OSHA requirements for reporting fatalities and severe injuries took effect Jan. 1
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rule requiring employers to notify OSHA when an employee is killed on the job or suffers a work-related hospitalization, amputation or loss of an eye took effect Jan. 1 for workplaces under federal OSHA jurisdiction.
The rule requires employers to notify OSHA of work-related fatalities within eight hours and work-related in-patient hospitalizations, amputations or losses of an eye within 24 hours. Previously, OSHA’s regulations required employers to report only work-related fatalities and in-patient hospitalizations of three or more employees.
All employers covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Act—even those exempt from maintaining injury and illness records—are required to comply with OSHA’s new severe injury and illness reporting requirements.
To report these incidents to OSHA, employers can call their nearest area office during normal business hours by clicking here; call the 24-hour OSHA hotline at 1-800-321-OSHA (1-800-321-6742); or report online at www.osha.gov/report_online.
OSHA campaign addresses heat illness for outdoor workers
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced the launch of its annual Campaign to Prevent Heat Illness in Outdoor Workers.
For the fourth consecutive year, OSHA’s campaign aims to raise awareness and educate workers and employers about the dangers of working in hot weather and provide resources and guidance to address these hazards. Workers in outdoor industries—such as agriculture, construction, landscaping and transportation—are at particular risk.
“Heat-related illnesses can be fatal, and employers are responsible for keeping workers safe,” says Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez. “Employers can take a few easy steps to save lives, including scheduling frequent water breaks, providing shade and allowing ample time to rest.”
National Safety Stand-Down To Prevent Falls in Construction
1) Plan 2) Provide 3) Train
The purpose of the National Fall Prevention Stand-Down is to raise awareness of preventing fall hazards in construction. Fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of death for construction workers, accounting for 269 of the 775 construction fatalities recorded in 2012. Those deaths were preventable. Fall prevention safety standards were among the top 10 most frequently cited OSHA standards, during fiscal year 2012.
What is a Safety Stand-Down?
A Safety Stand-Down is a voluntary event for employers to talk directly to employees about “Fall Hazards” and to reinforce the importance of “Fall Prevention.”
How to Conduct a Safety Stand-Down
Construction companies conduct a Safety Stand-Down by stopping work and providing a focused toolbox talk on a safety topic such as ladder safety, fall protection equipment, or scaffolds safety. The meeting provides information to workers about hazards, protective methods, and the company’s safety policies, goals and expectations. Managers are encouraged to plan a stand-down that works best for their workplace anytime during the week of June 2-6, 2014. See Suggestions to Prepare for a Successful “Stand-Down.”
The goal is to have over 25,000 employers and 500,000 workers to hold a Stand-Down and if we meet this goal, we will have touched almost 1 out of 10 construction workers in the country.
Who Can Participate?
Participants may include trade associations, employers, federal, state and local governmental agencies, professional societies, institutes, and consumer/labor-management interest organizations, sub-and independent contractors.
Partners
OSHA is partnering with key groups to assist with this effort, including the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), OSHA approved State Plans, State consultation programs, the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR), the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), the National Safety Council, and the OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Centers.
Certificate of Participation
Note: Page will be active on June 2nd.
Employers will be able to provide feedback and download Certificates of Participation on their experience June 2 to July 15, 2014 following their stand-down.
Our Plan of Action
Diamond Roofing will be participating in this year’s National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction June 2-6. Stay tuned for updates and details about such event.
Share Your Story With Us
If you want to share information with OSHA on your Safety Stand-Down, Fall Prevention Programs or suggestions on how we can improve future initiatives like this, please send your email to oshastanddown@dol.gov.
The 2013 Midwest Roofing Contractors Association’s 64th Annual Conference was held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill., Oct. 23-25. Nearly 400 roofing professionals, manufacturers and suppliers embraced the opportunity to interact with industry leaders at the conference, on the trade show floor and in a variety of networking events, including the Welcome Reception, the Young Contractors Council reception, and the “My Kind of Town” Industry Night featuring Chicago-themed food and entertainment. The auction at the Welcome Reception brought in more than $43,000 for the MRCA Foundation.
The MRCA has developed a reputation for top-notch educational sessions, and this year’s conference was no exception. The keynote address was provided by Susan Annunzio, president and CEO of The Center for High Performance and an adjunct professor at the University of Chicago Booth Graduate School of Business.
In her presentation titled “High-Performance Leadership,” sponsored by Johns Manville, Annunzio identified the characteristics of high-performing workgroups offered tips on improving performance throughout the organization. One of the most important facets of leadership is simply appreciating workers for their talents. “Treat smart people like they’re smart,” she said. “It costs nothing and it pays enormous dividends in the long run.”
“The recent annual conference in Chicago featured many outstanding educational sessions and was a huge success,” said Steve Little, president of KPost Company and the incoming MRCA president. “The keynote speaker, Susan Annunzio, taught us that managing our human assets is as important as managing our financial assets. As always, Dr. Rene Dupuis and the T&R team knocked it out of the park with reports on membrane reflectivity and water-based adhesives. And for a third consecutive year, our exhibitors stated that MRCA continues to lead all other associations in tradeshow innovation and bringing the qualified buyer to the show floor.”
Educational Sessions
The technical session on water-based adhesives showcased the association’s effort to break new ground in its study of adhesive performance. Titled “Baseline Study on Water-Based Adhesives,” the presentation was moderated by Rene Dupuis, Ph.D., of SRI, and included panelists Kevin Gwaltney of Diamond Roofing, Thomas Taylor of GAF and Joe Schwetz of Sika Sarnafil.
the panel on water-based adhesives include (from left) Thomas Taylor of GAF, Kevin Gwaltney of Diamond Roofing, Rene Dupuis of SRI and Joe Schwetz of Sika Sarnifil.
DuPuis updated attendees on the results of the study of water-based adhesives designed to determine the fundamental weight loss behavior of the drying adhesive material under different temperature and humidity conditions, as well as its rate of rehydration. “The MRCA Technical and Research committee began to look at this, and we realized no data exists in the public domain on basic dry-down properties of water-based bonding adhesives,” he said.
He detailed the testing protocol and reviewed the data from some initial rounds of testing. In some cases, samples in hot, humid conditions took longer to dry than samples in cold, damp conditions. “Hot, humid weather is just as bad as cold, damp weather,” DuPuis said.
Gwaltney, the current MRCA Technical and Research Committee chair, detailed some case studies to document real-world results. “In reality, contractors have found that the product is complex and not well understood,” he said. Gwaltney advocated a team approach, urging manufacturers, suppliers and contractors to work together to formulate, distribute and install these adhesives correctly for a successful application.
Schwetz detailed methods for proper storage and application of water-based adhesive products, emphasizing their temperature constraints. “Water-based adhesives can freeze,” he cautioned. “Winter shipping must be done in heated vans.”
Taylor noted that regulations for VOCs can vary depending on location, and he urged contractors to be aware of the legal ramifications of the products they are using. Attendees were provided a list of adhesive VOC regulations broken down on a state-by-state basis. “It’s a very confusing regulatory environment,” Taylor said.
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