Health & Safety Focus
Working Safely in Cold Weather
Cold weather brings a number of risks and hazards, from falls on slippery surfaces, to exposure to extreme temperatures, overexertion and dangerous winter driving conditions.
See NYSIF’s Guide and Employee Handout to protecting yourself and your workers from cold weather hazards. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Winter Weather webpage also offers tips for staying safe while working outdoors.
New OSHA Resources
Forklift Manufacturers Emphasize Operator Training
Tips on safe work practices on or around forklifts are available in a new OSHA Alert.
Trench Safety
A new flyer addressing the most common trench-related hazards lists five things you should know to stay safe in a trench. OSHA also offers more resources for employers and workers on trenching safety, including a short video.
Fire Safety
Did you know a fire is the most common type of emergency for a small business? Should employees evacuate or be prepared to fight a small fire? Learn about having a fire emergency action plan, fire prevention training, and the use of portable fire extinguishers with OSHA Evacuation Plan and Procedures eTools.
New OSHA Rules
Revised Safety and Health Standards
OSHA issued a final rule revising 14 provisions in its recordkeeping, general industry, maritime and construction standards. OSHA expects the standards, part of its Standards Improvement Project, to increase understanding and compliance, improve worker safety and health, and save employers more than $6 million per year. Learn more about OSHA Standards and training requirements (r.) to help improve safety on the job.
Respirator Testing Protocols
A new final rule, effective September 26, 2019, provides employers with two new fit testing protocols for respirators to ensure a proper fit for employees. The new protocols – the modified ambient aerosol condensation nuclei counter (CNC) quantitative fit testing protocol for full-facepiece and half-mask elastomeric respirators, and the modified ambient aerosol CNC quantitative fit testing protocol for filtering facepiece respirators – are variations of the original CNC protocol, but have fewer test exercises, shorter exercise duration and a more streamlined sampling sequence.
The new procedures add to the four existing methods in Appendix A of OSHA’s Respiratory Protection Standard, and do not not require employers in general industries, shipyard employment and construction to update or replace their current fit testing methods, nor impose any additional costs.
Revisions to Beryllium Standards for Construction and Shipyards
Published on September 30, 2019, the new, final rule for construction and shipyards standards:
- Does not implement the proposal to revoke all the standards’ ancillary provisions;
- Extends the compliance dates for the ancillary provisions to September 2020, accounting for a new proposal to revise or remove specific provisions; and
- Maintains enforcement of the permissible exposure limit.
How Inspections Keep Workers Safe
OSHA performed more inspections in fiscal year 2019 than in any year since 2015, the agency reported. Federal OSHA investigators conducted 33,401 inspections addressing violations relating to trenching, falls, chemical exposure, silica and other hazards. A new OSHA video, in English and Spanish, explains how the inspection process helps keep workers safe.