Each year, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) releases a list of the top 10 most frequently cited standards violations. The list for fiscal year 2013 is almost identical to the previous year, highlighting the need for to protect workers, reduce fines and improve a company’s image and retain workers. In fact, International Paper CEO John Faraci told Chief Executive that the first thing he checks each day is IP’s safety record for the previous day.
If you have suffered an injury at your workplace, it is better to talk to a personal injury lawyer to determine the best way to get the appropriate benefits and compensation.
Following are the top ten most cited OSHA standards violations, in order of their frequency, for 2013.
Anytime a person is working at an elevated height, they are at potential risk of falling. Barriers such as pivot safety gates, overhead safety gates, and double-drop safety gates provide continuous protection at open areas on elevated work platforms. Plants should audit all elevated levels of its facility and correct deficiencies. For employees that have been in an accident where they tripped and fell, they have the right to contact slip and fall injury lawyers in washington dc to help them get compensation for their injuries.
Many employers find it difficult to create a compliant HazCom program. Most frequently, they lack written programs, fail to include enough information in written programs or don’t provide proper training. The second key step is to properly train employees. Many companies train employees with canned presentations that don’t address the job-specific hazards they encounter, which leaves room for mistakes and injury.
Each year OSHA statistics show that more than 4,500 workers are injured in scaffolding-related accidents, and more than 60 accidents a year are fatal. Under OSHA standards, all scaffolds are required to have a 10-foot trigger height for fall protection. There is also a 36-inch minimum guardrail height where fall arrest systems are the primary fall protection, and a 38-inch minimum guardrail height where a guardrail is the primary fall protection. Workers can hire this new york construction accident lawyer to help them get proper compensation if they get into an accident.
A respirator is required to protect employees from breathing contaminated or oxygen-deficient air when effective engineering controls are not feasible. It is essential that the correct respirator is chosen based on the environment in which the employee is working. Factors that must be taken into consideration are particulate matter, vapors and oxygen-deficiency. All respirators must be certified by The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Certified respirators will be labeled as such.
The employer must provide a medical evaluation to determine the employee’s ability to use a respirator before the employee is fit tested or required to use the device. The employer is also required to provide for the cleaning and disinfecting, storage, inspection and repair of respirators.
This is one area where violations doubled from 2012, emphasizing the need to reevaluate electrical safety. This specific regulation is quite broad and covers many topics including the use of conductors, cable trays, insulators, enclosures, switches, wet locations and flexible cords and cables. To comply with this standard and to keep your workers safe, enclosures, raceways, cable trays, fittings and other non-conductors made from metal used for grounding must be properly bonded to be able to handle potential fault currents. Therefore, make sure your wirings are done by professionals like www.accurateelectricplumbingheatingandair.com/electrical-services/.
Also known as forklifts or lift trucks, industrial trucks, come in many variations, and each presents different operating hazards. According to OSHA, the most common lift truck accidents include being struck by falling loads, driving lift trucks off loading docks, being struck by a lift truck, or falling while on elevated pallets and tines. Employers must ensure that each powered industrial truck operator is competent to operate the vehicle safely, as demonstrated by the successful completion of the training and evaluation as specified by OSHA.
One fifth of reported fatal falls on the job are from ladders, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Ladder accidents are usually caused by a lack of adequate training on ladder safety, poor condition of the ladder, improper ladder selection and incorrect ladder positioning. While on a ladder, employees should keep tools in a tool belt to keep their hands free for climbing. Heavy and bulky objects should only be brought up after the climber has reached the top, and signs or barricades should be used to warn workers below of the potential for falling objects.
The lack of proper training is the main reason lockout/tagout (LOTO) continues to appear on OSHA’s top ten list. Other key mistakes include overlooking key control procedures, using stock safety padlocks, and failing to perform annual reviews of their procedures. Experts at Master Lock recommend implementing a “One employee, one lock, one key” concept. Assuring that each employee has their own, assigned lock and key can help prevent accidental removal of locks.
Electrical equipment is necessary for all jobs, and many maintenance personnel are forced to make do with what they have on hand to get the job done. Unfortunately, the end result does not always meet code and can create a dangerous work environment for employees.
Jon Semancik, Product Manager at Ericson Manufacturing, a company focused on safe lighting, power and engineering solutions recommends that each facility have at least one dedicated expert on facility safety compliance, and that this person is responsible for trainings on proper electrical maintenance practices.
Common machine guarding mistakes include improper maintenance, the intentional removal of the safeguarding devices to increase production and the lack of a formal risk assessment. Experts say that there is no “one size fits all” solution when it comes to machine guarding. Where some situations may require complete enclosure with a machine guarding door, others would be better served by a presence sensing device like a light curtain.
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1:00 - 5:00 pm
Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process
Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:
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2:00 - 5:00 pm
Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations.
Limited space available.
10:30 - 5:00 pm
General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
Sponsored by UBS
General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.
The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.
