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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

OSHA announces $10.5M funding opportunity for Susan Harwood Training grants

OSHA today announced the availability of $10.5 million in Susan Harwood Training Grants to fund training and education for workers and employers to help them identify and prevent workplace safety and health hazards. The grants are available for nonprofit organizations including community and faith-based organizations, employer associations, labor unions, joint labor/management associations, Indian tribes, and colleges and universities. Recipients will create in-person, hands-on training and educational programs and develop materials for workers and employers in small businesses; industries with high injury, illness and fatality rates; and vulnerable workers who are underserved, have limited English proficiency or are temporary workers. Harwood applications must be submitted online no later than 11:59 p.m. EDT on Monday, Aug. 28. For more information, read the news release or visit Grants.gov.

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OSHA alliance partners commit to better protect worker safety and health

The OSHA Alliance Program fosters collaborative relationships with groups committed to worker safety and health. Alliance partners help OSHA reach targeted audiences, such as employers and workers in high-hazard industries, and give them better access to workplace safety and health tools and information.

• The Erie Institute of Technology renewed a five-year agreement to help reduce the exposure of young workers to occupational safety and health hazards.
• The Associated General Contractors – San Antonio Chapter renewed a two-year agreement to provide members and others with guidance and training resources that will help them protect the health and safety of workers, particularly by reducing and preventing exposure to falls, electrocution, struck-by, caught-in or between, and addressing general industry and construction issues.

Illinois company achieves safety excellence with help from On-site Consultation Program

Mechanical contractor Corrosion Monitoring Services Inc. in St. Charles, Ill., contacted OSHA’s On-site Consultation Program after realizing the company had many gaps in its safety and health program. After consulting with OSHA, CMS developed and implemented a Worker-to-Rescuer Program to train workers to transition into a rescue team capable of responding to any confined space emergency. In 2015, safety improvements led the company to a more than 60 percent reduction in its rate of total recordable injuries compared to the national average for its industry, with no injuries resulting in lost work. The company’s commitment to safety earned CMS entry in OSHA’s Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program. For more information, see the success story.

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Minnesota cites company for safety violations following worker fatality

Minnesota OSHA issued $52,800 in penalties to Rahr Malting Co. in Shakopee for safety violations identified after a worker was fatally injured in January. Inspectors issued four serious citations to the company after determining that it failed to control potentially hazardous energy and provide point-of-operation machine guarding; as a result, a worker was caught in a machine and suffered fatal injuries.

California cites explosives manufacture after worker suffers serious injuries in explosion

California OSHA cited explosives manufacturer Pacific Scientific Energetic Materials Company $293,235 for multiple serious and willful workplace safety violations following the investigation of an explosion in Hollister that seriously injured a worker. Cal/OSHA inspectors cited the company for violations that included failure to: protect the employee’s workstation from explosive hazards; evaluate and control hazards associated with handling explosives during manufacture; and provide clear written safety instructions. Pacific Scientific was cited in 2007 and 2015 following incidents that also resulted in workers being seriously injured. For more information, read the news release.

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Form for electronically submitting injury, illness data available Aug. 1

On Aug. 1, OSHA will launch a web-based form that will allow employers to electronically submit required injury and illness data from their completed 2016 OSHA Form 300A. The webpage will offer three options for submitting data, and includes information on reporting requirements, a list of frequently asked questions, and a link to request assistance with completing the form.

OSHA published a notice of proposed rulemaking last month to extend the deadline for electronically submitting the data to Dec. 1, 2017. The proposed extension gives those affected sufficient time to familiarize themselves with the electronic reporting system, and provides the new administration an opportunity to review the new electronic reporting requirements prior to their implementation. For more information, read the news release.

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New guide will help small businesses comply with OSHA's silica rule for general industry and maritime

OSHA has released a Small Entity Compliance Guide for General Industry and Maritime to help small business employers comply with the agency's Final Rule to Protect Workers from Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica. The guide describes the steps that employers are required to take to protect employees in general industry and maritime from the hazards associated with silica exposure. These requirements include: assessing worker exposures; using engineering and work practice controls to keep exposures below a specified safety threshold; and offering medical exams to certain highly exposed workers. Enforcement of the final rule in general industry and maritime is scheduled to begin June 23, 2018.

OSHA has resources to help protect workers from summer weather hazards

OSHA provides resources for workplace preparedness and response to severe weather emergencies that can arise during summer, including: hurricanes, wildfires and floods as well as severe heat. OSHA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration encourage employers to be aware of weather forecasts, train workers on severe weather plans and keep emergency supplies, including a battery-operated weather radio.

Window cleaning association creates safety guide for workers

Through its alliance with OSHA, the International Window Cleaning Association has developed an online field guide for protecting the safety and health of window cleaners. The mobile-friendly guide offers best practices on identifying and avoiding fall, chemical, electrical and other hazards workers face on the job.

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Thanks for following and retweeting! Continue following @OSHA_DOL on Twitter and visiting the DOL Facebook page for up-to-the-minute OSHA information and resources.

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OSHA provides news and commentary on workplace safety and health from its senior leadership, staff and guest contributors on the DOL blog. See our latest posts:

• OSHA Program for Small Businesses Makes a Big Difference, by Patrick Showalter, director of OSHA’s Office for Small Business Assistance
• An Ounce of Prevention with OSHA Consultation, by Eric R. Lucero, deputy director of the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Public Affairs in Atlanta
• Climbing to the Top on Ladder Safety, by Jack A. Rector, director of OSHA's area office in Fort Worth

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