With a new administration in Washington, D.C., there have been a lot of questions as to how this may change the safety landscape. We now have a new Department of Labor Secretary confirmed and momentum seems to be building toward a change in OSHA’s current pace of rolling out new regulations as well as enforcement of the same. Here is what we know now:
OSHA’s Electronic Record Keeping & Reporting Rule
OSHA’s Electronic Injury and Illness Record Keeping and Reporting Requirements that were set to go into effect originally in January 2017 and then delayed until July 1, 2017 have now been delayed indefinitely. OSHA is stating that they will post updates as they become available. Employers with more than 250 employees or with 20-249 employees in certain high-risk industries should continue using their OSHA 300 Logs as they have in the past.
OSHA’s Final Rule For Silica Awareness to Protect Your Workers
OSHA’s enforcement of the Crystalline Silica Standard for Construction which was originally intended to begin on June 23, 2017 and has now been delayed until September 23, 2017. OSHA has indicated that the delay is a result of the need for additional educational materials for employers to be created, as well as additional time needed to get funding & train compliance officers on enforcement of the Crystalline Silica Rule. Safety Consultants USA has a proprietary Silica Awareness Training Course available for contractors and we are ready to train your employees today. The course addresses all aspects of protecting employees from the harmful effects of silica respiration, documentation aspects of the silica standard, and most importantly how to maintain an OSHA compliant silica program.
OSHA National Safety Month
As we enter National Safety Month in June, and continue the focus on reducing the leading causes of injury and death at work, Safety Consultants USA will continue to raise awareness in your facilities and on your job sites when we encounter employees involved in high-risk activities. Work activities that OSHA refers to as the “fatal four” are responsible for more than 84% of injuries on the job: falls, struck by object, electrocution, and caught-in/between. We look forward to making June a safe and healthful month for all our clients and friends.
Safety Consultants USA regularly offers fall protection training, Rigger & Signal Person Training, First Aid/CPR Training and OSHA 10-Hour Classes at our training facility in Roswell. We teach courses on all construction and general industry safety topics and can provide a course at our facility or yours – and even on your job site. Our schedule for open enrollment classes can be found here. For a full list of Safety Consultants USA’s course offerings click here.