J.A. Rodriguez, Jr., CSP, SGE, was elected chair of the VPPPA national board of directors at the 2018 VPPPA Safety+ symposium in Nashville. He is ready to hit the ground running, listing four strategic initiatives as his first priority.
Fentanyl: The Real Deal provides guidance for law enforcement and first responders on how to safely work around the increased presence of fentanyl in the illicit drug market.
There are 37 VPP sites in the state program, with two initial certifications under way this year and eight recertifications accomplished in 2017. "Frankly, it's something every employers should do," he said. "They could do that."
"Our scholarship and grant program has helped hundreds of students and professionals advance their education and careers in a meaningful way," said ASSP Foundation Chair Linda M. Tapp, CSP. "Our donors have consistently supported the occupational safety and health profession by contributing awards that range from $500 to $15,000."
The exercise showed the presenters' point clearly: When managers allow employees to collaborate and strategize, they will find and use a successful solution. But putting pressure on employees to perform, with no input or collaboration allowed, is less likely to succeed.
Fifty-six percent of workers reported frequently or occasionally seeing work colleagues leave the restroom without washing their hands, according to Bradley Corporation’s annual Healthy Hand Washing Survey.
They're supporting two identical bills before Congress, HR 1444 and S 1878, to codify VPP nationally and make it permanent.
"Enforcement is critically important, but it will not solve every problem," he said at the VPPPA Safety+ symposium here at the Gaylord Opryland Convention Center.
Eliminating backlogged applications at some OSHA regional offices and instituting a national process for handling them are two goals the agency is working on.
DOL's news release did not elaborate or mention what the department has in mind, saying only that DOL "plans to update the Overtime Rule, and is interested in hearing the views and ideas of participants on possible revisions to the regulations."
Cal/OSHA issued three citations to Outfront Media totaling $32,435 in proposed penalties. Since 2015, the state agency has opened 11 inspections of outdoor and display advertising employers.
Montes Construction LLC was previously cited in January 2018 for failure to provide fall protection, and now faces a willful citation.
The city is looking into adding plexiglass dividers between drivers and riders to cut down on assaults.
"Recovery work should not put you in the recovery room," DLIR Director Leonard Hoshijo said. "Storm recovery work involves a wide range of safety and health hazards, which can be minimized by knowledge, safe work practices and personal protective equipment."
According to a recent study in the American Journal of Public Health, cases of black lung are at a 25-year high in Appalachian coal mining states, and as many as one in five underground coal miners in Appalachia has evidence of black lung.
The 38-gallon boxes and starter packs of liners are being offered at no cost to retail pharmacies and hospitals and clinics with on-site pharmacies to be used to collect and then dispose of prescription drugs.
The FAQs were developed by OSHA, along with industry and labor organizations. They provide guidance on the crystalline silica standard requirements for employers and workers in construction.