Tom Andel

OSHA tools you can use
April 18, 2008

I’m finishing off my recent series of OSHA blog entries with a wrap-up of what Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., the agency’s assistant secretary of labor, told members of the Industrial Truck Association at ITA’s recent spring meeting. His visit was part of a renewal of the Alliance agreement these two organizations first signed in January 2004 and renewed two years ago in April 2006. As part of this alliance, ITA offers seminars to OSHA staff showing how different types of industrial vehicles handle under different conditions. This helps OSHA inspectors be more judicious about what they see on job sites.

Foulke also thanked ITA for helping OSHA develop Powered Industrial Truck eTools that provide online training to help employers and employees address specific industry hazards. Another OSHA eTool, “Safety Pays,” is an online calculator to help employers estimate savings earned by preventing occupational injuries. If you don’t think this stuff is needed, consider this: Federal OSHA conducts about 39,000 worksite inspections a year. In fiscal year 2007 it uncovered nearly 90,000 violations of OSHA standards and regulations. On the list of general industry’s top ten citations for violations of OSHA safety and health standards, powered industrial truck hazards rank fourth.

In its 2005 Workplace Safety Index, Liberty Mutual estimated that employers across the U.S. pay almost $1 billion every week to injured employees and their medical care providers. Considering all costs associated with workplace injuries and illnesses, Foulke said, businesses spend $170 billion a year.

Finally, Foulke reminded ITA members that OSHA recently published a rule on employer-paid personal protective equipment. Under the rule, employers are required to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) at no cost to employees, except under specific circumstances.

The rule for employer payment of PPE only applies when equipment is used by an employer to comply with one of OSHA’s standards. It contains several exceptions, so it’s worth studying. OSHA estimates the rule will result in at least 21,000 fewer occupational injuries and save more than $200 million a year.

Let us know if you’ve used any of these OSHA resources and whether they’ve made a difference in your company’s safety record.

Posted by Tom Andel on April 18, 2008 | Comments (0)