No Major Changes Expected at OSHA from Obama Administration

More must be done to reach out to small and medium size businesses to show them the value of developing and implementing workplace safety programs according to an ASSE webcast that discussed the future of OSHA under a new administration.

The webcast featured former Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA John Henshaw, and former Director of NIOSH Dr. John Howard. Other topics included the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) of 1970, the standards’ setting process and the economic impact on workplace safety.

“With this economic downturn I believe we must do more to reach out to small and medium size businesses to show them the value of developing and implementing workplace safety programs,” said Henshaw. “We need to sell it to them. Right now most large and smart companies already know the huge benefits and cost savings of developing and implementing occupational safety, health and environmental programs into the workplace, but we, including OSHA, really need to reach out and show them the benefits of investing in safety – the value it brings and the increased efficiency.”

As for the future of OSHA and the OSH Act, Henshaw noted that due to the economy he doesn’t see any major changes ahead for OSHA with the new administration. “I do not believe, even though I believe it is necessary, that we will see any changes to OSHA due to the economy in the near future,” Henshaw said. “However I do believe changes need to be made in the area of standards development and generating more participation by businesses – we all need to work together.”

“The workplace has changed over the years,” former NIOSH Director Howard said. “Unlike the 1970’s and the years before and after, people aren’t with the same company for decades any longer, many work as consultants and contractors. So as the work relationship changes, so too does the nature of the work.

Maybe the OSH Act should be revisited and updated to reflect these changes.

“We need to be creative,” Howard continued. “For instance, the new head of OSHA should meet with the head of Commerce in the next administration and say ‘you need to incorporate an overall workplace safety, health and environmental program for the proposed new infrastructure programs the President has called for,’ this includes all the new highway and bridge construction projects. Start there and show them how. Also, look at many state OSHA programs, like the one in California, where they often take a hybrid approach when addressing workplace hazards.”

Henshaw said OSHA has been doing an excellent job. The federal OSHA has 2,200 employees. “OSHA is not ineffective, it could be more effective if there were less boundaries prohibiting OSHA from setting up standards – such as court decisions and more,” Henshaw said. “OSHA can’t write a standard for every risk.”

When asked about the possibility of an ergonomic standard returning, such as in the Clinton administration, Henshaw and Howard both agreed that it was unlikely.

“We need to do more to educate employers and workers on ergonomics,” Howard, former head of the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, CAL/OSHA, said.

“Coming from California, the only state with an ergonomic program, I believe something needs to be done. One third of all workplace injuries are due to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). OSHA could do more in the area of education – provide employers with tools they can use to enable them to afford to address the risks to reduce this injury.”

Both agreed that Congress can help play a role in outlining the priorities for OSHA, an agency charged with helping keep America’s workers safe – injury and illness free—with very limited resources.

“This is a great time to speak up and I thank you for the opportunity to do so,” Howard said of the call.

“I agree and we must continue to all work together to show businesses that safety is good business,” Henshaw said.

Tom Cecich, CSP, CIH, of North Carolina, former chair of the ASSE Government Affairs Committee (GAC), moderated the webcast. “The next year has the potential to see the most significant changes in U.S. safety and health public policy in a generation,” Cecich said. “This webcast presented the views of two of the most respected leaders in the occupational safety, health and environmental field. They’ve both been in federal safety and health leadership positions at the beginning of a new Administration and have a lot of perspective about the changes we are likely to see.”

At least 15 years of technical experience in occupational health and safety is one of the requirements the next OSHA administrator should possess, says the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) in a letter sent to President elect Obama’s transition team at OSHA.

“AIHA would like to offer a few of the qualifications we feel the individual should possess when addressing the complex health and safety problems facing today’s workers,” said AIHA President  Lindsay E. Booher, CIH, CSP.

AIHA feels that the individual chosen to lead OSHA should possess:

• A lifelong commitment to occupationalhealth and safety;

• Comprehensive training in occupational health and safety;

• At least 15 years of technical experience in occupational health and safety;

• Proven management experience; and

• The vision and ability to build coalitions and consensus among diverse groups to effectively promote occupational health and safety.

“The qualifications that are mentioned in our letter, we feel, should be met at a minimum,” Booher added. “We recognize that many factors will come into play in the final selection of the successful nominee.

However, as the workplace continues to change and become more diversified, as well as the continuing global expansion of workplace health and safety, AIHA believes the Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA could be one of the most important appointments of the new administration.”

The full text of the AIHA letter is available at www.aiha.org under “Government Affairs.” For further information regarding AIHA government affairs, contact Aaron Trippler at (703) 846-0730 or atrippler@aiha.org.

The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) South Carolina Chapter is cautioning employers against cutting back on workplace safety in this time of economic difficulty.

The group also is encouraging employers to explore creative ways of generating temporary and long-term savings in safety and training expenses, while still ensuring that the safety needs of employees and safety regulations are met.

During economic downturns, employers seeking to cut expenses may target variable operating costs such as travel, training and safety. Although some safety expenses can be delayed or deferred, others are critical, according to the ASSE South Carolina Chapter.

Laura Comstock, president-elect of the ASSE South Carolina Chapter, said, “Some safety related purchases and testing can be deferred, but other purchases, such as those for employee personal protective equipment like hardhats, safety glasses and respirators, are critical to operations.”

She notes that it is especially important for companies to show support for their employee safety during challenging economic times. Employee morale may be low and employees may be carrying additional workloads, such as working additional hours or doing unfamiliar tasks due to cutbacks, making them more prone to injury and accidents.

ASSE President Warren K. Brown, CSP, ARM, CSHM, also recently spoke to occupational safety and health students from Oklahoma State University and the surrounding area to reiterate the fact that investing in safety pays and contributes positively not only to a great working environment, but to a business’ bottom line.

He noted that businesses spend about $170 billion a year on costs associated with workplace injuries and illnesses and pay almost $1 billion every week to injured employees and their medical providers.

In addition, a recent Goldman Sachs study in Australia showed valuation links between workplace safety and health factors and investment performance. It found that companies who did not adequately manage workplace safety issues underperformed those that did and that workplace safety and health factors have potentially greater effectiveness at identifying underperforming stocks, Brown noted.

Comstock, who holds masters degrees in occupational safety and business, added, “In order to remain viable long-term, a company must maintain a solid safety program and strong safety performance even through difficult times. The most successful companies in the long term also have the strongest safety performance.”

ASSE Region VI Vice President Jim Morris agrees. “Money cut from safety programs now could have an enormous cost later; this can be from fines, employee morale, or worst of all, employee injury or even death,” Morris said. “There are better and smarter ways to protect the bottom line. Good safety is good business.”

The chapter also offers tips on how employees can take measures to help companies save money on safety expenses by: properly using, cleaning and caring for protective equipment such as hardhats and respirators; reusing gloves whenever possible for as long as possible; keeping track of safety glasses and reusable hearing protection; and by following safe working procedures and practices to prevent injuries, related downtime and expenses such as costly fines.

Comstock also reminds employers, “When considering training reductions, some safety related training is driven by regulation, is time sensitive and cannot be delayed. Safety training related savings can be generated by streamlining and implementing some simple solutions.”

She notes that some simple solutions include using online or electronic safety training services, rather than face-to-face classroom safety training, even if employees and employers prefer classroom settings.

“Even if a company doesn’t have a high tech system, having employees view a simple presentation may meet the company’s need for safety training,” said Comstock.

“Employers that have safety and training professionals on staff can save on costs related to training by conducting training on-shift and at the jobsite to prevent overtime or taking employees off the job for extended periods.”

The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) is saddened by the loss of its Past President John E. Russell, P.E., CSP, of Timonium, MD, who dedicated his life to occupational safety and health.

Even after retiring with 40 years in the occupational safety, health and environmental business he remained a dedicated and active member of the local ASSE Chesapeake Chapter for 23 more years.

Russell, 88, passed away December 12th after a long illness, according to his family. “Russell was a pillar in the safety community,” said ASSE President Warren K. Brown, CSP, ARM, CSHM. “We are extremely saddened at the loss of John who gave so much of his time and expertise to help others. But due to his efforts, he will live on especially in all the lives he has helped and touched over the decades. We will greatly miss him.”

Russell, an Emeritus Professional member of ASSE since 1957, served as ASSE Chesapeake Chapter president in 1975 and as the Society’s President for the 1980-81 term. As he continued to pave new trails for safety professionals throughout the years, his work was recognized by his peers and he was awarded the ASSE Edgar Monsanto Queeny Safety Professional of the Year (SPY) award in 1982, and in 1984 the ASSE Fellow Award, ASSE’s top honor.

During his years in safety, Russell worked from 1949 to 1969 at Liberty Mutual Insurance Company in loss control and from 1969 to 1985 as vice president of loss control for the Maryland Casualty Company, now part of Zurich Insurance. From 1983 to 1989 Russell served as director on the Illinois-based Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP).

While working and volunteering his time for ASSE he also wrote several articles for ASSE’s Professional Safety Journal on such topics as: ‘Looking at One State’s Accidents’ (1959); ‘Task Force Report: Legal Recognition of the Safety Professional’ (1978); and, ‘Board of Certified Safety Professionals: How it all Began’ (1988).

His son, Curt Russell, said this about his father, “He was the consummate ‘safety guy.’ He loved his career and the people he worked with at ASSE, BCSP and the Maryland Casualty Company.

“I cannot tell you how many letters we have received over the past several months from his colleagues in the safety industry who expressed their love and appreciation for dad,” Curt Russell continued.

Injury and Illness Rates Dropped in 2007

Both the rate and number of occupational injuries and illnesses decreased from 2006 to 2007, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The 2007 rate was 122 per 10,000 full-time workers, a decrease of 4 percent from 2006.

There were 1.2 million cases requiring days away from work in private industry out of 4 million total recordable cases as reported by the BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.

The number of days-away-from-work cases in 2007 decreased by 24,630 cases, or 2 percent, as compared to 2006 levels. Median days away from work—a key measure of the severity of the injury or illness—was 7 days in 2007, the same as the prior three years.

Key findings for 2007: In 2007, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) with days away from work declined by 23,400 cases from 2006. The 2007 injury and illness incidence rate of 35 cases per 10,000 full-time workers for MSDs is 9 percent below the 2006 rate of 39 cases per 10,000 workers. The decrease in the number of MSDs is the largest factor contributing to the overall decline in days-away-from-work cases in 2007.

Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants had 44,930 days-away-from-work cases and a rate of 465 cases per 10,000 workers, which is a 12 percent decrease in the rate compared to 2006.

Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers experienced the highest number of days-away-from-work cases, with 79,000 in 2007, a 7 percent decline from 85,120 in 2006.

Cases with days away from work due to a fall on the same level increased by 10 percent from 2006 levels, driven by large increases in the number of cases in retail trade (up 4,280 cases, 19 percent) and health care and social assistance (up 3,360 cases, 11 percent).

From 2003 to 2007, the total number of injuries and illnesses with days away from work declined 11.9 percent, which demonstrates that a comprehensive strategy of targeted enforcement coupled with an emphasis on prevention through compliance assistance is most effective. In addition, the ergonomic injury rate declined 9 percent from 2006 to 2007.

“These injury and illness results demonstrate that OSHA’s balanced approach to workplace safety is working,” said Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Thomas M. Stohler. “It’s an approach that encompasses education, training, information sharing, inspection, regulation and aggressive enforcement that are helping achieve significant reductions in workplace injuries and illnesses.