OSHA issued its annual inspection plan for site specific targeting (SST). The plan helps the agency direct enforcement resources to high-hazard workplaces where the highest rates of injuries and illnesses occur.

The SST program is OSHA's main programmed inspection plan for non-construction workplaces that have 40 or more workers. This inspection plan is based on work-related injury and illness data collected from a 2009 OSHA Data surveys from 80,000 larger establishments in selected high-hazard industries. Establishments are randomly selected for inspection from an initial list of manufacturing, non-manufacturing, and nursing and personal care facilities.

"Our goal is to prevent worker injuries and illnesses and save lives," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA David Michaels. "The Site Specific Targeting program helps OSHA focus its enforcement resources to high-risk employers who are endangering their workers' health and safety." More information at: Site-Specific Targeting

For more than 40 years, we’ve learned the ABCs of CPR – Airway, Breathing and Compressions. Now, in the new 2010 AHA Guidelines for CPR & ECC, released recently, AHA recommends C-A-B, Compressions, Airway and Breathing. The new C-A-B sequence allows rescuers to start with the simplest step, chest compressions, and helps to remove barriers to starting CPR immediately. The AHA Guidelines for CPR & ECC continue to emphasize high-quality CPR, focusing on delivering effective chest compressions with minimal interruptions.

Visit www.Heart.org/CPR to access the full 2010 AHA Guidelines for CPR & ECC in the journal Circulation, Guidelines Highlights (summary of changes), news coverage, media materials, charts, graphics and more. The new instructions should be available soon. We’ll keep you posted.

U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently announced an education campaign calling on employers to prevent work-related distracted driving, with a special focus specifically on prohibiting texting while driving.

"Year after year, the leading cause of worker fatalities is motor vehicle crashes," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Dr. David Michaels. "There's no question that new communications technologies are helping businesses work smarter and faster. But getting work done faster does not justify the dramatically increased risk of injury and death that comes with texting while driving."

Part of OSHA's education outreach is a new Web page aimed at those whose workplaces use cars, vans and trucks that deliver the goods and services for the business as well as for clients. http://www.osha.gov/distracted-driving. This online resource informs workers of their rights, and employers of their responsibility to provide safe workplaces, and offer best practices and policies on achieving safe workplaces in motor vehicles. Companies have a legal obligation to prohibit workplace hazards, which includes hazards from texting while driving. OSHA requests that companies examine their policies and practices and immediately remove any incentives that may motivate employees to text while behind the wheel.

"OSHA's message to all companies whose employees drive on the job is straightforward: It is your responsibility and legal obligation to have a clear, unequivocal and enforced policy against texting while driving," said Michaels. "Companies are in violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act if, by policy or practice, they require texting while driving, or create incentives that encourage or condone it, or they structure work so that texting is a practical necessity for workers to carry out their jobs.

The following is a list of the top 10 most frequently cited standards following inspections of worksites by federal OSHA. OSHA publishes this list to alert employers about these commonly cited standards so they can take steps to find and fix recognized hazards addressed in these and other standards before OSHA shows up. Far too many preventable injuries and illnesses occur in the workplace.

1. 1926.451 – Scaffolding
2. 1926.501 – Fall Protection
3. 1910.1200 – Hazard Communication
4. 1910.134 – Respiratory Protection
5. 1926.1053 – Ladders
6. 1910.147 – Lockout/Tagout
7. 1910.305 – Electrical, Wiring Methods
8. 1910.178 – Powered Industrial Trucks
9. 1910.303 – Electrical, General Requirements
10. 1910.212 – Machine Guarding

What are the main concerns that WE notice during our worksite visits?

• Incompatible chemicals stored together
• Unlabeled chemical containers
• Ergonomic issues
• Inadequate emergency plans or not practicing drills

And more important than OSHA Compliance issues are:

• Lack of communication
• Limited management and employee involvement
• Lack of awareness of the potential hazards, and
• General lack of cohesiveness and trust

All of these can make a tremendous impact on safety and the solutions are often simple and yet transformative! Please contact us if you would like to discuss ideas and options.

Research findings from The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) demonstrate dramatic new evidence of the effectiveness of scientifically proven strategies to reduce tobacco use, including higher tobacco taxes, strong smoke-free workplace laws and well-financed tobacco prevention and cessation programs. Tobacco use is the nation's No. 1 cause of preventable death, as smoking can lead to cancer, heart disease and emphysema. It takes the average smoker seven to eight attempts before they quit successfully, Although some quit cold turkey, fewer than 5% who quit without medication or counseling are successful. What can you do? Review and strengthen your worksite smoking policy; evaluate your insurance benefits to ensure coverage; Reward employees for quitting smoking; post the QuitLine information, which provides free cessation counseling. To find local resources and more information: http://www.quitline.com. It is well worth the effort since the cost of a pack of cigarettes is $4.45 for the employee, but an estimated cost of $10.50+ for employers in health care expenses and productivity losses.

• Targeting High Hazard Industries
• AHA Announces New CPR Sequence -- No More A-B-Cs; now it’s C-A-B!
• Business Responsibility for Driver Safety
• OSHA’s and Dimensions Frequently Cited Safety Concerns
• Effective Smoking Cessation