☕What did you missed at NSC?

Good morning! “We’re not serious about much, but we are serious about safety” - Safety Knights

THIS WEEK’S TIPS

This week’s safety upgrades:

• What you missed at NSC?

• Emergency Prep Upgrade

• HazCom Revisited

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

This Weeks Professional Development Tip

• Safety Should Be a Performance Driver

SAFETY KNIGHTS COMMUNITY
CLSS Exam Experience?

Does anyone have any experience taking the Certified Life Safety Specialist (CLSS) through NFPA? I’m looking at the Healthcare exam (CLSS-HC). I’ve looked around for study guides or quizzes with little luck but also trying to gauge the exam itself - is it weighed more on ability to find an answer in NFPA 101 for example, or more on theories and principles.

OSHA
OSHA Awards $12 Million for Trainings.

The U.S. Department of Labor awarded $12.7 million to 102 nonprofit organizations nationwide through the Susan Harwood Training Grants Program. This initiative, administered by OSHA, supports education and training on workplace safety, focusing on hazard awareness, avoidance, and control. It also informs workers about their rights and employers about their responsibilities under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

The grants were awarded in three categories:

1. Targeted Topic Training: Provides training on specific workplace safety topics.

2. Training and Educational Materials Development: Supports the creation of safety training materials.

3. Capacity Building: Helps organizations expand their ability to deliver safety training.

The program particularly targets at-risk and underserved workers in high-hazard industries, such as those with limited English proficiency, low literacy, or disadvantaged backgrounds. Recipients include a wide range of nonprofit groups, such as community organizations, faith-based groups, labor unions, universities, and employer associations.

The grants honor Dr. Susan Harwood, who was instrumental in developing OSHA standards for workplace safety, addressing hazards like asbestos, lead, and bloodborne pathogens. Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su highlighted the importance of these grants in empowering workers and creating safer workplaces, while OSHA’s Assistant Secretary Douglas L. Parker emphasized their role in reaching vulnerable workers.

This round of grants will help fund training initiatives across the U.S. to prevent injuries and ensure that workers understand their rights and protections. Some prominent recipients include universities, safety organizations, and industry-specific groups.

See the full list of recipients here.

NSC CONGRESS & EXPO
Empowering Safety: Innovations, Culture, and Inclusion at the 2024 NSC Safety Congress & Expo.

At the 2024 NSC Safety Congress & Expo, HeroWear won the Safety Innovation Challenge with its exoskeleton suit, which reduces back strain by 20-40%. Competing innovations included Hapo’s versatile exoskeleton and MākuSafe's wearable hazard monitoring device. MIT's Kate Darling emphasized in her keynote that robots should be seen as collaborators, advocating for technology that enhances human work rather than replaces it.

OSHA announced a renewed focus on safety culture during the event, launching the "Come Home Safe" video series to highlight the human stories behind workplace fatalities and developing tools like a leadership toolkit. Corrie Pitzer and Tim Page-Bottorff discussed aligning Safety I and Safety II philosophies, stressing the importance of perfection in critical work and empowering employees to manage risks. A panel on psychological safety and DEI, led by Nakia Green, underscored the vital role of safety professionals in creating inclusive work environments that address both physical and psychological safety.

OSHA GAMES
Gamify Your Trainings.

Doritos and Sprite - A balanced Solution for sure...

Let’s face it: your employees are burnt out. Another PowerPoint presentation? Chances are, their minds are drifting—either to their growing to-do list or their weekend plans. While PowerPoint may tick the compliance box, it’s not making a lasting impact. The real secret to training that sticks? Gamification. Picture transforming your training into an interactive game of Family Feud or Jeopardy. Now, it’s possible!

Check it out Here: https://oshagames.com/

OSHA DATA
Top Fatality Numbers…Yikes.

At the 2024 NSC Safety Congress & Expo, OSHA revealed the top 10 most frequently cited standards, as well as fatality data based on investigations conducted by Federal OSHA and State Plans. Scott Ketcham, OSHA's director of enforcement programs, shared data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics highlighting "Struck By" incidents as the leading cause of workplace fatalities, with over 400 deaths. Other major causes included falls from elevation, caught-in/between incidents, electrical shock, and cardiovascular events.

Ketcham emphasized the need for workplaces to go beyond OSHA’s basic safety requirements, particularly for transportation-related risks, which dominate the "Struck By" category.

OSHA also identified the most frequently cited standards related to fatalities in specific hazard categories. Key findings include:

Top Fatality-Related Standards:

1. Struck-By Incidents:

• Lockout/Tagout (1910.147): 98 violations

• OSH Act 5(a)(1): 71 violations

• Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178): 50 violations

2. Caught-in/Between Incidents:

• Specific Excavation Requirements (1926.651): 24 violations

• General Machine Requirements (1910.212): 17 violations

• OSH Act 5(a)(1): 15 violations

3. Fall-Related Incidents:

• Duty to Have Fall Protection (1926.501): 49 violations

• Scaffolds (1926.451): 41 violations

• OSH Act 5(a)(1): 9 violations

4. Shock-Related Incidents:

• Electrical Work Practices (1910.333): 9 violations

• OSH Act 5(a)(1): 15 violations

5. Other Fatalities:

• Safety Training and Education (1926.21): 39 violations

• PPE General Requirements (1910.132): 28 violations

This data provides valuable insights into common safety violations and areas where organizations need to focus their compliance efforts to prevent workplace fatalities.

3motionAI
Your Ergo Solution.

Overexertion is costing companies $12.49 BILLION each year and feeding into a much larger problem! That’s why we’ve partnered with 3motionAI to enhance workplace safety with their Risk Flashlight solution. Together, we’re empowering EHS professionals to tackle these costly problems at the root, building a safer, more equitable workplace.

Steps to Take:

1. Learn more about 3motionAI: Read, here

2. Show company leadership how you can protect the bottom line.

3. Earn the respect you deserve by making a real impact.

SAFETY PLANNING
Are You Doing Fire Drills?

Workplace emergencies can happen at any time, and it’s critical for businesses of all sizes to have an emergency readiness plan in place, according to experts from FEMA, OSHA, and other safety professionals. Here's how to build an effective emergency plan:

1. Risk Assessment

• Understand Potential Threats: Start by assessing the risks your organization might face, including natural disasters (hurricanes, floods, tornadoes) and man-made incidents. Knowing the likelihood and impact of these threats is essential.

• Analyze Infrastructure: Consider factors such as your building’s construction, fire safety systems (e.g., sprinklers), and potential vulnerabilities.

• Diverse Input: Involve different departments in the risk assessment for a thorough understanding of potential hazards.

• Learn from History: Research past disasters with local emergency response agencies to understand what your business might face.

2. Create Clear Procedures

• OSHA Requirements: Employers must train workers to safely evacuate during emergencies. Companies with over 10 employees must have a written plan, while smaller ones can communicate it verbally.

• Simple and Adaptable Procedures: Start with straightforward plans that outline each employee’s role during emergencies. As the company or plan evolves, introduce more complexity.

• Evacuation Teams: Form a team to oversee evacuations, including leaders, wardens, and monitors for workers with disabilities.

• Sheltering in Place: For severe weather emergencies like tornadoes, designate safe shelters and stock them with essential supplies.

3. Communication and Training

• Alarm Systems: OSHA mandates a distinct alarm system for each emergency type. Supplement alarms with phone trees, public announcements, and digital alerts.

• Ongoing Communication: Keep employees informed throughout an emergency, ensuring updates before, during, and after the event. This includes status updates on recovery and resuming operations.

• Training and Drills: Regular training is critical. Conduct emergency drills at least annually, especially when key personnel or responsibilities change. Use simulations to prepare workers for various scenarios, like evacuating without alarms.

• Fire Department Involvement: Ask local fire departments to observe drills and provide feedback.

Overall, preparation is key, and the better trained and informed your employees are, the more effectively they will respond during real emergencies.

NEWS
Your Virtual Water Cooler

• National Farm Safety and Health Week webinars teach ag health and safety tips

• Center for Work and Fatigue Research

• A Deeper Dive into OSHA’s Final Rule Updating the HazCom Standard

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