Investment in workplace safety and health has a direct and measurable cost-benefit potential, according to a recently released study by the International Social Security Association (ISSA).

The study on the economic costs and benefits of prevention investments, coordinated by the ISSA, compared data on interventions and analysed practices in 300 companies in 15 countries.

The results of the study indicate companies witness more than a two and a half time return on the implementation of safety training.

“Promoting safety and health at work not only saves lives, but also makes sound economic sense,” stated Hans-Horst Konkolewsky, ISSA Secretary General. “The study demonstrates that prevention measures are a key contribution not only to the health and well-being of the workforce, but also to the economic performance of the enterprise and the sustainability of social security schemes.”

1. Bloodborne Pathogens – 1910.1030
Bloodborne pathogens are diseases transmitted through bodily fluids. To protect against the spread of these diseases in the work place OSHA requires all employers whose employees work with sharp objects or have the possibility of exposure to bodily fluids to have a bloodborne pathogen policy in place. This policy must address clean up, proper PPE usage, training on dangers and more.

2. Hazard Communication – 1910.120
Each year more than 500,000 employees are exposed to hazardous chemicals and cleaners. To lower the risk of injury or illness when handling these substances OSHA requires employers to have in place a hazard communication plan. The hazard communication plan must address chemical handling, proper PPE usage, clean up policy, MDS placement, chemical dangers and more.

3. Respiratory Protection – 1910.134
An estimated 5 million workers are required to wear respirators in 1.3 million workplaces throughout the United States. Respirators protect workers against insufficient oxygen environments, harmful dusts, fogs, smokes, mists, gases, vapors, and sprays. OSHA requires employers to have in place training policy outlying respiratory dangers, proper respiratory protection equipment usage and more.

4. Occupational Noise Exposure – 1910.95
Every year, approximately 30 million people in the United States are occupationally exposed to hazardous noise. To prevent injuries associated with noise exposure OSHA requires employers to have in place a training program detailing the dangers of occupational noise, proper ppe usage and more.

5. Powered Industrial Trucks – 1910.178
OSHA requires all employers who utilize PITs or forklifts to train and retrain employees on the safe and proper usage of forklifts.

6. Permit-required Confined Spaces – 1910.146
If you have a confined spaces that workers must access you need to abide by OSHA’s permit-required confined spaces requirement. This requirement states you need to have a training policy in place for entrance into these spaces and a sign out policy when employees are entering the spaces.

7. Lockout/Tagout – 1910.147
Approximately 3 million workers each year service equipment that requires the proper usage of lockout/tagout devices. To prevent potentially fatal injury to these employees OSHA requires all employers whose employees’ maintenance or work with equipment that can cause injury unintentional discharge to develop a lockout/tagout policy. This policy must train employees on proper usage of lock/tagout products, teach the dangers of not using lockout/tagout and more.

8. Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response – 1910.120
OSHA requires employers whose employees are exposed or potentially exposed to hazardous waste to develop a hazardous waste operations and emergency response plan. The plan requires the creation of an emergency response team, industry specific hazard identifications and more. The employer is also required to retrain employees every 12 months.

9. Guarding Floor and Wall Openings and Holes – 1910.23
OSHA requires the guarding of holes, ladderways and stairway floor openings. Employees are required to be trained on the proper usage and placement of these guardings.

10. Personal Protective Equipment 1910.132
OSHA requires the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) to reduce employee exposure to hazards when engineering and administrative controls are not feasible or effective in reducing these exposures to acceptable levels. With the usage of PPE OSHA also requires a PPE program. This program should address the hazards present; the selection, maintenance, and use of PPE; the training of employees; and monitoring of the program to ensure its ongoing effectiveness.

For information on meeting these standards call 877-804-8786
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For the first time ever, federal mine regulators have issued a notice to two coal mining companies that could lead to their eventual closure.

The notice of pattern violations was issued to Bledsoe Coal Corp.’s Abner Branch Rider Mine in Leslie County, Ky. and The New West Virginia Mining Co.’s Apache Mine in McDowell County, W.Va.

The notice essentially means that both mining operations could see part of all of their operations closed if they do not immediately improve safety conditions.

Last November, the agency put 13 mines on notice due to a pattern of violations(POV). A 14th mine received similar notification in December, after an agency audit revealed that the mine operator had failed to report a dozen injuries. All 14 mines that received potential POV notices implemented corrective action programs to reduce their significant and substantial, known as S&S, issuance rates.

Subsequent to the potential POV notifications, two of the 14 mines were temporarily idled, one ceased production and  one has not completed the evaluation process. Between Jan. 3 and March 21, 2011, MSHA conducted inspections of the 10 remaining mines. Of those, eight met the prescribed S&S goals, and the two operations now receiving the POV notices failed to meet their goals by a significant margin.

“They didn’t take measures they should have to fix their problems and improve the level of health and safety at those mines to avoid this enforcement action,” MSHA chief Joseph Main told reporters in a conference call. “Some mine operators get it, and some don’t.”

The Kentucky mine has been assed nearly $600,000 in penalties for safety violations since 2010. However, the company has only paid out $15,000 and is currently appealing a bulk of the citations.

The mine in Apache is currently idle.

MSHA previously implemented major reforms to its POV process, including new screening criteria and a new review process that improves the agency’s ability to identify problem mines. Although the Upper Big Branch Mine met the new criteria and also received a potential POV notification, further actions have been postponed until MSHA’s investigation into the April 2010 explosion there has been completed.

“We take this law and our obligation to enforce it very seriously,” said Joseph A. Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health. “While we believe most mine operators in this country do as well, it is clear that some do not. If we are to prevent death, injury and illness in the nation’s mines, these enforcement actions are necessary to rein in chronic and persistent violators of safety and health laws.”

Under Section 104(e) of the Mine Act, MSHA issues a withdrawal order at a POV mine each time it issues an S&S violation. The order remains in place until the violation is abated. An operator can be removed from pattern of violations status after undergoing a complete inspection without receiving an S&S violation.

Last week, MSHA introduced an online monitoring tool that, for the first time, allows mine operators and miners to track a mine’s compliance history and compare it to the potential POV criteria. Additional mines are under review by MSHA for potential POV and POV actions.

An online blog posted information on Monday about OSHA’s National Emphasis Program (NEP) on recordkeeping which will address workplace injury and illness underreporting problems.  The NEP will cover states that are under federal OSHA’s jurisdiction but state plan OSHA programs are also encouraged to have their own initiatives.  The program will begin this month.

With this, establishments in high rate industries but with low incidence rates as well as a sample of construction firms will be inspected over the next 12 months.  Inspections will be done through review of files and interview of employees, employers, recordkeepers and health care providers.  Aside from recordkeeping issues, hazards consistent with the injuries and illnesses will also be determined through a walk-around inspection.

To prevent citations, follow these reminders:

If you are an employer, make sure that your workplace has a system for reporting injuries and illnesses.  Review this system regularly to ensure its effectiveness.  Before an inspection, review past cases such as those that occurred in 2007 and 2008 and check that all OSHA forms are accurate with workers’ compensation reports and claims.

If you are an employee, be reminded that you are protected by the Whistle Blower Protection Program.  If your employer discourages you from reporting new cases or do not follow rules on recordkeeping, do not hesitate to let OSHA know.

If you are a facility recordkeeper, refresh your knowledge on proper and effective recordkeeping by reviewing the regulations and constantly referring to OSHA’s recordkeeping handbook.  Be trained and re-trained.

If you are a health care provider, see to it that you record ALL injury and illness cases as well as the treatments provided.  If medical records will be coming from the outside, check their authenticity.

Recordkeeping is an essential area of communication in any workplace and in any circumstance.  Everyone concerned should do their part well in ensuring that this is done properly and effectively.  As Louie the lawyer, Safety Services Company’s mascot, says – Document it!