OSHA regs extend to seasonal employees
- OSHA mandated that employers and staffing companies are jointly responsible for protecting the safety and health of temporary workers.
- Temporary workers are a risk factor for occupational injuries and illnesses because they are often new to the job.
- These workers also tend to be younger than permanent workers, and younger workers experience higher rates of injuries than older workers.
- Over 40% of temporary workers reported never receiving safety training from either their staffing company or host employer, compared to 25% of permanent workers.
Company faces $414,000 in fines
- OSHA proposed $363,890 in penalties for C.R.H. Roofing LLC in Ohio after the agency identified four willful and two repeat violations during inspections on June 3 and June 9, 2022.
- With these additional penalties, the company now owes more than $414,000 in OSHA fines for its workplace safety failures.
- Inspectors observed roofing workers at heights greater than 6 feet without fall protection and lacking eye protection while using pneumatic nail guns and tje company also allowed ladders to be used improperly.
- After three previous inspections in 2019 and 2021, OSHA assessed C.R.H. more than $51,000 in penalties, which remain unpaid and the agency has placed the company in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program.
Changing environment for workplace safety
- Safety experts believe safety management is long overdue for innovation.
- Managers need to weave safety protocols into all construction process participants instead of focusing on finding faults with safety culture or policies.
- Part of the safety evolution is being driven by the rise in digital technology to modernize outdated protocols.
- replacing paper sign-in forms with digital check-in, and keeping a digital record of worker certifications, training, and work history are part of the changing culture.
Grants available for fishing industry
- The Coast Guard program administered by NIOSH is offering $6 million in grants to improve safety in the fishing industry.
- Grants have already been awarded, including one to Oregon State University for a study on how to reduce musculoskeletal injuries in the Dungeness crab fishermen.
- Grants have ranged from $75,000 to over $900,000 over a three-year period.
- The grant deadlines are Jan. 31, and the next is Aug. 31.