Safety News You Can Use

OSHA Reminds Employers to Post Injury/Illness Summaries
OSHA recently announced that beginning Feb. 1, 2005 employers must post the total number of job-related injuries and illnesses logged on the OSHA 300 form in 2004. To assist in calculating incidence rates, annual average number of employees and total hours worked in 2004 must also be included. The summary must be displayed in an employee common area, with copies available to those who do not report to a fixed establishment on a regular basis, such as construction workers going to job sites.

For more information and a copy of the form, visit complianceregs.com or osha.gov.

Emergency Worker Safety Guidelines Issued
OSHA has announced its support for the National Response Plan unveiled Jan. 6, 2005 by the Department of Homeland Security. The plan includes the new Worker Safety and Health Annex that establishes guidelines for implementing worker safety and health support functions during national incidents, including acts of terrorism, major natural disasters, or man-made emergencies. The Annex is designed to improve coordination, as well as access to information and resources, across federal agencies, state, local, and tribal governments, and private-sector organizations involved in responses to nationally significant events.

For more information, visit osha.gov and visit the "News Releases" link.

OSHA Issues Final Rule on Standards Improvement Process
On Jan. 5, 2005 OSHA published a final rule on the second phase of its Standards Improvement Project. The final rule revises or eliminates medical provisions once considered accepted practice, but now deemed obsolete or unnecessary. For example, annual rather than semi-annual medical examinations will now be required for long-term employees exposed to inorganic arsenic, coke oven emissions and vinyl chloride. In addition, it eliminates reporting requirements that have failed to benefit employee health, and it updates chemical exposure provisions to make them consistent in monitoring frequency and employee notification of monitoring results.

For more information, visit osha.gov, and visit the "News Releases" link.

Measure to Raise Workplace Security Passes with 9/11 Implementation Bill
Last month, Congress passed a measure allowing employers to request FBI criminal background checks on persons applying for or holding positions as private security officers. The measure, part of the National Intelligence Reform Act of 2004 or 9/11 Implementation Bill, gives employers the ability to obtain FBI information via state identification agencies. ASIS International, a worldwide organization of security professionals, supported the bill and worked toward its enactment. While the bill's public focus was improvement of U.S. intelligence functions, private security professionals believe this measure is a key tool in protecting against terrorism because about 85% of America's critical infrastructures are in the private sector.

For more information, visit asisonline.org.

Best Practices Issued for Hospitals Receiving Victims Of Mass Casualties
OSHA recently released a document designed to help hospitals safeguard their own employees as they care for patients injured in incidents involving chemical, biological or radiological materials. "OSHA Best Practices for Hospital-Based First Receivers of Victims from Mass Casualty Incidents Involving the Release of Hazardous Substances" is an informational tool that focuses on appropriate training and suitable personal protective equipment and provides practical examples of decontamination procedures and medical monitoring for first receivers who respond to a mass casualty incident.

For more information, visit osha.gov, and visit the "News Releases" link.

New Research on Benzene Levels Released
Although U.S. occupational guidelines limit benzene exposure to one part per million, a study published recently in the journal Science suggests that even lower level exposure can damage blood-forming cells in the bone marrow. The Associated Press reported on the study and said that researchers compared blood samples from 240 workers routinely exposed to benzene-laced glue in a Chinese shoe factory to samples from 140 unexposed workers in a Chinese clothing plant. They found that 109 shoe factory workers exposed to less than one part per million of benzene had an average of 15 percent to 18 percent fewer white blood cells than did workers in the other plant. For more information, visit sciencemag.org, and view the Dec. 3, 2004 issue archive.

Workplace Violence Research Study Released
Results of a two-year, community-based research study in Wakefield, Mass., indicate there is no clear consensus on what acts and behaviors constitute workplace violence. The study, developed in response to the Dec. 26, 2000, workplace shootings of seven Edgewater Technology employees in Wakefield, is believed to be the first post-critical workplace violence incident research in the United States. Key findings highlight the complex issues surrounding workplace violence prevention efforts, such as the fact that men and women perceive workplace violence differently, as do managers and employees.

To download a PDF of the study, visit dohertypartners.com.

These stories are compiled from Compliance Magazine's Email Report, which delivers weekly updates on news, training and the latest safety products. To subscribe to the report, go to compliancemag.com and click on "Email Report."