| January 15, 2004 · Volume 3, Issue 2 | |
|
|
| A bi-weekly e-news memo with information, updates, and results from OSHA about safety and health in America's workplaces. | |
| NOTICE: This is an OSHA Archive Document, and may no longer represent OSHA Policy. It is presented here as historical content, for research and review purposes only. |
In This Issue New Compliance Assistance Tools Coming Soon to OSHA's Website Ergonomics Advisory Committee Meets in Washington Industrial Truck Association Aligns with OSHA OSHA Announces Six-Month Delay in Respiratory Protection Rule Provisions Cranes and Derricks Committee Schedules Seventh Meeting Safety and Health Bulletin on Dry Fire Sprinklers Published NIOSH Workplace Solutions Series Highlights Backhoe Operations Connecticut Association Providing Emergency Preparedness Training Regional Alliance in Florida Highlights High-Risk Industries OSHA Certifies Newest "SHARP" Companies Voluntary Protection Program Activity New Compliance Assistance Tools Coming Soon to OSHA's Website OSHA's "Best of the Web" status is scheduled to receive another validation this month when the agency launches two new pages on its website to provide even more safety and health information for employers and workers. MyOSHA is a tool for readers to create a personalized web page of links to OSHA online resources. Users will be able to customize the content of their page by choosing links of interest to them. The site will feature a tutorial to get you started. Quick Start is a step-by-step guide that identifies major OSHA requirements and guidance materials. It will include a library listing fact sheets, publications, forms, electronic tools, and sample programs. Readers will be able to access the new sites from the agency's homepage in the "In Focus" section. Ergonomics Advisory Committee Meets in Washington The National Advisory Committee on Ergonomics (NACE) will hold its fourth public meeting in Washington, Jan. 27-28, highlighting a research symposium on new and relevant research data from ergonomics experts. In addition to the symposium, the committee will hear presentations on topics related to the diagnosis of injuries and workplace ergonomics programs. Details on the meeting were published in the Jan. 6, 2004, Federal Register. NACE was chartered for a two-year term on Nov. 27, 2002, to provide advice and recommendations to the Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA on ergonomic guidelines, research, and outreach and assistance. Industrial Truck Association Aligns with OSHA The Industrial Truck Association (ITA) is adding its name to the growing list of organizations aligning with OSHA to further safety and health in the workplace. ITA signed an Alliance with the agency today to focus on the safe operation of powered industrial trucks. The Alliance encourages and promotes the training of operators based on the agency's operator training standard and also focuses on issues concerning youth workers. OSHA Announces Six-Month Delay in Respiratory Protection Rule Provisions Workplaces that are required to provide respirators to employees for tuberculosis protection have until July 1, 2004, to comply with several provisions of the respiratory protection standard. The announcement of the six-month period to allow affected employers to come into compliance with the additional requirements, follows the agency's withdrawal last month of its 1997 proposal on tuberculosis and the revocation of a separate respiratory protection standard for workers exposed to TB. OSHA's respiratory protection rule is now the standard for all industries and includes requirements, such as annual fit testing, medical evaluation requirements, and some training and recordkeeping provisions that were not as detailed in the revoked rule. During the six-month period, OSHA will not cite these new requirements for establishments with workers exposed only to TB. Cranes and Derricks Committee Schedules Seventh Meeting The next meeting of OSHA's negotiated rulemaking committee on cranes and derricks in construction is set for Feb. 4-6, in Washington, D.C. Notice of the meeting was published in the Jan. 8, 2004, Federal Register. The 23-member committee is composed of representatives of government and industry that will be impacted by a proposal for a construction safety standard for cranes and derricks. Safety and Health Bulletin on Dry Fire Sprinklers Published Based on warnings from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), OSHA recently published a Safety and Health Information Bulletin that provides information to employers who may be using "Star ME-1" dry fire sprinklers manufactured from 1961-1998 by various manufacturers. CPSC warned of two reports of failures involving the sprinklers, followed by a large percentage of failures resulting from independent laboratory tests. OSHA is recommending that employers whose workplaces are equipped with these systems identify and replace any Star ME-1 sprinkler heads in use. CPSC has more information on recalls and recommendations for similar sprinkler systems; check their website for details. NIOSH Workplace Solutions Series Highlights Backhoe Operations CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently introduced a new series of publications called Workplace Solutions. A recent publication highlights the safe operation of hydraulic excavators and backhoe loaders, and focuses on preventing injuries and fatalities through training, proper installation and maintenance, work practices, and personal protective equipment. According to NIOSH, this new series of publications offers "easy-to-understand, easy-to-access, and easy-to-use recommendations that turn the results of NIOSH research into occupational safety and health practice." Connecticut Association Providing Emergency Preparedness Training Small businesses in Connecticut are invited to take advantage of free training in emergency preparedness being offered by the Connecticut Business & Industry Association (CBIA). The program, made possible through a training grant from OSHA, was designed to help companies develop, adopt and implement emergency response programs and includes three phases: a one day symposium; follow-up workshops, and on-site consultations. Training is available on Jan. 15 in Cromwell; Feb. 3 in Mystic; and Feb. 13 in Trumbull. Contact CBIA's Lisa Cliché at CBIA at (860) 244-1977 to register. Regional Alliance in Florida Highlights High-Risk Industries An alliance signed Jan. 8, between OSHA's area office in Jacksonville, FL, and Florida Community College, also in Jacksonville, is designed to reduce workplace hazards in various industries where injury and illness rates have been higher than average. The Alliance will focus on shipbuilding and repair, landscaping, and horticultural services through the development of effective training courses, workshop presentations, and sharing of best practices. OSHA Certifies Newest "SHARP" Companies OSHA recently certified the following companies as Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) sites: Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital, Colebrook, NH; Keystone Wood Specialties, Lancaster, PA; Reynolds Food Packing, Grant Park, IL; JELD-WEN Millwork Masters, Rockford, IL; Weyerhaeuser Building Materials-Southern Great Lakes Region, Naperville, IL; Ross Incineration, Inc., Grafton, OH; Denton County Club, Denton, TX; Houston Form Plastics No. 1, Houston, TX; Form Enterprises, Houston, TX; Richard's Mfg. Co., Duncan, OK; IMCO Recycling Inc., Sapulpa, OK; Window Technology, Inc., Monett, MO; Cross Manufacturing, Inc., Hays, KS; Cross Manufacturing, Inc., Lewis, KS; Superior Air Handling Corporation, Clearfield, UT; Chaz Ltd. Auto Body (doing business as) Collision Express, Anchorage, AK; and Dr. Lonnie Anderson, DDS, Juneau, AK. Voluntary Protection Program Activity The following companies were recently approved for new or continued participation in OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program (VPP): EII, Inc. @ Infineum USA LLP, Bayway Chemical Plant, Linden, NJ (Cont. Star); AZKO Nobel, Waukegan, IL (Cont. Star); Space Gateway Support (SGS), LLC, Kennedy Space Center, FL (Cont. Star Demo); General Electric, Medical Systems, Waukesha, WI (Cont. Star); International Paper, Cadron Creek Woodyard, Menifee, AR (New Star); Weyerhaeuser Co., Tampa, FL (Cont. Star); General Electric Power Systems, Schenectady, NY (Cont. Star); USPS, Rochester Processing & Distribution Center, Rochester, NY (New Star); Certified Technical Services, Inc., @ Ondeo Nalco Energy Services, Sugar Land, TX (New Merit); Tropicana Products, Inc., Bradenton, FL (Cont. Star); International Paper, Bay Minette Container Plant, Bay Minette, AL (Cont. Star); Air Products & Chemicals, Inc., Pace, FL (Cont. Star); and Torcon Inc., at Bristol Myers Squibb, Lawrenceville, NJ (Cont. Star). Editor: Bill Wright, OSHA Office of Communications, 202-693-1999 |
