HSE Update (Current)

This health, safety and environment electronic update comes from Chip Dawson and the Rochester Business Alliance as a service to member companies. There are currently 254 names on the list.

Safety Business Case... OSHA has created a new safety and health topics page on its web site. Making the Business Case for Safety and Health can be found here.

Agreement Request... A member company would like to see a copy of an agreement between a company and a vendor, supplier or agency for the provision of services or supplies in the event of an emergency. Can any of you provide such a copy?

Dealing with Concrete Burns... Concrete, wet or in dry powdered form, is very alkaline and can result in serious burns to human tissue. For an excellent NIOSH information sheet on concrete burns and a related training program, click here and here.

Fall Protection Fact Sheet... Employers and employees involved in working in and around aboveground storage tanks will benefit from a new fact sheet, a product of the Safe Tank Alliance with OSHA. Fall Prevention for Aboveground Storage Tanks describes how to ensure employee safety by recognizing fall hazards, developing prevention priorities, and using protective equipment. In addition, the fact sheet highlights safe climbing practices, specialized training, and other safety and health tips. To download the PDF file, click here and scroll down to "additional resources" and click on the Fall Protection Fact Sheet.

OSHA SHIB for Dump Trucks... Preventing fatal accidents that can result from the unanticipated release or movement of an elevated truck bed is the subject of OSHA's latest Safety and Health Information Bulletin. The bulletin includes discussion of three case histories in which employees died or were injured due to dump beds being improperly raised and propped for service or maintenance. In addition to construction and general industry requirements, the bulletin provides recommendations to help employers and employees ensure that elevated parts of heavy equipment are suitably supported from unexpected movement. click here.

OSHA Employer Rights and Responsibilities Updated... OSHA's informational guide Employer Rights and Responsibilities Following an OSHA Inspection has been updated and is now available for download from the agency's Web site. The pamphlet contains information on the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act, or SBREFA, which gives small businesses assistance in understanding and complying with regulations and more of a voice in the development of new regulations. click here and select OSHA 3000.

Small Businesses Hexavalent Chromium Guidance... OSHA has released safety and health guidance to help small businesses comply with the agency's new hexavalent chromium (CrVI)) requirements for general industry, construction and shipyards. The guidance can be accessed in PDF format here.

Sleep Research... According to the October 4th Occupational Health & Safety E-News, people who drink coffee to get through a night shift or a night of studying will strongly hurt their recovery sleep the next day. A new study at the Université de Montréal has found negative effects of caffeine are stronger on daytime sleep than on nocturnal sleep. The study was published in the current issue of Neuropsychopharmacology. Another study found the effects of new sleep medication appear unlikely to have potential for abuse or cognitive impairment. In a study of 14 adults with histories of sedative abuse, the newly approved sleep medication ramelteon does not appear to have effects that indicate potential for abuse or motor or cognitive impairment. This report was in the October issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)/Archives journals.

Safe Driving QuickCard... OSHA has made a new PDF Safe Driving Practices for Employees Quick Card available on it's web site here. Click on the file under Hot Topics in the In Focus section. The card provides a list of safe driving practices in English and Spanish.

HazCom Training Program... OSHA has prepared a model Hazard Communication training program that is now available here. Click on the model program for a PDF file and offer your comments to the Agency once you've had a chance to try it out. Be warned, however, the manual is 289 pages long, but it does contain some very detailed lesson plans that you might find helpful. The lesson plans cover about six hours of training (if optional videos are used) and there are also transparency masters (if you still use that technology).

Enhancing Protection in the Workplace... The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives recently launched a new "Suspicious Mail or Packages" poster campaign to raise awareness among mailers, businesses and employees about the common characteristics of a suspicious piece of mail and what actions to take in the event one is identified. The poster is available for viewing and printing here and copies may be obtained from your local post office.

Dawson Book Available Electronically... Safety for the Leader/Manager: from Compliance to Excellence is a 200-page "easy read" on the safety management process written for organizational executives and managers. Loaded with tips and tools and real-life examples, the book is recommended reading for anyone undertaking a safety process improvement or workplace culture change. Fully revised and updated in 2006, the PDF file is $15.00 for a single user and $100.00 for a site-wide license. Send an email for more information.

List Removal... If you do not wish to receive these HSE updates, please send an e-mail to me and include "Remove HSE Update" in the subject line.

Lawrence H. "Chip" Dawson
Dawson Associates
Rochester Business Alliance Coordinating Consultant for HSE
6 Saddle Ridge Trail
Fairport, NY 14450-9584
(585) 425-1639
ChipDawson@aol.com