Are you still stalling on addressing your ergonomics-related issues in the workplace because there are no regulations prompting you to act? Or maybe you want to save your budget dollars for when the fines make a real dent in your bottom line?

Well, it's time to take your ergonomic injuries seriously - OSHA certainly is.

Acting Administrator Jordan Barab revealed in a recent interview that OSHA wants companies to address work-related musculoskeletal disorders with more targeted and frequent safety training. The agency has also signaled that it plans to use the General Duty Clauseto issue citations when ergonomic issues are discovered in the workplace. To avoid these citations, you must accurately identify any work-related musculoskeletal disorders and document them on your 300 Log.

Contact Safety Trainers Today to discuss your Ergonomic Training and Evaluation.

With all the changes in the Regulatory Compliance World, it is quite easy to feel smothered by the burden of keeping up with it all. One of the changes is the promulgation of the Globally Harmonized System (GHS). In 1992, the United Nations (UN) issued an international mandate to implement a harmonized system for classifications and labeling of chemicals on a global level - this gave rise to the GHS. In 2003, the first edition of the GHS was approved and published by the UN and a second revision was published in 2007.

Japan, Korea, and New Zealand have already adopted GHS and are transitioning to the new classification and labeling methods now. The European Union (EU) adopted the proposed act that aligns the EU system with GHS in June of 2007. Once finalized, companies will be given 3 years to transition to the new system for pure substances, and another 5 years for mixtures.

In preparation for this domestically, OSHA has reviewed their current Hazard Communications Standard (HAZCOM) and as planning to adopt the New GHS Standard into it. The tentative time for the final rule will most likely come in 2009.

One of the major changes United States companies can anticipate has to do with Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS).  The MSDSs will under go an extensive change once the GHS is adopted.  There will also be modifications on labels, signal words, pictograms and hazard statements all designed to enhance communication for all that handle chemicals.

Finally, training must be modified - educating employees on the label and MSDS changes due to the updated product classifications, pictograms, signal words, and hazard and precautionary statements will represent the greatest training challenge. Delivering a consistent and timely training message to your employees that can be easily tracked will be critically important to the success of your GHS rollout.

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.

No matter how neat and orderly your warehouse may appear, the trained safety eye can see that it is rife with opportunities for accidents and injuries.

 For example, stacking materials improperly or lack of forklift experience could lead to injuries and fines. You don't know what you don't know. Proper training is key in anywork place to prevent hazards.

A warehouse poses many different jobs and tasks that you need to be prepared for any potential accident or injury. Warehouse operations are governed by numerous OSHA standards including rules for walking and working surfaces, regulations governing the selection and use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and material handling and storage rules.

Here are some basic tips to safety:

--Make safety a priority in everything you do while working in the warehouse.
--Wear appropriate PPE, such as gloves, safety shoes, eye protection, and hard hats.
--Keep alert to hazards, and correct or report them when you see them.
--Pay attention to warning signs and signals-and obey them.
--Watch where you're going and focus on what you're doing.
--Pay attention to what others are doing as well. Especially keep an eye out for forklifts and other hazardous equipment.
--Stack and store materials properly so they're stable, secure, and don't create any kind of hazard-including a fire hazard.

I feel that one of the issues that indirectly affects safety in the warehouse environment is good housekeeping. Here is a list of good rules to follow:

--Don't leave items in aisles, on the floor, or perched insecurely on a surface.
--Clean up all spills immediately.
--Don't block sprinklers, fire exits, or fire extinguishers.
--Put items in their assigned places immediately rather than moving them from one stopping point to another.
--Don't leave box cutters or other sharp tools lying around. Retract their blades into the handles if the tool's design permits it.
--Keep cords and wires off the floor.
--Report loose or damaged flooring or other tripping hazards you can't fix.
--Dispose of all trash immediately in proper containers.

If you follow some of these simple guidelines you will create a safer workplace for everyone.