Now that summer has finally reached us we have to prepare ourselves and our employees for the heat and hazards that come along with it. Now don't get me wrong, I am happy the nice weather is here to stay for a few months, we just need to take a few steps to prepare ourselves for heat related hazards. I have put together a TOP 5 list of steps to protecting your employees.

1. Practice prehydration. Before work starts, your employees should drink up to 16 ounces of fluid. After work begins, they should drink 8 ounces every 20 minutes during the day.

2. Drink the right stuff. Studies have shown that flavored water is more effective than plain water at providing hydration. This is simply because plain water is much better at quenching thirst and, therefore, people drink less of it. People will drink a larger volume of flavored water because they will continue to feel thirsty. Also, remind employees that they should never drink alcoholic beverages when working in the heat. Of course, that's prohibited on the job, but they should be careful off the job as well. Another thing to consider is not to drink caffeinated products only (coffee, tea, energy drinks, etc). Our bodies have trouble processing these products and do not offer much hydration.

3. Become acclimated to the heat slowly. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a heat acclimation schedule can be induced within 5 to 7 days of exposure. Our weather here in New England changes constantly, as a result we have to prep our bodies. Check the weather a couple weeks in advance and plan accordingly.

4. Take off that hat. The body loses a lot of heat out of the top of the head. In winter, you want to wear a hat to keep the heat in. But in summer, you want to release body heat. So if your workers are in hot shade, advise them against wearing a hat. If they are in direct sun and need shading, recommend that they wear a visor rather than a cap.

5. Wear the right fabric. Cotton is great at absorbing moisture from the skin while sweating, but it can create a problem if the fabric becomes soaked. If possible, recommend that your workers wear a loose, thin, white, synthetic t-shirt while working in the heat. Synthetic material does not absorb sweat, but instead, sends it off the skin to be quickly evaporated. Synthetic fabrics will keep your workers cooler and safer from dangers of heat illness.

Do you have a question about Safety at your workplace, reach out to one of our experts.

Safety is important but always seems to be the first thing cut out of the budget. For some large companies they ignore safety and just pay the fines associated with violations, if they get caught. Attention Employees! Imagine if OSHA was NOT there to protect YOU. Imagine if no one cared if you lived or died at work. Check out this video below if you want to witness what it would be like to go to work where NOONE cares about you.

OSHA SAVES LIVES! Are you doing your part to help? Contact Safety Trainers if you have any Compliance Questions.

Part of the new OSHA Campaign to become more resourceful and user friendly has been leading them to make changes to their website. One of the most recent changes has been to the Small Business Web Page. On this page, you will find links to FAQ. You Are Not Alone. You can search many questions that other small business owner have already asked.Their is also a section labeled OSHA Compliance Assistance Quick Start. Just click on your industry and you will find a 7 Step Guide To Starting Your Compliance Program. There is also information about the OSHA Consultation Services. OSHA is known for its enforcement but also has a nonregulating division dedicated to help small business with compliance. OSHA will evaluate your business, give you a report with recommendations on abatement and help you develop policy & procedures. This is a great cost effective way for small businesses to comply with OSHA Standards all while promoting worker safety. I would also recommend that you download the Small Business Handbook that OSHA has published. The handbook should help small business employers meet the legal requirements imposed by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (the Act), and achieve in-compliance status before an OSHA inspection.

Often times when I start to have conversations with small business owners about safety concerns and compliance, they often ask where they should start. I recommend starting with this free information from OSHA on Small Business Compliance. This guide will help set the building blocks for implamenting a Health & Safety Program. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Safety Trainers.

The U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced a new program for "severe violators" and an increase in it's penalty amounts. The changes to be phased in over the next several months are the result of a year-long OSHA study that found current assessed penalties "are too low to have an adequate deterrent effect," according to the OSHA Announcement.

Under the new policy, the average penalty for a serious violation will increase from about $1,000 to an average of $3,000 to $4,000.

The current maximum penalty for a serious violation, one capable of causing death or serious physical harm, is $7,000 and the maximum penalty for a willful violation is $70,000. These will change to $12,000 and $250,000, respectively.

Other changes to the penalty calculation system include: expanding the time frame for considering an employer's history of violations from three years to five years; increasing penalties by 10% for employers who have been cited for any high-gravity, serious, willful, repeat or failure-to-abate violations within the previous five years; increasing the minimum penalty for a serious violation to $500; and limiting the ability of an OSHA area director to reduce fines to 30%.  

The new Severe Violator Enforcement Program is intended to focus on "recalcitrant employers who endanger workers by demonstrating indifference to their responsibilities under the law," according to OSHA. These employers will be subject to mandatory follow-up inspections and other forms of enhanced scrutiny.

"OSHA inspections and penalties must be large enough to discourage employers from cutting corners or underfunding safety programs to save a few dollars," said the OSHA announcement. "These penalty changes will increase the overall dollar amount of all penalties, while maintaining OSHA's policy of reducing penalties for small employers and those acting in good faith."

 OSHA has hired and will be hiring several more enforcement agent to begin aggressive auditing on targeted industries. You need to know if you are on the targeted industires list. Recently, Safety Trainers was contacted by a sign manufacturing company who has expanded and grown over the last 10 years and did not realize that they have fallen out of compliance in several Health & Safety areas in thier business. They are also a targeted business for the next two years. By doing an onsite audit and evaluation, a business owner can easily see what fines they would have been sited if OSHA walked through the door. Also, an audit shows you how much it would have cost you in fines. Make any change in the workplace is cost effective and it saves lives. What are your OSHA Compliance Needs?