OSHA wants to modernize safety recognition

• OSHA wants to modernize, improve, and expand the agency’s Voluntary Protection Program and related programs, which recognize employers and employees committed to safety and health-related best practices.
• The program, founded in 1982, has attracted participation from a variety of organizations in many industries.
• The agency will hold a stakeholders meeting on June 15 in Washington, D.C., to discuss possible changes to the program after soliciting feedback earlier this year about what is working well and what could be improved.
• OSHA is interested in various perspectives on stakeholders’ answers to questions, such as how the agency can encourage more employers to apply.
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Heat top cause of injuries for laborers

• A recently published study by the University of Connecticut found heat is the number one cause of exertion-related injuries and fatalities on U.S. work sites.
• Using data reported to OSHA, the team found that of all injuries and fatalities, about 3% were exertion related.
• Of those injuries, 89% were related to heat stress, according to the report.
• This study shows that heat is a significant danger for laborers in industries like construction, excavation, farming, and assembly lines workers.
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Man killed while painting bridge

• A construction worker was killed after he fell while painting a bridge in Mentor, Ohio.
• The worker was painting the Hendricks Road bridge from an extension lift when the door to the lift appeared to “open unexpectedly.”
• Officials said the man fell about 20 feet and was not wearing a safety harness at the time.
• When emergency crews arrived, the worker was in cardiac arrest with major head injuries. He was transported by a medical helicopter and was later pronounced dead.
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Federal appeals court to rule on OSHA

• A federal appeals court will soon decide the legality of safety rules by OSHA covering hazards ranging from falls to electrocution, in response to a challenge brought by an Ohio contractor.
• The basic question is whether Congress delegated too much authority to OSHA when it passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act in 1970.
• The law specifies that OSHA rules should be “reasonably necessary or appropriate to provide safe and healthful employment and places of employment.”
• Critics say is too that interpretation is too broad and should have been narrowed by lawmakers.
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