Even though your focus is HR rather than safety, you need to have a solid working knowledge of what OSHA and Cal/OSHA are up to. Here’s a general overview of what OSHA is focusing on this year.
Annual Survey of Illnesses and Injuries, Electronic Submission—OSHA’s proposed rule will require the roughly 80,000 organizations that respond to the agency’s annual survey of injuries and illnesses to submit their OSHA 300 Log and Summary data for the survey in electronic format.
Backover Injuries and Fatalities—Workers across many industries face a serious hazard when vehicles perform backing maneuvers, especially vehicles with an obstructed view to the rear. OSHA is collecting information on this hazard and researching emerging technologies that may help to reduce this risk and may consider rulemaking as an appropriate measure to address this source of employee risk.
Bloodborne Pathogens—OSHA will review the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard to consider the continued need for the rule; whether the rule overlaps, duplicates, or conflicts with other federal, state, or local regulations; and the degree to which technology, economic conditions, or other factors may have changed since the rule was evaluated.
Confined Spaces in Construction—OSHA has proposed a rule to protect employees from the hazards resulting from exposure to confined spaces in the construction industry. Under the proposed rule, employers would first determine whether there is a confined space at a jobsite.
Fed/OSHA and Cal/OSHA are very different in key ways. Get the complete, comprehensive rundown in our exclusive report. Learn more here.
Cranes and Derricks in Construction, Revision to Digger Derricks’ Requirements—OSHA agreed to publish a direct final rule expanding the scope of a partial exemption for work by digger derricks. In the direct final rule, OSHA will revise the scope provision on digger derricks as an exemption for all work done by digger derricks covered by Subpart V of 29 CFR 1926.
Electric Power Transmission and Distribution, Electrical Protective Equipment—OSHA has a final rule awaiting action by the President’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that will update the electrical protective equipment requirements for foot protection and aerial lift fall protection for electrical installations.
Infectious Disease—OSHA will review the need for regulatory action to address the risk to workers exposed to infectious diseases in healthcare and other related high-risk environments.
Injury and Illness Prevention Program (I2P2)—OSHA is still shaping a proposed rule that would require employers to develop a formal program to reduce workplace injuries and illnesses through a systematic process that proactively addresses workplace safety and health hazards.
Tomorrow, more on OSHA’s docket.
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It’s easy to overlook the safety issues (“not my job”), but they can prove just as costly in the long run as more typically related HR issues like discrimination.
It’s easy to overlook the safety issues (“not my job”), but they can prove just as costly in the long run as more typically related HR issues like discrimination.