• You must post the summary no later than February 1, 2011 and keep it posted until April 30.
• You must post a copy of the annual summary in a prominent place or places where announcements to employees are routinely posted.
• You must ensure that the posted annual summary is not altered, defaced or covered by other materials.

If needed, click here to download the OSHA forms.

I have seen both ends of the spectrum of problems with ill-fitted plugs. Big guys commonly have very large ear canals and some “standard” size foam ear plugs can slide in and out without providing any protection to the user. A disposable plug needs to “expand” in the ear canal to form a tight seal, otherwise the posted NRR (noise reduction rating) is not being met. Likewise, some females who try to use foam earplugs that are too big have difficulty getting the plug inserted into the ear canal, resulting in the same problems.

Feel free to contact Conney Safety Support at 800-462-1947 to assist with sizing options for Earplugs.

The new NEP replaces OSHA’s 2009 pilot Chemical Facility National Emphasis Program which covered several OSHA regions around the country. The program establishes policies and procedures for inspecting workplaces that are covered by OSHA’s process safety management (PSM) standard. The program’s inspection process includes detailed questions designed to gather facts related to PSM requirements and verification that employers’ written and implemented PSM programs are consistent.

“During our pilot Chemical NEP we found many of the same safety-related problems that were uncovered during our NEP for the refinery industry, which is also covered by the PSM standard,” said Michaels. “As a result, we are expanding the enforcement program to a national level to increase awareness of these dangers so that employers will more effectively prevent the release of highly hazardous chemicals.”  The intent of the NEP is to conduct focused inspections at facilities randomly selected from a list of worksites likely to have hazardous chemicals in quantities covered by the standard.

Click here for more information about Process Safety Management (PSM).

• The first part is the computer-based training program which can be used by groups or individual trainees. The training program contains pictures and audio files that simulate the decisions involved in mine emergencies.
• The second part is the instructor’s guide and lesson plans.
• The third part is an optional evaluation form that the instructor can deliver to trainees to obtain feedback about the training program and discussion sessions.

The purpose of the CBT program is to simulate an underground mine emergency and require trainees to make choices similar to those that they would have to make in a real emergency. This training incorporates recent safety developments in underground coal mining technology by including emergency escape options such as refuge alternatives located near the working surface, outby refuge alternatives, and caches of extra self-contained self-rescuers. Discussion questions are also included in the lesson plans to reinforce the lessons and stimulate thought and discussion about emergency escape. These materials were designed for underground coal miners at all skill levels. Although it was designed for coal miners, it may be used for training miners at all types of underground operations that have added refuge alternatives.

Click here for more information on this topic.

• 1926.451 – Scaffolding
• 1926.501 – Fall Protection
• 1910.1200 – Hazard Communication
• 1910.134 – Respiratory Protection
• 1910.147 – Lockout/Tagout
• 1910.305 – Electrical, Wiring Methods
• 1910.178 – Powered Industrial Trucks
• 1926.1053 – Ladders
• 1910.303 – Electrical, General Requirements
• 1910.212 – Machine Guarding

These are the standards for which OSHA assessed the highest penalties in fiscal year 2011:

• 1926.501 – Fall Protection
• 1926.451 – Scaffolding
• 1910.147 – Control Of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout)
• 1910.212 – Machines, General Requirements
• 1926.1053 – Ladders, Construction
• 1926.652 – Excavations, Requirements For Protective Systems
• 1910.178 – Powered Industrial Trucks
• Section 5(A)(1) – General Duty Clause
• 1910.305 – Electrical, Wiring Methods
• 1910.303 – Electrical Systems Design

For more specific information, visit Frequently Cited OSHA Standards. At that site, you can generate a report on the most frequently cited federal or state OSHA standards by your SIC code and the number of employees in your establishment.

1. Normal breathing. In a normal standing position, without talking, the test subject shall breathe normally.
2. Deep breathing. In a normal standing position, the test subject shall breathe slowly and deeply, taking caution so as not to hyperventilate.
3. Turning head side to side. Standing in place, the test subject shall slowly turn his/her head from side to side between the extreme positions on each side. The head shall be held at each extreme momentarily so the subject can inhale at each side.
4. Moving head up and down. Standing in place, the test subject shall slowly move his/her head up and down. The subject shall be instructed to inhale in the up position (i.e., when looking toward the ceiling).
5. Talking. The test subject shall talk out loud slowly and loud enough so as to be heard clearly by the test conductor. The subject can read from a prepared text such as the Rainbow Passage, count backward from 100, or recite a memorized poem or song.
   
   Rainbow Passage
   When the sunlight strikes raindrops in the air, they act like a prism and form a rainbow. The rainbow is a division of white light into many beautiful colors. These take the shape of a long round arch, with its path high above, and its two ends apparently beyond the horizon. There is, according to legend, a boiling pot of gold at one end. People look, but no one ever finds it. When a man looks for something beyond reach, his friends say he is looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  

6. Grimace. The test subject shall grimace by smiling or frowning
7. Bending over. The test subject shall bend at the waist as if he/she were to touch his/her toes. Jogging in place shall be substituted for this exercise in those test environments such as shroud type that do not permit bending over at the waist.
8. Normal breathing. Same as exercise 1.

The test conductor should question the test subject regarding the comfort of the respirator upon completion of the fit test exercises. If the fit is unacceptable, another model of respirator shall be tried. The respirator shall not be adjusted once the fit test exercises begin. Any adjustment voids the test, and the fit test must be repeated.

For more information on this topic, refer to visit the OSHA webite.

The new materials include the Laboratory Safety Guidance Document, which describes how electrical, fire, explosions and falls, among other hazards, can be minimized or eliminated if employers use safety plans, worker training, engineering controls and personal protective equipment. New laboratory safety materials also include fact sheets that each focus on a specific hazard related to laboratory environments. Practices and precautions to protect laboratory personnel include safety guidance for using autoclaves, use of chemical fume hoods, labeling and transferring chemicals, and latex exposure.

OSHA is collaborating with the National Academies on resources to help improve the safety of laboratory workers. OSHA used the original edition of the National Academies’ Prudent Practices in the Laboratory manual as the foundation for the laboratory standard.

Click here for more information from OSHA.

In reality, many of our customers ignore the advice we give them that would assure them of proper compliance with OSHA regulations:

1. Written program
2. Medical evaluations
3. Fit testing
4. Training

Take a few minutes to view this link from 3M featuring basic information to make this process easier to understand and follow.  As always, you can feel free to contact a Safety Support Advisor at Conney to assist you with this process.

The new information products, which are available on OSHA’s Publications page, include:

• Trenching and Excavation Fact Sheet* – an overview of the hazards that can occur while performing trenching operations and the safety measures required to protect workers;
• Working Safely in Trenches QuickCard* – an easy-to-use guide to trenching hazards and safety measures with graphics; and
• Do Not Enter an Unprotected Trench! Poster* – a resource for construction workplaces informing workers what steps must be taken to ensure trench safety, along with the warning “An Unprotected Trench is an Early Grave.”

Subjects covered in the three documents include proper shoring and sloping; evaluations by competent persons; means of access/egress; atmospheric hazard testing; and protective systems.  Because of the severity of trenching hazards, OSHA conducts a Special Emphasis Program on Trenching and Excavations, which sets procedures for enforcement activities wherever trenching and excavation worksites are observed. When OSHA’s compliance officers see a trench, they will inspect a trench.

The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. Their investigative staff includes chemical and mechanical engineers, industrial safety experts, and other specialists with experience in the private and public sectors.

Click here to view their complete video library.