—Summarize the critical steps of your job. “What do you have to do today?” A—Anticipate where you are most likely to make an error. “Where could you make a mistake?” F—Foresee the worst-case scenario. “What is the worst thing that could happen?” E—Evaluate your controls. “How will you prevent it?” • They documented what they learned on the back of the card. • They turned the cards in to the safety coordinator. • The safety coordinator tracked participation and recorded good ideas.
train the participants on how to execute an effective SAFE Dialogue. They also had to communicate the intent of the program to everyone in the plant. The communication process included four areas of focus: 1. Verbal Communications. Talk about SAFE Dialogues in a variety of settings. 2. Visual Communications. Make the program visible everywhere you go in the plant. 3. Written Communications. Keep the message alive through documentation. 4. Informal Communications. Leverage the momentum of the program and create a “buzz” around SAFE Dialogues. The communication strategy included a list of actions such as: • Teach SAFE Dialogue error prevention classes. • Use the SAFE Dialogue as a learning process in casual conversations. • Start every meeting with a safety topic that includes a discussion about a SAFE Dialogue.
The intent for the SAFE Dialogue conversation is to:
• Promote the SAFE Dialogue in every safety training class.
• Establish a relationship with your workforce in a
• Deliver a different SAFE Dialogue safety topic each week.
safety context.
• Put up SAFE Dialogue posters, banners and table tents.
• Make yourself HIGHLY visible with safety.
• Document the procedure in the management system.
• Talk to people about step-by-step safety in their
• Participate in casual conversations that include SAFE
work environment.
Dialogue elements.
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The SAFE Dialogue program was a huge success. The results
about steps, errors, consequences and controls led to
of the original Principle to Practice scorecard magnified
a better understanding of their processes. The insight
a common weakness that organizations experience with
improved situational awareness and built a stronger safety
employee engagement. The SAFE Dialogue was the solution.
culture. The SAFE Dialogue process is an example of how
The process developed habits that encourage leaders to
injury prevention can begin with a conversation.
approach people about safety. The systematic questions
“What’s That Buzzing Overhead?” Don’t Get Stung By An OSHA Safety Inspection Drone
Fisher Phillips - USA 12-31-18 When the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a memorandum in 2018 announcing that agency inspectors are now authorized to use cameracarrying Unmanned Aircraft Systems—or drones—to collect evidence during inspections in certain workplace settings, employers across the country should have collectively raised their eyes to the sky. This development means that OSHA inspectors are not only authorized to conduct inperson inspections of your workplace, they can fly remotecontrolled aircraft above your worksite to track down safety violations. While most would agree that workplace safety is of the utmost importance, the use of drones to inspect a worksite raises new concerns for employers.
Privacy Concerns Are All The Buzz One area of concern with OSHA’s drone use is your Fourth Amendment right to object to the expansion of an overbroad inspection. For instance, will your objection to drone use be the end of the story, or will OSHA then seek a search warrant? According to the OSHA guidance memo, inspectors must “obtain express consent from the employer” prior to using a drone. If the employer objects to the drone’s use, then the aircraft won’t fly, according to the guidance memo. Keep in mind that you have a Fourth Amendment right to require OSHA to obtain a search warrant. Understand, however, there is a risk of becoming a target for multiple
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and frequent future investigations when sending an OSHA
it be obtainable by competitors or unions through a FOIA
inspector away from your doors—or, in this case, away
request? The unanswered questions seem endless.
from your airspace. That said, the better option if facing an
The OSHA guidance memo also notes Federal Aviation
OSHA drone inspection might be to allow the drone’s use, but to work with the agency to limit the inspection.
Administration rules require any OSHA region using a drone to designate a staff member as an “unmanned aircraft
Currently, when you grant an OSHA inspector entry for a
program manager” to oversee training requirements
limited inspection, such as one responding to an employee
and other program elements. This includes ensuring the
complaint, you may object to expansion of the inspection to
drone inspection is approved and a qualified OSHA team
other areas of your workplace. For instance, you may allow
is available to conduct the inspection before any flight
the inspector to enter, but can object to the inspection of
operation begins. In addition, the National Fire Protection
certain portions of your workplace beyond the scope of the
Association issued its first unmanned robotics guidance
complaint. Moreover, you can limit certain aspects of the
(NFPA 2400, Standard for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems
inspection, such as the taking of photographs or videotaping
(sUAS) Used for Public Safety Operations) in December. Thus,
of areas that happen to reveal trade secrets, or questioning
it is likely you will see increased drone use in the future.
employees while they are working. While this option seems to avoid the Fourth Amendment problem, only time will
What To Do Now?
tell. Keep in mind, also, that the inspection could still be
Although OSHA has many questions to answer before sending
broadened if the inspector spots a hazard in “plain view”
drones over your workplaces, you should begin to address the
while using the drone camera.
use of drones in OSHA inspections now. Here are a few tips:
Who’s The Queen Bee? Sorting Out Who’s In Charge
• Prepare a response strategy. Just as an employer
Other concerns involve the question of who OSHA considers to be “in charge” at a multiple-employer worksite. As stated above, OSHA’s guidance memo requires express consent from an employer prior to drone use. Under OSHA’s MultiEmployer Worksite Citation Policy, more than one employer may be citable for a hazardous condition that violates an OSHA standard. For instance, at construction sites, it is common for several subcontractors to be working under a general contractor. Can a general contractor give consent for drone use during an inspection involving a worksite involving multiple employers? Who actually owns the airspace above that worksite and therefore has authority to grant consent? And what happens to the video after an inspection—will
should prepare a written strategy for an OSHA in-person inspection, the same applies to drone inspections. You should designate an authorized employer representative to sit next to an OSHA drone crew on the ground, the same as if the employee were accompanying the OSHA inspector during a walk-around inspection. • Don’t be afraid to limit the inspection. You should participate in the drone flight planning and not allow drones over your worksite if you disagree with the flight plan. • Be informed! You should educate your organization on these new developments to ensure your key personnel at least know enough to prepare for future OSHA drone inspections. If an inspector shows up at your door requesting to conduct a drone inspection, know your rights.
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Two Roofing Companies Cited after Colorado Workers Exposed to Fall Hazards Roofing contractor Aspen Contracting, Inc., and subcontractor J Cuellar, LLC, were cited for repeatedly failing to protect workers from fall hazards and failing to conduct regular inspections of the worksite. J Cuellar was cited for a fall protection violation. The companies face penalties totaling $147,998.
Florida Roofing Contractor Cited for Repeatedly Exposing Workers to Fall Hazards Roofing contractor Turnkey Construction Planners, Inc., faces $199,184 in penalties for exposing workers to fall hazards. During an inspection initiated as part of OSHA’s Regional Emphasis Program on Falls in Construction, inspectors observed workers without fall protection at two worksites. OSHA has cited the company four times in the past five years for similar violations.
Kansas Drywall Contractor Cited Following Fatal Forklift Incident Midwest Drywall Company, Inc., faces $77,604 in penalties after a worker was fatally crushed by part of a forklift. OSHA inspectors determined that the company failed to properly secure a suspended and supported load, and ensure that workers were kept clear of it. The company was also cited for violations of the forklift, machine guarding and control of hazardous energy standards information.
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Fatality Investigation: Teen Completing Roofing Work Electrocuted The 16-year-old was attempting to move a ladder when it fell into a power line. DeAnna McIntosh - EHS Today 01-18-19
The Kentucky Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program is tasked with investigating fatalities and making recommendations to ensure they do not occur again. This is one of their recent cases. On Monday, Sept. 10, 2018, at 8:00 a.m., a 16-year-old male roofer arrived at the worksite to begin roofing work on a private residential home. The homeowners, a husband and wife, contacted a local general contractor to replace the roof on their home. The owner of the general contracting company hired a subcontractor to perform the work, a process he informed authorities that he performs regularly. The crew began work on the back of the house and quickly worked together to complete the task. At approximately 12:00 p.m., the 16-year-old victim gathered a model D1828-2EQ Werner aluminum extension ladder and moved to the front of the house to begin work there while the other three men moved on to the side of the house. At the front of the house, there were two 4 ft. x 4 ft. boxwood bushes planted 3 feet from the home’s exterior wall at the point where the victim was attempting to access the roof.
for help. The homeowner called 911 at 12:15 p.m. When EMS arrived eight minutes later, they observed the victim lying on the ground facing upwards. Both of the worker’s boots had burn holes near the fifth toe; burn marks were also present
There were no witnesses, but it is believed that because of
on the stomach area. He was pronounced dead by the
the bushes, the victim was having trouble accessing the roof.
county coroner minutes later.
With the ladder still fully extended, the victim attempted to move it closer by lifting the ladder and walking between the bushes to find a suitable base. The ladder became unstable, causing the victim to lose his balance falling backwards.
In an interview with the county sheriff’s office with the help of a translator, the coworkers stated that they were on the side of the home and did not observe this incident. The owner of the subcontracting company acknowledged that he had
As the victim and ladder were falling, the ladder fell into a top instructed the victim to move to the front of the house to phase power line carrying 7.2 kilovolts (7,200 volts). Because
continue work there. Both coworkers were aware that the
the victim was still in contact with the highly conductive
victim was putting up a ladder to access the front roof and
aluminum ladder when it struck the power line, electricity was that the victim had not asked for assistance. able to travel through the metal and into the young worker. He was immediately electrocuted.
Cause of Death
After hearing a noise from the front of the home, the owner of The cause of death was high voltage electrocution. the subcontracting company went to investigate and found the victim lying unresponsive on the ground. He immediately
Contributing Factors
knocked on the home’s front door and frantically tried to
Occupational injuries and fatalities are often the result of
communicate to the wife what had happened and asked
one or more contributing factors or key events in a larger sequence of events that ultimately result in the injury or
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fatality. National Institute Occupational Safety and Health
aluminum is one of the best electrical conducting metals,
(NIOSH) investigators identified the following unrecognized
behind only silver, copper, annealed copper and gold.
hazards as key contributing factors in this incident:
As the ladder contacted the overhead power line, 7,200
• Work performed outside youth employment regulations
volts and 16 amperes (amps) travelled through ladder, into
• Lack of hazard recognition and safety training
the victim, and exited his body via the stomach and each foot’s fifth (pinky) toe. At values as low as 100 milliamps
• Use of a conductive ladder around high voltage lines
(.1 amps), death can occur. Due to the high amount of
• Transporting an extension ladder in the vertical position
amperes that entered the victim’s body, cardiac arrest
Recommendations
In order to prevent similar incidents, the employer
Employers should perform a job hazard analysis prior to
should consider using a non-conductive ladder, such
performing a new task.
as those made of a fiberglass-reinforced polymer, when
In this incident, the employees were exposed to working at heights, working from ladders, and close proximity to high voltage power lines. A job hazard analysis would recognize the numerous hazards that the roofing workforce was being exposed to, so necessary safety precautions could be undertaken.
Employers should become familiar with and comply with all federal, state and local regulations associated with youth employment, including safety training and hazard recognition. Due to the high injury rate of minors in the workplace, the Commonwealth of Kentucky has very specific child labor laws, providing guidelines on how many hours per week young workers are permitted to work, what times of the day they are allowed to work, and what occupations are prohibited for minors under the age of 18. The Kentucky Labor Cabinet lists 19 occupations that are prohibited for minors, including #16: “Roofing operations and all work on or about a roof.” Subcontractors and contractors should familiarize themselves with Kentucky child labor laws and Federal child labor laws before employing youths in specific occupations. In addition, Federal laws apply Hazardous Occupations from the U.S. Department of Labor: Eighteen is the minimum age for employment in non-agricultural occupations declared hazardous by the Secretary of Labor. The rules prohibiting working in hazardous occupations (HO) apply either on an industry basis, or on an occupational basis no matter what industry the job is in. Parents employing their own children are subject to these same rules. General exemptions apply to all of these occupations, while limited apprentice/ student-learner exemptions apply to those occupations.
Employers should consider using non-conductive ladders when working near electrical lines. At the time of the incident, the victim was using an aluminum ladder to access the roof. Because of its extremely low resistivity and extremely high conductivity,
occurred instantly.
working around live power lines. Due to its low electrical conductivity and high resistance to corrosion, these ladders would make a safe and practical choice when working outdoors around electricity. However, employers should ensure that these fiberglass ladders are maintained properly as required by 29 CFR 1926.1053. Unmaintained ladders may accumulate excess dirt or moisture that can conduct electricity in the event it encounters a high voltage line.
Employees should always lower the extended section and transport ladders horizontally. The victim was moving a model D1828-2EQ Werner aluminum extension ladder that weighed approximately 56 lbs. When collapsed, the ladder was 14 feet tall and had a maximum open extended length of 25 feet. At the time of the incident, the victim, who measured 5’10” tall and weighed 165 lbs., was moving the ladder, which was extended to the maximum length of 25 ft. As the ladder became unstable and began to fall, the victim may have been unable to support the ladder’s top-heavy design while standing on uneven terrain, which allowed it to contact the power line. In instances where an extension ladder needs to be relocated, employees should lower the extended portion of the ladder until it is appropriately collapsed, carefully lay the ladder down, and transport it horizontally while grasping the ladder’s middle section with both hands in order to safety manage its weight. Once the ladder is placed in the necessary area, ensure the base is secure and re-extend the ladder to the appropriate height. Had the ladder been lowered and transported horizontally, the high voltage line could have been avoided. Mention of any company or product does not constitute endorsement by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). In addition, citations to websites external to NIOSH do not constitute NIOSH endorsement of
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the sponsoring organizations or their programs or products.
This case report was developed to draw the attention of
Furthermore, NIOSH is not responsible for the content
employers and employees to a serious safety hazard and
of these websites. All web addresses referenced in this
is based on preliminary data only. This publication does
document were accessible as of the publication date.
not represent final determinations regarding the nature of the incident, cause of the injury, or fault of employer, employee, or any party involved.
Five Major Industries See Double-Digit Jump in Positive Drug Tests, Analysis Shows National Safety Council 01-15-19 Secaucus, NJ — The rate of positive drug tests rose by double digits in five of 16 major U.S. workforce industry sectors from 2015 to 2017, according to a recent analysis by lab services provider Quest Diagnostics. An examination of data from more than 10 million urine drug tests conducted over the three-year period showed that transportation and warehousing had the largest increase, at 21.4 percent, followed by other services except public administration (15.4 percent), finance and insurance (13), retail trade (12.8) and wholesale trade (11.8). “Our analysis suggests that employers can’t assume that workforce drug use isn’t an issue in their industry,” Barry Sample, senior director of science and technology at Quest Diagnostics Employer Solutions, said in a Dec. 19 press release. Sample also points out that the highest positivity rates in 2017 were in consumer-facing industries, led by retail trade (5.3 percent), health care and social assistance (4.7), and real estate rental and leasing (4.6). Overall, the lowest rates were among the utilities (2.8 percent) and finance and insurance (2.6) sectors. Marijuana was the most commonly detected substance, with the highest positivity rate (3.5 percent) found in accommodation and food services. That rate is nearly 35 percent higher than the national average (2.6). The biggest percentage increases in marijuana positivity over the three-year study were in transportation and warehousing (33.3), other services except public administration (33.3), and construction (26.7). Other findings: • The construction industry experienced the greatest methamphetamine positivity rate in each year of the study, with a 15 percent increase overall. • Cocaine positivity rose in most sectors in 2017. Those that saw the biggest jumps over the course of the study were retail trade (42.9 percent); administrative support, waste management and remediation services (35.3); and transportation and warehousing (22.7). • Amphetamine positivity in the information sector rose more than 20 percent during the study period. However, the sector was the only one to show a drop in marijuana positivity (more than 8 percent) over the same time frame. • Health care and social assistance (nearly 16 percent) and educational services (nearly 14 percent) also saw double-digit rises in amphetamine positivity from 2015 to 2017.
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Hearing Protection Required!
blog.weeklysafety.com/blog/hearing-protection
Safety signs from Mysafetysign.com
Workers in any industry who are exposed to high levels of noise can suffer permanent hearing loss. Understand the employers’ responsibility and employees’ rights when it comes to hearing protection.
Workers who are exposed to high levels of noise can suffer permanent hearing loss and sometimes not even surgery or a hearing aid can help. In addition, even repeated exposures to loud noise for just short periods of time can add up to permanent hearing damage.
Hearing + Protection
OSHA General Industry Standard 1910.95(c)(1) The employer
According to OSHA, twenty-two million workers are
shall administer a continuing, effective hearing conservation
exposed to potentially damaging noise at work each
program … whenever employee noise exposures equal or
year. U.S. businesses pay more than $1.5 million in
exceed an 8-hour time-weighted average sound level (TWA)
penalties annually for not protecting workers from noise,
of 85 decibels … without regard to … the use of personal
and hearing loss directly impacts the quality of life not
protective equipment.
only for those workers, but also their families.
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OSHA Construction Standard 1926.52(b) When employees are
OSHA General Industry Standard 1910.95(i)(1) Employers
subjected to sound levels exceeding those in Table D-2 of this
shall make hearing protectors available to all employees
section, feasible administrative or engineering controls shall be
exposed to an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 decibels
utilized. If such controls fail to reduce sound levels within the
or greater at no cost to the employees. Hearing protectors
levels of the table, personal protective equipment as required
shall be replaced as necessary.
in Subpart E, shall be provided and used to reduce sound
• Hearing protection must be provided for the level and/
levels within the levels of the table. • Workers must be protected from hazardous levels of noise. • Workplace noise is measured using special noise monitoring equipment and the levels are displayed in decibels. • Normal speaking voice is usually around 70 decibels (dB) and operating a loud construction excavator is usually around 110 dB. • OSHA regulations state that 85 decibels (dB) is the action level where workers may need to use hearing protection. • When choosing hearing protection, consider the employee’s hearing needs on the job, their current hearing ability, convenience, ease of use, the work environment and the compatibility with any other PPE the worker may need to wear. • The best hearing protection is a solution worn properly by the worker every single time they are exposed to loud noise on the job.
or range of noise that workers will be exposed to during their work hours. • Different types of devices may be used depending on the work environment, as well as the hazardous noise. • Where noise levels are extremely dangerous or potential impact noise levels are present, workers may have to wear two layers of hearing protection, such as a combination of ear plugs and ear muffs. OSHA General Industry Standard 1910.95(i)(3) Employees shall be given the opportunity to select their hearing protectors from a variety of suitable hearing protectors provided by the employer. • Never improvise hearing protection by stuffing cotton, tissue, wax or other items into your ears. • Items can get stuck in the ear canal and in severe cases puncture the ear drum. OSHA Construction Standard 1926.101(c) Plain cotton is not an acceptable protective device. OSHA General Industry Standard 1910.95(i)(4) The employer shall provide training in the use and care of all hearing protectors provided to employees. OSHA General Industry Standard 1910.95(i)(5) The employer shall ensure proper initial fitting and supervise the correct use of all hearing protectors.
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OSHA Construction Standard 1926.95(b) Where employees provide their own protective equipment, the employer shall be responsible to assure its adequacy, including proper maintenance and sanitation of such equipment.
• Workers must pay attention to all signs and warnings of potentially dangerous noise levels. • OSHA regulations state that 85 decibels (dB) is the action level where workers may need to use hearing protection. • Hearing protection must be provided for the level and/
Plugs Remember these important tips to avoid hearing loss while on the job: • Workers who are exposed to high levels of noise can suffer permanent hearing loss. • Workers must be protected from hazardous levels of noise.
or range of noise that workers will be exposed to during their work hours. • Never improvise hearing protection by stuffing cotton, tissue, wax or other items into your ears. • Proper personal protective equipment such as ear plugs or ear muffs must be maintained and worn correctly at all times.
Awesome Products for Hearing Protection:
The Ear Buddy Premium Soft Foam Ear Plugs
Bisonfield Premium Ear Muffs, Quality Ear Protection. Adjustable
Noise Cancelling Earplugs | Great Plugs
TR Industrial Safety Ear Muffs, ANSI S3.1
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The American Burn Association has put together a great toolkit you can use in your company or organization to share the message of burn awareness and prevention. Resource materials include ideas on how your company can participate in Burn Awareness Week, fact sheets, statistics, an infographic and social media posts. Also included are lists of prevention tips you can share with employees and their families. You can access these materials on The American Burn Association website at ameriburn.org or by clicking the image below.
Weeklysafety.com 1-17-19 National Burn Awareness Week,
Awareness Week Campaign is SCALD.
observed the first full week in
Take a look at these surprising statistics
February, is a window of opportunity
related to this year’s theme.
for organizations to mobilize burn,
• An estimated 376,950 scald burn
fire and life safety educators to unite in sharing a common burn awareness and prevention message in our communities. The 2019 Burn Awareness Week dates are February 3-9, 2019. Burn injuries continue to be one of the leading causes of accidental death and injury in the United States. Between 2013 and 2017, more than 400,000 people were seen in Emergency Rooms for treatment of non-fatal burn injuries. In 2016 alone, there were 3,280 deaths from fire and smoke inhalation and another 40,000 people were treated in hospitals for burn-related injuries. Most burn injuries occur at home, but nearly 10% of all burn injuries occur in the workplace. Burns are not just caused by getting
injuries associated with consumer household appliances like stoves, cookware and bathtubs, were seen in hospital emergency rooms in the US between 2013 and 2017. • Hot water will burn skin at temperatures much lower than the boiling point. It only takes 3 seconds of exposure to water at 140 degrees to cause burns serious enough to require surgery. • 85-90% of scald burns are related
Awareness campaigns, such as this one, offer a great opportunity to safety management, business owners
to cooking, drinking and serving
and team leaders to highlight the
hot liquids.
importance and commitment the
• Between 2007 and 2017, the
organization has to worker safety. It
proportion of burn center
doesn’t take a lot of time, money or
admissions due to scald burns
resources to participate. At minimum,
continued to increase each year.
consider an email from management
Scald burns comprise 35% of all burn injuries.
too close to a fire or accidentally
Click hereto read more about
hitting the inside edge of the oven
workplace fire prevention.
to the staff, a brief safety meeting or a sign on the central bulletin board.
when you are cooking. The 2019 Burn
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NATIONAL CENSUS OF FATAL OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES IN 2017 A total of 5,147 fatal work injuries were recorded in
caught in running equipment or machinery deaths
the United States in 2017, down slightly from the 5,190
down 26 percent (76 in 2017 from 103 in 2016).
fatal injuries reported in 2016, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today (See chart 1). The fatal injury rate decreased to 3.5 per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers from 3.6 in 2016 (See table 1).
• Fatal occupational injuries involving confined spaces rose 15 percent to 166 in 2017 from 144 in 2016. • Crane-related workplace fatalities fell to their lowest level ever recorded in CFOI - 33 deaths in 2017.
Type of Incident Fatal falls were at their highest level in the 26-year history of the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries
Occupation
(CFOI) accounting for 887 (17 percent) worker deaths.
The transportation and material moving occupational
Transportation incidents remained the most frequent
group and the construction and extraction occupational
fatal event in 2017 with 2,077 (40 percent) occupational
group accounted for 47 percent of worker deaths in 2017.
fatalities. Violence and other injuries by persons or animals
Within the occupational subgroup driver/sales workers and
decreased 7 percent in 2017, with homicides and suicides
truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers had the
decreasing by 8 percent and 5 percent, respectively (See
largest number of fatal occupational injuries with 840. This
chart 2 and table 2).
represented the highest value for heavy and tractor-trailer
• Unintentional overdoses due to nonmedical use of drugs or alcohol while at work increased 25 percent from 217 in 2016 to 272 in 2017. This was the fifth consecutive year in which unintentional workplace overdose deaths have increased by at least 25 percent. • Contact with objects and equipment incidents were down 9 percent (695 in 2017 from 761 in 2016), with
truck drivers since the occupational series began in 2003. Fishers and related fishing workers and logging workers had the highest published rates of fatal injury in 2017. • Grounds maintenance workers (including first-line supervisors) incurred 244 fatalities in 2017. This was a small decrease from the 2016, but was still the secondhighest total since 2003. A total of 36 deaths were due
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to falls from trees, and another 35 were due to being
Other key findings of the 2017 Census of Fatal
struck by a falling tree or branch.
Occupational Injuries:
• There were 258 fatalities among farmers, ranchers, and
• Fifteen percent of the fatally-injured workers in 2017
other agricultural managers in 2017. Approximately 63
were age 65 or over – a series high. In 1992, the first
percent of these farmers were age 65 and over with 48
year CFOI published national data, that figure was 8
being age 80 or over. Of the 258 deaths, 103 involved a
percent. These workers also had a higher fatality rate
farm tractor.
than other age groups in 2017.
• Police and sheriff’s patrol officers incurred 95 fatal
• Fatalities incurred by non-Hispanic Black or African
occupational injuries in 2017, fewer than the 108 fatalities
American workers and non-Hispanic Asian workers
in 2016.
each decreased 10 percent from 2016 to 2017. • Fatal occupational injuries in the private manufacturing industry and wholesale trade industry were the lowest since this series began in 2003. • Workplace fatalities in the private mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction industry increased 26 percent to 112 in 2017 from a series low of 89 in 2016. Over 70 percent of these fatalities were incurred by workers in the oil and gas extraction industries. • A total of 27 states had fewer fatal workplace injuries in 2017 than 2016, while 21 states and the District of Columbia had more; California and Maine had the same number as 2016. A total of 192 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) had 5 or more fatal work injuries in 2017.
The first reported Michigan worker death of 2019 occurred on January 9. Employers and employees are urged to use extreme care and safety diligence in all work activities. The information below shares preliminary details about the most recent fatality reported to the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA), which is believed to be covered by the MIOSH Act. The description reflects information provided to MIOSHA at the initial report of the incident and is not the result of the official MIOSHA investigation.
Date
Occupation
Age
Type of Injury
01/09/19
General Labor
22
Fall (from elevation)
Description A 22-year-old general laborer working for a Christmas decorating company fell off a ladder removing Christmas decorations at a private home. He was removed from life support and passed on January 9, 2019.
Location (City) Saline, MI
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Team Members: Continuing Excellence in Safety
Left to right – Karl Mews, Brandi Jones, and Billiejo LeSage has successfully completed the 29CFR1926 OSHA 30 safety training for construction.
Jeff Carter completed QA/Safety field inspection training using Procore.
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