BMSA's November Safety First!

BMSA's Safety First!

November 2018

BMSA is Your Safety Resource

BMSA is now pleased to offer a wide range of safety and consulting services to help members comply with OSHA regulations and improve the safety of their facilities. We welcomed Barb Strickland to the BMSA staff earlier this year and she hit the ground running as our Director of Member and Safety Services. As an OSHA certified Safety and Health Specialist-General Industry, Barb will work with your company to determine which of the resources below will best meet your safety needs:

On-site Safety Audit: Our safety specialist will thoroughly assess your company's current safety practices and compliance with OSHA regulations. A detailed report will let you know where you fall short and provide you with recommendations to remedy your safety weaknesses. This on-site audit will cover such issues as workplace hazards, emergency procedures, DOT compliance, safety policies and procedures.
Comprehensive Safety Program: If you want more help than a mere on-site audit provides, BMSA's safety specialist will follow up the initial audit with three more quarterly visits to your facility to ensure you're following the latest safety methods and to provide additional training and resources.
Customized Safety Policy & Procedure Manual: For years, BMSA has sold this manual to guide members in compliance, but customizing the manual was up to the member. Now, with the purchase of this manual, BMSA will customize the manual to fit your exact needs and operation.
On-site American Red Cross Training: Barb is certified through the American Red Cross to teach CPR, First Aid and AED. This will give you the peace of mind that your employees are trained to handle health emergencies.
Customized Training Sessions: If you need a speaker at your safety meetings, BMSA's safety specialist can teach sessions on a variety of topics, such as hazard communication, proper lifting techniques, how to avoid heat-related illness, etc.
Safety Communications: Through the Association's Safety First! Newsletter & timely safety alerts, you will learn about the latest regulations and procedures for creating and maintaining a safe workplace.
Safety Hotline: Call BMSA's safety specialist to get your compliance questions answered quickly.

Some of these safety resources are available at no additional cost to members; for others there is a nominal fee depending on the service. To learn more about BMSA's new safety resources, contact Barb at [email protected] or call the Association office at: (800) 849-1503.

Let BMSA help you before OSHA comes calling!

Review of OSHA Portable Fire Extinguisher Requirements

OSHA standard 1910.157 establishes requirements for the use of portable fire extinguishers. The general requirements are found in 1910.157(c). The key provisions, subparagraph (c)(1) and (2) and (4) require the employer to -

1. "Mount, locate and identify" portable fire extinguishers so that they are "readily accessible to employees without subjecting employees to possible injury".

2. Use only approved portable fire extinguishers. Use the right fire extinguisher type for your work conditions and your known hazards.

3. Make sure your portable fire extinguishers are maintained in a fully charged and operable condition" - "and kept in their designated places at all times" - except obviously when in use.

Here are some additional things to look for -

Make sure you are doing your required annual inspections. 1910.157(e)(3) requires the employer to do an annual maintenance check on each portable fire extinguisher and to "record the annual maintenance date and retain this record for one year after the last entry or the life of the extinguisher" - whichever is less.

Make sure you are training your employees. 1910.157(g)(1) requires employers to "provide an educational program to familiarize employees with the general principles of fire extinguisher use and the hazards involved with incipient stage fire fighting".

( NLBMDA Workplace Safety & Risk Managemen t newsletter, October 2018)

O SHA Program Targets Employers in Record-Keeping Crackdown

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is launching a site-specific inspection program targeting employers who the agency believes should have, but did not, electronically submit Form 300A injury and illness data for calendar year 2016. The program will target high injury rate establishments in both the manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors for inspection, but it does not include construction worksites. Employers were required to submit the calendar year 2016 Form 300A data by Dec. 15, 2017. OSHA said the calendar year 2017 deadline was July 1, 2018, but employers can still provide this information to the database.

( NLBMDA Workplace Safety & Risk Managemen t newsletter, October 2018)

Fire Prevention

Just like buildings, fires come in all types and sizes. The ripple effect on the community, customers, and the business itself can be stressful. To reduce the likelihood of a devastating fire, business owners and risk managers should take the initiative to keep their property and employees safe.

Property insurers evaluate and assume risks with an understanding that while some fires are unavoidable, most building fires are preventable. A property underwriter generally reviews a fire risk according to the Construction, Occupancy, Protection and Exposure (COPE). This set of criteria evaluates a property based on a number of factors that indicate risk of loss. Building materials, the type of fire protection available, and other buildings that are close enough to fuel the fire are among the circumstances taken into account.