OSHA announces safety stand-down at Georgia construction sites on Tuesday, Nov. 9, to focus on struck-by hazards

ATLANTA – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration is partnering with construction contractors, the Federal Highway Administration, the state of Georgia and local government organizations to sponsor a safety stand-down hour at local construction sites around Georgia on Tuesday, Nov. 9.

Employers will voluntarily stop work at construction sites from 7 to 8 a.m. EST to conduct work zone safety training focused on the prevention of injuries occurring when employees are struck by objects and vehicles. Objects and vehicles striking workers are a lead cause of construction-related deaths. Approximately 75 percent of struck-by fatalities involve heavy equipment such as trucks or cranes.

"The one-hour stand down will heighten employees' awareness and their ability to identify and eliminate work-related hazards in the construction community," said Cindy Coe, OSHA's regional administrator for the Southeast. "This alliance has taken the initiative and shown leadership with organizing and conducting this safety stand-down industry-wide as well as throughout Georgia to emphasize the importance of employees' safety in work zones."

The Georgia Struck-By Alliance consists of OSHA, Associated General Contractors of America Georgia Branch, 3M Visibility and Insulations Solutions, Georgia's Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration Georgia Division, Georgia Highways Contractors Association, Georgia Utility Contractors Association, Association County Commissioners of Georgia, Georgia Tech Research Institute, Lamar Signs, Surveying and Mapping Society of Georgia and Georgia Power.

According to OSHA, the four most frequent types of construction incidents are falls from elevation, electrical shock and being either struck by or caught in/between materials and equipment. This course focuses on the steps workers can take to avoid being struck by or caught between hazards at work, including hazard awareness, prevention and control, with an emphasis on taking personal responsibility for safety.


Struck By, Caught Between courses are available in English and Spanish from PureSafety On demand

OSHA 10 and 30 hour Delivery Requirements Revised

OSHA recently revised its policy for all Outreach Training Programs to address the number of hours each day a student may spend in OSHA 10- and 30-hour classes. OSHA revised the length of daily classroom instruction to prevent workers from being saturated with so much information that they may miss content that could prevent injuries, illnesses, and death.

Revised program policy now requires OSHA trainers to limit worker training classes to a maximum of 7.5 hours per day. Before OSHA made this change, there were no limitations on how long these classes could last each day. With 10 hours of training, along with necessary breaks and lunch, students could sit in classes for up to 13 hours a day. OSHA became concerned that long, mentally-fatiguing class days might cause students to miss essential safety and health training.

Another concern was that, in some cases, one- and three-day training classes were not meeting 10- and 30-hour program time requirements. This concern became evident after OSHA conducted random records audits and unannounced monitoring visits.

Revised OSHA Outreach Training Program Delivery Requirements

• Maximum of 7 ½ hours of training allowed in one day.
• Training requirements include 10-hour courses being delivered over a minimum of 2 days and 30-hour courses being delivered over a minimum of 4 days.
• The policy is effective immediately and will be noted in the revision of the Outreach Training Program Guidelines scheduled for October 2010.

"Limiting daily class hours will help ensure that workers receive and retain quality safety training," said David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for OSHA.

This policy change is effective immediately and will be reflected in the next revision of the Outreach Training Program Guidelines. OSHA will not recognize training classes that exceed 7.5 hours per day or do not meet all program content requirements. In such cases trainers will not receive completion cards to distribute to students. Trainers may, however, submit written requests for exceptions to limiting training days to 7.5 hours based on extenuating circumstances.

For more information http://www.osha.gov/dte/outreach/construction_generalindustry/guidelines.html

The Outreach Training Program, a voluntary participation information resource, is part of OSHA's Directorate of Training and Education, comprises a national network of more than 17,000 independent trainers who teach workers and employers about OSHA, workers' rights and how to identify, avoid and prevent workplace hazards. There are 10- and 30-hour outreach classes for construction, general industry and maritime and 16-hour classes for disaster site workers. Students who successfully complete classes receive completion cards.

To purchase training and receive your OSHA card got to PureSafety Ondemand.

Online Safety Training-What Return on Investment can S&H programs provide?

The best Safety and Health Programs involve every level of the organization, instilling a safety culture that reduces accidents for workers and improves the bottom line for managers. When Safety and Health are part of the organization and a way of life, everyone wins. 

The return on investment for online safety training can include

• Improved employee morale,
• Decreased lost time,
• Fewer workplace injuries and illnesses,
• Lower insurance costs, and
• Safety culture adoption.

PureSafety gives you all the tools you need to overcome your health and safety challenges and enhance results.  To get started with economical OSHA and safety training visit PureSafety On Demand.

OSHA Training Content for Outreach Training Program Requirements Revised

Introduction to OSHA

This is a new two-hour training component emphasizing workers' rights. It is required content in every 10- and 30-hour OSHA Construction, General Industry, and Maritime Outreach course. OSHA developed the component in support of the Secretary of Labor's goal of strengthening the voice of workers on the job.

What does the new module include?

The module focuses on the importance of workers' rights, employer responsibilities and how to file a complaint. It also includes helpful worker safety and health resources. It covers whistleblower rights, filing a complaint, a worker's right to refuse to work because of dangerous conditions, and provides samples of a weekly fatality and catastrophe report, material data safety sheet and the OSHA Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses. The module materials include an Instructor Guide, PowerPoint slides, student handouts, and participatory activities.

The requirement is effective immediately. OSHA will note the requirement in the next revision of the Outreach Training Program Guidelines scheduled for October 2010.

The new OSHA 10 and 30 hour content revisions are already available on PureSafety OnDemand

Nevada OSHA 10 & 30 hour for construction requirements

The passage of Assembly Bill No. 148 requires a certain health and safety training for construction workers and supervisors. AB 148 was passed in response to a sharp increase in construction worker deaths at construction sites on the Las Vegas Strip over the past two years. The bill is aimed at increasing workplace safety by heightening worker awareness of safety concerns and knowledge of best safety practices.

New Safety Training Requirements for Nevada Construction Workers

Beginning on January 1, 2010, AB requires:

• All construction workers in the state to undergo a 10-hour safety training course (OSHA-10) developed by the U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) at least once every five years;
• All Supervisors on a construction site to undergo a 30-hour safety training course (OSHA-30) approved by OSHA at least once every five years.

The Division of Industrial Relations (DIR) will adopt regulations establishing courses which may be used to satisfy the training requirements. Courses will only be permitted to be provided by OSHA-approved "trainers" who have completed the OSHA 500 course.

Alternative Training through December 31, 2010

In addition, until January 1, 2011, employers may provide their own alternative course to the OSHA-10 or OSHA -30. The alternative courses must be approved by the safety committee of the employer (established pursuant to NRS 618.383) and meet or exceed the OSHA guidelines including, without limitation, federal safety and health regulatory requirements specific to the employer's industry. An employer that provides the "alternative" courses must maintain a record of all employees that completed the alternative course and make the records available to DIR at all times.

Effective January 1, 2011, employees will no longer have the option to complete employer-provided alternative courses instead of the OSHA courses.

Proof of Compliance Required

Both employees and supervisors will be required, within 15 days of hire, to present employers with proof that they completed the required coursework by showing valid "completion cards" for the appropriate course (10-hour or 30-hour). The required completion cards will be issued by Nevada OSHA. Once issued, the completion cards expire after five years. Employees may renew their completion cards within five years by showing proof of at least 5 hours (construction workers) or 15 hours (supervisors) of job-specific safety training that meets the guidelines to be established by the DIR.

Impact on contractors and construction workers

While the bill places responsibility on construction worker employees to obtain the training and show proof to the employer, it also burdens the employer with ensuring employee compliance. Both employee and employer face heavy penalties for noncompliance. Larger developers and employers of "seasonal" or temporary staff will face increased administrative costs, including potentially hiring additional staff, to review and retain proof of employees' compliance and to comply with DIR requests to review records.

You can find the specific provisions here

http://www.leg.state.nv.us/Register/RegsReviewed/$R141-09A.pdf

If you or your employees need to get certified try PureSafety On Demand.

Living a Less Stressful Life

Relieve stress, go fishing? People still do that? Remember the days when you would see a sign on the door of the country store that said "Gone Fishin'"?. It's meaning ran deeper than just announcing the fact that the owner has simply gone fishing.

Stress—or how people handle it—is the number one killer of our times. While you can’t eliminate stress, you can choose to respond to it with different coping methods. Choice—identifying and selecting among options—drives your success, your coping skills, and your life itself. This lesson will teach you how to make good choices to better deal with stress in your life.

PureSafety On Demand offers a wide selection of courses on everything from OSHA 10 and 30 hour training to Health and Wellness courses.

OSHA's Distracted Driving letter to employers-Distracted Driver Training

David Michaels, PhD, MPH Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health recently posted an open letter to employers.  Here’s an excerpt:

Most employers want to do the right thing and protect their workers, and some have already taken action to prohibit texting while driving. It is your responsibility and legal obligation to create and maintain a safe and healthful workplace, and that would include having a clear, unequivocal and enforced policy against the hazard of texting while driving. Companies are in violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act if, by policy or practice, they require texting while driving, or create incentives that encourage or condone it, or they structure work so that texting is a practical necessity for workers to carry out their job.

To combat the threat of distracted driving, we are prepared to act quickly. When OSHA receives a credible complaint that an employer requires texting while driving or who organizes work so that texting is a practical necessity, we will investigate and where necessary issue citations and penalties to end this practice.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that driver inattention is a factor in 80 percent of highway collisions. By failing to give full attention to the road, distracted drivers put themselves, their passengers and everyone else on the road at risk.

PureSafety offers a Distracted Driver Training course for $19.95 per employee.  This course presents strategies drivers can use to remain focused on the road.