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April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month
Every day, at least nine Americans die and 100 are injured in distracted driving crashes. Cell phones, dashboard touchscreens, voice commands and other in-vehicle technologies pose a threat to our safety. The consequences of those distractions are not worth the convenience they offer. Ignore the distractions and #justdrive to keep us all safer on the roads.
Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April is a united effort to recognize the dangers of, and eliminate preventable deaths from, distracted driving.
Every employer is encouraged to implement a cell phone policy that prohibits employees from using their cell phones while driving. The policy and supporting materials are available in this free, downloadable Safe Driving Kit.
(Source: National Safety Council, March 2019)
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OSHA Requests Information on the Powered Industrial Trucks Standard
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is requesting information as the Agency considers rule-making to update the powered industrial trucks standards for general, maritime, and construction industries. The standards became effective in 1971, and were based on industry consensus standards from 1969. Since then, national consensus standards have been updated several times.
OSHA is requesting information on: the types, age, and usage of powered industrial trucks; maintenance and retrofitting; how to regulate older powered industrial trucks; types of accidents and injuries associated with operating these machines; costs and benefits of retrofitting the machines with safety features; and other components of a safety program. OSHA will use the information received in response to this request to determine what action, if any, it may take to reduce regulatory burdens and create jobs while improving worker safety.
(Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Press Release , March 2019)
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OSHA
Crane Rule Compliance Resources
As new requirements are now in effect for the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) Crane Rule, the Agency issued an enforcement memo last month that it will be fully enforcing the requirement that employers must evaluate their operators before allowing them to operate cranes independently.
During the first 60 days of enforcement (until April 15, 2019), OSHA is assessing good faith efforts taken by employers in their attempt to meet the new documentation requirements for operators of cranes used in construction. During this period, OSHA is offering compliance assistance, in lieu of enforcement, for those employers who have evaluated operators in accordance with the final rule and are making good faith efforts to comply with the new documentation requirement. If, upon inspection, it is determined that an employer failed to make sufficient efforts to comply, OSHA can cite for that deficiency.
On December 9, 2018, the certification requirements took effect that require operators to be certified. On February 7, 2019, the rule's new evaluation and documentation requirements took effect. Please note that the material delivery exemption remains in place, but the new requirements are intended to serve as best practices for establishing operator competency.
Below are some short compliance guides from the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) on certification, training, and evaluation.
(Source: NLBMDA Workplace Safety & Risk Management Newsletter, March 2019)
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Attention!
Ohio Members
The due date for the annual Drug Free Safety Program (DFSP) report is March 31, 2019, if you began the program on July 1, 2018. Drug Free Safety Program (DFSP) is the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation voluntary program developed to address workplace use and misuse of alcohol and other drugs. It's designed to help employers more effectively prevent on-the-job injuries and illnesses by integrating drug-free efforts into their overall workplace safety program.
(Source: Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation, March 2019)
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Get Ready for Safe + Sound 2019
Safe + Sound, OSHA's year-round campaign to encourage every workplace to have a safety and health program, includes both employers and workers. Participate in quarterly events on building an effective safety and health program in your workplace. Learn about best practices during webinars and put them into action during the 30-day challenges. These events also focus on management leadership, worker participation, and finding and fixing hazards. Share your safety successes during Safe + Sound Week, August 12-18, 2019.
(Source: OSHA QuickTakes Newsletter , March 2019)
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Calendar of Events
2019
March 20-22:
CFO Roundtable
(Scottsdale, AZ)
March 21:
DOT Webinar
March 21-22:
Operations Manager A Roundtable
(Cashiers, NC)
March 27-29:
Roundtable #3
(Greenville, SC)
March 27-29:
Sales Manager Roundtable
(Nashville, TN)
April 1-3:
NLBMDA Legislative Conference
(Washington, D.C.)
April 7-9:
Roundtable #1
(Charlotte, NC)
April 15-16:
2-Day Estimating Seminar
(Columbus, OH)
April 17:
Advanced Estimating Seminar
(Columbus, OH)
April 25-26:
Operations Manager B Roundtable
(North Charleston, SC)
May 5-7:
Roundtable #7
(Richmond, VA)
July 25-28:
BMSA's Summer Conference (Myrtle Beach, SC)
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