The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported non-fatal workplace injuries and illnesses among private industry employers declined in 2010 to a rate of 3.5 cases per 100 equivalent full-time workers, down from a total case rate of 3.6 in 2009.
According to the Department’s report, nearly 3.1 million injuries and illnesses were reported among private sector industry employers in 2010, down from 3.3 million reported in 2009. (WCxKit)
Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis noted, "We are encouraged by the reported decline in incidence rates for workplace injuries and illnesses, which is reflective of the joint effort of government, business, unions, and other organizations. Nevertheless, 3.1 million injuries and illnesses in the workplace are too high. Serious injuries and illnesses can knock a working family out of the middle class. Workers should not have to sacrifice their health and safety to earn a paycheck.
"We remain concerned that more workers are injured in the health care and social assistance industry sector than in any other, including construction and manufacturing, and this group of workers had one of the highest rates of injuries and illness at 5.2 cases for every 100 workers. The Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration will continue to work with employers, workers and unions in this industry to reduce these risks.”
According to Solis, illness and injury rates for public sector workers also continue to be alarmingly high at 5.7 cases for every 100 workers, which is more than 60 percent higher than the private sector rate. (WCxKit)
"A report like this also highlights the importance of accurate record keeping,” Solis added. “Employers must know what injuries and illnesses are occurring in their workplaces in order to identify and correct systemic issues that put their workers at risk. We are concerned with poor record-keeping practices and programs that discourage workers from reporting injuries and illnesses. That's why OSHA is working hard to ensure the completeness and accuracy of these data, which are compiled by the nation's employers.”
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. See www.LowerWC.com for more information. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Author Rebecca Shafer, JD, President of Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. is a national expert in the field of workers compensation. She is a writer, speaker, and website publisher. Her expertise is working with employers to reduce workers compensation costs, and her clients include airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality, and manufacturing. She is the author of the #1 selling book on cost containment, Manage Your Workers Compensation: Reduce Costs 20-50% .
Contact: RShafer@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.
©2011 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com
The killing of a convenience store employee in Saskatchewan in June has spurred the provincial labor federation to support a petition to change regulations for retail employees working alone, according to a report from the Canadian OH&S News.
Many delegates attending the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour's (SFL) annual Occupational Health and Safety Conference recently strongly supported and signed a petition calling for the introduction of "Jimmy's Law" into the provincial legislature, says Larry Hubich, president of the SFL. The proposed law is named after Jimmy Wiebe, who was murdered at a gas station convenience store on June 20 in Yorkton. (WCxKit)
It would require employers to schedule two employees to work together between the hours of 10 or 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. or provide protective barriers between lone workers and the public.
The incident that prompted the petition occurred in the early morning hours. Members of the Yorkton RCMP received a report of a man who had been found deceased in the Shell Canada convenience store by a customer, says Corporal Rob King, a spokesman for the Saskatchewan RCMP division. Four days after, King says, the Yorkton RCMP detachment charged Kyle Furness, 20, with first-degree murder in connection with the homicide of the 50-year-old worker, an employee of the store for more than 10 years.
Jimmy's Law is modeled after similar working alone regulations in British Columbia which were introduced in 2008, but have not yet come into effect because of the complexity of the issue, according to Megan Johnston, a spokeswoman for WorkSafeBC. That year, however, BC introduced a separate pay-then-pump requirement following the death of a young gas station attendant.
"Grant's Law" – named after Grant De Patie, who was dragged to his death while trying to prevent the theft of gas from a station in Maple Ridge, BC – requires mandatory pre-payment of fuel at all gas stations in BC, Johnston says.
Wayne Hoskins, president of the Western Convenience Stores Association (WCSA) in Surrey, BC, says it's important to note the distinction between mandatory pre-payment of gas and the requirement for multiple workers or barriers. "While Grant's Law was well-intended, it refers to outside, or ex-store, and not in-store coverage," Hoskins explains.
In British Columbia, the working alone regulations – known as the Late Night Retail Safety Procedures and Requirements – consist of an engineering control (barrier) or administrative control (extra staff), Johnston says. Hoskins says that a third option has also been proposed: additional training, testing and certification. This option, a combination of both engineering and administrative controls, will be presented to WorkSafeBC's board of directors in October. (WCxKit)
Ontario is another jurisdiction considering a mandatory pre-paid policy for gas stations following a recent gas-and-dash incident. A gas attendant Hashem Rad, 62, was struck by a vehicle that took off with unpaid gas at a Petro-Canada station in Mississauga, Ontario. Rad was taken to hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries the following day.
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. See www.LowerWC.com for more information. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.
©2011 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
A building contractor from South East London is fined for running a construction site exposing workers to asbestos-containing materials, according to a report from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Fadil Adil, of Coniston Road, Bromley, was prosecuted by HSE for the way work was carried out on a construction site he was in charge of on Bromley High Street. The project involved the demolition of a building housing a restaurant on the ground floor and flats above. Asbestos insulating boards in the restaurant's ceiling broke up during the demolition overseen by Adil. Three workmen demolished the building using sledgehammers and hand-operated breakers exposing them to asbestos fibers.
The HSE investigation found the defendant without a license to work with asbestos, nor was he trained in construction management. At no point did the defendant carry out an asbestos survey, nor did he provide any guidance to the workmen regarding the presence of asbestos. HSE Inspector Ian Seabrook noted, "Sadly, this kind of incident is all too familiar because the defendant's actions meant that his colleagues were more than likely exposed to asbestos fibers. The dangers of asbestos are well known; it is the single greatest cause of work-related deaths in the UK with around 1,000 tradesmen dying each year from asbestos-related diseases. (WCxKit)
"Anyone working with these sorts of materials has to commission an asbestos survey to ascertain the level of work needed and then have asbestos removed in a controlled manner by a licensed contractor." (WCxKit)
At the City of London Magistrates' Court, Adil pleaded guilty to breaching the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006, and the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007. He was fined £19,300 ($30,000) and ordered to pay costs of £7,654 ($12,000).
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. See www.LowerWC.com for more information. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.
©2011 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact
Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently cited Spincraft in North Billerica for 38 alleged violations of workplace safety standards.
According to an OSHA report, an inspection was opened after the agency learned that a worker sustained serious eye and facial injuries when the grinding wheel of the portable grinder he was operating ruptured and kicked back in his face. Inspectors found that the grinder was not guarded or set up properly, and steps had not been taken to ensure that it was operated at the proper speed. The metal fabrication plant faces a total of $175,500 in proposed penalties. (WCxKit)
The inspection also uncovered other hazards throughout the plant, including obstructed exit access, improper propane storage, failure to inspect cranes on a frequent and regular basis, failure to inspect crane running ropes and test crane upper limit switches, a lack of hazard communication training and numerous electrical hazards, as well as unguarded ladder way openings, floor holes, and open-sided floors and platforms.
A total of 32 serious violations carrying $173,000 in proposed penalties were cited. A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known. (WCxKit)
Six other-than-serious violations with $2,500 in fines were cited for undocumented energy control procedures and additional machine guarding, crane, electrical and hazard communication issues. An other-than-serious violation is one that has a direct relationship to job safety and health, but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm.
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. See www.LowerWC.com for more information. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.
©2011 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
A Scottish laborer broke two ribs after falling off the edge of a temporary staircase after a colleague removed the guardrail.
According to a report from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), David Tourish, 38, from Moodisburn, was working for Walker Group (Scotland), Ltd., on the site of a new build house in Ravelston Dykes, Edinburgh, when he and a colleague were asked to carry some doors upstairs to keep them out of the way during building work.(WCxKit)
A temporary staircase with half landings had been put in while the house was built, and there was a gap between one of the half landings and the wall, with a feature window behind it. For most of the project, this gap had been protected by a guardrail, but two days before Tourish's fall, this had been removed by a joiner to allow him to fix plasterboard to the wall. He did not replace it.
Tourish and a colleague started to carry the doors upstairs. They managed to carry seven or eight doors up the stairs without a problem, with Tourish's colleague in front, and him behind.
However, as they carried the next door up the stairs, Tourish stepped off the edge of the half landing and through the gap, falling nearly 10 feet to the landing below. He was taken to hospital, where he was diagnosed with bruised kidneys and two fractured ribs. Tourish was off work for three months while his injuries healed and needed physiotherapy after he went back to work.
A Health and Safety Executive investigation found that the work had not been planned properly as an adequate risk assessment had not taken place; that the site manager was aware the guardrail had been removed and should have known there was a risk to his team, and that the work was not carried out in a safe manner. Thirty-eight people in Britain died after work-related falls from height.(WCxKit)
At Edinburgh Sheriff Court Walker Group (Scotland), Ltd., pleaded guilty to breaking Regulation 4 of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and were fined £8,000 ($13,000).
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risks Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. See www.LowerWC.com for more information. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.
©2011 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Most workers' compensation managers do not think twice about the workers' comp claim for the employee stung by a bee or bitten by a flea. It is usually a first aid only claim or at worse, a medical only claim, right? Wrong! While the majority of claims for biting and stinging insects or spiders (spiders are not insects, they have 8 legs and are technically classified as arthropods) will be minor, there can be some nasty injury claims, especially from spider bites or multiple bees/wasp stings.
Employees that work outside like construction workers and landscapers are the most likely to encounter a bite or a sting, but warehouse workers and others who work around products or inventory where items sit stationary for a while can come into contact with insects and spiders. While office workers, retail employees, and other indoor occupations have less exposures to bites and stings, the risk manager needs to be sure the people in pest eradication do the job, or even office workers can encounter a bite or a sting. (WCxKit)
People often refer to insects and spiders as poisonous, but all insects and spiders are poisonous only if they are eaten. What they are is venomous. Insects and spiders normally inject a venom into the victims either through a bite or a sting. It is the venom that creates the work comp claim, not the actual bite or sting itself.
Rarely are bites or stings serious enough to require hospitalization or are deadly, but there are known cases where people with weak immune systems, elderly or very young children have died from bites or stings. Spider bites create the most work comp claims, especially bites from brown recluse, black widow, brown widow, and hobo spiders.
When a venomous spider bites an employee, the employee will immediately know they have been bitten (has been described as feeling like an unannounced flu shot). The symptoms usually start to develop within a few minutes, but can take hours or days depending on the amount and type of venom. Symptoms will often include pain, burning sensation, itching and swelling. Other symptoms can include vomiting, dizziness, cramps, diarrhea, rash and breathing problems. Anxiety can be a side effect.
An example of a spider bite claim is the truck driver at a warehouse in Washington State assisting in loading the trailer. A few hours later while driving through Idaho, he felt what he thought was a hornet sting on his leg, as he observed hornets in the warehouse. He pulls over at the first opportunity and checks his leg. He sees a small red spot. That evening he checks the spot and it has grown to the size of a quarter. The second evening the spot is the size of a golf ball. When he woke up in pain on the third night, he had a baseball size knot on his leg that was beginning to split open. He goes to a hospital emergency room where it is surgically necessary to remove the baseball size tissue. The trucker is treated for systemic toxicity. He is advised he has been bitten by a hobo spider (located in the northwestern USA). And if he waited another day for treatment he could have died. The tissue around the wound continued to die, requiring daily debridement and wound cleaning for the next couple of weeks, followed by less frequent debridement and wound cleaning. Once the wound stabilized, the trucker had to undergo a skin graft and the time necessary for healing and a total medical expense of $15,000 with 3 months of indemnity benefits.
While a venomous spider can create a serious wound, a single hornet does not. The only trouble is when an employee gets stung by a hornet, it is usually not just one hornet. The whole hive can become agitated resulting in the poor employee getting multiple stings. A Florida landscaper was trimming an overgrown hedge when the hedge trimmers went right through the center of a hornet hive. The landscaper received multiple hornet stings. Having been previously stung by a hornet, the landscaper had an almost immediate allergic reaction including difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, dizziness, and fainting. He was rushed to the local hospital where a tube was placed down his throat to allow him to breathe, and he received an antihistamine and a corticosteroid.
For the risk manager, there are steps that can be incorporated into the overall safety program to reduce (but not eliminate) the risk of bites and stings. All buildings, whether an office, a factory or a warehouse, should be regularly treated by trained pest control personnel. Any openings or crevices in older buildings should be plugged, caulked or sealed to prevent insects and spiders from coming in from the outdoors. Employees working in warehouses or other storage facilities where spiders might live should be provided gloves when handling of merchandise is required. (WCxKit)
Many bites and stings can be avoided by teaching the employees to be vigilant. Also, the employees should never place a hand where it can not be seen (underneath an item to be picked up for instance) without checking for insects and spiders. If the employee is going to be often exposed to insects and spiders, for example like the landscaper, proper clothing and gloves should be provided to protect them from exposure to bites and stings. When an employee is bitten, the best thing to do is call Nurse Triage immediately to determine what type of care is needed – emergency care or occupational clinic. Of course, for those employers with an on-site clinic, the employee will immediately be taken to the clinic for assessment and care.
Author Rebecca Shafer, JD, President of Amaxx Risks Solutions, Inc. is a national expert in the field of workers compensation. She is a writer, speaker, and website publisher. Her expertise is working with employers to reduce workers compensation costs, and her clients include airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality, and manufacturing. She is the author of the #1 selling book on cost containment, Manage Your Workers Compensation: Reduce Costs 20-50% www.WCManual.com.
Contact: RShafer@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.
©2011 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact
Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
A Western Sydney manufacturing company and its director were recently fined a total of $127,400 and ordered to pay WorkCover’s legal costs after a high powered industrial blender was turned on with a man inside it.
According to a report from the WorkCover Authority, FIP Brakes International (FIP) produces industrial sized brake pads, as well as other products, for trains and other railway vehicles and employs around 60 people mainly based at its facility in Wetherill Park. Its managing director is Chris Katakouzinos. (WCxKit)
A machine operator was killed when he was cleaning out an industrial blender at FIP’s premises.
The power to the machine had not been isolated and the machine became operational with the worker still inside. He died at the site with extensive crush injuries and lacerations.
A WorkCover investigation found a significant number of safety failings:
1. The machine should not have been able to operate while its front
doors were open.
2. The safety switches were either broken or malfunctioning.
3. The machine’s electrical power supply had not been turned off.
4. The machine operator should not have been working alone.
5. The machine was not properly maintained.
6. The operator was not given proper training.
In handing down her finding in the Industrial Court, Justice Backman said the incident was foreseeable and that there were serious deficiencies in the company’s systems. (WCxKit)
They both pleaded guilty. FIP was fined $117,000 and Mr. Katakouzinos $10,400. The court ordered them to pay WorkCover’s legal costs.
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. See www.LowerWC.com for more information. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.
©2011 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
A lot of employers strive to maintain a safer, more productive workplace for their employees. Every business would love to reduce costs and increase profit margins. The cost of claims can account for a big chunk of money losses, especially for the self-insured or self-administered employer.
So how do you get started? Where do you start, or better yet when do you start? The answer is RIGHT NOW, and here is how:(WCxKit)
1. Know where your risk lies
Observe your workplace. Go through department statistics and see how they compare to each other regarding losses. Perhaps 75 percent of your injuries occur in the shipping department. Go down there and talk with the supervisor. Find out what the issues are and why they think injuries are happening. Then work together to solve the problem.
Another helpful thing to look at is your loss run. Talk to your carrier or adjuster and see if they notice any trends in injuries. Which people are getting injured? Maybe newer hires account for a lot of injuries. This may show that a focus needs to be directed toward training and safety right from day one of employment.
Look at your business. What do you do? What are the risks involved? You could have risks from several areas, stretching from workers comp, to automotive issues with your fleet and the drivers, to liability risk from customers in your store. Break it down and track your statistics. Identify issues. Work on ways you can reduce your injuries or occurrences from happening in the first place.
2. Plan your attack
OK, so you have identified a few areas where you could improve on reducing some injuries or claims reports. So, what do you do to fix it? Planning is important, but the most important thing is to start, even if that is with very small steps.
The answer lies in the resources you have all around you. The first step is to talk to your carrier. Chances are the carrier has loss prevention specialists ready to help you work with what needs to be fixed. Ergonomic professionals can be brought in to address workstations and to suggest solutions to reduce exposure. Utilize your medical clinic contacts to see if occupational physicians can watch employees working. They can then identify potential issues with certain movements or repetitive-motion injuries. Utilize your local counsel by having them come in to explain the risks and costs associated with potential serious injuries, automotive accidents, failure to drug test your employees, etc. Any or all of these will help you reach your goal of reducing risk exposure.
3. Implement your solution
Now, if you identified what needs to be fixed, and how it should be fixed, now it is time to fix it. Get rid of old equipment and bring in new equipment with better safety features. Newer equipment costs less to maintain and repair and is quicker to operate. Most new machines use less energy than old ones, reducing utility bills and creating worker ease of operation. Get some padding on the floor for workers to stand at their workstations (also known as “fatigue mats.”) This reduces strain on feet and legs, and reduces body fatigue, potentially making employees more productive after long hours at work.
Whatever the fix may be, get it done. Out with the old — in with the new.
4. Measure your success statistics
So now your new equipment is installed and in place. Now it is time to measure your reductions. Take a two, four, and six month stretch and measure your numbers. Do you see a drop in claim activity? Or, did claims increase, meaning your plan backfired? You have to see how you did, and most importantly you have to give it time. Change is disruptive to employees, but they do get used to it. Give it time, and measure your numbers post-change against the ones you first noticed back when you were figuring out where your risk was coming from. Measure lost-time days, and post your progess at the front entrance.
5. Get feedback from your workers
After all you did, you left out the most important thing: To talk to your staff of workers about the changes. How do they feel it impacted their workday? Were the changes helpful, or did they hurt production? How do they feel at the end of the day? Do they feel less sore or are the new workstations worse than the old ones?
Ask as many questions as you can. This makes your staff feel that their input is important, and taken in to account. After all who better to talk to about the implemented changes than those who are directly affected day after day?(WCxKit)
A supervisor once said, “It is hard to fully embrace change. To make things easier, you have to ‘lean’ into it a bit at a time until you have accepted the entire package of change.” This is true on many levels. Even though it is hard work to find out what your risks are, discover how to attack them, implement changes, measure success, and get worker feedback, in the end it will be worth it. Lean in to the task. Do not try to tackle it all at once. As I have always said, "Don't eat elephant in one bite."
Author Rebecca Shafer, JD, President of Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. is a national expert in the field of workers compensation. She is a writer, speaker, and website publisher. Her expertise is working with employers to reduce workers compensation costs, and her clients include airlines, healthcare, printing, publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality, and manufacturing. See www.LowerWC.com for more information. Contact: RShafer@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.
©2011 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
A Los Angeles area metal shredding facility accused of releasing toxic substances into the atmosphere has agreed to pay more than $2.93 million to comply with air pollution laws and to settle an environmental protection lawsuit, according to a report from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office.
Deputy District Attorney Daniel Wright of the Environmental Law Section said SA Recycling, LLC – an automobile and appliance shredding company – agreed to the settlement, which was signed by Los Superior Court Judge Debre K. Weintraub. The civil lawsuit and settlement were filed last week. (WCxKit)
The action alleged that SA Recycling violated air pollution laws when an explosion at its San Pedro facility at Terminal Island destroyed its air pollution control system in May 2007 and the company continued operating for weeks without proper equipment.
At the time of the violations, the company was operated by Hugo Neu Corp. SA Recycling purchased the company in September 2007.
The injunction permanently enjoins SA Recycling from operating its San Pedro shredder without a fully functioning air pollution control system.
Under the terms of the stipulated judgment, SA Recycling has agreed to install an air pollution control system to minimize emissions at its San Pedro location and two other sites in Orange and Kern counties. The company also has agreed to work closely with state and local regulators to address compliance issues related to its operations.
SA Recycling must additionally pay $260,000 in civil penalties and investigative costs to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and $430,000 to the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) for investigative expenses and enforcement tools.
Among others who will benefit are the College of Engineering at the University of California, Davis, slated to receive $100,000 to support aerosol studies; the Coalition For A Safe Environment, which will receive $75,000 for select projects; and 11 San Pedro Bay marina owners and operators, who will share $165,000 to target water and sediment pollution sources. (WCxKit)
SA Recycling shreds and sorts recyclable metal materials. The process, ultimately, generates auto shredder residue (ASR) which is treated to reduce solubility of any remaining metals.
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. See www.LowerWC.com for more information. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.
©2011 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently cited Georgia-based Marietta Industrial Enterprises Inc., which operates Refuse Recycling in Marietta, for 21 safety violations, including two willful, violations.
According to OSHA, it opened an inspection after a worker was found dead inside the rotating drum assembly of a machine used to screen recyclables from other refuse. (WCxKit)
Two willful violations involve failing to implement lockout/tagout procedures to prevent equipment from becoming unexpectedly energized and to train workers in lockout/tagout procedures. A willful violation is one committed with intentional, knowing or voluntary disregard for the law's requirement or plain indifference to employee safety and health.
Additionally, 14 serious violations involve failing to provide machine guarding, provide adequate guardrails, mark and illuminate emergency and exit signs, evaluate the workplace to determine if there were any confined spaces that would require permits, examine powered industrial trucks prior to each shift, ensure that employees used electrical protective equipment, provide electrically insulated tools develop an exposure control plan for bloodborne pathogens, offer hepatitis B vaccines and label biohazard containers. A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
Finally, five other-than-serious violations involve using work areas for storage, as well as failing to record work-related injuries, maintain clean conditions, provide a written respiratory protection program and provide employees with information for voluntary respirator use. An other-than-serious violation is one that has a direct relationship to job safety and health, but probably would not cause death or serious injury.
As a result of the investigation, Marietta Industrial Enterprises has been placed in OSHA's Severe Violator Enforcement Program. (WCxKit)
SVEP is intended to focus on recalcitrant employers that endanger workers by committing willful, repeat or failure-to-abate violations in one or more of the following circumstances: a fatality or catastrophe, industry operations or processes that expose workers to severe occupational hazards, employee exposure to hazards related to the potential releases of highly hazardous chemicals and all per-instance citation (egregious) enforcement actions.
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. See www.LowerWC.com for more information. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.
©2011 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact
Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
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