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CBIA members: Click here to sign up for our free HR (comes twice a month) and/or our Safety & Heath (monthly) electronic newsletters. Note: If you are already receiving these publications, you do not need to sign up again. |
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Don’t wait until an OSHA compliance officer is in your lobby to address health and safety issues in your workplace. Employee safety is a priority for all employers. Find out what laws apply to you.
Update on West Nile VirusThe State Mosquito Management Program has announced that mosquitoes trapped in Fairfield, Glastonbury, Stratford, West Haven, and Wethersfield have tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV). These are the first WNV-positive mosquitoes identified in these five towns this year. To monitor WNV, the state maintains a network of 91 mosquito-trapping stations in 72 municipalities. Mosquito traps are set every ten days at each site on a rotating basis. So far this summer, positive mosquitoes have been identified in 16 towns—Bridgeport, Darien, East Haven, Greenwich, Hamden, Hartford, Milford, New Haven, Norwalk, Stamford, Stonington, plus the five most recent towns. A resident of Sherman, who became ill during June, tested positive for WNV infection. The increasing level and spread of WNV-infected mosquitoes is cause for concern, says the state Department of Health. It is important for everyone to take steps to avoid mosquito bites while outdoors. For tips on workplace precautions, go to http://www.osha.gov/dts/shib/shib082903b.html.
WC mileage rate increasesThe mileage reimbursement rate for all work-injury related travel expenses incurred on or after Aug. 8, 2008, is now 58.5 cents per mile. The rate increase applies to all claimants, regardless of injury date, and coincides with the federal mileage reimbursement rate. More about mileage reimbursement rates.
Reporting bloodborne pathogen exposuresAlthough rates of underreporting are difficult to ascertain, studies estimate that high percentages of workers do not report all bloodborne pathogen exposures. According to the National Institute for Safety and Health (NIOSH), employees give many reasons for not reporting exposures. They do not think they will get an infection from the exposure; they were not wearing the proper personal protective equipment; or they are embarrassed by the exposure incident. NIOSH advises employers to encourage their employees to report possible exposure incidents as soon as possible. First, it allows an employer to provide prompt medical assessment and treatment, helping to protect employees, their families, and the public. Second, by documenting exposures an employer can identify causes and prevent them from occurring again. This keeps workers on the job, reducing costs in the long run. Employers should establish a policy that all potential exposures must be reported, then tell employees about the policy, the steps being taken to implement it, and how they can help. More tips from NIOSH.
Third-largest fine in OSHA historyThe Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued citations proposing penalties of more than $8 million following a sugar refinery explosion and fire that killed 13 employees and hospitalized 40 others in February. The proposed penalties against the Imperial Sugar Co. and two of its affiliates represent the third-largest fine in the agency’s history. OSHA inspectors found large accumulations of combustible sugar dust in workrooms, on electrical motors, and other equipment at the facility where the explosion occurred and later at a second facility owned by Imperial. The investigation also determined that officials at the company were well aware of these conditions, but took no action reasonably directed at reducing the obvious hazards. According to Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Edwin Foulke Jr., the company disregarded its employees’ safety by placing them in an extremely dangerous work environment. Worse, said Foulke, a month after the explosion and fire the company had done little to ensure abatement of the combustible dust hazards at its other plant. If OSHA investigators had not inspected and posted an imminent danger notice regarding areas at the second plant, the same thing could have happened again. Imperial countered by saying federal guidance on industrial dust accidents is "woefully inadequate” and the industry needs clear new standards for addressing the hazards. There has been a poor understanding of the hazards of combustible dust throughout the industry, as well as within OSHA itself, according to the company. The citations include 108 instances of willful violations related to the combustible dust hazard, including the failure to clean up dust and not using appropriate equipment or safeguards where combustible dust is present. OSHA also has issued 10 citations for other willful violations, 100 citations for serious violations, and four citations for other-than-serious safety and health violations. The company has 15 business days to contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
EPA announces new pesticides ruleThe Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced new safety measures for soil fumigant pesticides to increase protections for agricultural workers and “bystanders,” people who live, work or otherwise spend time near fields that are fumigated. Soil fumigants are pesticides that, when injected or incorporated into soil, form a gas that permeates the soil and kills a wide variety of soil-borne pests. Fumigants are used on a range of crops, primarily potatoes, tomatoes, strawberries, carrots, and peppers. The new rules apply to the pesticides methyl bromide, chloropicrin, dazomet, metam sodium, and metam potassium. According to EPA, when fumigants dissipate from the soil, workers or bystanders who are exposed may experience eye or respiratory irritation, or more severe and irreversible effects, depending on the fumigant and level of exposure. Among the new requirements:
EPA is allowing 60 days for public comments on implementation of these measures and will refine the measures as needed. More information.
Home builders slam new ergo standardThe National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has expressed “strong disappointment” with the recently published ergonomics standard ANSI A10.40. Passage of the standard was spearheaded by the American Society of Safety Engineers. In describing its objections to the standard, NAHB pointed to a section that suggests cutting drywall into three-foot pieces -- which would not fit on the framing used by nearly all architects, designers and builders. NAHB also said that the standard would not help reduce workplace injuries because it does not provide information on how to be safe. Instead of providing specific workplace safety instructions, the standard suggests that employers examine activities that involve “force,” “pushing,” or “lifting.” A group known as the Construction Employers Coalition has filed and lost an appeal challenging the standard’s adoption. In addition to NAHB, the coalition includes the Associated General Contractors of America, Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc., the American Subcontractors Association, and the Mechanical Contractors Association of America. NAHB says there are numerous existing resources to assist residential employers in preventing soft-tissue injuries. More information.
Be “Red Cross Ready”If there was something you could do to protect yourself and your loved ones, save yourself time and money and help create a stronger Connecticut, would you do it? As the leader in disaster preparedness and response for more than 125 years, the American Red Cross knows from experience that people who prepare ahead of time can do just that. But while 96% of Americans agree that it’s important to prepare for a disaster, only seven percent have taken the necessary steps to do so, according to recent American Red Cross polls. As September – National Preparedness Month – approaches, the American Red Cross in Connecticut is encouraging everyone to take three simple actions to get “Red Cross Ready” for disasters and other emergencies:
Taking these basic preparedness actions can better prepare you for a variety of disasters from a power outage to a hurricane. Visit the Red Cross’s free, online education module. where you can download a disaster supplies kit shopping list and emergency contact card and learn how to create a family disaster plan. This information is also available as a brochure or community presentation by contacting your local Red Cross Chapter. Find your chapter by visiting www.ctredcross.org or calling 1-877-287-3327.
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© 2003 Connecticut Business & Industry Association (CBIA). All rights reserved. The articles, forms and other materials available through this Web site are for informational purposes only. They are not intended as legal advice or as a solution to an individual problem. You are encouraged to consult with appropriate legal counsel prior to relying on the materials in whole or in part.
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