The Obama Administration's initial budget proposal for FY2010 includes a funding increase of $27 million for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The recently passed economic stimulus bill contains $80 million for the enforcement of worker protection laws and regulations, oversight and coordination activities.

This increase in funding along with recent comments made by US Department of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis suggests more emphasis will be placed on the enforcement of workplace safety regulations. The following changes are likely under the new administration:

• Increased number of inspections to enforce OSHA standards
• Less focus on cooperative programs, such as the Voluntary Protection Program
• Development of new OSHA standards, possibly including ergonomics
• Increase in average penalty amounts for serious violations
• Increased funding for state-run OSHA programs
• Less opportunity for employers to negotiate penalty amounts

An OSHA inspection typically includes a review of your company's injury and illness records, written safety program documentation, safety training records and a site inspection to identify physical hazards or unsafe work practices.

Employers that are also Safety Trainers clients rest easy knowing that they have access to a team of Risk and Safety experts to help them comply with OSHA requirements and prepare for inspections. Safety Trainers also provides guidance, training and other resources for developing proactive workplace safety programs.

When You team up with Safety Trainers you can focus on your core business in this challenging economic and regulatory environment while we take on the compliance burden. We deliver the expertise, tools and resources you need to handle all safety management issues - and realize significant strategic benefits.

For a free consultation with Safety Trainers, including an evaluation of your existing safety programs and compliance needs, please call me Darcy Cook at 508-799-2857or email me at darcy@safetytrainers.com.

Sincerely,

Darcy Cook, President/CEO

If you are an Insurance Agent you are required to acquire so many Continuing Education Credits through trainings every year for your licensing. Looking for something new? We have a great new program for the Insurance Industry. Prometric has approved the only First Aid, CPR and AED course for the Insurance Industry that you can obtain 5.0 CEUs.

In addition to the 5.0 CEUs for this training course, you will also receive a two year certification in First Aid, CPR and AED. How's that for value? We are working to keep you safe at home, work and at play. 

For more information on this training please check out the Continuing Education Credit for the Insurance Industry Page or Contact Safety Trainers.

Beginning on January 1, 2009, all excavators must obtain a permit prior to the creation of a trench made for a construction-related purpose on public or private land or rights-of-way in accordance with Chapter 82A of the Massachusetts General Laws. All municipalities must also establish a local permitting authority for the purpose of issuing these permits, with the designation of the local permitting authority left to the discretion of the individual municipalities. Chapter 82A further directs the Department of Public Safety and the Division of Occupational Safety to jointly draft regulations relative to trench safety.  These regulations are codified in section 14.00 of title 520 of the Code of Massachusetts Regulations.

 

If you follow the link above, it will bring you to the full detailed regulation. However, I wanted to highlight a few things that jumped out at me in the regulation. The new trench permit requires information such as the name of the Competent Person, Excavator, Hoisting License Number and Expiration Date, the location of the Trench, a Certificate of Insurance and the Dig Safe Number.

This new regulation applies to all construction-related trenches on public ways, public property or private property. This means that anyone who is going to dig a trench has to pull a permit. They have also not modified the OSHA Excavation Standard, 29 CFR 1926, Subpart P, they have added this in as a City Regulation in addition to the OSHA Standard.

Permitting Authorities are not required to conduct inspections of trenches for which they have issued permits. However, a permitting authority notified of a potential violation is authorized to take action, including immediate shutdown, if violations of new regulations are identified.

So, if you know anyone who does trench work, please make sure they are aware of these new regulations. Please feel free to contact us about any of the OSHA Regulations if you have any questions.

 

This is a story from Wayne Burgess, a self-employed Electrician.

 

"A maintenance man was working on a 480 volt roof top air conditioning unit at an industrial complex. The maintenance man decided that this job was more than he could handle. So, he called the company that I worked for and requested a technician. We sent an electrician with over 15 years of experience to the job site. The electrician after reaching the roof, realized he had left his tester in the truck.  Rather than go back to the truck to get the tester, he yelled to the maintenance man to ask if the breaker for the unit had been shut off. He replied "yea it's off, you're all set." The electrician put his hand behind the electrical attachment point to check connections, the 480 volts from the unit that was still on burnt his hand severely. He was taken to the hospital where he underwent surgery to try to repair his hand. The Electrical Company had a very strict safety policy in place, the electrician not only was injured that day, but he also lost his job!

 Remember this story the next time you don't want to take 20 minutes to walk down and get your tester.

Here is a classic example of why people need to use Lockout/ Tagout. This situation could have been avoided a few different ways. First, test it for power...wait, it was downstairs.  Second, check the breaker yourself. Then you would know for sure that the correct breaker had been turned off. Third, use the OSHA Lockout/ Tagout procedures. Create a safer working environment.

Thanks to Wayne for sharing this story with us. I think everyone can apply these same practices to many different situations. Remember, it's your life. Safety Matters. Take the time. It could save your life. 

This next story comes to us from Linda Turgeon from Inspiring Solutions Staging & Redesign.

"A few winters ago my daughter Raelyn and I were very excited to get our tubing gear out after many, many inches of snow. We packed everything up and headed for a hill that everyone loved to sled on. On the ride there we talked about our lunch plans and what we would do for the rest of the day. When arriving at the hill it looked perfect for tubing. There were several families there that were just as thrilled about all the snow we had gotten. We bundled up and got our gear out of the car and heading for the top. I don't remember how many runs we got in going side by side, but the last one we decided to hold on to each other tube. It started out fast and continued to pick up speed. This certainly was the fastest run yet! There was no stopping us when we hit a plowed snow banking and went up and over. We were both airborne, my daughter hit the icy pavement first and I landed across her. A scream came from her that sent chills running up my spine. I got up and told her not to move until I could understand what she was screaming about. Calmly, I spoke to her and repeated that she look directly at me and tell me where she was hurt. It was her leg, one look at it; I knew by the way it was off to one side, it was broken. I took off my jacket to cover her and sweater to put under her head. I calmly told her that I was going to run to the car to get my phone. She began crying and asking me not to leave her. At this point a woman had come over to see if we were alright. I ask her to stay with Raelyn so I could run to get my phone. As it turned out she had her phone close by. I ask her to please call for help. The words that came out of her mouth next shocked me. Lady: "Who should I call?" Me: (Thinking in my head,  is she serious?) "911" Lady: "What do I say?" Me: "Tell them someone got hurt sledding and you need an ambulance." Lady: "Where are we?" Me: "PLEASE GIVE ME THE PHONE" I gave 911 the information, the ambulance came and off to the hospital we went. After a couple of operations, screws in her ankle and a cast for months, she recuperated perfectly. She only carries two small scars on her ankle! The scars that I carry, are inside me forever.

 One of the things I have learned from Safety Trainers since this accident; be a better communicator with the person who has the phone and the 911 operator. What I should have said was "call 911 explain to them what happened." "Make sure you give them your phone number in case you get cut off." "The address is.....

 We never expect to encounter situations like this, but take the time to prepare yourself, because when they happen, they happen fast and the only way to be in control is to be prepared with Safety Trainers expertise."

 

This story can teach us two lessons. First, the proper way to handle a situation. Linda did a great job of staying calm and keeping her daughter calm. She assessed what the problem was and knew she needed to call for help. Also, using people around you USUALLY will help the situation.

Second, The importance of making a 911 call and knowing what to say. The individual that had the phone seemed completely clueless on how make a 911 call. That is the most important thing to do in all emergences, call for help.

 

Thanks to Linda for sharing this with us. I hope that everyone who reads this can take something from it. I know I did.

Our next story comes to us from Dave McLaren at McLaren & Associates, CPA's.

 

"In 1991, on my way back from Waltham, I was following a red Ford Probe in heavy traffic about 5:30 on a Friday. All lanes were doing a steady 60 mph. Around Exit 13, where the road curves, I noticed the car in front of me slowly work its way onto the grassy median as if the driver fell asleep. All of a sudden, he swerved back into the fast lane, sending the car into a skid sideways at 60 mph. Suddenly, his rear tires (on the grass) hit a drain, the car swung around, plowed into the guardrail and then bounced off and rolled into the center lane. A trailer truck traveling at 60 mph T-boned the car sending the driver crashing out of his passenger window with his body flipping end over end on the highway as his car disintegrated and shot 100 yards down the highway. The truck never stopped. After stopping my vehicle and calling the police, I was stunned to see this man stand up, white as a ghost, covered in blood, start walking into oncoming traffic as the middle and slow lanes were still going by at 60 mph. I ran out of my car and grabbed him right before another driver hit him. He was in shock and had blood pumping out of his head, arm and leg. I was too afraid to let him lay down as I thought he would die on me. No one stopped for the accident. I ran to my trunk, got a blanket and a first aid kit and covered him and began applying pressure to his severe wounds. An EMT finally stopped to help me after about 10 minutes. The police arrived shortly thereafter. The actions saved his live and he recovered quickly."

I would like to thank Dave for sharing his story with us. Also, I would like to point out that Dave went above and beyond what is expected from a bystander and would like to congratulate him for that.

 

I wanted to share this poem with you.

 

"I chose to look the other way

 I could have saved a life that day,

 but I chose to look the other way.

 It wasn't that I didn't care, I had the time, and I was there.

 But I didn't want to seem a fool, or argue over a safety rule 

I knew he'd done the job before, if I called it wrong, he might get sore.

The chances didn't seem that bad,

 I've done the same, he knew I had.

So I shook my head and walked on by,

 he knew the risks as well as I.

He took the chance, I closed an eye, and with the act,

 I let him die.

 I could have saved a life that day, but I chose to look the other way.

Now every time I see his wife, I'll know I should have saved his life.

That guilt is something I must bear, but it isn't something you need to share.

 If you see a risk that others take, that puts their health or life at stake.

The question asked, or thing you say,

could help them live another day.

 If you see a risk and walk away,

 then hope you never have to say,

 I could have saved a life that day, but I chose to look the other way."

                                 Don Merrell

                                               

 

Simply look out for yourselves and for each other.

 

 

This next story comes to us from Paul Ceccarelli. How he dealt with his First Aid situation.

 

"It was a nice fall day in October of 2004 when I decided to tackle my next homeowner project. It was time to replace the windows in the front of my house. Now, this is a project that seemed relatively easy to me, since I had been doing carpentry work on and off for over 25 years.

So, out come the old windows, then time to get ready to put in the new ones, but wait...the new windows are a little bit smaller. No problem, I'll just cut a few 2 x 4's and back in business.

So I have a 2 x 4 on the saw ready to cut,then a second later my arm is in the chop-saw getting cut! It only took a second and now I had an arm that was cut clear to the bone. Since I have been through First Aid Training, I did not panic and put direct pressure with a towel immediately. I called for my wife to grab more towels and to stay calm. I had no use of my hand at this point, but we managed to control the bleeding.

I was rushed to the hospital where I received over 35 stitches. After months of rehab I now have 98% use of my hand."

 

Thanks to Paul for sharing this story with us. I want to add a personal note to this story. If you don't know, Paul is my father. When I received the phone call I was on Cape Cod working. I had to drive 110 miles home to install windows so they could come home from the hospital to a weather tight house. I kept all my appendages!

So recently I have asked some associates, friends and fellow net workers to offer stories of their personal experiences dealing with or wittnesing a First Aid Emergency.

So this first story comes to you from Joe Holm:

"Last November, I was coaching my son's elementary school basketball team, and one of the players was cut pretty badly over the eye. As we were scrimmaging, one of the players who had not played before, and confused football for basketball in the rules dept, fell on top of one of the players, driving his face into the hardwood floor. The player who had his face  planted, happened to be wearing Rec spec's ( thankfully, not his glasses ) and they were driven into his eyebrow. After he sat up, there was a little blood dripping down his face, but not too bad. I removed his rec spec's and the flood began! He had a slice right across his eyebrow!! And oh by the way, it was my son... I panicked for a quick second, then reached for my "medical kit"... which consisted of one icepack, and some gauze... I went through the gauze in about 30 seconds, and had paper towels and the icepack on it to keep the swelling down and try to stop the bleeding. I was the only adult in the gym, so I had to get someone back to the gym to finish the practice so I could take my son to the hospital. He thankfully required no stitches, just glue, which he proudly showed off the next day at school with his black eye. I think the experience was more upsetting for me than it was for him. "

First off, thanks to Joe for sharing this story. Sounds like Joe did a great job handling this situation, especially because it was his own kid. Parents often time have that initial "freak-out" reaction which does not help the situation. I am happy to hear your son is ok and thank you for sharing.

Construction supervisors in Massachusetts will soon have to attend continuing education courses in order to renew their licenses, due to a new law signed by Governor Patrick on April 10. The new law empowers the State Board of Building Regulations and Standards to develop requirements and approve courses of instruction to be offered by others for the continuing education of construction supervisors. This is a great way to encourage safety not only for the builders themselves, but the homeowners as well. The codes are always changing and unfortunately not all contractors go to renewal course. That means they might not have all the information needed to make all the right decisions. Also we are in the time of going "green" so learning about new products will allow homes and commercial property to be environmentally friendly. I am glad to see this happen. Electricians have had to get CEU credits for years now in order to maintain their license. Most of the time safety courses can be put toward CEUs for the licensing. Nice job to MA. for passing this bill.