AADDOOSSHH AADDVVOOCCAATTEE Improving Workplace Safety and Health http://www.ica.state.az.us Darin Perkins, Director Spring 2003 ADOSH Focus In This Issue The beginning of a new year is typi- increased (see related story, page cally a time of reflection. It pro- 2). We are improving our response ADOSH Focus vides an opportunity to look at the times to complaints and allegations Darin Perkins accomplishments of the past year, of discrimination. We are also Page 1 and consider areas of potential reducing the amount of time it takes improvement for the coming year. to complete inspection reports and Fall Protection obtain correction of hazards. Patrick Ryan As I look back over the past year or Page 2 two, I am generally pleased with the The coming year brings an opportu- V.P.P. Stardom direction of the division and our nity for further improvement. Page 2 accomplishments. We are just shy ADOSH will continue to focus an of being fully staffed, a position we appropriate amount of resources in Since You Asked have not been in for many years. We the construction industry, with a Mark Norton Page 3 have a great staff, committed to new emphasis on employee safety protecting within highway Fatalities Investigated employees. work zones. Page 4 Our consulta- We ve also Fatal Mistakes tion staff is established a Ernie Miller well respect- goal to reduce Page 4 ed, as evi- employee expo- Training Calendar denced by the sure to silica, Page 5 continually regardless of increasing the industry. numbers of We will work to employers who further ADOSH ADVOCATE request their improve our services and report comple- Published quarterly by the Arizona expertise. This newsletter has been Division of Occupational Safety and tion times and increase the number Health for employers and employees of a tremendous success (we print larg- of employers participating in the Arizona. The information in this newslet- er quantities every quarter), as is VPP program. We are also in the ter is provided as a service and should not evidenced by the positive feedback process of establishing a recognition be considered as the exclusive source of we regularly receive. program that will be directed the requirements of the standards. This toward smaller employers. ADOSH document is in the public domain & we Other areas are also improving. The will work with employers who desire encourage re-printing. total injury and illness rate for the our assistance to reduce their injury construction industry has been on and illness rates. Upon reaching Contributing Staff: Darin Perkins, Pat Ryan, the decline for several years now. Ernie Miller, Mark Norton that goal, the employer will be rec- Fatalities investigated by ADOSH ognized for their efforts and be Kenneth P. Gaut: Design and Layout have declined from a high of 48 in removed from any ADOSH planned [email protected] 2000 to 27 last year. Membership inspection list. Finally, we will con- in the Voluntary Protection Program tinue to place an emphasis on cus- Comments and suggestions are welcome (VPP), Arizona s recognition program tomer service and ensure that Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health 800 West Washington Street 2675 East Broadway Road for employers with outstanding employers and employees who inter- Phoenix, AZ. 85007 Tucson, AZ. 85716 (602) 542-5795 (520) 628-5478 safety and health programs, has act with ADOSH, whether through ADOSH ADVOCATE compliance or consultation, receive the assistance they desire, in a V.P.P. Stardom timely and professional manner. The Arizona Division of being a VPP participant. First and Occupational Safety and Health is foremost, there is an increased As we work to accomplish these and pleased to announce Honeywell, emphasis placed on employee safety other goals, we welcome your input. Engines, Systems & Services, locat- and health by management as well as If you have suggestions on how the ed at 11100 North Oracle Road, employees. Second, employees at division can improve, please let us Tucson, AZ, has achieved VPP STAR VPP sites are assured that any con- know. In the near future, we will be status. VPP STAR stands for cerns they may have with respect to sending out a survey to employers Voluntary Protection Program, safety and health will be addressed who have been the subject of a Safety Through Accountability in a timely manner and that any recent compliance inspection. The Recognition. needed corrections purpose of the survey will be to find Honeywell is the or improvements out how our compliance officers are tenth employer in will be implement- doing, how the employer community the State of ed. Third, this perceives the compliance sections Arizona to achieve heightened empha- and what we can do to improve our this designation. sis on employee operations. The results of the sur- safety and health vey will be published in a future edi- Before approving translates into tion of the Advocate. Honeywell as a fewer injuries and Darin Perkins STAR participant, a illnesses, as well as team of specialists workers compensa- Did You Know? from the Arizona tion and related The newly revised Injury & Illness Division of Occupational Safety and expenses. Finally, achieving VPP Recordkeeping Standard requires Health conducted a thorough wall- status means that Honeywell will not that employers with eleven or more to-wall survey to verify that man- be placed on any ADOSH general employees post the injury/illness agement places a top priority on the scheduled inspection list for at record (osha 300 log) for all employ- safety and health of its employees least the next three years. ees to see from February 1 to April and that it is committed to providing 30 of each year. Some exemptions a safe and healthful workplace for ADOSH presented Honeywell with a apply. all employees. VPP STAR certificate and a VPP flag, during celebration ceremonies There are several advantages to on Monday, October 28, 2002. Fall Protection This is the final article in a series types of scaffolding. must be protected by a personal fall dealing with the requirements for arrest system. fall protection. This particular arti- Employees working from a cle highlights the fall protection boatswains chair, catenary scaf- Employees on a single-point or two- requirements when working from fold, float scaffold, needle beam point adjustable suspension scaffold scaffolding, or when engaged in scaffold, or ladder jack scaffold must be protected by both a per- steel erection activities. sonal fall arrest system and a guardrail system. Scaffolding In general, each employee on a scaf- When performing overhand brick- fold more than 10 feet above a lower laying operations, employees must level must be protected from falling be protected along all open sides to that lower level. The customary and ends (except at the side next to method of providing this protection the wall being laid) by guardrails or is the erection of guardrails (mid a personal fall arrest system. and top rails) on each working sur- face of the scaffold. Specific fall Employees working from a self-con- protection measures (other than tained adjustable scaffold must be guardrails) are required on some protected by a guardrail system 2 ADOSH ADVOCATE when the platform is supported by scaffolds. Employers are required edge more than 15 feet above a the frame structure, and by both a to provide fall protection for lower levelmust be protected from personal fall arrest system and a employees erecting or dismantling falling by a guardrail system, safety guardrail system when the platform supported scaffolds where the net system, personal fall arrest sys- is supported by ropes. installation and use of such protec- tem, positioning device system, or tion is feasible and does not create fall restraint system. In addition to the above require- a greater hazard. ments, employers are required to Exception: Connectors, and deckers have a competent person determine Steel Erection working in controlled decking zones the feasibility and safety of provid- Employees engaged in steel erection must be protected at 30 feet or two ing fall protection for employees activities on a walking/working sur- stories in height, whichever is less. erecting or dismantling supported face with an unprotected side or Patrick Ryan Since You Asked Question: Are there any regula- sign that says that I cannot enter duty to protect employees of other tions about smoking in the work- the service area, due to OSHA reg- employers when the hazards that place? I work in an office where my ulations. Is there such a regulation? those other employees are exposed boss smokes a pipe. I don t want to to are within the direct control of risk my job by having a confronta- Answer: No. As a customer of the the creating employer. For example, tion about it, but I also don t like establishment, we have no jurisdic- if Contractor A creates a hazard by being exposed to second hand tion over your entry into the service cutting a large hole into the deck of smoke. area. a roof and Contractor B has employ- ees working on the roof around Answer: Unfortunately, there the hole, then both contractors are no OSHA regulations deal- would be at risk of receiving ing with smoking in the work- citations from OSHA; place. Up until recently, there Contractor A, due to the fact was a proposed standard for that he created the hazard, indoor air quality that dealt and Contractor B because his with this issue, among others. employees were exposed to the However that proposal was hazard. Additionally, the gen- taken off of the regulatory eral contractor overseeing the agenda. Some local govern- project could potentially be ments have adopted regulations cited as well, depending upon dealing with smoking in the his knowledge of the hazard workplace.