MEMIC Safety Blog

OSHA Deadlines - Are You On Time?

 Posted by Peter Koch

February 1st each year, employers, if required by OSHA to keep injury and illness records must post their OSHA 300 Log Summary (form 300A). 

You can find the OSHA record keeping instructions and forms at the following website:  http://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/RKforms.html

Does my company need to complete these forms?

All employers are required to complete this recordkeeping unless they have 10 or fewer employees during all of the last calendar year or the business is classified in a specific low-hazard retail, service, finance, insurance, or real estate industry.  Click on the following link to see a list of Partially Exempt Industries.

What injuries and illnesses need to be recorded?

OSHA provides specific instruction on how to record and classify injuries and illnesses at your workplace.  Those instructions can be found here in the OSHA publication Forms for Recording, and in more detail is provided in the Recordkeeping section of the OSHA standards at 29 CFR 1904.

Also, from 29 CFR 1904.39, “Employers in Federal OSHA jurisdiction must orally report to OSHA the death of any employee from a work-related incident or the in-patient hospitalization of three or more employees as a result of a work-related incident within eight (8) hours.” 

Where do I post the Summary (form 300A)?

At the end of the year post the 300 Log Summary (form 300A) in a visible location so that your employees are aware of the injuries and illnesses occurring in their workplace.  Employers must keep a Log for each establishment or site. 

If you have more than one establishment, you must keep a separate Log (form 300) and Summary (form 300A) for each physical location that is expected to be in operation for one year or longer.  Complete details on posting of the form 300A are available at 29 CFR 1904.32.

How long do I need to post the summary?

Employers are to keep records of workplace injuries and illness throughout the calendar year.  At the end of that year, post their OSHA 300 Log summary (300A) from February 1 to April 30.

Additional information on the OSHA Injury and Illness recordkeeping requirements can be found at:  http://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/index.html

What's On Your Feet This Winter?

   Posted by Peter Koch

In a recent blog, I discussed strategies for slip and fall prevention.  In this article, we will look more closely at avoiding slip fall incidents through footwear choice rather than surface maintenance.

Slips happen when there is too little friction between what’s on your feet and the surface you’re traversing.  That friction is dependent upon the texture and amount of contact of the two surfaces moving across one another as well as the force applied.  Like car tires, your shoes keep you firmly attached to the surface.  There are many different tread types designed for specific surfaces and environmental conditions you may encounter.

 The deeper and more widely spaced the tread pattern, the more loose material (i.e.: gravel or snow) it can accommodate and still contact the stable surface below.  Because there are fewer contact points with the surface this tread pattern isn’t great for hard wet/oily surfaces like tile or concrete.

A deeply scored, but closely spaced tread pattern can readily squeeze out liquids and provide more surface area for contact with the surface underneath.  There is little room for bulky materials in the tread, allowing clogging and limiting friction.

Some manufactures try to combine the two using a moderately deep tread and
varying the size and spacing of the lugs.

Consider the surface you may encounter.  Is it wet or oily concrete or tile, outside on gravel and pavement, or outside in a wintry frozen environment?  Or will you be exposed to multiple surface types?

One type of shoe/boot may not suffice due to exposures.  An alternative to multiple shoes are traction enhancers that can be put on and taken off as the demands of the environment change.  They come in many styles and types from spikes and screw corks to chains and overshoes with media embedded in the soles.

Here are some links for more information: 

http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/safety_haz/falls.html

http://www.orfa.com/library/guide_bp/documents/SlipResistantFooting2011Final.pdf

http://www.safeshoes.com/brands-shoes-for-crews.asp

Try searching:  “Slip Resistant Footwear”, “Microspikes”, “Yaktrax”, or “Stabilicers“

Since we don’t always have control of the condition of the surface we work on our footwear choices play a big part in keeping us upright as we work. 

Don't Become a Snow Blower Statistic

 Posted by Rod Stanley

As the winter of 2012 settles in, take a MEMIC minute to review some statistics related to snow blower use:

The US Consumer Products Safety Commission (USCPSC) reports that – each year – snow blower operators suffer more than 500 amputations and over 5000 emergency room visits.  The vast majority of these injuries occur while trying to clear snow and ice jams from the collection auger or discharge chute.

The American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) finds that the average injured individual is a 44-year old male.  The dominant hand is involved 90% of the time, resulting in amputation of finger tips, most commonly the middle one. 

Additional weather related factors , reported by the ASSH, that increase the likelihood of a clogged snow blower include heavy, wet snow, accumulation greater than six inches, and a temperature of 28 degrees, or higher.

The bottom line is – if you operate a snow blower – sooner, or later, it’s going to get clogged; when this occurs take the following action:

1. Power down the machine.  Shut down gasoline models, and unplug electric.
2. Never – ever -- use your hand to clear the intake augers or discharge chute.  Use the handle provided with most new snow blowers, stick, ice scraper, or other tool to remove ice and packed snow. 

These two, simple steps will prevent you from becoming a “snow blower statistic.”