7 Short Videos To Help Train Your Construction Crews on Silica Dust Hazards

photo by MTA Capital Construction Mega Projects, CC BY 2.0

It’s been almost a full year since OSHA’s more stringent regulations regarded respirable crystalline silica dust officially became enforceable.  Even though the topic has been a staple in news outlets since before and after September 23, 2017 (the official enforcement date), there is still plenty of confusion across the industry.

To help contractors comply with the new regulations, OSHA has recently announced a few new resources to be used for training.  Among them are a customizable PowerPoint Presentation (pdf download link), an FAQ page, and several short videos. Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) reported that the FAQ page, which contains 53 frequently asked questions and their answers, was directly linked to a lawsuit filed by several construction industry groups, including ABC.

The videos are a combination of one OSHA produced overview video and several others that were produced by ERG and are specific to a task or piece of equipment. You will find each of those videos embedded below. More information can be found on OSHA’s Silica for Construction home page.

Protecting Workers from Silica Hazards in the Workplace Video

Handheld Power Saws (any blade diameter)

Masonry Table Saw

Handheld and Stand-Mounted Drills

Jackhammers

Handheld Grinders for Mortar Removal (e.g., tuckpointing)

Handheld grinders for uses other than mortar removal

OSHA Proposes Rule Rolling Back Injury and Illness Requirements for Large Companies

OSHA

When the Trump Administration released their Spring 2018 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions earlier this year, they promised a few regulation rollbacks that would affect the construction industry throughout the year. 

Among those rollbacks was a plan to “reconsider, revise or remove provisions of Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses, also known as the Electronic Injury Reporting and Anti-Retaliation final rule in July 2018.” Just under the wire, on July 27, OSHA has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would remove the requirement for companies that have 250 or more employees to submit information from OSHA Form 300 (Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses) and OSHA Form 301 (Injury and Illness Incident Report).

Just like smaller companies, these larger companies will now only be required to electronically submit OSHA Form 300A, which is merely a high level summary of work-related injuries and illnesses.  The Department of Labor stated that the proposed change was issued in order to protect privacy and reduce burdens on employers.  OSHA Forms 300 and 301 contain sensitive information about individual workers who are injured or made ill.

July 1, 2018 was supposed to be the deadline for large companies to submit the OSHA Forms 300 and 301 with 2017 data through the online system, but OSHA is not currently accepting them, pending the rule change. OSHA is, however, currently accepting OSHA Form 300A with 2017 data, though any forms submitted past July 1 will be counted as late.

Full story: The Department of Labor Proposes Rule to Better Protect Personally Identifiable Information | OSHA

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Hospitalizes 12 Construction Workers in Maryland

A dozen construction workers in Odenton, Maryland were transported to local hospitals on Tuesday, July 17 after apparent carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, according to local fire officials.

Crews began working on a federal credit union building around 5am Tuesday morning and between 8am and 9am, several workers began feeling sick, prompting a call to 911.  According to CBS Baltimore, propane powered saws were being used indoors that morning and is the likely cause of the incident.

When firefighters arrived, they measured carbon monoxide levels of up to 850 parts per million (ppm) inside the credit union. According to the CSPC, ppm amounts as low as 70 can cause symptoms like headaches, fatigue, and nausea. At sustained levels of 150 to 200 ppm, more severe symptoms like disorientation, unconsciousness, and death are possible.

3 of the victims were treated for serious symptoms and the other 9 were treated for possibly serious symptoms. Fire officials stayed on the site after the workers were transported to ventilate the building and bring the inside air down to safe levels.

As a reminder, CO is a colorless and odorless gas that is otherwise undetectable until symptoms appear. Even small propane powered tools have the ability to quickly fill an indoor space with CO. The CDC has a few recommendations to reduce the hazards of carbon monoxide on the jobsite, including not allowing gas powered equipment to be used indoors unless the engines can be located outside and away from air intakes and educating employees to recognize the common signs of CO overexposure. Electric powered or compressed air equipment should be used indoors, when possible. If it is impossible to avoid using gas powered equipment, employees can be outfitted with personal CO monitors to alert them if unsafe levels have been reached.

 Full story: 12 Hospitalized After Carbon Monoxide Poisoning At Credit Union | CBS Baltimore