As officials in New South Wales (Australia) are noting, businesses and workers need to be very careful when working with electricity and power lines after recent analysis from WorkCover showed there had been two electrocutions and 14 electric shocks in a recent 12-month period.

WorkCover NSW General Manager of Work Health and Safety Division John Watson said examples from August 2012 to August 2013 have included electric shocks, through to deaths.

“In one instance a worker was installing air-conditioning at a petrol station when the wiring he was working with was still energized and he received an electric shock. Tragically, he passed away in hospital,” Watson said.

“In another case, a plasterer was installing a ceiling fan when he accidently cut through energized wiring receiving an electric shock which caused him to fall about 2.4 meters off his ladder also causing bruising.”

As a result, Watson urged businesses and workers to take the steps needed to make sure everyone comes home safe at the end of their shift.

As Watson pointed out, “Working on or near electrical installations can be dangerous, and that’s why workers and businesses need to take precautions and always use a licensed electrician for all electrical installation work. Although all situations are different, what’s important is that there are basic ways to improve electrical safety.”

Equipment Needs to Be Tested and Tagged

Watson noted that in “conditions that involve exposing electrical equipment to moisture, heat, vibration, mechanical damage, corrosive chemicals and dust, ensure that that the electrical equipment is regularly tested and tagged and that the equipment is used in association with an RCD (Residual Current Device/ Safety Switch).”

Watson said special consideration must also be taken when working near overhead and underground power lines.

“You don’t need to come in contact with the power line to result in electric shock or arc flash burns. It is important that workers, equipment, material and plant remain at safe distances from overhead and underground electric lines,” Mr Watson pointed out.

While court action is generally only used in the most significant safety breaches, Watson said WorkCover can and does prosecute businesses that fail to adequately protect their workers.

“Under work health and safety laws, workplaces must have systems in place to prevent workers being shocked or electrocuted,” Watson noted.

Author Kori Shafer-Stack, Editor, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. is an expert in post-injury response procedures and part of the Amaxx team helping companies reduce their workers compensation costs by 20% to 50%. www.reduceyourworkerscomp.com.  Contact: kstack@reduceyourworkerscomp.com.

©2014 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law.

WORK COMP CALCULATOR:   http://www.LowerWC.com/calculator.php

MODIFIED DUTY CALCULATOR:   http://www.LowerWC.com/transitional-duty-cost-calculator.php

WC GROUP:  http://www.linkedin.com/groups?homeNewMember=&gid=1922050/

SUBSCRIBE: Workers Comp Resource Center Newsletter

CE and CLE Programs from Ringler Associates and CEU Institute

Have you heard about the new continuing education initiative from Ringler Associates? Ringler Associates and CEU Institute have teamed up to provide courses for CE (continuing education) and CLE (continuing legal education). In this podcast, Ringler Radio host Larry Cohen and co-hosts, Duke Wolpert and Gayle Christen talk with special guest, Jill Benner, Executive Director of the CEU Institute, about these programs available to you on a wide range of topics including Negotiations, Ethics, Navigating Medicare Interests, Workers’ Compensation and Structured Settlements, Liability Cases and Structured Settlements, with others in development. Listen to the Podcast

CMS Announces Updates to Workers’ Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Arrangement (WCMSA) Reference Guide

An updated Workers’ Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Arrangement (WCMSA) Reference Guide has been posted and is available in the Downloads section of the Workers Compensation Medicare Set Aside Arrangements (WCMSA) What’s New page. This version documents the current WCMSA review process and provides more detailed information on the actions performed by the Workers’ Compensation Recovery Contractor (WCRC). Read more…

Medcor On-Site: Isn’t It Nice To Stay In?

Assess employee injuries at the worksite to determine if employees should seek off-site care. Check out the short video

Better Decisions in Workers’ Compensation

While Americans represent only 4.5% of the world’s total population, we consume 85% of the world’s narcotics. In fact, narcotics make up one-third of the cost and utilization of all medications in workers’ compensation. While these drugs can be an important part of the treatment for work-related injuries, the impact of the widespread use of narcotics is a major area of concern for payers. Read more…

GENEX Case Manager Scholarship Award Winners Announced

GENEX Case Manager Scholarship Award recipients were announced this year on May 8. This program was created in 2012 to promote the awareness of the case manage¬ment profession, and to support the next generation of nursing school graduates. The philanthropic program awards $100,000 in total scholarship funds to nursing schools nominated by GENEX Case Managers who graduated from those institutions. There can be anywhere from two to five schools selected each year. Read more…

Author Michael B. Stack, CPA, Director of Operations, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. is an expert in employer communication systems and part of the Amaxx team helping companies reduce their workers compensation costs by 20% to 50%. He is a writer, speaker, and website publisher. www.reduceyourworkerscomp.com. Contact: mstack@reduceyourworkerscomp.com

©2013 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law.

A pair of worksites in Massachusetts recently came under fire from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Repeat violator Twin Pines Construction Inc. of Everett, Mass., was cited for willful, repeat and serious violations of workplace safety standards at worksites in Plymouth and Reading, Mass. The wood framing contractor faces a combined total of $336,200 in proposed fines following inspections by OSHA’s Braintree and Andover area offices begun in March.

The Plymouth inspection was initiated March 15 after a worker suffered broken ribs and leg injuries when an un-braced wooden roof truss system collapsed around him at a worksite located at 1 Shinglewood. The Reading inspection was opened the same day after OSHA received a complaint about possible safety hazards at the 1 Jacobs Way jobsite.

At the Plymouth worksite, OSHA found that the trusses were not adequately braced during their installation, exposing employees to being struck by them. The workers were also exposed to falls of up to 12 feet during the installation of the trusses. Inspectors identified an impalement hazard from uncovered anchor bolts and additional fall and struck-by hazards from a misused ladder and uninspected and untagged rigging. These conditions resulted in OSHA issuing Twin Pines two willful, two repeat and four serious citations with $196,200 in proposed fines. The repeat violations stem from similar hazards cited by OSHA in 2009 and 2011 at jobsites in Walpole, Mass. and Portsmouth, N.H.

OSHA found employees at the Reading worksite working without fall protection while framing exterior walls, making final deck attachments, constructing leading edges and receiving construction building materials. This lack of fall protection exposed them to falls of from 10 to 20 feet. As a result, OSHA issued two willful citations, with $140,000 in fines, to Twin Pines.

OSHA Says Recurring Problems Lead to Major Fines

“The large penalties proposed in these cases reflect the gravity and recurring nature of these hazards, and demonstrate this employer’s knowing, active and ongoing disregard for its workers’ safety,” said Marthe Kent, OSHA’s New England regional administrator. “Falls remain the number one killer in construction work. Employers who deliberately and repeatedly fail to supply and ensure the use of effective fall protection safeguards are repeatedly gambling with their workers’ lives.”

Twin Pines Construction Inc. has been placed in OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program, which mandates targeted follow-up inspections to ensure compliance with the law. OSHA’s SVEP focuses on recalcitrant employers that endanger workers by committing willful, repeat or failure-to-abate violations. Under the program, OSHA may inspect any of the employer’s facilities if it has reasonable grounds to believe there are similar violations.

A willful violation is one committed with intentional, knowing or voluntary disregard for the law’s requirements, or with plain indifference to worker safety and health. 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. A repeat violation exists when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years.

Twin Pines Construction Inc. was given 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, meet informally with OSHA’s area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Author Michael B. Stack, CPA, Director of Operations, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. is an expert in employer communication systems and part of the Amaxx team helping companies reduce their workers compensation costs by 20% to 50%. He is a writer, speaker, and website publisher. www.reduceyourworkerscomp.com. Contact: mstack@reduceyourworkerscomp.com.

©2013 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law.

Western Australia’s recently reported on WorkSafe’s participation in roadblock exercises, revealing a reasonable level of compliance with WA’s fatigue management laws for commercial vehicle drivers.
WorkSafe participated in five joint Austrans roadblock operations undertaken by WA Police and also involving Main Roads WA, the Explosives and Dangerous Goods section of the Department of Mines and Petroleum, the Department of Transport and the Department of Agriculture and Food. The operations were conducted throughout May, and those that involved WorkSafe were at the Upper Swan vehicle assembly area, Northam vehicle assembly area, Neerabup, Peel District and Bedfordale.
According to WorkSafe’s report, a total of 124 commercial vehicles were inspected by WorkSafe over the five locations, and 34 transport companies are currently undergoing follow-up inspections. In the course of the roadblocks, one prohibition notice and a pair of improvement notices were issued.

‘Reasonable Level’ of Compliance Seems Apparent

WorkSafe WA Commissioner Lex McCulloch stated recently that a reasonable level of compliance was apparent in the transport industry, but the number of follow-ups required suggested that there were still some concerns over fatigue management.
“Fatigue is a serious safety issue in the commercial transport industry, and it seems that most employers are in compliance with WA’s fatigue management laws,” McCulloch said. “However, operations such as Austrans continue to expose the fact that there are still problems with record keeping, mandatory medical checks for drivers, appropriate sleeper cabs and driver training.”
According to McCulloch, WorkSafe kicked off its participation in roadblocks eight years ago, and it seems that the transport industry has generally come to grips with the fatigue laws over that time and employers seem to understand that the laws are there to ensure that commercial vehicle drivers are given sufficient rest.
“It is always worth reminding the industry that the human body has limitations, and adequate sleep and rest are essential to safely undertake long-distance driving,” McCullough added. “There is no room for complacency when it comes to fatigue, and WorkSafe intends to continue monitoring the commercial transport industry with roadblocks for some time to come.”
McCullough closed by noting that “A comprehensive code of practice for the management of fatigue has been in operation in WA since 1998, and it was updated in 2003 when the regulations came into effect. All transport companies operating in WA need to ensure that this code of practice is available in all workplaces.”