Cch osha standards for general industry

BOS 4025, OSHA Standards 1

Learning Objectives Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

1. Describe the organizations and processes created by the OSHAct. 2. Explain employer and employee rights and responsibilities under the

OSHAct. 3. Characterize OSHA’s workplace inspection policies and procedures. 4. Compare and contrast similarities and differences between Federal

and State OSHA Plans. 5. Explain and analyze the requirements of the OSHA’s Recordkeeping

Standard.

Unit Lesson On April, 28, 1971, the Secretary of Labor had a daunting task in front of him. The Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHAct), which had been signed into law by President Nixon on Dec 29, 1970, went into effect, and the Secretary now had a two-year window to develop and publish workplace safety standards that would cover five million workplaces in the United States. Paul Guenther was appointed the first Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, and OSHA was “born” (U.S. Department of Labor, 2009). Paragraph 6a of the OSHAct allowed OSHA to use the two-year period to adopt and enforce a number of voluntary standards already in use by many industries. The initial standards came from several sources:

1. Consensus standards, which are developed by organizations such as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) or the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), can then be adopted by the industry. Many of the more familiar OSHA standards, such as Means of Egress, Flammable and Combustible Liquids and Powered Industrial Trucks, came from consensus standards (Teeples, 2007).

2. Proprietary standards, which are developed by professional experts within a specific industry and then agreed upon and adopted by that industry, An example is the Compressed Gas Associations pamphlet P-1, “Safe Handling of Compressed Gases” (Teeples, 2007).

3. Federal laws already in effect when the OSHAct become law; examples include the Federal Supply Contracts Act and the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act.

Using this approach, OSHA was able to have a comprehensive set of standards in place well before the two-year window closed. OSHA also recognized that some industries, such as construction and maritime, had their own unique set of safety concerns that would not be relevant to other industries, so OSHA created what are sometimes called “vertical standards.” The General Industry Standards promulgated in 29 CFR

Reading Assignments See information below.

Supplemental Reading See information below.

Learning Activities (Non-Graded) See information below.

Key Terms 1. Annual summary 2. Citation classification 3. First-aid injury 4. National Institute for

Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

5. OSHA 300 Log 6. OSHA Form 300A 7. OSHA Form 301 8. OSHA State Plan 9. Occupational Safety

and Health Review Commission (OSHRC)

10. Partially exempt employer

11. Proposed penalties 12. Restricted work 13. Work-relatedness

UNIT I STUDY GUIDE The Occupational Safety and Health Act, OSHA Procedural Standards, and OSHA Recordkeeping Standards

BOS 4025, OSHA Standards 2

1910 apply across the board and are the “horizontal standards.” As with most of the early standards, the vertical standards also came from industry consensus and proprietary standards, but these standards were specific to the

industry covered. This creates some confusion, since the prescribed controls for similar hazards may be different. The best example of this is the requirement for guardrails on a walking working surface with an unprotected side. In the General Industry Standards, guardrails are required when the height is four feet or greater. In the Shipyard Standards the height is five feet, and in the Construction Standards, the height is six feet. Not all workplaces fit neatly into a specific category, so it can be a significant challenge for the safety practitioner. This first unit of the course covers the fundamental workings of the Occupational Safety & Health Administration and OSHA's Recordkeeping Standard. The

OSHAct is an excellent outline for understanding the fundamentals behind how OSHA does business. In the Act, you will be provided with a description of OSHA's basic functions, a discussion detailing the standard promulgation process, OSHA's inspection process, OSHA's citation issuance authority, and employer rights and responsibilities that include the “General Duty Clause.” There are other important elements in this document, such as the enabling legislation behind state consultation services, processes for OSHA state plan states, and the establishment of the National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health. You will also find discussion of the citation appeals process to include the creation of the Occupational Safety & Health Review Commission, which administers the first steps of this legal process. OSHA's original Recordkeeping Standard at 29 CFR 1904 came from methodologies used at the Bureau of Labor Standards (BLS) and a number of consensus standards that addressed coding of injuries and illnesses. Significant changes to the requirements have been made over the years, with the most comprehensive change occurring in 2001. The standard includes specific reporting requirements if an employee is killed or three or more employees are hospitalized. Some employers are partially exempt from the standard due to the size of the company and/or the industry in which they operate. Also detailed is the difference between a first-aid injury and a recordable injury and how to record injuries and illnesses that result in restriction or transfer to another job. The concept of work relatedness is important since injuries could occur at work and not be considered work- related. While the OSHAct and the Recordkeeping Standard do not deal with eliminating specific hazards in the workplace, they provide part of the administrative framework for safety and health compliance and fewer injuries and illnesses. In subsequent units, we will be examining specific hazard control requirements of the General Industry Standards (29 CFR 1910).

(NARA, 2011)

BOS 4025, OSHA Standards 3

OSHA Videos In 1980, OSHA produced three films that were actually banned from release by then-OSHA Director Thorne Auchter. Several copies survived and are now available for all to view at this link: http://archive.org/details/gov.osha.censored.1 For a helpful summary of OSHA’s first 40 years, go to the video at this link: http://www.osha.gov/osha40/video/video.html

References National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). (2011). “Lack of proper guard rails invites falls” – NARA – 514842 [Graphic]. Retrieved from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%22Lack_of_proper_guard_rails_invite s_falls%22_-_NARA_-_514842.jpg Teeples, J. (2007). What every supervisor must know about OSHA - General Industry. Chicago: IL, CCH. U.S. Department of Labor. (2009). OSHA 3360, Reflections on OSHA's history [Brochure]. Retrieved from http://www.osha.gov/history/OSHA_HISTORY_ 3360s.pdf

Reading Assignment This course does not have a specific textbook. Instead, you will be using actual OSHA standards from the U.S. Department of Labor’s OSHA website, as well as other relevant materials. To access the required reading material for this unit, copy and paste each URL below into your Internet browser. Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970: https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_id=2743&p_ta ble=OSHACT

29 CFR 1900 - 1904, With a Focus on 1904: https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owasrch.search_form?p_doc_type=standar ds&p_toc_level=0 OSHA Fact Sheet: OSHA Inspections: http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_General_Facts/factsheet-inspections.pdf OSHA Publication 3021, Worker’s Rights: http://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3021.pdf

Supplemental Reading Learn more about this unit’s topics by visiting the following websites. To access the supplemental reading material for this unit, copy and paste each URL below into your Internet browser. Unit 1 Recordkeeping Presentation: http://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/comp/RKComprehensive_Rev5.ppt Injury and Illness Recordkeeping Forms: http://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/RKforms.html

http://archive.org/details/gov.osha.censored.1
http://www.osha.gov/osha40/video/video.html
https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_id=2743&p_table=OSHACT
https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_id=2743&p_table=OSHACT
https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owasrch.search_form?p_doc_type=standards&p_toc_level=0
https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owasrch.search_form?p_doc_type=standards&p_toc_level=0
http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_General_Facts/factsheet-inspections.pdf
http://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3021.pdf
http://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/comp/RKComprehensive_Rev5.ppt
http://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/RKforms.html
BOS 4025, OSHA Standards 4

Learn more about navigating the OSHA website and the OSHA standards:

 http://www.osha.gov/dte/outreach/intro_osha/10_navigating_osha_web site.pdf

 http://www.osha.gov/dte/outreach/intro_osha/8a_general_industry.pdf

Learning Activities (Non-Graded) Apply What You Have Learned Download a copy of OSHA form 300 and instructions from the OSHA website http://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/RKforms.html, and then determine which of the cases listed below are recordable. Enter each recordable case on the OSHA form 300, completing all sections for each case.

 February 19: Maintenance worker not wearing eye protection operating grinding machine in tool room, incurs eye injury from flying chip; medical treatment required; injury occurs on Tuesday, employee returns to regular job at regular time on Thursday.

 February 27: Assembly worker becomes “ill” owing to noxious odors from remodeling operation in the assembly area; receives permission from supervisor to take the rest of the day off; does not go to a doctor or clinic; reports to regular work on time the next day.

 March 2: Sewing machine operator’s right ring finger pulled into unguarded drive belt pulley on sewing machine; small fracture revealed by X ray; splint applied; worker returns to regular work at regular time the next day.

 March 19: Dockworker sprains ankle on loading dock; moved to office job for two workweeks.

 June 7: Yard worker exposed to poison ivy while clearing weeds in tank-farm area behind plant; rash develops; treated with prednisone adrenocortical steroid drug by prescription; no time lost.

 August 4: Maintenance worker using ungrounded portable electric drill to repair equipment in assembly area is electrocuted. Date of death: August 4.

Non-graded learning activities are provided to aid students in their course of study. You do not have to submit them. If you have any questions, contact your instructor for further guidance and information.

http://www.osha.gov/dte/outreach/intro_osha/10_navigating_osha_website.pdf
http://www.osha.gov/dte/outreach/intro_osha/10_navigating_osha_website.pdf
http://www.osha.gov/dte/outreach/intro_osha/8a_general_industry.pdf
http://www.osha.gov/dte/outreach/intro_osha/8a_general_industry.pdf
http://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/RKforms.html