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November 2019 Newsletter                                Volume 11, Issue 11
Fall Protection: Avoiding the Focus Four Hazard and Top 10 Citation - EHS Daily Advisor

Is OSHA more likely to inspect your worksite now that the agency assigns greater weight to inspections for its Focus Four hazards-falls, struck by, caught in, and electrocution?

On September 10, OSHA unveiled its preliminary list of top 10 violations for fiscal year (FY) 2019 at the National Safety Council's Congress & Expo. Four of the 10 most frequently cited standards-fall protection, scaffolds, ladders, and fall protection training-involve falls, one of the agency's Focus Four hazards.

On September 27, OSHA released its revised enforcement weighting system, updating agency policy issued in 2015. The new OSHA Weighting System (OWS) went into effect October 1 for FY 2020. The OWS signals new enforcement priorities, including the Focus Four hazards, to area and field offices by changing the Enforcement Units (EUs) assigned to inspections.

All inspections rate at least 1 EU, but some inspections are given greater weight. Some inspections are heavily weighted, like those in criminal and significant cases, after catastrophes, or after worker fatalities; for Process Safety Management compliance; or under the agency's chemical plant National Emphasis Program.

The agency decided to heavily weight inspections involving OSHA's Focus Four hazards-falls, struck by, caught in/between, and electrocution-by awarding 3 EUs. The four hazards are the leading causes of workplace deaths, according to OSHA.

Lead: Don't take it home - Safety+Health Magazine

Are you exposed to lead at work? You may be if you make or fix batteries or radiators; make or paint ceramics; melt, cast or grind lead, brass or bronze; tear down or remodel houses, buildings or bridges; or work with scrap metal, the California Department of Public Health says.

Short-term lead exposure can cause headaches, irritability, memory loss, abdominal pain and loss of appetite. Prolonged exposure can cause depression, nausea, high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney disease and reduced fertility.

Take steps to protect your family from lead poisoning. First, if you're unsure if you're exposed to lead, ask your employer, who is required by law to tell you. If you are, at the end of the workday, change into clean clothes and shoes before leaving. Place your soiled work clothes in a plastic bag. Thoroughly wash your face and hands before leaving work. Next, take a shower (at work, if possible) and wash your hair.

CDPH also recommends washing work clothes separately from your other clothes. "Empty your work clothes from the plastic bag directly into the washing machine and wash them," the department states. "Run the empty washing machine again to rinse out the lead."

Construction Site Safety Technician (CSST) Training
January 2020 
 
A nationally accredited NCCER certified safety training program, the Construction Site Safety Technician (CSST) course will provide the student with the training and certification necessary to become a safety professional in the construction industry. This course covers all aspects of on-the-job safety for the construction industry forming the basis for a well rounded understanding of safety as it applies to this job perspective.
                                                                                                               
The CSST (Construction Site Safety Technician) class includes the OSHA 30 Hour Card .
                                      
The next available class starts on  January 3rd.
 
The classes for this course are held Fridays & Saturdays starting at 7:00am and ending at 5:30pm.  The course is approximately 5 weeks long.
 
The cost of the course is $1500 and covers all materials for the course. To reserve your place in the upcoming class, a $300 down payment is due by  December 20th  when you register.
 
This is nonrefundable. The final $1200 payment must be paid by  December 27th.  

Upon completion you will receive the following certifications :
 
-Field Safety (NCCER)
-Safety Technology (NCCER)
-Construction Site Safety Technician (NCCER)
-Construction Site Safety Supervisor (NCCER)
-OSHA 30 Hour in Construction
                          
Please contact SCTC Customer Service to register for the next available class or for further information on the CSST Training:
                 
Safety Council of Texas City
409-948-9009 ext. 404
krobison@csctc.org
http://www.csctc.org