OSHA Updates
Hosted by IECRM on Wednesday, January 26, 2022
Safety Forums are held monthly.
Upcoming Safety Forums Dates:
February 23, 2022 – Fall Protection, Construction (29 CFR 1926.501)
March 30, 2022 – Scaffolding, General Requirements, Construction (29 CFR 1926.451)
April 27, 2022 – MEWP
May 25, 2022 – Eye and Hearing Safety
Member Forums will be scheduled monthly. Please watch your inbox for future dates.
Upcoming Member Forum: Wednesday, February 9 at 7:30 AM. Register now! Our topic will be:
Financial Impacts, Statements & the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERC)
Watch the VIDEO RECORDING of Wednesday’s safety forum. It will also be sent out through IECRM
Membership communications. If you are not currently receiving these important emails, let us know at
[email protected].
SAFETY FORUM RECAP
Subject Matter Expert:
John Olaechea, CIH, CSP
Compliance Assistance Specialist
OSHA Region VIII
1244 Speer Blvd.
Suite 551
Denver, CO 80204
720-264-6586
[email protected]
Region VIII is composed of Colorado, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, and North Dakota.
IECRM SAFETY FORUM
COVID
The first ETS came out in June and was for Healthcare Workers. The second ETS came out in November
requiring all companies with 100+ employees to mandate their employees be vaccinated or tested weekly.
This ETS has now been withdrawn as an enforceable emergency temporary standard, but the agency is not
withdrawing the ETS as a proposed rule. The agency is prioritizing its resources to focus on finalizing a
permanent COVID-19 Healthcare Standard.
Emphasis Programs/Statistics from 2020-2021
FY 21 National Emphasis Programs
● Amputations in Manufacturing
● Lead Exposures (GI and Construction) –
● Hexavalent Chromium Exposures
● Process Safety Management
● Combustible Dust
● Respirable Crystalline Silica – this will be about 2% of all of their inspections throughout the year
○ You may not be generating this exposure as electrical contractors, but other trades on the
site may be generating this exposure. It is their responsibility to
○ See https://www.osha.gov/dep/neps/nep-programs.html
● Trenching and Excavation
● Primary Metals Industries (Foundries)
● Shipbreaking
● COVID-19
Regional Emphasis Programs
● Fall Hazards in Construction
● Roadway Work Zone Activities
● Oil and Gas Facilities
● Workplace Violence in Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities
● Hazards in Automotive Services
Local Emphasis Programs
● Asbestos Abatement (Englewood)
● Scrap & Recycling
● Wood Manufacturing and Processing
● Aircraft Support and Maintenance Facilities
Colorado Fatality Stats (Unofficial)
● Fatalities in FY 2021 – 44, of which 17 were COVID fatalities
● Fatalities in FY 2020: 21
● Construction Fatalities in FY 2021: 13
● 4 trench collapse fatalities, 1 fatality where excavator bucket fell
What is the Regulatory Agenda?
● Regulatory Agenda informs the public of the regulatory priorities. You can read more by visiting
Reginfo.gov.
Final Rule Stage:
● Retaliation Complaints under:
○ Taxpayer First Act
○ Whistleblower Statutes
○ Anti-Money Laundering Act
○ Criminal Antitrust Anti-Retaliation Act
○ Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970
● OSHA: Proposed Rule Stage- OSHA will put out a rule that has been written and has gone back and
forth with stakeholders. Some are just updates or changes to language or terminology to make it fit
the new construction compliance space standard.
● To see a list of the regulatory agenda, visit https://www.reginfo.gov/public/. You can also make
comments there.
Lock-Out/Tag-Out
● Looking at computer-based controls. Hopeful to get the standards up to technology available today.
● Silica in Construction – Table 1
○ Table 1 in OSHA’s crystalline silica standard for construction includes dust control methods
for certain equipment/tasks. Employers that follow Table 1 are not required to measure
workers’ silica exposure and are not subject to the PEL. OSHA is expected to put out a
proposed rule expected in April 2022 that will likely have added engineering controls for
various tasks. Potentially may be used more frequently in the general industry. Currently,
Table 1 is for the construction industry exclusively.
● Silica – Medical Surveillance Provisions for Medical Removal Protection – proposed rule expected in
March 2022.
● Workplace Injury/Illness Tracking
○ Proposed rule expected in December 2021
○ Injury and Illness Data available at https://www.osha.gov/data
Contact John for compliance assistance newsletter: [email protected]
Near Misses:
● With weather changes and freezing temperatures, those accessing membrane roofs are needing
extra protection on their feet to prevent falls. Limit access to critical times only.
● Backing up a forklift, be sure to check your surroundings so that you don’t hit anything or anyone.
● Asbestos contamination caught by a foreman. About 80% of the site was contaminated. Watch for
different colors in the soil during excavation. The site had to be mitigated which delayed the work.
● Need to start thinking about the repairs/renovations for the fire areas – make sure everyone is
prepared. Be mindful of the possible safety issues. Please contact Marilyn or Holly at IECRM if you
would like to receive communications about the Marshall Fire Recovery. [email protected] or
[email protected].
