SMART News

OSHA offers tips to protect your employees during cold weather

With winter in full swing and our first bout of snow behind us, we need to keep our employees’ safety in the forefront of our minds. Encouraging employees to take necessary precautions to prevent and treat cold-related health problems is of utmost importance this time of year.

Most people think that summertime is the only season where weather can be
dangerous to one’s health, but winter can be just as bad if employees aren’t educated properly on how to take care of themselves. As OSHA says, exposure to freezing and cold temperatures for extended periods of time has the potential to cause trench foot, frostbite and hypothermia. In extreme cases, including cold water submersion, exposure can lead to death. Danger signs include uncontrolled shivering, slurred speech, clumsy movements, fatigue and confused behavior. If these or other symptoms are noticed, immediately call 911.

You might be familiar with a Heat Stress Card for the summer, but there is also a Cold Stress Card OSHA has created to be used as a reference guide. It gives recommendations to combat and prevent many cold weather-related illnesses and injuries. It’s available in both English and Spanish and is free to all.

A few tips they offer to protect employees include:

• Recognize the environmental and workplace conditions that may be dangerous.
• Learn the signs and symptoms of cold-induced illnesses and injuries and what to do to help employees.
• Train employees about cold-induced illnesses and injuries.
• Encourage employees to wear proper clothing for cold, wet and windy conditions, including layers that can be adjusted to changing conditions.
• Be sure that employees in extremely cold conditions take frequent, short breaks in warm dry shelters to allow their bodies to warm up.
• Try to schedule work for the warmest part of the day.
• Avoid exhaustion or fatigue because energy is needed to keep muscles warm.
• Use the buddy system: Work in pairs so that one employee can recognize danger signs.
• Drink warm, sweet beverages (sugar water, sports-type drinks) and avoid drinks with caffeine (coffee, tea, sodas or hot chocolate) or alcohol.
• Eat warm, high-calorie foods such as hot pasta dishes.
• Remember that employees increase their risks when they take certain medications, are in poor physical condition or suffer from illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension or cardiovascular disease.

Free copies of OSHA’s Cold Stress Cards are available in English or Spanish.

Toxic Mold

Winter months bring about a time when moisture sets into places where we often hope that it wouldn’t. Moisture and damp weather bring to our attention a concern about toxic mold.

Molds are in the news frequently in stories covering allergies and significant health problems, which makes knowing if something is a symptom of toxic mold very important. While many people know that molds are dangerous, most are not certain why. They are unsure whether all molds are toxic or only certain types.

Molds are a form of fungus. When a colony of mold lives in an area, the molds release gas and liquid matters as waste, and the waste, called mycotoxins, is what is dangerous about molds. All molds are not dangerous, though, and knowing what identifies toxic mold is vital to keep your and workplace protected, which is especially important during times like remodeling when you could stir up any airborne substances.

Dealing with the Problem After Finding a Symptom of Toxic Mold

Molds create a problem because they cause the body to react against them. Contrary to popular belief, just being in the vicinity of a mold does not mean that one will get terribly ill. In fact, molds thrive in buildings because most dwellings hold in moisture somewhere. They may have moisture problems in their basements, or molds may form where there is condensation for air conditioning units or small leaks in plumbing. Identify the areas in your home or workplace where water can be a problem. Kitchens and bathrooms in general are major sources of mold, but locate other possible hiding spots for these dangerous colonies in order to alleviate the problem.

A mold becomes a problem when it begins to cause health problems. These problems arise at different points for different people, based on their personal tolerance level. The general rule is those who are smaller or more susceptible, such as small children or the elderly, will become sick earlier.

Elimination of Toxic Molds

Mold elimination procedures range from simply using bleach and warm water to wipe down affected areas to stripping out drywall and making major repairs to one’s home or office to get rid of the dangers. Regardless of the method used to clean, you should wear protective clothing before cleaning an area of mold.

The only surefire way to know that the mold is gone after the cleanup is to have mold inspection testing done. Professional services perform the tests, and will even take on the elimination project if it involves major work, but at home kits are also as well. Once mold has entered a building, though, it very well may return. Keeping watch for the symptoms recurring is important to nip an future problems in the bud.

Information courtesy of safety.lovetoknow.com. Information about symptoms can be seen at this website as well.

Driving Safety at Work

Driving safety at work is something that all employers and employees should be aware of. Auto accidents are the leading cause of injury and death for all age groups and many auto accidents occurring during the workday. According to The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) these accidents “cost employers an average of $60 billion annually in medical care, legal expenses, property damage, and lost productivity.” Auto accidents drive up the cost of employee health insurance and workers’ compensation. What’s more, it’s hard to ignore the huge emotional tax that accidents have on families and workplace teams.

Some Causes of Work-Related Auto Accidents:

• Distracted Drivers
• Impaired Drivers
• Significant Issue: Drowsy Driving

Promote Driving Safety at Work

Tragically statistics show that many auto related accidents are preventable. A great way to keep people safe and reduce accident related expenses is for employers to implement a required defense driving training in the workplace.

A good place to learn more is at the SMART Training Center. We are offering a Defensive Driving course on March 25, 2008. If you are interested in attending or having your staff attend one of this class click here to register.

Information courtesy of safety.lovetoknow.com.

Vocational Rehabilitation Changes

The Vocational Improvement Project (VIP) is one of Labor and Industries (L&I) major undertakings following the 2007 legislative session. The provisions of the 2007 legislation ESSB 5920 take effect January 1, 2008.

Changes are being made that will allow workers more choices in the vocational rehab services they receive. The changes are designed to not only provide greater choice but, if successful, should result in reduced time-loss and costs to employers.

The L&I Voc Improvement Website (www.ImproveVoc.LNI.wa.gov) contains information about the changes and will continue to be updated as progress moves forward. Some of the major changes are outlined below as provided on this website about the project. As the stakeholdering process continues, the current information may change as progress is made in the planning.

• Workers will be able to participate in training programs that cost up to $12,000 and last for up to 2 years. A major change from the old maximum of $4,000 and 1 year to complete a program.
• Workers who don’t want retraining can now receive an amount equal to 6 months of time-loss compensation. The benefit can be paid biweekly or, at L&I’s discretion, in a lump-sum payment.
  • Workers will be fully informed of their options. They can choose to participate in a retraining plan, Option 1, or choose Option 2. Option 2 is available after a retraining plan has been approved.
  • Tuition funds of $12,000 remain available to workers, with some limitations, for 5 years after their claim closes. L&I will not oversee the tuition funds paid out under Option 2. The only requirement is the funds must be spent for a program or a school that is licensed, accredited or on L&I’s list of approved programs.
• There will be new support for workers who want vocational services but not formal training.
• L&I voc counselors will work on-site at 6 WorkSource locations in Washington. This will help to evaluate the readiness to return to work and to develop training options. L&I voc staff will work with local area employers and unions to find on-the-job training opportunities. Private and self-insured voc counselors could consider these alternatives when developing retraining plans.
• L&I WorkSource voc staff will work with other organizations to develop industry-specific training opportunities.
• Workers and their VRC’s will be notified that they will be subject to the new benefit system if their plans are approved on or after January 1, 2008. This means the worker and the VRC will have 90 days from January 1, 2008 to submit a plan.
• An independent third party will study the results of the changes. This includes:
  • The outcome and behaviors of workers and
  • Costs to employers and
  • Report to Legislature and L&I

The SMART website www.smartwa.org contains other questions and answers to these important changes. The SMART website also provides you with the opportunity to participate in an e-forum if you have questions that you would like answers to. Please continue to refer to either the SMART website or the Department of Labor and Industries Vocational Project site www.ImproveVoc.LNI.wa.gov for any updated information.

If you have questions please feel free to contact your Approach Management Claims Manager or the Vocational Specialist at Approach Management, Marie Vartanian at (206) 812-3823.

OSHA 300A Posting Requirement

It's February once again and time to post your OSHA 300A Summary Form in an area where employees can view it from February 1st - April 30th.

If your company is covered by the OSHA recordkeeping standard (most are), you are required to post a separate summary (OSHA Form 300A) of the total number of job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred in 2007 for each facility or establishment. All covered employers are required to post the Form 300A for three months until April 30, 2005. It is important to note that only the OSHA 300A summary, and not the OSHA 300 log, is posted.

The Form 300A provides the total number of job-related injuries and illnesses which were included in more detail on the OSHA 300 log. Companies or establishments with no recordable injuries or illnesses in 2007 still must post the 300A summary with zeros on the total line. It is important to note that the 300A summary must be signed or certified by a company executive or the top facility manager.

The posted 300A summary must be displayed in a common area wherever notices to employees usually are posted. Employers with ten or fewer employees and employers in certain industry groups are normally exempt from federal OSHA injury and illness recordkeeping and posting.