By Ruth Kiefer, ARM, Loss Control Manager
Each year we look at January as a new beginning, with the coming of a new year, I would also like you and I to make a renewed commitment to safety and keeping our employees safe in our workplaces. Our Loss Control team has worked hard to inform you of recent MIOSHA changes, provide current and up to date training videos along with safety program templates. All of these and more are at your finger tips when you log onto our on-line portal. So this is a new year and new beginnings for many of us and I wanted you to be aware of this years focus of the compliance department of MIOSHA and MTMIC. I say MTMIC, because we too see the injury trends in the industry and we have worked hard to make you the tools to assist you with the MIOSHA Initiatives. These initiatives are created to help reduce injury trends in the workplace and I want to review a few of them with you.
Fall Prevention Initiative
This campaign started in 2017 and since then we have seen significant reductions in falls due to this campaign. It also was a leading factor in the change in the standard for Walking Working Surfaces along with ladder use that occurred last year. Since we too have seen related injuries to slip and falls, you will also see a push from your LC team regarding your floor maintenance, ladder use, fall protection, and housekeeping. We need to ensure that you are cleaning up spills from some leaking machines, that you are providing enough workspace for your employees so they are not tripping over stock, and they are keeping their work areas clean and free from slip, trip, and fall items. We are also looking at how you access upper work areas.
Last year, we had a severe injury from a maintenance person, he was working on the top of a press (no fall protection) trying to re-fill the oil tank. He decided to step off of the working platform provided and stand on hydraulic pipes instead, yes, you guessed it, he fell and landed on the standard barrier, thankfully, not the floor. Yes, he still sustained a few cracked ribs and collapsed a lung in the process. We also were conducting a recent accident investigation at a facility, when we noticed a maintenance worker standing on the tines of an industrial fork truck, while accessing an electrical box that was up in the rafters. Needless to say, we immediately corrected that situation.
Temporary Worker Initiative
Last fall, I addressed this in a newsletter article, remember the temporary worker who lost his hand in a press? Well, we haven’t forgotten him either, so we will be asking you if you use temporary workers, and what type of training they receive from you. As will MIOSHA if they come to visit. Remember, it is both the host employer and the staffing agencies responsibility together to properly train the workers.
Air Contaminants Initiative
This initiative will apply to the vast majority of you because MIOSHA compliance will be looking at exposure levels related to foundries, welding, grinding, and blasting. The areas of concern this year are exposures from the following:
- MIG Welding Exposures
- Stick Welding Exposures
- Cobalt Grinding Exposures
- Tungsten Grinding Exposures
- Isocyanate Exposures
- Silica Exposures (Foundries and Sand Blasting)
This new initiative will require that you have updated TWA (time weighted average) air sampling conducted to see if there is an over exposure to your employees. By recent, I mean a sampling conducted within the last two years with no changes in your work process. If you added a line, or new process, then you will need to re-sample the area for new exposure levels.
As many of you know, we do have an alliance with MIOSHA, we can arrange for them to come out and conduct air sampling for you. If you do not want to use MIOSHA, we also have a Certified Industrial Hygienist, who gives our members a significant discount for using his services. Either way, if you feel you need some direction, please talk to your loss control contact, they will be more than willing to help you find the right avenue to take.
These are just a few of the items that both MIOSHA and your Loss Control Representative will be looking at this year. Remember, we are here to help you so reach out to us if you have any questions regarding the above initiatives. We will be more than happy to assist you. So let’s keep our employees safe, and let’s have a safe and productive 2019!
