A Cautionary Tale: Local retailer has "repeat - serious" OSHA fines, total over half million

It can happen to you!

A familiar national retail chain in western North Dakota received tremendous proposed OSHA penalties in May 2023. The proposed penalties totaled over $500,000, and each violation was a simple general housekeeping regulation. Here's where OSHA found fault:

"* The main storage room, receiving room, and store aisles were in a disorderly state due to excessive merchandise, posing slip and trip hazards.

* The emergency exit was obstructed by various merchandise and rolling storage containers.

* Portable fire extinguishers were not easily accessible or properly mounted.

* The storage and receiving rooms had boxes and loose materials stacked in an unbalanced and unstable manner, posing a risk of falling on employees. Products were stacked up to seven feet high and leaning.

* There was an electrical hazard involving an electrical panel in the main storage room."

This just goes to show: OSHA takes this stuff seriously! You don't have to be in a high-hazard industry to put your employees at risk. Granted, the fines were increased because the violations were a repeat offense. Still, it's easy to see that just a little general housekeeping can go a long way!

 Here's a few pointers to keep your employees safe and to avoid penalties like these:

- Keep emergency exists unobstructed.

- Mount your fire extinguishers, ensure they're not obstructed, and keep them up-to-date on inspections.

- Make sure there's at least three feet of clearance around electrical panels. Even better is to paint lines on the floor to remind everyone of this clearance requirement.

- Keep aisles clear.

- Make sure stacks of materials are stable and not in danger of falling over.

Source: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/killdeer-dollar-general-store-slammed-235000081.html

Summer Storm Safety

Staying Safe During Summer Storms: Essential Tips for Weathering the Elements

As temperatures rise and the days grow longer, summer storms become a frequent hazard. While these storms can bring relief from the heat, they also come with risks. In this post, we'll provide you with essential tips to help you stay safe during summer storms.

• Stay Informed: Stay updated on weather conditions before and during a summer storm. Reliable sources such as local news, weather apps, or websites can provide accurate forecasts. Pay attention to storm watches or warnings issued for your area. Being well-informed will enable you to make decisions and take necessary safety measures.
  
  
• Create an Emergency Preparedness Kit: Prepare an emergency kit with essential items you may need during a storm. This kit should include a flashlight, spare batteries, a first aid kit, non-perishable food, bottled water, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, a power bank for charging mobile devices, and any necessary medications. Store the kit in an easily accessible location and make sure everyone in the household knows where it is.
  
  
• Secure Outdoor Items: Strong winds and heavy rainfall can turn everyday objects into dangerous projectiles. Take the time to secure or store outdoor furniture, potted plants, and other loose items that could potentially cause damage or injury if picked up by the wind. If possible, park your car in a covered area or away from trees that could fall during the storm.
  
  
• Seek Shelter and Watch Out for Lightning: When a storm approaches, seek shelter in a safe location. Indoors away from windows and exterior doors is the safest place. If caught outside and unable to reach shelter, find an open, low-lying area away from trees and electrical poles. Avoid open fields, hilltops, and bodies of water, which are at greater risk for lightning strikes. Remember, if you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning, so take appropriate precautions.
  
  
• Stay Away from Flooded Areas: Summer storms often bring heavy rainfall, which can lead to flash floods. Avoid walking or driving through flooded areas as it's difficult to determine water depth or potential hazards beneath the surface. Just six inches of fast-moving water can knock a person off their feet, and two feet of water can carry away most vehicles. Be patient and wait for the water to recede before attempting to cross any flooded roadways.

Summer storms can be both awe-inspiring and dangerous. By following these essential safety tips, you can minimize risks from summer storms. Remember, your safety is paramount, and taking the necessary precautions can help you weather the elements and enjoy a safe summer season.

OSHA Emphasis Programs

Did you know?

OSHA has emphasis programs, which means they concentrate resources on educating and enforcing specific standards over a limited period of time. This means that an OSHA inspector could potentially stop a field crew and do an impromptu inspection, resulting in violations and fines.

 

 OSHA has two types of emphasis programs:

• National
• Regional / Local
  

This gives regional and local OSHA offices more latitude in determining which hazards they should focus on based on the data from their region.
 

Here's a current list of National Emphasis Programs (NEP's) that are most relevant to our member companies (source: https://www.osha.gov/enforcement/directives/nep): 

• Fall Prevention / Protection
• Heat
• Silica, Crystalline
• Trenching and Excavation 
  

Here's a list of Regional Emphasis Programs that are most relevant to our member companies (source: https://www.osha.gov/enforcement/directives/lep):

• Noise Induced Hearing Loss
• Powered Industrial Vehicles (Forklifts and Telehandlers)
• Roadway Work Zone Activities
• Fall Hazards in Construction
  

Not your trench? Still your problem!

Can I phone a friend: Questions and Answers from Member Companies

TT&S is always available to answer questions from member companies. We figured that if one company has a question, it might pop up for a couple more member companies at some point too. Here's some questions that have been asked over the past while and the responses we've provided.

 

What are the exposure limits for RF?

 

Unfortunately, there are no clearcut limits for RF exposure. It all depends on the frequency of the signal. Here’s a table from the FCC that spells it out. Keeping an eye on your units is very important if using an RF meter to gauge the strength of the signal – there’s a big difference between a mW/cm2 and mW/m2!

 

What are the OSHA training requirements for operating a scissor lift?

 

There are no specific certifications needed to operate a scissor lift. Per OSHA they are not considered a “lift,” they are considered a “mobile scaffold” instead.

 

However, initial training must be done. Training must include:

 

• Manufacturer’s instructions for operating the scissor lift vertically and while in transit. 
• How to handle materials on the scissor lift, including weight limits. 
• Other worksite hazards workers may encounter when working on a scissor lift (e.g., contact with electrical wires). 
• Reporting any equipment defects or maintenance needs. 

TT&S does have a training available for scissor lifts, but if you have an experienced scissor lift operator on staff, they can also train new operators.

 

What are the PPE requirements for scissor lifts?

 

OSHA doesn’t strictly require harnesses and lanyards for scissor lifts, but they are highly recommended, and wearing them is considered best practice. Hard hats are required for sure.

Stand-Down to Prevent Falls

 

Did you know this week is the official Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction?

 

Falls have been one of the leading causes of injuries and fatalities in the construction industry for quite some time.

 

Taking some time to focus on your current fall prevention strategies does not need to be complicated. It’s all about the basics. Check out this video on five simple ways you can prevent workplace falls.

 

1. If you’re working at 6 feet or more, use fall protection.

 

It’s at 4 feet or more for general industry, but you get the drift! Everyone in your company should know fall protection is required for any work at height, even jobs that take “just a minute.”

 

2. Before starting a job, make a fall prevention plan.

 

Remember that old saying: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail! Using fall protection can be a very simple process if the work tasks are well thought out ahead of time. If not, it can be a scramble to get the right equipment together and train employees last minute on how to use it. Be prepared ahead of time!

 

3. Provide workers with the right equipment for the job.

 

There’s a large variety of fall protection equipment out there, and some may not even be compatible with each other. Make sure you’re using the right equipment for the job, and if you have any doubt, feel free to call TT&S for a consultation. We are always glad to help!

 

4. Train everyone to use the equipment safely.

 

Unfortunately, just putting on a harness is not a magical forcefield that keeps you from falling. It’s important to also know how to use the equipment. Ideally, this training should be done first at hiring and a quick refresher just before use if the employee doesn’t use fall protection equipment often on the job.

 

Lots can go wrong if the equipment isn’t used right. Training should cover how to don, doff, and inspect the equipment, as well as any job-specific hazards that might be in play.

 

5. Inspect your harness, lanyard, and anchorage point before each use.

 

Employees should be trained to inspect ALL fall protection equipment before using. It’s important to stress that these employees are entrusting their lives to these pieces of equipment. When in doubt, throw it out! And make sure it’s completely destroyed before tossing – otherwise someone none the wiser may pull it out of the trash for use.

 

Employees should also be familiar with any fall indicators built into the equipment – oftentimes a red piece of webbing that is only visible once the fall protection equipment has seen enough force to rip out stitching around the fall indicator. Any equipment that has been through a fall must be disposed of and replaced.

 

 

Keep these five things in mind, and you’re well on your way to keeping your employees safe from falls!

National Work Zone Awareness Week

 April 17th - 21st is National Work Zone Awareness Week.

Remember that each person working in a work zone has a family, friends, and a life that's in your hands as a driver!

 

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month

April is NSC's Distracted Driving Awareness month. In 2021 there were 3,522 lives lost due to distracted driving, all of which were preventable. That's 3,522 families who lost a loved one.

Most think of cell phone use first when it comes to distracted driving, but all of these activities also count:

• Infotainment centers on vehicles (music, navigation, and temperature controls)
• Eating or drinking
• Assisting passengers, especially children

Hands-free cell phone use has also found to not be a solution: the cognitive distraction from participating in a conversation with someone not physically present is still found to contribute to vehicle accidents. 

Some of the best actions you can take to keep from distracted driving include:

• Setting all controls before beginning to drive. This includes seat adjustments, mirrors, music, and navigation settings.
• Setting your cell phone to 'driving' mode, or 'do not disturb.' Some cell phones will even let you set up an auto-reply function to texts. Setting this up with a polite auto reply, such as, "I'm currently driving and will reply to all messages once I've arrived at my destination," will give you peace of mind.
• Discussing with appropriately aged children that it's important to not distract you from driving. Plan for children's needs before starting out, by keeping accessible snacks and water available, and simple entertainment like books.

The next time you're tempted to take your eyes from the road, we hope you consider whether it's worth a life!

 

Safety Focus: Statewide Flooding Emergency

Governor Doug Burgum declared a statewide emergency for flooding earlier this week.

The National Weather Service has put together great resources on flooding here.

This includes information on what to do before, during, and after a flood.

There is also a map that shows current flooding conditions throughout the country.

Remember to:

• Follow any evacuation orders
• Don't drive through standing water!

It doesn't take much water to have a big impact.

• Only 6 inches of swift-moving water can knock you off your feet and sweep you away
• 12 inches of water can carry away most small cars
• 2 feet of water will lift most large vehicles
  

 

Safety Is For the Other Guy: Stop Work Authority

I just wrapped up a training on Stop Work Authority. This concept (called SWA for short) is about giving everyone who interacts with the work you're doing the authority to stop that work if there's a risk, or perceived risk, that hasn't been controlled. 

This is a great policy. First of all, it gives all employees the power to say no to a task they believe is unsafe. However, what it also does is make everyone accountable to ensuring that work is safe. Making work safe isn't a task just for the supervisors, or the management team, or the safety coordinator. It's so important that it's everyone's shared responsibility. No one gets to coast when it comes to safety. 

Check out this video:

Sometimes we forget what's most important in life, don't we? We get wrapped up in our daily responsibilities. Sometimes life feels so fast and nonstop that we rarely feel like we have the chance to look up from the rat race to think about the bigger reasons for why we do what we do. For many, life comes down to relationships, and to preserving the chance to keep on doing life with our loved ones. That can mean your family, or chosen family, or maybe it's the connections you've made at your job. One main way to keep doing life with the ones we love most is ensuring our safety. It's more important than getting things done faster, or anything else. 

Enter Stop Work Authority. We're all on the same boat, and we all want to get to the other shore without capsizing. It's everyone's job. Maybe that looks a little different based on people's roles. What the management team does to support safe work is different than what the field tech does. But the point is, safety is NEVER for the other guy. Safety involves intentional awareness from each person in your company, and even from those outside it, like contractors, or clients. 

Because one person not doing their safety role can mean you lose the chance to do life with the ones you love. It could mean your life, or it could mean a disabling injury -- even from a sneaky source, like carpal tunnel. But the bottom line is it affects what is most important. Let's all pull together for safety. Safety is never for the other guy, and, no matter your role, it's always up to you.