Tag: Workplace

Industry News

Heat Illness Prevention Campaign 2012

May 18th, 2012 · ISN Team - Tags: , , , , , ,

As the summer months quickly approach, the heat associated with this season is sure to follow. This creates a potentially dangerous hazard for all workers whose services involve working outdoors. However, heat-related illnesses can affect anyone exposed to heat, including those working indoors.

For this reason, Dr. David Michaels hosted a press conference on Monday, May 7th, announcing OSHA’s 2012 Heat Illness Prevention Campaign. This nationwide campaign is being launched to educate workers on the dangers of working in environments with heat hazards. Last year, more than 4,000 workers experienced heat stress or heat illness, and as many as 40 of those cases resulted in death.

Workers at risk of heat stress include firefighters, farmers, construction workers, miners, boiler room workers, factory workers, military, health care, emergency response and cleanup personnel and many more.

The risk of heat stress increases greatly if a worker:

  • Is 65 years of age or older
  • Is overweight
  • Has heart disease or high blood pressure
  • Takes medication(s)

To help ensure the success of this campaign, Dr. Michaels and OSHA have released a list of industry-specific resources and a free “Heat Safety Tool” application available for download on smartphones. The application allows workers and supervisors to calculate the heat index of their workplace environment, displays the risk level associated with that heat index and even provides reminders about protective measures used to reduce the risk associated with heat-related work.

To download the application, visit the OSHA website: http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatillness/heat_index/heat_app.html

Resources:
http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=22329
http://ohsonline.com/articles/2012/05/07/osha-renews-heat-illness-prevention-campaign.aspx
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatstress/industry_resources.html
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/heatstress/

ISN News

Updated Safety Protocols: NFPA 70E

April 27th, 2012 · ISN Team - Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The establishment of agencies like OSHA and the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) have positively impacted workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses. Over the past 40 years, the overall workplace fatality rate has dropped 60 percent while the occupational injury and illness rates have dropped more than 40 percent. The NFPA, specifically, specializes in reducing the risk of fire and other hazards, including tasks related to electricity.

In an important update, the NFPA published final changes to the 2012 edition of NFPA 70E, which addresses electrical safety-related work practices for employees who may come into contact with “hazards associated with electrical energy during activities such as the installation, inspection, operation, maintenance, and demolition of electric conductors, electric equipment, signaling and communications conductors and equipment, and raceways.”

 The following are just a few of the updates added to the newest edition of the regulation:

  • Basis for retraining
  • Frequency of retraining
  • Selection of qualified persons

These updates are meant to ensure the most qualified employees are performing electrical work. The recent additions to NFPA 70E address that retraining should be conducted when an employee is not complying with safety-related work practices, working in a new environment where the safety-related work practices have changed or if retraining has not been conducted in more than three years. The new edition also encourages employers to use only qualified individuals to complete tasks like testing, troubleshooting and voltage measuring within the Limited Approach Boundary, an approach limit set at a certain distance from an exposed live part where a shock hazard exists.

To ensure current regulations are being implemented and practiced, ISN has updated several requirements within the NFPA 70E safety program protocol. Impacted subscribers will have a 90-day grace period to update and resubmit written safety programs.

For questions regarding NFPA 70E safety program updates or to learn more about ISNetworld, please contact the ISN Customer Service Team at 1 (800) 976-1303. 

Resources:
http://www.nfpa.org/aboutthecodes/AboutTheCodes.asp?DocNum=70E&cookie%5Ftest=1
http://www.iaei.org/magazine/2009/05/occupational-electrical-injury-and-fatality-trends-and-statistics-1992%E2%80%932007/
http://www.nfpa.org/categoryList.asp?categoryID=143&URL=About%20NFPA

Industry News

Coal Mines Safety Levels Improving

November 18th, 2011 · ISN Team - Tags: , , , , , , ,

According to governmental data, U.S. coal mines have grown safer since the underground explosion in West Virginia that killed 29 miners about 18 months ago. Enforcement of regulations and better training by mining companies are helping to improve the safety of coal mines.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) oversees the nation’s 14,500 mines, including 2,000 coal mines. Joe Main, Assistant Secretary of Labor and head of MSHA said that the “efforts we’re making are having a positive impact on improving mine safety in this country.”

After the mine accident in April of 2010, MSHA was criticized for not closing the mine, and started targeting mines that have a high level of violations or risks. Numerous mines were being shut down until sufficient improvements were made, causing violations to drop 51% since September of 2010 at those targeted mines, according to MSHA.

In comparison to 2010, where 48 coal miners were killed, so far this year, 14 have been killed on the job.

However, there are still opposing views. Spokesman for the United Mine Workers of America, Phil Smith, said that while the union believed increased enforcement had caused operators to pay more attention to safety, fewer violations did not necessarily mean mines were getting safer. He says, “There are still many mines out there which are not following the law and appear not to care to do so. The mines weren’t any safer for the 14 coal miners killed thus far this year.”

Several mining companies have advised that they are putting a greater emphasis on safety and that significant management changes have been made.  Professor of Energy and Mineral Engineering at Pennsylvania State University, Larry Grayson, said that “if companies can’t police themselves, the government is going to make them comply with this high level of performance.”

Luke Popovich, a spokesman for the National Mining Association, said that he thinks mines are safer due to enforcement and companies reviewing and improving safety systems independently. This effort on improved safety systems and enforcement will continue to decrease violations and fatalities alike.

Resources:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904491704576572831496880862.html?KEYWORDS=safer+coal+mines

ISN News

2011 ISN Annual Users Conference: Industry Presentations and Owner Client Panelists

November 4th, 2011 · ISN Team - Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Welcome to ISN’s 2011 Annual Users Conference.  The ISN Annual Users Conference is an opportunity for Owner Clients, contractors, and other industry entities to come together and discuss best practices in contactor health, safety, and procurement. Owner Clients are sharing information on how their company uses ISNetworld to track and manage contractor compliance in industry breakout sessions. As every Owner Clients grades and use the system differently, each discusses the criteria to grade their contractors and the most important items in prequalification.

During each industry breakout session, multiple Owner Clients provide insight to why they have made the decision to use ISNetworld, what requirements are considered in their contractor approval and a brief background of their company. Many Owner Client presentations discuss the importance for contractors to populate their company information on the dashboard, as this information is used to search for new contractors. Several examples include populating your company’s dashboard contact, Federal ID number, work types, and geography served.  The forum will conclude with both Owner Clients and contractors providing feedback and answers on how their companies use ISNetworld.

Industry Presentations and Owner Client Presenters:

Refining/Chemical
HollyFrontier, Stepan Company, SunCoke Energy, Hess, Valero, ExxonMobil Refining and Supply

Midstream/Utilities/Power Generation
TransCanada, KinderMorgan, Enbridge, El Paso, Buckeye, Koch Pipeline

Upstream
Marathon, CONSOL Energy, Denbury Resources, Stone Energy, El Paso E&P

Manufacturing/Pharma/ Wood & Paper
Bristol-Myers Squib, U.S. Steel, PotashCorp, Mosaic, Longview Fibre

ISN News

2011 ISN Annual Users Conference: Speaker Edwin G. Foulke, Jr.

November 3rd, 2011 · ISN Team - Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Welcome to ISN’s 2011 Annual Users Conference.  One of our speakers, Ed Foulke, highlights many important safety topics in his presentation, entitled“13 Ways to Improve Your Safety Program While Increasing Your Productivity and Profitability”. 

Mr. Foulke discusses the importance of prioritizing safety and health in your company.  He says that it is not only the right thing to do, but allows employees to go home each night safely, is legally required, and essential for a company to be profitable and competitive in today’s marketplace.  He goes on to share the penalties paid by companies who violate acceptable health and safety protocols. 

Mr. Foulke shares 13 ways that companies can improve their safety programs while still increasing productivity and profitability:

  1.  Determine Your Vulnerability Under OSHA’s New Priorities
  2. Audit Your Company’s OSHA Recordkeeping
  3. Audit Your Workplace for Routine Violations
  4. Review Abatement of All Past OSHA Citations
  5. Prepare for OSHA’s Revised Approach to Ergonomics Enforcement
  6. Use Job Safety Analysis to Focus Workplace Safety and Health Strategy
  7. Make Safety the #1 Goal from the Floor to the “C” Suite
  8. Utilize Safety as a Profit Center
  9. Develop Emergency Action Plans to Deal with the Inevitable
  10. Protect Company’s Wellness Plan from Potential Liability
  11. Understand Implications of OSHA’s Multi-Employer Citation Policy
  12. Avoid Membership in OSHA’s Severe Violators Enforcement Program
  13. Solve Other Problems by Solving Safety Problems

By keeping employee safety and health as your company’s priority, you ensure your safety programs are continuously improving, resulting in more time to focus on productivity and the growth of your company.