Free course dates announced: A Holistic Approach to Error Reduction Applied to Injury and Illness Prevention Programs

"A Holistic Approach to Error Reduction Applied to Injury and Illness Prevention Programs" free course is now being offered. 

A holistic approach to Injury and Illness Prevention Programs (IIPP) is vital to recognizing, avoiding, and preventing errors that can lead to catastrophic events. The human cost of

preventable workplace injuries and deaths is incalculable. Many states have requirements or voluntary guidelines for workplace injury and illness prevention programs.

This program provides a holistic way of looking at both the program management and the behavioral sides of IIPP to best determine how to apply means, methods, and strategies to develop a dedicated system. 

Who will this course benefit?

     Trainers • Human resources • Risk managers • Supervisors  

     • Safety directors • Anyone concerned about safety in the 

     workplace

Topics Covered:

   · Employee general safety and rights under the OSH Act

   · Employer responsibilities under the OSH Act

   · Become familiar with what is standard practice in the 

           risk industry

   · Opportunity to receive pre-built presentation materials   

          that can be readily used in Outreach training for

          program management

   · Receive up to 7.0 contact hours of professional

          development   

          

Instructors:

     John Malool, MS

     Michael Presutti

Course dates:

February 27, 2014

March 7, 2014 

March 27, 2014

April 11, 2014

May 15, 2014

May 27, 2014

June 12, 2014

Register now, for attendance in one of our free course offerings.
A Holistic Approach to Error Reduction Applied to Injury and Illness Prevention Programs

New and updated OSHA resources available

OSHA has updated its guide to the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Injuries in Poultry Processing (PDF*), which is now also available as a smart phone-friendly e-publication. OSHA also recently issued a Safety and Health Information Bulletin, Operating Hazards of Baler Discharge-Door Locks, which provides guidance on how to inspect for and prevent the kind of failure that killed a worker earlier this year when the door locking mechanism on a hydraulic paper compactor/baler failed. Also see OSHA’s maritime industrypublications page for several handy QuickCards showing how to stay safe while doing maritime work.

With much of the eastern and central U.S. experiencing record cold temperatures, working outdoors presents an increased risk of exposure to cold stress — especially for snow cleanup crews, construction workers, recreational workers, postal workers, police officers, firefighters, baggage handlers, landscapers, and support workers for oil and gas operations. With proper planning and training, employers can keep their employees safe during winter work. For information on preventing injuries, illnesses and fatalities during winter storms, see OSHA’s recent blog and check out the updated Winter Weather page and Cold Stress Guide, which explains how to keep employees safe during winter work.

New resources available on protecting hospital workers, enhancing patient safety

On Jan. 15, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels hosted a press teleconference to launch a new educational Web resource with extensive materials to help hospitals prevent worker injuries, assess workplace safety needs, enhance safe patient handling programs and implement safety and health management systems.

"These new materials can help prevent hospital worker injuries and improve patient safety, while reducing costs," said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health. "The heart of this material are the lessons from high performing hospitals who have implemented best practices to reduce workplace injuries while also improving patient safety."

Joining Dr. Michaels on the call were Dr. John Howard, director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; Dr. Lucian Leape, chairman of the Lucian Leape Institute at the National Patient Safety Foundation; and Dr. Erin S. DuPree, chief medical officer and vice president of the Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare.

"By fostering research to identify injury risk factors and safety interventions, steps can be taken to save costs and enhance service to the patients," said Dr. Howard.

OSHA's new Worker Safety in Hospitals Web page provides detailed educational material about worker safety in hospitals, as well as easy to use products on implementing safety and health management systems. The website also contains information to help prevent the most common type of injuries in hospitals – injuries from manually lifting and moving patients. The guidance products include fact books, self-assessments, best practices guides. The website and materials are available at www.osha.gov/dsg/hospitals.

New educational video available on preventing electrocutions with cranes

A new animated video in OSHA's educational series about potential hazards in the construction industry is now available. "Prevent Electrocutions: Work Safely with Cranes near Power Lines" is the 14th video in the series, which are based on real-life incidents and include detailed depictions of hazards and the safety measures that would have prevented the injuries and fatalities. Available in both English and Spanish, the videos are brief, easy to understand, and geared to the needs of employers and workers. To stream or download the videos, visit OSHA's construction v-tools Web page or the Department of Labor YouTube channel.

New course offered: Asbestos Training for Building Managers

A new course, “Asbestos Training for Building Managers” is being offered this December. Training will be held on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 from 8:00 am – 3:00 pm.   This 1-day course will identify major sections of current regulations regarding facility operation compliance.  Among those who should attend are building and facility owners/managers, project managers, construction managers, general contractors, engineering and maintenance managers, EHS personnel and environmental consultants.  Click here to register for this course offering.

New 2014 course catalog download available

The Rutgers School of Public Health, Centers for Education and Training 2014 course catalog is available for download. Students may enroll for courses online by visiting https://ophp.sph.rutgers.edu, or by contacting the registrar at (732) 235-9450

Retail employers reminded to manage crowds, protect workers during Black Friday

In advance of Black Friday and upcoming sales events, OSHA reminds employers of the importance of taking precautions to prevent retail worker injuries this holiday season. Eager crowds can overwhelm retail management and employers, causing injuries and even deaths. This year will mark the fifth anniversary of the death of Jdimytai Damour, a 34-year-old Wal-Mart employee who was trampled as shoppers rushed through the retailer’s doors to take advantage of an after-Thanksgiving Day “Black Friday” sales event.

In letters issued this week to firefighter and fire marshals associations, retail trade organizations, and chief executive officers of large retail companies, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels explained that crowd control and proper planning are critical to preventing injuries and death.

Crowd management guidelines should include on-site, trained security personnel or police officers, barricades or rope lines for pedestrians that do not start right in front of the store's entrance, no blocked or locked exit doors, and other emergency procedures in place to address potential dangers. Read the fact sheet for additional details.

OSHA proposes new rule to improve tracking of workplace injuries and illnesses

On Nov. 7, OSHA issued a proposed rule to improve workplace safety and health through improved tracking of workplace injuries and illnesses. The announcement follows the Bureau of Labor Statistics' release of its annual Occupational Injuries and Illnesses report, which estimates that three million workers were injured on the job in 2012. 

"Three million injuries are three million too many," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels. "With the changes being proposed in this rule, employers, employees, the government and researchers will have better access to data that will encourage earlier abatement of hazards and result in improved programs to reduce workplace hazards and prevent injuries, illnesses and fatalities. The proposal does not add any new requirement to keep records; it only modifies an employer's obligation to transmit these records to OSHA."

The new proposal would require that establishments with more than 250 employees who are already required to keep records to electronically submit the records on a quarterly basis to OSHA. The agency is also proposing that establishments with 20 or more employees, in certain industries with high injury and illness rates, electronically submit their summary of work-related injuries and illnesses to OSHA once a year. For more information on the proposed rule, read the press release and visit the Improved Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses Rulemaking Web page.

The public will have 90 days, through Feb. 6, 2014, to submit written comments on the proposed rule. On Jan. 9, 2014, OSHA will hold a public meeting on the proposed rule in Washington, D.C. For information on how to participate, read the Federal Register notice.

New educational resources released to better protect workers from exposures to hazardous chemicals

Each year, tens of thousands of American workers are made sick or die from occupational exposures to hazardous chemicals. While many chemicals are suspected of being harmful, OSHA's exposure standards are out-of-date and inadequately protective for the small number of chemicals that are regulated in the workplace. To help keep workers safe, OSHA has launched two new Web resources.

The first resource is a step-by-step toolkit to identify safer chemicals that can be used in place of more hazardous ones. The Transitioning to Safer Chemicals toolkit provides employers and workers with information, methods, tools, and guidance on using informed substitution in the workplace.

OSHA has also created another new Web resource: the Annotated Permissible Exposure Limits, or annotated PELs tables, which will enable employers to voluntarily adopt newer, more protective workplace exposure limits. Since OSHA's adoption of the majority of its PELs more than 40 years ago, new scientific data, industrial experience and developments in technology clearly indicate that in many instances these mandatory limits are not sufficiently protective of workers’ health.

"From steel mills to hospitals, from construction sites to nail salons, hazardous chemical exposure is a serious concern for countless employers and workers in many, many industries, in every part of this nation," said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health. "With these new resources, OSHA is making sure that all business owners have access to information on safer exposure limits and safer alternatives to help protect their workers and their bottom lines." To learn more, read the press release and Dr. Michaels' new post on the DOL blog.

Study links silica exposure with significant increase in lung cancer risk

A newly published study of a large population of Chinese tin and pottery workers has found that exposure to airborne silica dust is associated with a significant increase in the risk of developing lung cancer. The study, printed in theAmerican Journal of Epidemiology, measured cumulative silica exposure in a group of more than 30,000 workers over a 44-year period. These findings, which confirm that silica is a human carcinogen, are consistent with the preliminary risk assessment in OSHA's new proposed rule to protect workers from occupational exposure to crystalline silica, and have important implications for public health. Read more about the AJOE study here.

OSHA invites and strongly encourages the public to participate in the process of developing a final silica rule through written comments and participation in public hearings. To read the notice of proposed rulemaking, visit https://federalregister.gov/a/2013-20997. Additional information on the proposed rule, including five fact sheets, and procedures for submitting written comments and participating in public hearings is available at www.osha.gov/silica.