What manufacturers really need to know about OSHAby Mike Willett, CIRAS |
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| Just the mention of OSHA can send
chills down the backs of many company executives and managers. We've all heard the horror
stories of the chaos and high cost associated with their inspections. Knowing how costly
accidents can be, we try to the best of our knowledge to make our work environment safe.
However, we are still left with the nagging feeling that it might not be enough in the
eyes of OSHA. This is primarily due to the struggle to understand the fine print in OSHA's 839-page standard. It is very difficult and time consuming to determine what these standards mean and how to administer them. Many companies' resources are too limited to develop and administer the programs. They are left to do the best they can, hoping it is good enough. The good news is that workplace developments have narrowed the playing field. Because companies have made the physical workplace safer, the percentage of physically unsafe violations have declined while the percentage of program documentation and training citations have steadily increased. A quick analysis of the most recent data on the "30 Most Cited Iowa OSHA Standards" for manufacturers (SIC codes 2000-3999) reveals that 55 percent involved written program violations, 22 percent involved employee training violations, and the remaining 23 percent addressed physically unsafe conditions. Thus, 77 percent of these citations did not address a physically unsafe condition! (See Figure 1.) A further breakdown of this analysis shows that of this 77 percent of violations, the top three areas cited were the Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/ragout) program (25 percent), Personal Protective Equipment program (23 percent), and the Hazardous Communication (Right-to-Know) program (18 percent). (See Figure 2.) Over half of the citations in this study involved these three programs. Similarly, in past years, citations have been concentrated in only a few program areas. What does this mean? It means that if you want to get the "biggest bang for your buck" in the area of OSHA compliance, you need to make sure that you have the required programs and have properly trained your employees. (See Figure 1.) It also gives a good indication of what programs you need to look at first. (See Figure 2.) To assist our clients in this task, CIRAS has developed two programs a client can choose from, based on company need The first is our OSHA Compliance Workshops. This four day, off-site, train-the-trainer series provides individual consultation and instruction. Participants leave with all the written programs needed for compliance, an understanding of what regulations mean, and how to properly train employees. With this unique approach, participants actually write their customized company programs as a part of the learning process, rail than going back to the office to figure out how to apply new techniques. They also learn how OSHA works and what to do when the inspector calls. This optiori is designed primarily for safety directors/managers or for others who wear the safety hat in your company. From the Compliance Workshops we developed a second program--OSHA Compliance Programs--which brings a CIRAS field facilitator on-site to assist you with any of the 13 programs developed in the Compliance Workshops. After providing the field facilitator with the needed company information, you will receive customized written programs as well as all the forms and training guides needed to get your programs in compliance. Our 13 OSHA compliance programs include:
For more information, to schedule a workshop series in your area, or to request any
of our 13 compliance programs, contact the ClRAS field facilitator in your area. |
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CIRAS News, Vol. 32, No. 1, Fall 1997 |
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