With the summer in full swing, employees must prepare themselves for the heat. And we’re not just talking sun-hats and water bottles here. Incidents related to the heat account for one of the highest workplace injuries causes as reported by OSHA. OSHA (the Occupational Safety and Health Association) clearly outlines an employers responsibility to help protect their employees from heat-related injuries.
The Personal Protective Equipment Rule
The Personal Protective Equipment Rule under OSHA states that employers must provide both protective equipment and training to workers in certain situations, including environmentally hazardous conditions such as sunlight and heat. Some states are more at risk from this type of exposure than others, such as Arizona, which has the nation’s highest heat related death rate. Employers with outdoor workers in states with hot weather conditions must ensure that appropriate measures are in place to prevent heat related illnesses and/or deaths.
New Enforcement Initiative
OSHA has recently unveiled its new enforcement initiative, the “Severe Violators Enforcement Program” which increases penalties, and enhances the corrective measures that must be taken when an employer’s violation is intentional or repetitive. OSHA has issued a directive that state OSHA departments must adopt the Program or an equivalent program within six months of the effective date which is scheduled to be within 45 days of April 22, 2010. Given the increased enforcement initiative, employers should review and revise their safety policies, and procedures to ensure they are in full compliance.
Create a Heat-Safety Program for Your Company
If your business employs workers who work outdoors, or in hot indoor conditions, please contact CPEhr to schedule a complimentary on-site inspection of your workplace. Our experienced Risk Management team will assess your heat risk and create a customized safety program to both protect your employees, as well as keep your business OSHA compliant.
In our last post, we discussed the importance of the staff’s compliance with a safety program, hazard assessment and correction, and investigations. We can now look at the final three elements of an effective IIPP:
The absence of an Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) ranks among the most frequent Cal/OSHA (California Occupational Safety and Health Administration) citations against businesses. Fines for the failure to have an IIPP are upwards to $7,000. Many California employers are not aware that it is mandated by law to have a written IIPP. The law (Senate Bill 198) enacted in 1989, and effective on July 1, 1991, requires California employers to develop and implement an IIPP.
A bi-product of today’s computer usage (which includes its limitless capabilities of the keyboard) has resulted in an increase of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), caused by repetitive movements, like typing on a keyboard. With the average lifetime cost of CTS, including medical bills and lost time from work, estimated to be about $30,000 for each injured worker, employers must make an effort to recognize the causes, and solutions, of CTS.
We left off last post with an important question to which every business owner should know the answer -
In tough times, when businesses are hunkering down and trimming the fat, one of the most common questions regarding insurance is, “Should I really invest in safety?” After all, things seem to be going just fine. Sure, you’ve had your share of injuries, but who cares? After all, isn’t that what workers’ compensation insurance is there for?