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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.

Report recommends OSHA, EPA improvements

OSHA and the EPA could do a better job in their processes for preparing communications materials — such as guidance, fact sheets, and brochures — that are used to provide information to regulated parties and the public, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

The GAO examined the processes used by OSHA and the EPA from 2000 through 2007 as each agency updated information to address the potential hazards of exposure to asbestos in automotive brakes. In its report, the GAO makes the following recommendations:

• Both OSHA and EPA should make sure their policies for developing communication vehicles have timelines so that they are developed in a timely manner
• The policies and procedures both agencies use should be fully documented and made public
• EPA should consider adopting a centralized database to more completely account for the inventory of communications materials it disseminates
• OSHA should solicit input from outside parties, when practical
• OSHA staff should receive more guidance on developing a communications strategy

Overexertion tops causes of injuries

The Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety has released its annual study identifying the leading causes of the most disabling workplace injuries — that is, those in which an employee misses six or more days of work — and their cost in workers’ compensation to U.S. industry.

According to the 2007 Workplace Safety Index, the top 10 most disabling injuries cost businesses an estimated $48.3 billion in 2005, the most recent year for which figures are available. The leading causes of those injuries were:

• Overexertion (including pushing, lifting, carrying, etc)
• Fall on the same level
• Fall to lower level
• Bodily reaction (slipping or tripping without falling)
• Struck by object
• Highway incidents
• Repetitive motion
• Struck against object
• Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects
• Assault and other violent acts

The top 10 causes remained essentially the same as in prior years. Overall, the top categories produced 87.5% of the entire cost burden of disabling work-related injuries in 2005. Just over half of the $48.3 billion in costs stemmed from the top three injury causes — overexertion (26.3%), fall on same level (13.6%), and fall to lower level (10.4%).

Wallingford facility a safety star

The U.S. Postal Service’s Wallingford post office has achieved “star” status in OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program (VPP).

The VPP recognizes worksites that are committed to effective employee protection beyond the requirements of OSHA standards and encourages cooperative relationships among labor, management, and government.

The Wallingford facility, which has 98 employees, was awarded its star designation after a week-long onsite review by OSHA, which included interviews with employees and a complete tour of the worksite. It is one of 1,945 worksites in 270 industries nationwide that have earned entry into the VPP. Sixteen other Connecticut worksites, including the Danbury post office, are currently in the program.

According to OSHA, VPP participants have significantly reduced fatalities, injuries and illnesses and associated cost reductions, including lowered workers’ compensation expenses. More information about the VPP.

Confined spaces hearing  

OSHA has scheduled an informal public hearing this summer to receive testimony and documentary evidence on the proposed rule for Confined Spaces in Construction.

The hearing is set for 10 a.m. on Tuesday, July 22 at the Department of Labor’s Frances Perkins Building in Washington, D.C. If a second or third day is needed, the hearing will begin at 9 a.m. on those days.

OSHA published the proposed Confined Spaces in Construction Standard on Nov. 28, 2007, and the public was given until Feb. 28, 2008 to submit comments. Those who intend to present testimony at the hearing must notify OSHA in writing by May 21, 2008. Parties who request more than 10 minutes for their presentation at the hearing and those who will present documentary evidence must provide the agency with copies of their materials no later than June 20, 2008. More details.

Congress identifies NFL health issues

The House Judiciary Committee has released a report recommending legislation to address health problems faced by professional football players.

The report examined the types and severity of health problems suffered by current and former NFL players, focusing on the disability benefit programs and the health and safety initiatives of the NFL and NFL Players Association (NFLPA).

Among the conclusions:

• The injury rate for NFL players is nearly eight times higher than that of any other commercial sports league, including hockey and auto racing
• Neither the NFL nor the NFLPA maintain data on the number or percentage of players who retire because of injury
• Former players find access to health benefits very difficult
• The current system is subject to a variety of conflicts of interest that appear to be detrimental to players
• The NFLPA has limited authority and capabilities regarding health and safety, devoting only a part-time medical advisor to attend to the issues

The report was commissioned following a 2007 hearing where former players Mike Ditka, Harry Carson, Curt Marsh and Brent Boyd detailed injuries, sustained during their playing days, that continue to hamper them today.

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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.