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Introduction to OSHA

Electricity II Review


Review of OSHA

• Fair Labor Standards Act– The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938

requires employers to pay employees a standard minimum wage as well as overtime wages for working more than 40 hours per week. This law also provides some specific safety guidelines for young workers.

• Occupational Safety and Health Act– The Occupational Safety and Health Act

of 1970 is the most important law for workplace safety. This law requires employers to provide a safe work environment for all employees.


OSHA Standards

• Encourages employers and employees to work together to reduce workplace hazards and implement or improve safety and health programs.

• Develops and encourages mandatory job standards in the areas of occupational safety and health.

• Maintains a reporting and recordkeeping system to monitor job-related illnesses and injuries.

• Provides assistance, training, and other support programs to help employees and workers.


OSHA Standards

• Who does OSHA cover?– All employees and their employers under Federal Government

authority.– Coverage is provided either directly by OSHA or through an

OSHA-recognized state program.


OSHA Standards

• Who is not covered by OSHA?– Self-employed or immediate members of farm families that do

not employ outside workers.– Public employees in state and local governments. This includes

fire fighters, police, and other public servants (except for states with recognized plans).

– Employees whose working conditions are regulated by other federal agencies, including mine workers, certain truck and rail workers, and atomic energy workers .


OSHA Standards

Some states have issued their own state plans. These plans are OSHA-recognized job safety and health programs operated by individual states instead of OSHA. These plans must:

– Provide standards and enforcement programs equal to those of the federal OSHA programs.

– Cover most private sector employees, as well as state and local government workers within that state.


OSHA Standards

OSHA covers four categories of business. These include:

– General Industry.– Construction.– Maritime.– Agriculture.


Employers’ Responsibilities

• Providing a safe and healthy workplace.• Maintaining records of work-related illnesses and

injuries.• Reporting potential dangers to a supervisor or safety

committee.• Reporting recurring hazardous conditions to OSHA.• Following OSHA’s “General Duty Clause” when OSHA

has not issued a specific standard.• Reading the OSHA poster.• Writing and enforcing standards.


Employers’ Responsibilities

The “General Duty Clause” states: Each employer “shall furnish…a place of employment which is free from recognized hazards that are causing, or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees.”


Employer’s Responsibilities

OSHA also requires employers to follow the Recordkeeping and Reporting regulations. These regulations include:

– Employers of 11 or more employees must maintain records of occupational injuries and illnesses.

– All employers must report to OSHA within eight hours of any accident that results in a fatality or in-patient hospitalization of three or more employees.


Work Keys Application– There are 11 employees that the supervisor must maintain records of

for occupational injuries and illnesses, and he spends at least 3/8 of his time on this record keeping. How much of the supervisor time is spent on the record keeping?

– All employers must report to OSHA within eight hours of any accident that results in a fatality or in-patient hospitalization of three or more employees. If I had an accident between 1:15pm to 3:05pm, what was the timeframe of my accident?


Answers

– There are 11 employees that the supervisor must maintain records of for occupational injuries and illnesses, and he spends at least 3/8 of his time on this record keeping. How much of the supervisor time is spent on the record keeping?

Answer: Denominator (8) / Numerator (3)= .375

.375 * 100= %

37.5%

– All employers must report to OSHA within eight hours of any accident that results in a fatality or in-patient hospitalization of three or more employees. If I had an accident between 1:15pm to 3:05pm, what was the timeframe of my accident?

Answer: 1 hour and 50 min.


Workers’ Rights and Responsibilities

• According to the OSHA Act, employees have the right to seek safe and healthy work conditions on the job without being disciplined or fired.

• They also have the right to complain to OSHA in person, by phone, by mail, or through OSHA’s web site about workplace conditions that may be threatening to their health or safety.


Workers’ Rights and Responsibilities

Worker responsibilities include:– Reading the OSHA Poster at the jobsite.– Complying with all applicable OSHA standards.– Following all lawful employer safety and health rules and

regulations, and wearing or using prescribed protective equipment while working.

– Reporting hazardous conditions to the supervisor.– Reporting any job-related injury or illness to the employer, and

seek treatment promptly.– Exercising rights under the Act in a responsible manner.


Inspections

• Most inspections are conducted without notice. • Inspectors look for:

– Imminent Danger.– Fatalities and Catastrophes.– Employee Complaints/Referrals.– Programmed High-Hazard Inspections.– Follow-ups to Previous Inspections.


Inspections

During Walkaround Inspection, the following is to be expected:

– The Compliance Safety and Health Officer (CSHO) and accompanying representatives (employer and employee) inspect the establishment for potentially hazardous working conditions.

– CSHO discusses possible corrective actions with the employer.– CSHO may converse, at times privately, with employees.


OSHA Consultations

OSHA also provides consultation assistance free of cost to the employer.

These consultations are:– Developed for smaller business employers with more hazardous

operations.– Delivered by state government agencies or universities

employing professional safety and health consultations.– Given with no penalties proposed or citations issued, unless the

employer fails to eliminate or control any serious hazards or imminent danger.


Job Scenario

• Dan is working on a jobsite and is using some hand and power tools to perform the tasks that otherwise would be difficult or impossible. However, someone start hammering nails above Dan head, and Dan is not wearing his protective PPE. The employer of that jobsite stated that PPE is not necessary, and will not provide the workers with any PPE. Is there a potential hazard waiting to happen? Should you notify OSHA of the unsafe working conditions?


Job Scenario Questions

• What is PPE?• What PPE is Dan Missing?• According to OSHA rules can you notify

someone without giving your name?• Does our job scenario fall under one of these

conditions? How? Table Talk?– Imminent Danger.– Fatalities and Catastrophes.– Employee Complaints/Referrals


Learn More

To find out more about these consultations and any other OSHA standards:

– OSHA’s web site: www.osha.gov.– OSHA Emergency Hot-Line: 1(800)321-OSHA.

copyright © 2008 introduction to osha electricity ii review

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