We are delighted you are considering applying to the New OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP). This booklet and its companion piece, What to Expect During OSHA's Onsite Visit, have been written to assist you. The U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA, created the VPP to recognize and encourage excellence in occupational safety and health protection. Requirements for participation are based on comprehensive management systems with employees actively involved in anticipating, recognizing,...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
Applying to participate in OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs represents a major commitment of your time and resources to showcase your safety and health program. This publication will help prepare you for the second phase of application the OSHA onsite visit. The companion work-book, So You Want to Apply for VPP?, outlines the elements your application should address. Completing your application and responding to any OSHA questions about your safety and health program serves as an excellent...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
Welcome to the Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) Team! You are about to join a multidisciplinary group that will evaluate the effectiveness of the safety and health program at a worksite seeking OSHA's recognition for excellence. This is a great opportunity to see firsthand how an outstanding occupational safety and health program actually works. And it's a chance to help a site already committed to safety and health improve its program. Although the site visit is similar to an inspection in...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
Determined to do something about the high numbers of job-related deaths and injuries to workers in the 1970s, President Richard M. Nixon signed the Occupational Safety and Health Act on December 29, 1970. The OSH Act created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which formally came into being on April 28, 1971. The OSH Act also established the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, or NIOSH. NIOSH is the research agency for occupational safety and health. It...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
Controlling occupational injuries and illnesses and related expenditures is a top priority in most companies. Selecting a qualified health care professional to participate in the workplace safety and health activities can be a vital step in this process. The following questions and answers are to provide guidance and serve as a resource for those considering such a selection.
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
This booklet is designed to present to employees and employers a summary of the basic safety procedures and safeguards associated with hand and portable power tools. Material in this booklet is based on the standards of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration; this booklet, however, should not be considered as a substitute for the full safety and health standards for general industry (published in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 29, Part 1910, Subpart P), or for the...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the reporting of cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) and other work-related disorders due to ergonomic hazards. CTDs account for an increasingly large percentage of workers' compensation costs each year, and they represent nearly half of the occupational illnesses reported in the annual Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) survey.
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (the Act), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is authorized to conduct workplace inspections to determine whether employers are complying with standards issued by the agency for safe and healthful workplaces. OSHA also enforces Section 5(a)(1) of the Act, known as the General Duty Clause, which requires that every working man and woman must be provided with a safe and healthful workplace. Workplace inspections are...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
This report presents the results of an analysis of the 3,496 construction fatalities investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and included in the Agency's Integrated Management Information System data base for the period 1985 to 1989. The analysis considered the variation of the number of fatalities over the 5-year period and the influence of factors such as geography and characteristics of the workforce, e.g., industry group, age, and union affiliation on these...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
On August 30, 1996, OSHA issued revised standards for scaffolds. The revised standard, known as Safety Standards for Scaffolds Used in the Construction Industry is found in Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part, Subpart L. The final rule updates the existing construction scaffold standards in Subpart L. The revised standards set performance-based criteria to protect employees from scaffold-related hazards such as falls, falling objects, structural instability, electrocution, or...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
Overview of ABATEMENT VERIFICATION REGULATION 29 CFR 1903.19 What is abatement? Abatement is the correction of the safety or health hazard/violation that led to an OSHA citation. Does this regulation apply to me? This regulation applies to you only if you have received a citation from OSHA during an inspection. What do I have to do? Fix the hazard. Certify that you've fixed the hazard. Notify your employees and their representatives that you have fixed the hazard. Send document(s) to OSHA...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
Many standards promulgated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) explicitly require the employer to train employees in the safety and health aspects of their jobs. Other OSHA standards make it the employer's responsibility to limit certain job assignments to employees who are certified, competent, or qualified meaning that they have had special previous training, in or out of the workplace. The term designated personnel means selected or assigned by the employer or the...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, *JOB...
This informational booklet is intended to provide a generic, non-exhaustive overview of a particular standards-related topic. This publication does not itself alter or determine compliance responsibilities, which are set forth in OSHA standards themselves, and the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Moreover, because interpretations and enforcement policy may change over time, for additional guidance on OSHA compliance requirements, the reader should consult current administrative...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
This document lists publications produced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) which are available for the public. These publications include: booklets, cards, leaflets, posters, statistics and videos. It also lists publications and electronic media available from the Government Printing Office (GPO) and the National Technical Information Center (NTIS).
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
A credible enforcement program is a critical component of OSHA's effort to send every worker home whole and healthy. OSHA is tracking the injury and illness experience of about 80,000 workplaces in high-hazard industries to identify trends, pinpoint problems, and target inspections. They have provided feedback to the sites with poor records and encouraged these employers to take steps to improve.
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
As an employer of health care workers, you want and need to provide a safe and healthful workplace for your employees. In 1991, OSHA published the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 1910.1030, to protect workers from exposures to bloodborne illnesses. Because needlestick injuries are a major cause of these exposures in the health care setting, it is important to recognize that there are work practices and engineering controls to help reduce these exposures...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) is based on a simple concept that employees have both a need and a right to know the hazards and identities of the chemicals they are exposed to when working. They also need to know what protective measures are available to prevent adverse effects from occurring. OSHA designed the HCS to provide employees with the information they need to know. Knowledge acquired under the HCS will help employers provide safer workplaces for their employees. When...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
The microelectronics industry employs about 180,000 workers nationally. Of these, about 95,000 are employed in the manufacture of semiconductor components and integrated circuits; about 60,000 are employed in the production of capacitors, resistors, and condensers; the balance manufacture miscellaneous electronics products. The popular impression of this high-technology industry is of employees wearing the white suits in clean, bright comfortable workplaces. Although accurate in many cases,...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
The dumping of hazardous waste poses a significant threat to the environment. The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) 1995 data show that EPA managed about 277 million metric tons of hazardous waste at licensed Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) sites.(1) Hazardous waste is a serious safety and health problem that continues to endanger human and animal life and environmental quality. Hazardous waste -- discarded chemicals that are toxic, flammable or corrosive -- can cause fires,...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
In the construction industry in the U.S., falls are the leading cause of worker fatalities. Each year, on average, between 150 and 200 workers are killed and more than 100,000 are injured as a result of falls at construction sites. OSHA recognizes that accidents involving falls are generally complex events frequently involving a variety of factors. Consequently, the standard for fall protection deals with both the human and equipment-related issues in protecting workers from fall hazards. For...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
The major objective of process safety management (PSM) of highly hazardous chemicals to prevent unwanted releases of hazardous chemicals especially into locations that could expose employees and others to serious hazards. An effective process safety management program requires a systematic approach to evaluating the whole chemical process. Using this approach, the process design, process technology, process changes, operational and maintenance activities and procedures, nonroutine activities...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
This booklet contains all the safety and health standards specific to the Shipyard Industry contained in Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 1915, as of July 1, 1994.
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
On August 10, 1992, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a final standard regulating occupational exposure to 4,4' Methylenedianiline (MDA), the result of the agency's first negotiated rulemaking effort. MDA is a light-brown crystalline solid with a faint amino-like odor. It is slightly soluble in water and very soluble in alcohol and benzene. MDA is produced commercially by the condensation of aniline and formaldehyde. Crude MDA (40 to 60 percent) is either a liquid...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
A respirator is an enclosure that covers the nose and mouth or the entire face or head. Respirators can have two general types of fit: (1) tight-fitting that is, quarter masks, which cover the mouth and nose; and half masks, which cover the face from the hairline to below the chin; and (2) loose-fitting, such as hoods, helmets, blouses, or full suits that cover the head completely. There are two major classes of respirators: (1) air-purifying to remove contaminants from the air, and (2)...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
Anyone responsible for the use and care of stationary machinery employers, employees, safety professionals, and industrial hygienists should read this publication. This guide can help you, the small business employer, identify and manage common amputation hazards associated with operating and using stationary equipment. Amputations are among the most severe and disabling workplace injuries. They are widespread and involve various activities and equipment. (The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 1...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
The meatpacking industry (Standard Industrial Classification 2011), which employs over 100,000 workers, is considered to be one of the most hazardous industries in the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), this industry has had the highest injury rate of any industry in the country for five consecutive years (1980-1985), with a rate three times that of other manufacturing industries. BLS studies have also shown that for 1985, 319 workers were injured during the first...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) improve survival after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Their presence reduces the critical time for treatment. Less time to defibrillation improves victims' chances of survival. Having the devices appropriately located in a business or workplace improves the survivability of people experiencing a cardiac arrest.
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
The major objective of process safety management (PSM) of highly hazardous chemicals is to prevent unwanted releases of hazardous chemicals especially into locations that could expose employees and others to serious hazards. An effective process safety management program requires a systematic approach to evaluating the whole chemical process. Using this approach, the process design, process technology, process changes, operational and maintenance activities and procedures, nonroutine activities...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
This manual has been prepared as an aid to employers, employees, machine manufacturers, machine guard designers and fabricators, and all others with an interest in protecting workers against the hazards of moving machine parts. It identifies the major mechanical motions and the general principles of safeguarding them. Current applications of each technique area shown in accompanying illustrations of specific operations and machines. The methods described here may be transferred, with due care,...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
On September 1, 1989, OSHA issued a final rule on the Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) of Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations (29 CFR) Part 1910.147. This standard, which went into effect on January 2, 1990, helps safeguard employees from the unexpected startup of machines or equipment or release of hazardous energy while they are performing servicing or maintenance. The standard identifies the practices and procedures necessary to shut down and lock out or tag out machines...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) receives many inquiries about the medical surveillance provisions of its standards. This guide is a quick reference to help you locate and implement the screening and surveillance requirements of the OSHA standards in Title 29 of Code of Federal Regulations (29 CFR). The guide provides a general overview of OSHA requirements,but is not a legal authority for compliance with them. For full details of specific compliance requirements, please...
Topics: DTIC Archive, Herman, Alexis M, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH...
As an employer, you have a duty to protect your workers from injury and illness on the job. Protecting workers also makes good business sense. Accidents and injuries are more expensive than many realize. Costs mount up quickly. But substantial savings in workers' compensation and lost workdays are possible when injuries and illness decline. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) can help you.
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
Although Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations for occupational lead exposure have been in effect since 1971 for the construction and general industries, the agency regulations for general industry in 1978. The 1978 lead standard, however, excluded the construction industry from coverage because of insufficient information regarding lead use in construction.
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
Unexpected releases of toxic, reactive, or flammable liquids and gases in processes involving highly hazardous chemicals have been reported for many years. Incidents continue to occur in various industries that use highly hazardous chemicals which may be toxic, reactive, flammable, or explosive, or may exhibit a combination of these properties. Regardless of the industry that uses these highly hazardous chemicals, there is a potential for an accidental release any time they are not properly...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued its first Excavation and Trenching Standard in 1971 to protect workers from excavation hazards. Since then, OSHA has amended the standard several times to increase worker protection and to reduce the frequency and severity of excavation accidents and injuries. Despite these efforts, excavation-related accidents resulting in injuries and fatalities continue to occur. To better assist excavation firms and contractors, OSHA has...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
Many workplaces contain spaces that are considered to be confined because their configurations hinder the activities of any employees who must enter into, work in, and exit from them. In many instances, employees who work in confined spaces also face increased risk of exposure to serious physical injury from hazards such as entrapment, engulfment, and hazardous atmospheric conditions. Confinement itself may pose entrapment hazards, and work in confined spaces may keep employees closer to...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
When established under the authority of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) had 2 years to adopt existing federal standards or national consensus standards 1 so it would have Standards in place to enforce. OSHA chose to adopt existing federal standards issued under the Walsh-Healey Public Contracts Act, which were derived from threshold limit values of the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists and consensus...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
This informational booklet is intended to provide a generic, non-exhaustive overview of a particular standards related topic. This publication does not itself alter or determine compliance responsibilities, which are set forth in OSHA standards themselves, and the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. Moreover, because interpretations and enforcement policy may change over time, for additional guidance on OSHA compliance requirements, the reader should consult current administrative...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
Job-related injuries and fatalities occur every day in the workplace. These injuries often occur because employees are not trained in the proper job procedure. One way to prevent workplace injuries is to establish proper job procedures and train all employees in safer and more efficient work methods. Establishing proper job procedures is one of the benefits of conducting a job hazard analysis carefully studying and recording each step of a job, identifying existing or potential job hazards...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
Unexpected releases of toxic, reactive, or flammable liquids and gases in processes involving highly hazardous chemical have been reported for many years. Incidents continue to occur in various industries that use highly hazardous chemicals which may be toxic, reactive, flammable, or explosive, or may exhibit a combination of these properties. Regardless of the industry that uses these highly hazardous chemicals, there is a potential for an accidental release anytime they are not properly...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
Traditionally, infection control measures to protect both patients and staff have been an important part of dental practice. Evidence compiled by the Centers for Disease Control regarding the risk of diseases such as hepatitis B and AIDS as the result of occupational exposure indicates, however, that additional measures are needed to protect dental health care employees who are at risk. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimates, more than 300,000 dental...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
Using cranes or derricks to hoist personnel poses a significant risk to employees being lifted. To help prevent employee injury or death, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulation, Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations 1926.550 limits the use of personnel hoisting in the construction industry and prescribes the proper safety measures for these operations. Personnel platforms that are suspended from the load line and used in construction are covered by 29 CFR...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
There are approximately 5.6 million workers in health care and other facilities who are at risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and other potentially infectious materials. These workers include, but are not limited to, nurses, physicians, dentists and other dental workers, laboratory and blood bank technologists and technicians, medical examiners, morticians, phlebotomists, emergency room personnel, intensive...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
This booklet provides a generic, non exhaustive overview of a particular standards-related topic. This publication does not itself alter or determine compliance responsibilities, which are set forth in OSHA standards themselves, and the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Moreover, because interpretations and enforcement policy may change over time, for additional guidance on OSHA compliance requirements, the reader should consult current administrative interpretations and decisions by the...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
This report is intended to help employers and employees identify and correct hazards related to the most frequently cited OSHA standards found on construction sites throughout the United States. The report also is designed as a resource document for OSHA field personnel. The 100 most cited construction standards for 1991 are presented in the report. The standards cited were checked against similar citations for the years 1987 thru 1990. The relative rankings of the standards cited are similar,...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
Machines used in woodworking are dangerous, particularly when used improperly or without proper safeguards. Workers operating woodworking equipment suffer the following common injuries: laceration, amputation, severed fingers, and blindness. Wood dust and the chemicals used in finishing are health hazards, and workers in this industry can suffer from skin and respiratory diseases. The purpose of this guide is to help employers provide a safe and healthful workplace. The guide describes the...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
The Construction Industry safety and health standards contained in this booklet are to aid employers, supervisors, and safety and health personnel in their efforts toward achieving compliance with OSHA standards in the workplace. Although the digest does not contain all OSHA Construction Industry safety and health standards, those presented are (1) standards most frequently overlooked by the employer, and (2) standards covering particularly hazardous situations. The standards are presented...
Topics: DTIC Archive, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION,...
