| February 1, 2004 · Volume 3, Issue 3 | |
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| 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| NOTICE: This is an OSHA Archive Document, and may no longer represent OSHA Policy. It is presented here as historical content, for research and review purposes only.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 FY2005 Budget Scheduled to be Announced Feb. 2 Ergonomics Advisory Committee Hears Researchers New Injury and Illness Posting Requirements Effective This Month OSHA's National Emergency Management Plan Issued Construction Committee Set To Meet This Month in Chicago New York Region Schedules Health Hazards Seminars Control Banding Workshop Coming to Cincinnati OSHA's General Safety and Health References Webpage Offers Useful References OSHA Training Center at Georgia Tech Announces Free Safety Seminars Boston Region Signs Alliance for Construction Safety New Safety and Health Topic Added to OSHA's Website OSHA Certifies Newest "SHARP" Companies Voluntary Protection Program Activity FY2005 Budget Scheduled to be Announced Feb. 2 The President's fiscal year 2005 budget for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration will continue to support enforcement, compliance assistance and outreach programs, and cooperative programs. The administration's FY2005 budget for federal agencies will be announced February 2. Visit OSHA's website next week for details on the budget proposal. Ergonomics Advisory Committee Hears Researchers The National Advisory Committee on Ergonomics (NACE) heard from seven published researchers last month on how musculoskeletal disorders begin, and on some strategies that have been used to help prevent these injuries. The research symposium was part of NACE's two-day meeting Jan. 27-28 in Washington that, according to OSHA Administrator John Henshaw, demonstrates "how much NACE members value getting a full picture of the research being conducted and looking at ways the science is being reduced to practice in the workplace." NACE's workgroups also discussed the business and social value of ergonomics, potential research issues and topics, and potential guidelines development for other industries, including trucking and courier services, hospitals, air transport and courier services, and retail department stores, among others. NACE's fifth meeting is scheduled for May 11-12 in Washington (specific location will be announced at a later date). New Injury and Illness Posting Requirements Effective This Month Beginning today, employers must post a summary of the total number of job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred last year. OSHA reminds employers that the summary, OSHA's Form 300A (not the complete Form 300 log), should be displayed in an area where all workers have access to view it and must list the total number of job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred in 2003 and were logged on the OSHA 300 form. Companies with no recordable injuries or illnesses still need to post the summary form with zeroes on the total line. OSHA's National Emergency Management Plan Issued Specialized Response Teams, an Emergency Preparedness Executive Steering Committee, and Regional Emergency Response Plans are new components of OSHA's response during a national emergency. The agency recently published its National Emergency Management Plan that details the agency's roles and responsibilities during responses to national emergencies and outlines procedures to ensure assistance is in place for responder and recovery workers' health and safety. More details on emergency preparedness and response efforts for the workplace is available online via OSHA's Emergency Preparedness and Response Page. Construction Committee Set To Meet This Month in Chicago A full agenda awaits the Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH) when they meet at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Rosemont, IL, Feb. 12-13. Following welcoming remarks by OSHA Administrator John Henshaw, ACCSH members will hear from the cranes and derricks negotiated rulemaking advisory committee, and from OSHA's Standards and Guidance directorate on ongoing health standards and their impact on construction, particularly chromium, silica and hearing conservation. Other topics for discussion include the Hispanic workforce in construction, and construction partnerships and alliances. New York Region Schedules Health Hazards Seminars Helping small business employers identify, eliminate or control occupational health hazards is the goal of six separate seminars being offered by OSHA's Buffalo Area Office this month. The training, co-sponsored by area organizations and colleges, will be held at six locations throughout upstate New York beginning at Orchard Park and Lockport on Feb. 5, followed by Jamestown and Olean on Feb. 12, and Batavia and Rochester on Feb. 19. Contact the Buffalo office at (716) 684-3891 for more information. Control Banding Workshop Coming to Cincinnati OSHA Administrator John Henshaw is scheduled to deliver one of two keynote addresses at the 2nd International Control Banding Workshop next month in Cincinnati. The two-day practicum highlights a "control banding" approach to protecting worker health by focusing on developing hazard classifications for "bands" of chemicals, rather than assigning a set exposure limit to each one. OSHA, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the American Industrial Hygiene Association, and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), are sponsoring the workshop to be held at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza in Cincinnati, beginning March 1. Interested parties can register online or call Anita Schmid at (513) 742-6163, ext. 101, for more information. OSHA's General Safety and Health References Webpage Offers Useful References Occupational health and safety concerns are increasingly complex. In light of ongoing challenges facing workers, employers, and safety and health professionals, OSHA's "General Safety and Health References" webpage provides a quick path to a variety of resources for obtaining more information related to workplace safety and health. The page has information on authoritative reference texts, journals and online data services, and links to other safety and health internet sites. The newest addition to the page is a link to the Consumer Product Safety Commission's product recall page. OSHA Training Center at Georgia Tech Announces Free Safety Seminars The OSHA training and education center at Georgia Tech is offering eight workplace safety seminars designed for construction, general industry, or nursing home facility employers. Some of the topics include: prevention of amputations and exposure to lead and silica; construction safety training in Spanish; ergonomics; nursing home healthcare safety; machine guarding; and responding to workplace emergencies involving chemical spills, weather emergencies, workplace violence, etc. For details, call (404) 385-3501 or visit the center's website. OSHA has 19 training and education centers at 34 locations throughout the country to complement training offered through the OSHA Training Institute. Boston Region Signs Alliance for Construction Safety An Alliance formalized Jan. 21 between OSHA's regional headquarters in Boston and the Labor-Management Construction Safety Alliance, also in Boston, is aimed at reducing workplace injuries and addressing common safety and health standards. Key to the agreement is the development of educational programs and seminars for building trades employers and workers on health and safety issues including electrical shock prevention, excavation techniques, scaffolding and crane operation. New Safety and Health Topic Added to OSHA's Website OSHA has added a new health-related topics page on its website. Tularemia, also known as "rabbit fever" or "deer fly fever," is a severe and sometimes fatal bacterial disease that can infect workers through a variety of environmental exposures, including insect bites, contaminated food or water, airborne bacteria, or in a laboratory setting. Approximately 200 human cases are reported each year in the United States. The page provides information on hazard and disease recognition, a bioterrorist threat evaluation, and important resources for control and prevention. OSHA Certifies Newest "SHARP" Companies OSHA recently certified the following companies as Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) sites: Anthony Forrest Products, Urbana, AR; Mauser USA Inc., Pine Bluff, AR; Flanders Industries, Ft. Smith, AR; Western Pulp Products Company, Jacksonville, TX; Steelman Industries, Kilgore, TX; Precision Welding & Machine, Inc., Odessa, TX; Medical Plastics Laboratory, Inc., Gatesville, TX; Carstens Motor Co. Inc., Breckenridge, TX; American Acrylic & Injection, Inc., Farmersville, TX; Sivalls, Inc., Odessa, TX; Industrial Insulation, Inc., Odessa, TX; Contractor Iron & Steel, Dallas, TX; and Breco Wood Products, Sherman, TX. Voluntary Protection Program Activity The following companies were approved last month for new or continued participation in OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program (VPP): The following companies were approved last month for new or continued participation in OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP): International Paper, Vicksburg Mill, Redwood, MS (Cont. Star); Georgia Pacific, Palatka Chip Mill, Palatka, FL (Cont. Star); Milliken & Co., Pine Mountain Plant, Pine Mountain, GA (Cont. Star); Milliken & Co., KEX I Plant, LaGrange, GA (Cont. Star); Solutia, Inc., Decatur, AL (Cont. Star); EII, Inc., at Infineum USA, LLP, Linden Technology Center, Linden, NJ (Cont. Star); Kerr-McGee's Electrolytic Plant, Hamilton, MS (Cont. Star); General Electric Aircraft Engines - Evendale, Cincinnati, OH (New Star); and Milliken & Co., New Holland Plant, Gainesville, GA (Cont. Star). Editor: Bill Wright, OSHA Office of Communications, 202-693-1999 |
