REMINDER … the monthly SAFER meeting is October 4, 2023 and is located 780 Allens Avenue, Providence, RI. 

Enter the door marked “Dimeo Construction Company Training Center”.  Parking is available across the street at the Brass Monkey parking lot.   

The meeting topic is Isocyanates in Everyday Life and HAZCOM presented by Chris King.

OSHA resources: isocyanates click here hazard communication standard click here (search standard using browser to find “access” with standard).

Looking forward to seeing everyone there.

Isocyanates are compounds containing the isocyanate group (-NCO). They react with compounds containing alcohol (hydroxyl) groups to produce polyurethane polymers, which are components of polyurethane foams, thermoplastic elastomers, spandex fibers, and polyurethane paints. Isocyanates are the raw materials that make up all polyurethane products. Jobs that may involve exposure to isocyanates include painting, foam-blowing, and the manufacture of many Polyurethane products, such as chemicals, polyurethane foam, insulation materials, surface coatings, car seats, furniture, foam mattresses, under-carpet padding, packaging materials, shoes, laminated fabrics, polyurethane rubber, and adhesives, and during the thermal degradation of polyurethane products.

Health effects of isocyanate exposure include irritation of skin and mucous membranes, chest tightness, and difficult breathing. Isocyanates include compounds classified as potential human carcinogens and known to cause cancer in animals. The main effects of hazardous exposures are occupational asthma and other lung problems, as well as irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, and skin.

It’s not too late, OSHA continues to add participants to our interactive map.

Take the Pledge

Plan Your Activities!

OSHA has done some of the work for you. Pick what works best for your workplace.

Check out the event archive to see how businesses from previous years participated in Safe + Sound Week.

Plan Your Activities!

We’ve done some of the work for you. Pick what works best for your workplace.

Download the How to Participate in Safe + Sound Week document to explore ideas on how to recognize your commitment to safety and health programs. Download now.

Check out the event archive to see how businesses from previous years participated in Safe + Sound Week.

From OSHA – Participate in Safe + Sound Week 2023: August 7-13

Safe + Sound Week is a nationwide event held each August that recognizes the successes of workplace health and safety programs and offers information and ideas on how to keep America’s workers safe. This year Safe + Sound Week will provide resources for businesses on mental health and well-being. These materials will be posted before the start of Safe + Sound Week. Please check back soon!

Why Participate?
Successful safety and health programs can proactively identify and manage workplace hazards before they cause injury or illness, improving sustainability and the bottom line. Participating in Safe + Sound Week can help get your program started, energize an existing one, or provide a chance to recognize your safety successes.

Who Participates?
All organizations looking for an opportunity to recognize their commitment to safety are welcome to participate. Last year, more than 3,300 businesses helped to raise awareness about workers’ health and safety!

Check out OSHA’s event archive for information on previous years’ engagement.

OSHA’s Safe & Sound Week video.

Want to Participate? It’s as easy as 1-2-3!

1. Sign Up to Participate

Let us know you are participating this year by pledging now.

2. Plan and Promote Your Events

Identify activities and events to plan and promote for your workplace or community. Check out our example activities, graphics, and other resources.

Plan an Event

3. Recognize Your Participation

After you’ve completed your events, you can download a certificate and virtual challenge coin to recognize your organization by taking our survey.

Download Certificate

SAFER has been holding weekly Microsoft Teams meetings hosted by Bob Kunz to discuss COVID-19 issues as well as anything that comes up from the attendees. Yesterday Bob Kunz briefed the group about OSHA’s ETS for Employers with 100 or more employees. The following link is a copy of Bob’s slides which he provided. COVID-19 ETS Powerpoint slides.

Safe + Sound Week is a nationwide event to recognize the successes of businesses that have adopted programs to improve workplace safety and health. Implementing a safety and health
program can improve businesses’ safety and health performance, save money, and improve competitiveness.
Each August, we invite you to share your safety successes with us!
We know that successful safety and health programs can proactively identify and manage workplace hazards before they cause injury or illness, while improving business sustainability. We look forward to learning how your innovative efforts to be #SafeAndSoundAtWork have improved your workplace!
Register your Safe + Sound Week events so that we can highlight these efforts. For more information, please visit www.osha.gov/safeandsound.

How_To_Participate

Safe and Sound 2021 Registration

From the alliance – An OSHA Cooperative Program.

This document includes listings of COVID-19 resources on workplace safety and health and related topics. It is intended as a resource and is not comprehensive. View the document here.

It’s Not Too Late!Safe + Sound Week starts on Monday, August 10th.    Join thousands of businesses across the country who are highlighting improvements in workplace safety and health and raising awareness of the importance of safety in the workplace. It’s not too late to sign up!Be sure to check out public events and trainings happening in your state and nationwide for more ways to participate. https://www.osha.gov/safeandsoundweek/#register Recognize Your ParticipationDuring Safe + Sound Week, share your activities on social media and other platforms using #SafeAndSoundAtWork.After Safe + Sound Week, return to the website to record your activities, and download your certificate of participation and challenge coin. Suggestions, Comments or Questions? Email us at safeandsoundcampaign@dol.gov. Safe + Sound is a year round campaign to encourage every workplace to have a safety and health program. Sign up on the Safe + Sound website. www.osha.gov/safeandsound

COVID-19 CONTACT TRACING:
A COURSE FROM JOHNS HOPKINS

The COVID-19 crisis has created an unprecedented need for contact tracing across the country, requiring thousands of people to learn key skills quickly. A free, six-hour Coursera class developed by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies is now available to train contact tracers about how to do this work effectively—and help cities and states across the nation undertake these critical efforts.

See the course information here.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently issued a compliance directive designed to ensure uniformity in inspection and enforcement procedures when addressing respirable crystalline silica exposures in general industry, maritime, and construction. Read the full version here.

From OSHA/DOL:

As we’re gearing up for Safe + Sound Week, we wanted to highlight resources that can help you protect your workers and continuously improve your safety and health program. Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs The Recommended Practices present a step-by-step approach to implementing an effective safety and health program. These recommended practices note the importance of finding and fixing hazards in the workplace before they cause injuries, illnesses, and deaths in addition to the suffering and financial hardship these events can cause for workers, their families, and employers. Using Leading Indicators to Improve Safety and Health Outcomes Leading indicators are proactive and preventative measures that can help determine whether your safety and health activities are effective at preventing incidents or whether there are potential problems with your safety and health program. Leading indicators play an important role in preventing worker fatalities, injuries and illnesses, and strengthening other safety and health outcomes in the workplace.

The Three Core Elements   All safety and health programs should incorporate elements of: Management Leadership Worker ParticipationSystematic Approach for Finding and Fixing Hazards Implementing a meaningful safety and health program takes dedicated planning, but even incremental improvements are valuable. The resources on the three core elements provide simple, concrete ways for you to develop your safety and health program. FEATURED RESOURCE Download Now Save the Date Don’t forget! Safe + Sound Week will take place from August 10-16, 2020. Download your save the date and share it on social media using #SafeAndSoundAtWork.

Safe + Sound is a year round campaign to encourage every workplace to have a safety and health program.  Sign up on the Safe + Sound website. www.osha.gov/safeandsound

The March SAFER meeting is March 4, 2020 from 8-10AM at the New England Institute of Technology, 2480 Post Road, Warwick, RI in the Hall of Fame room. See below for the meeting outline. Also, please take a few minutes to complete the surveys. Sponsor is Digregorio Corporation.

MARCH 2020 – SAFER Agenda:

Introductions.

Topic: RISP FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse and Cell Phone Use. 

Presenter: RISP Trooper Sean Pasley

Topic: Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Presenter: Ed Conway, OSHA CAS.

Topic: Anchor Insulation Lesson Learned.

Presenter: Chris King, Director of Safety, Anchor Insulation.

Sponsor: Coffee and Calories provided by DiGregorio Construction.

Surveys:

RI Dept. of Health Construction Industry Respirator Usage and COVID-19 Impact of Supply Chain – 3-Question Survey RIDOH Request for Information-Respirators .

CCRI Workplace Technology in Construction – 3-Question Survey CCRI Solicitation-Take the Survey to Support the FREE Program

OSHA Providence Area Office Half-Day Summer 2020 Safety Intern Event – 3-Question Survey OSHA Invitation-2020 Summer Intern Event

What: OSHA PAO half-day (or so) summer intern event.   

Who: Interns working at RI construction companies during the summer of 2020, and Keene State OSH students interning in RI.

Where: OSHA Providence Area Office; 380 Westminster St., Room 543; Providence, RI. Note: All visitors will be screened by security in the building lobby. 

When: Date TBD    

Draft Agenda: Briefing on the what, where, why, how of OSHA’s mission Current enforcement focus areas. Discussion of a casefile from start to finish. Importance of employer documentation. Elements of a citation. Employer abatement of hazards. Industrial hygiene monitoring. Emerging hazards/5(a)(1)s. Open Q & A.  

Each topic will be addressed from a 10,000 foot view (or so, maybe even higher) in quick 30 minute or less sessions using, whenever possible, participatory and hands on instructional methods.