BMSA Safety First!
February 2020
Calendar of Events
2020

February 20-21: 
Installed Sales Roundtable
(Charleston, WV)

March 5-6:
Operations Manager Roundtable
(Charleston, SC)

March 23-25:
NLBMDA Legislative Conference
(Washington, D.C.)

March 25-27:
CFO Roundtable 
(Austin, TX)

March 26-27:
Leaders Graduate Roundtable
(Wilmington, NC)

April 5-7:
Roundtable 1
(Charlotte, NC)

April 15-17:
Roundtable 7
(Asheville, NC)

April 22-24
Roundtable 3
(Fayetteville, NC)

April 22-24:
Sales Manager Roundtable
(Hilton Head Island, SC)

April 26-28
Purchasing Manager Roundtable
(Cincinnati, OH)

May 6-8:
Roundtable 5
(Lexington, NC)

May 12-13:
Rick Davis Sales Boot Camp
(Atlanta, GA)

July 23-26:
Summer Conference
(Myrtle Beach, SC)

Safety Quiz
Did you complete a safety quiz at the BMSA Learning Exchange & LBM Expo?
Did You Miss It?
Form 300A Deadlines

Feb. 1 was the deadline for posting Form 300A in the workplace, which is the summary of serious workplace injuries and illnesses from the previous year. It must be posted in a location that is clearly visible to all employees and new applicants, and it must be kept posted until April 30. In addition, employees have the right to request a copy of the records at any time.

March 2 is the deadline for employers to file directly with OSHA their 300A and two other reports—Forms 300 and 301. In regard to Form 300, employers with 10 or more employees are required by law to record work-related deaths and injuries or illnesses that involve loss of consciousness, restricted work activity or job transfer, days away from work or medical treatment by healthcare professionals beyond first aid.

Click here to find out more.

(Source: EHS today, Jan. 2020)
Wearable Tech That Tells Drowsy Truckers It's Time to Pull Over
Truck drivers must follow rules requiring rest stops and limiting driving hours to avoid falling asleep at the wheel, and now new technologies are available to alert drivers even before they feel tired. This comes as biometric sensors are getting lighter, cheaper, and more accurate. In addition, new software systems can connect driver and vehicle data, and the feedback loops these systems create could make the roads safer for everyone. New wearable technology monitors drivers in a more subtle way and comes in a variety of forms including caps, vests, wristbands, and eye wear. One device, the SmartCap, is a headband that fits into trucker caps, beanies, or other head gear; measures electronic brain waves; translates them to a measure of alertness or fatigue; and notifies the driver and a central monitoring system if the wearer appears drowsy. Daniel Bongers, chief technology officer at SmartCap, says the alerts are meant to encourage drivers to find their own best way to get back into a more alert state, and over time the number of drivers' alerts lessens. This means drivers likely are changing schedules or learning to recognize their own drowsy warning signs. Other software works as a predictive tool by analyzing sleep data from wearables, like the quality and quantity of a driver's sleep, their sleep history, or sleep debt, to gauge when they will feel tired. Fatigue Science says companies can adjust shift schedules and provide sleep help resources based on the information provided by the software. With self-driving trucks still years away, Cornell University professor Karen Levy says companies will continue developing monitoring technologies for drivers and that "we're going to need an alert human for the foreseeable future."

(Source: NLBMDA Workplace Safety & Risk Management Update, Feb. 2020)
Inspectors to Crack Down on 'Driver Requirements'
During 72 Hour Bli tz

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) announced that International Roadcheck 2020 will take place May 5-7 throughout North America. The roadcheck will emphasize "driver requirements." The CVSA points to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) data showing that in 2019, 3.36 million CMV inspections were conducted, and during these inspections, 944,794 driver violations were discovered, of which 195,545 were out-of-service conditions. During the North American Standard Level I Inspection, an inspector will interview the driver, collect and verify documents, check record of duty status, review periodic inspection report(s), and, if applicable, check the Medical Examiner's Certificate, Skill Performance Evaluation Certificate, and the driver's daily vehicle inspection report. Inspectors will also check drivers for seat belt usage, illness, fatigue, and apparent alcohol and/or drug possession or impairment. The vehicle inspection will check brake systems, cargo securement, coupling devices, driveline/driveshaft components, driver's seat (missing), exhaust systems, frames, fuel systems, lighting devices, steering mechanisms, suspensions, tires, van and open-top trailer bodies, wheels, rims and hubs, and windshield wipers. If no critical vehicle inspection item violations are found during a Level I or Level V Inspection, a CVSA decal will be applied to the vehicle, indicating that the vehicle successfully passed a decal-eligible inspection conducted by a CVSA-certified inspector. If an inspector does identify critical vehicle inspection item violations, they may render the vehicle out of service if the condition meets the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria.

(Source: NLBMDA Workplace Safety & Risk Management Update, Feb. 2020)
OSHA Publishes Resource on Coronavirus Outbreak

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has published a new  webpage  that links to resources on the agency's website about workplace safety and health issues raised by the 2019 Novel Coronavirus outbreak. The webpage links to specific recommendations about how to prevent exposure to health care, clinical laboratory, airline, waste management, and other workers. Further, it links to several agency standards and directives that may apply in the outbreak, including the "general duty clause" of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, OSHA's personal protective equipment standard, and OSHA's recordkeeping and reporting requirements. Among other things, the webpage links to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations on travel to China.

(Source: NLBMDA Workplace Safety & Risk Management Update, Feb. 2020)
Stay Healthy: The Benefits of Hand Washing

Flu season is upon us and is expected to last until May. Workers in healthcare facilities, education and other occupations with public contact need to take additional precautions to stay healthy.
Between Oct. 1, 2019 and Feb. 1, 2020, an estimated 12,000 people have succumbed to the virus, with another 31 million estimated as diagnosed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The agency has sent out numerous  advisories  regarding the coronavirus, which continues to pose a threat. Personal hygiene is the first line of defense to prevent contracting the flu, starting with  thorough, proper hand washing .

(Source: EHS Today, Feb. 2020)
(Source: Adcco.com, Jan. 2020)