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New OSHA Rules Due in September
Just a quick note that OSHA has stated that it intends to issue the Final Rule amending the Hazard Communication standard to incorporate the GHS changes in early September. We’ll keep you apprised.
The Global Harmonized System
By Greg MacDonald
You’ve all probably heard about the Global Harmonized System (GHS) for hazard communication. Here’s a general overview explaining what it’s all about.
How GHS Came About
Most of the world’s industrialized nations have established a system of chemical hazard regulation that, among other things, requires manufacturers, suppliers and employers to communicate information about the physical [...]
An MSDS Quiz
SITUATION
A safety director takes inventory of hazardous substances and verifies that there’s a complete, up-to-date MSDS for each one. MSDSs are assembled into a binder and kept in the manager’s office. The safety director reminds workers and the company’s safety committee that she’ll gladly give the binder to anybody who wants to see an MSDS.
QUESTION [...]
Prepare for OSHA’s New Stepped-Up PPE Enforcement Program
Here’s what you can expect OSHA officers will inspect for under the new PPE compliance directive … and what steps you can take NOW to protect against OSHA fines and penalties — including coverage of the PPE payment rules.
One thing is certain: employers across the U.S. can expect to see OSHA compliance officers focusing far [...]
How to Prevent Contractor Injuries
Over the years, I’ve worked with many fine contractors from local plumbers to nationally recognized firms, union and non-union, rural and urban, “emergency” and planned. At first, my attitude was “The contractors are here. Great! My worries are over.” But over the years, I see it differently: “The contractors are here. Great! My worries are [...]
Guarding Mechanical Power Presses
Back in the 90s, I worked as both a MIOSHA Safety Compliance Officer and a MIOSHA Safety Consultant in Western Michigan. My training attending machine guarding classes at the OSHA Institute didn’t prepare me for what I would find out in the field: a complete lack of appreciation for and ignorance of the procedures for [...]
Is Your Work Accident the Next YouTube Sensation?
Whose idea was it to put video cameras in cell phones?
I’ll bet the dude—or gal—who came up with the notion wasn’t running an EHS program.
How YouTube Hurts Your Safety Program
Camera phones turn anything that ever happens into a potential video.
And thanks to YouTube, any and every video ever shot can be viewed by anyone, anywhere, [...]
It’s Official—Bill 160 Is Passed
On May 18, the Assembly passed Bill 160 by a vote of 79-0. Officially named the Occupational Health and Safety Statute Law Amendment Act, 2011, most of the bill will take effect when it gets Royal Assent. Here’s an overview of the key sections of the new law, including which ones directly [...]
Showing How Safety Coordinator Training Improves Compliance
Convincing senior management to invest in training workers and supervisors is a relatively easy task because such training is often expressly required by OHS laws. But the same can’t be said of training for safety coordinators like you. Why, senior management might ask, should the company divert scarce training resources to you if it’s not [...]
The Case of the $25,000 Snapshot
I used to hate George Eastmann.
Who’s George Eastmann? He’s the guy who invented the camera. Thanks to his invention, Ol’ Nick almost didn’t make it as an OSHA inspector. Let me tell you what happened.
Back in the Day
Remember 1979? Jimmy Carter. Hostages in Iran. Long gas lines. “National malaise.”
1979 [...]
