Posts Tagged ‘skills-gap’

FAQ: What’s Coming in 2016 Workplace Safety?

by Julianne Bass

WorkplaceSafety2016Trends

Silica, recordkeeping, GHS, skills gap, OSHA fines: who can keep track of all the workplace safety news rumblings happening at any given time. When it comes to the matter of what is fact and what is fiction sometimes it is a little difficult to tell. While all of these topics are important let’s focus on the information you need to know for 2016.

Will the Aging Workforce Issue Continue to Have A Greater Impact?

The difference between having workers and having skilled workers is night and day. Someone who has been working on a machine for 30 years is clearly going to be able to offer a lot more expertise on how to best maintain it than those with just a few months or even years under their belt. The skills gap has been a major buzzword in the manufacturing industry for awhile now and all signs point to it only gaining more steam in the years to come. According to the manufacturing institute over the next decade 3.5 million jobs will likely need filling of which 2 million we go unfilled due to the growing skills gap. While some ignore the skills gap all together others are figuring out ways to retain their older workers for longer through ergonomics and new “advisory” positions.

Is OSHA Really Increasing Their Fines by Increase 80%?

Yes indeed they are, as a result of the passing of the new budget signed by President Obama, OSHA fines will be increasing by 80% all at once, to catch up with inflation adjustments dating back to 1990.  This will raise max penalties for willful violations from $70,000 to $127,000 and max serious violation fines from $7,000 to $12,477. Adjustments will occur before August 1, 2016.

I Thought All of the GHS Deadlines Passed Already, Why Are We Still Talking About It?

GHS deadlines began back in 2013 starting with employers being responsible for training their employees on the impending changes to chemical labeling and SDS formatting. Since then, manufacturers, importers, distributors and employers have been required to stop shipping all products labeled using old formatting. Unfortunately when upstream suppliers missed their deadlines this made it more difficult to others to continue to meet their requirements.  As of June 1, 2016 all companies are required to be fully transitioned over to the new system, No Matter What.

What is the Latest with the Silica Regulation, Will Changes Happen in 2016?

Since OSHA started talking about making changes to the silica standard, it has had a difficult time every step of the way. Silica is really “just the tip of the iceberg”. This topic of discussion opens up broader concerns about permissible exposure limits on all harmful chemicals, many of which haven’t been updated in 10, 20, or 30 years! Then, there is also the concern that OSHA drastically underestimated what it would cost the construction industry to implement the changes necessary under the new rule, by as much as a whopping $4.5 BILLION a year. Needless to say this rule faces much opposition but OSHA is hoping to push it through sometime within the next year or year and a half. Stay tuned for what is sure to be, more to come on this issue.

Is OSHA Going to Make it so Companies Have to Electronically Update a Public Injury and Illness Database?

OSHA has had a lot of traction, in the realm of recordkeeping, with the new implementation of rules at the beginning of 2015 around injury and illness reporting what needs to be reported and under what timeframe. In hopes of keeping that positive momentum going they now focus their attention on two other recordkeeping rules; they will require many companies to regularly report their documentation for public record and clarify an employers’ responsibility for an injury in their workplace and eliminating OSHA’s 6 month statute of limitation on citing them. OSHA hopes to get these rules wrapped up by this time next year.

5 Workplace Safety Trends in 2015 so far

by Julianne Bass

trends

At the beginning of the year OSHA promised that 2015 would be filled with new regulations and an aggressive agenda. So far we have seeing updated Injury Reporting and Record Keeping changes, GHS deadlines, a hotly contested silica proposal, and a confined space final rule set to take effect August 3, 2015. It is obvious that OSHA has kicked procedures into high gear on their end but how have facilities been faring the first half of the year? Here are some of the trends that are emerging in the way facilities are working through 2015.

Shift in Workforce Makeup

Skills gap, baby boomer, expertise shortage, chances are these topics of discussion may have come up in conversation this year around the facility. As baby boomers begin to retire many businesses are feeling their absence and struggling to fill open positions with qualified applicants. This provides great opportunity to younger workers looking to take on more responsibility and expand their knowledge in the field but also highlights the importance of making sure that whoever is taken on to fill these open positions is properly trained.

Health and Safety for contract/temporary workers

While trying to fill open positions facilities are looking to temp workers for help who are unfortunately not always being given the same proper on boarding as permanent employees. Bypassing important training is placing these workers in deadly situations. Citations, injuries, and fatalities continue to happen all too frequently with temp workers, highlighting the necessity for change when it comes to how temp workers are treated. Host employers and staffing agencies both hold responsibilities in protecting these workers and this issue continues to be a focus for OSHA through the Temporary Workers Initiative.

Workers Rights

Workers safety should always be a top priority, and more and more companies will continue to see workers voice their opinions and concerns without the fear of retaliation. With much focus given to the Whistle Blower Protection Program by OSHA and the workers right to know, numbers are showing that OSHA inspections are increasing due to employee concerns and complaints.

Where will your focus be when it comes to safety for the second half of 2015? Have you been noticing any trends around your facility?

An Untapped Resource: Women in Manufacturing

by Julianne Bass

women in manufacturing

The talent challenges that U.S. manufacturers are facing are long from over and are projected to continue to worsen in upcoming years, Women may be that untapped resource employers are looking for to change course and move production forward in the right direction.

In some instances the pressure to fill vacant positions with a lack of qualified applicants leads to the hiring of ill-equipped workers, and potentially hazardous injuries or fatal accidents. While women make up half of the U.S. workforce, less than a quarter of manufacturing jobs are held by women, trying to attract qualified women into these open positions may go a long way in helping to fill them with knowledgeable workers.

One of the issues many manufacturers are having is actually attracting female applicants. The industry image is currently that of a male dominated environment. Recent survey data from the Manufacturing Institute reports that women in manufacturing are much less likely to recommend manufacturing careers to their children—particularly daughters. Through changing perceptions, breaking stereotypes and educating young workers about all of the opportunities in the manufacturing field what emerges may be a deeper more qualified applicant pool, and a better, safer working environment for everyone.

It’s a war for talent,” John Faraci, CEO of International Paper and advocate for hiring more women into manufacturing roles said in a recent interview.“If we can only compete for half the people that are on the planet, how are we going to get the best? You want to compete for everybody.”

If companies are looking to improve their workforce the answer may be right in front of their faces. Recruiting top candidates across the board is good for business, but only being able to reach half of the population puts the manufacturing industry at a great disadvantage. Bringing more visibility to the industry and the women achieving milestones and building successful careers like those honored at the recent STEP awards on March 26th is an example of a great way to start the conversation and inspire the next generation or even this generation of female leaders. The first step is being aware, what is the environment in your workplace like?

Workplace Safety News Roundup

by Julianne Bass

workplace safety news

Keeping track of new OSHA regulations and taking advantage of supplemental safety training and reading materials makes a big difference in the success of the programs you implement in your workplace. Seeing what others are doing both for the better and worse help mold an all encompassing safety initiative. Here is a sampling of some of the news buzzing around workplace safety this month.

Lack of safety training, experience blamed for rise in work fatalities

A younger and newer workforce in manufacturing and construction have led to a rise in deadly industrial work accidents in Ohio, according to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, could this be an emerging trend across America?

Job cuts as well as baby boomer retirements could be leading to a lack of experience in the field. Now that activity is bouncing back from the 2007-09 economic recession, companies are complaining about the lack of skilled workers to be found, and it could be hurting safety.

Many fatal accidents could be prevented with the right equipment, but still there have been six deaths on the job so far this year in the region overseen just by Cincinnati area OSHA Director Bill Wilkerson. He estimates 17 total workers have died across Ohio so far in 2015.

For more information about this article click here.

OSHA, EPA, and Fertilizer Safety and Health Partners sign alliance to protect workers and first responders from hazardous chemicals

WASHINGTON – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration today entered into an alliance with the Fertilizer Safety and Health Partners and the Environmental Protection Agency to provide safety and health information and training resources to workers, emergency responders and communities surrounding establishments in the agricultural retail and supply industry. The alliance will focus on the safe storage and handling of fertilizers such as ammonium nitrate and anhydrous ammonia.

To read more about this alliance click here.

Finger amputations lead to OSHA inspection: $1.76M in fines, finds more than 1,000 worker injuries at Wisconsin site in past 36 months

In a three-and-a-half year period, 4,500 employees at a Wisconsin Furniture company in Arcadia, experienced more than 1,000 work-related injuries. One worker became another terrible statistic when he lost three fingers in July 2014 while operating a dangerous woodworking machine without required safety mechanisms in place. Of the injuries recorded, more than 100 were caused by similar machinery.

To learn more about this citation click here.