Department of Labor logo

UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

In This Issue

New SHIBs target reducing skid-steer loader and cable tray hazards

OSHA published a Safety and Health Information Bulletin addressing concerns of safety features of a skid-steer loader being bypassed, defeated or improperly maintained resulting in serious injury or death to the operator and employees working on or around the equipment. The SHIB, Safely Installing, Maintaining and Inspecting Cable Trays, describes the hazards of overloaded cable trays and identifies specific OSHA and National Electric Code requirements to help avoid those hazards.

OSHA publishes two new resources stressing importance of process safety management

Process Safety Management Depends on You! is the title of a new OSHA poster and QuickCard reminding employers and employees about the importance of managing hazards associated with processes using highly hazardous chemicals to ensure the safety and health of themselves and others. Printed copies can be ordered from OSHA's publications page.

Pandemic influenza is new subject of Safety and Health Topics page on Web site

A new Safety and Health Topics Web page on pandemic influenza has been posted to OSHA's Web site. The page is a central repository for OSHA information and resources on helping workplaces prepare for a pandemic. One of the newest resources is a link to a Web page featuring answers to the most frequently asked questions about OSHA's Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Guidance for Healthcare Workers and Healthcare Employers.

Next OSHA small business forum examines national emphasis programs

National emphasis programs and their effect on small businesses are the topics of OSHA's next forum March 24 from 10 a.m. to noon in Room C-5320 at the U.S. Labor Department in Washington. This forum is part of a small business series that fosters collaboration between the small business community and federal government entities on safety and health management issues. For more information or to register, contact Russell Jones at 202-693-2532 or jones.russell@dol.gov.

Combustible dust national emphasis program is center of upcoming workshop

Three OSHA Training Institute Education Centers (Great Lakes, Mid-America and National Safety) and Region V will host a March 20 workshop on OSHA's combustible dust national emphasis program at the Northern Illinois University-Naperville campus. For details, visit the Great Lakes Ed Center Web site, or contact Marianne Kautz at 800-207-9399, kautzm@uc.edu.

OSHA grantee offers free training nationwide to eligible individuals on electrical safety

The Workplace Safety Awareness Council, an OSHA Susan Harwood Training Grant Program recipient, will offer free training on electrical safety in 33 cities nationwide starting this month and continuing through August. Only employers and employees covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Act are eligible to participate. For class information, dates and locations, visit WPSAC's Web site.

Agency co-sponsored conference aims to help protect safety and health of employees

Protecting the health and safety of employees in the workplace is the focus of Downstate Illinois Occupational Safety and Health Day, March 4, at the Peoria Civic Center. OSHA is co-sponsoring this event to offer safety professionals easy access to numerous resources and services on meeting workplace safety and health goals. Contact 1-877-DIOSH-DAY (364-7432), or visit the DIOSH Day Web page for more information.

Process safety management course to be held March 16-18 in Illinois

OSHA's North Aurora, Ill., Area Office and the Illinois Safety Council, which formed an alliance with OSHA's Illinois area offices, will host a three-day process safety management course March 16-18 in Naperville, Ill. The seminar will offer comprehensive instruction on process safety management relating to OSHA standards and best practices. To register, visit www.ilsafetycouncil.org.

Combustible dust explosion inspections seminar slated for March 26

OSHA's North Aurora, Ill., Area Office and the Illinois Safety Council, which formed an alliance with OSHA's Illinois area offices, will host a combustible dust explosion inspections seminar March 26 in Naperville, Ill. The seminar will offer instructions on OSHA standards relating to combustible dust and best practices to protect employees against dust explosions. To register, visit www.ilsafetycouncil.org.

Voluntary Protection Programs continue to help reduce workplace injuries

OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs' success in helping protect employees and reducing workplace injuries is demonstrated by VPP star participant Utility Contractors Inc.'s record of zero workplace injuries recorded between 2007 and 2008 after incorporating a daily muscle stretch program into its safety and health management system. Prior to attaining VPP recognition in 2007, UCI had high recordable incident rates because of employees experiencing musculoskeletal injuries.

OSHA forms two new alliances in February

OSHA formed an alliance with the American Warehouse Systems in Minneapolis to help reduce and prevent injuries and illnesses in the warehouse industry. Providing training to employees on how to better identify, prevent and eliminate trenching, scaffolding and electrical hazards is the goal of an alliance signed between OSHA and the New England Laborers' Training Academy in Hopkinton, Mass.

"QuickTips:" Most frequently cited standard in fiscal year 2008 by federal OSHA

Scaffolding (general requirements, construction 29 CFR 1926.451) was the most frequently cited standard in fiscal year 2008. It is also the standard for which OSHA proposed the second highest penalties. OSHA has resources to help employers and employees identify scaffolding hazards and solutions to those hazards. Visit OSHA's Safety and Health Topics Web page on scaffolding and publications page for more information.

Editor: Elaine Fraser, OSHA Office of Communications, 202-693-1999, www.osha.gov