Sometimes it is necessary and helpful to look overseas to find examples on how health and safety issues are being properly addressed. The ETUC and IndustriAll European Trade Union have launched an information campaign on the REACH regulation. The chief objective of this campaign is centered on education; educating companies on their obligations under European legislation. While this does not affect American workers, it is still important to recognize this for what it is; union organizations working together to increase the amount of company and public knowledge that is available. While distinctly different from Global Harmonization, this could theoretically fall under the same umbrella of uniform hazard identification. To find out more about Global Harmonization or the Hazard Communication Standard, click on the appropriate links.

For more information on the ETUC and IndustriAll campaign on REACH in companies, click here.

Summer is upon us with all the fun and good times it promises.  But there can be a downside for those working outside or around hot equipment and processes; heat stress.  There is an average of 30 reported deaths each year that are caused by working in high temperature conditions, and hundreds more are injured to the point of losing their ability to work and earn a living[1].  It is likely that the actual numbers are greater as the statistics only account for reported deaths.  Heat and exhaustion are often compounding factors that, while not be the primary cause of the fatality, still affect the circumstances surrounding the fatality.  

To counteract this trend, the US Dept. of Labor is launching an awareness campaign in 2012 focusing on outdoor workers; those they consider most likely to suffer from the heat.  But so many of our USW brothers and sisters working in the metal foundries, oil refineries, paper mills, chemical plants and myriads of other industries we represent face tremendously high temperatures generated by the processes they control.  An awareness program for these workers may be up to us.

Heat stress has to be fought at two levels: 

• First, engineering controls such as air conditioning and ventilation have to be employed everywhere practical, and administrative controls such as allowing frequent “cool down” breaks, providing a good supply of water and other liquids, and changing schedules so some work can be done on later shifts during cooler parts of the day must be put in place.  The onus here is on management and may require action by your local union leadership to make it happen.
• Second, workers themselves need to understand the risks, how to avoid them and how to recognize symptoms of heat distress when they see or experience them.  This used to mean memorizing the info from a table such as that below or the OSHA Quick Card, but now if you own a Smartphone (iPhone, Android, or Blackberry) a free app is available to you that makes this much easier.  The app allows you to calculate the heat index for your work place, and then shows you the risk level associated with it and suggests protective measures.

With the proper awareness, tools and knowledge about heat hazards, we can be sure that the only melt down this summer will be from having just too much fun.

In Health & Safety we all have to talk to the bean counters; bean counters are the people in charge of expenses, and yes, we all have them at our workplace. Bean counters can tell you how much profit you have made from the product you produced and how much was lost in scrap, downtime, etc.

This is can be difficult for the following reason.  When we are talking about proactive safety programs, we can agree that it is easy enough to see the cost of safety training and the hardware (i.e., locks, etc.) needed for a good safety program, but it can be very difficult to get the bean counters to see the cost saved for an accident that did not happen.  On the other hand, if we chose not to be proactive we can all too easily see the high cost and the consequences, both work related and personal, of these accidents.

Fortunately, there is a resource that can help and is very easy to use; it is called the “OSHA Safety Pays Program.” While OSHA designed this page to illustrate to small business owners the importance of a good safety program by indicating the direct and indirect cost of accidents, this is still a useful tool for everyone since the high cost of accidents are the same no matter the size of your work place.

So give it a try.  Just follow the online directions, plug in some basic information that is requested, and get ready to be surprised.  And don’t forget to surprise that bean counter as well with the facts that spending a few dollars now makes a lot of sense for now and the future!

This report is a review for Training Coordinators and Trainers.

The workbook evaluations/assessments from classes presented under DOE, EPA and OSHA grants have been reviewed and the results were all positive. There were not a lot of written comments in any of the classes, but those that were submitted had high praise for the curriculum itself and the knowledge and expertise of the trainers.

In the classes that are joint Union/Management, those that identified themselves as management also had high praise for the trainers.

• “I was surprised at the professionalism of the workers who presented this training” Hazard Mapping at a plant site
• “I wasn’t sure our employees could deliver a comprehensive training on their own. They did a great job and surpassed my expectations”
  Hazard Mapping at a plant site

 Workers also expressed their satisfaction with the trainers.

• “This is my first time at a USW Health & Safety Training. The worker/trainers were well informed and kept the class interesting”
  TOP Awareness training
  
  
• “I liked that the trainer looked up current information for us right in class”
  OSHA training

As the trainers gain more experience with electronic media they have been able to add real time information to their trainings. This may indicate the need to assess the social media needs of all the trainers. Although we have several trainers who are electronic wizards, some trainers may need a class to catch up with ever changing technology.

Although paperwork is coming in to HQ in a timelier manner, there are still some problems with proper documentation. When more than one sign-in sheet is needed for a daily class, all the sheets need to have the class information filled out. Also, if there is more than one sheet for a one day class, sign-in sheets should be stapled together.  If it is a several day class, sign-in sheets should only be stapled if they are from the same day.  Keep the different days separate.

All trainers should also review the evaluations to look for comments that may help them to improve classes. If a trainer finds a comment that they find interesting, positive or negative, they should include a note with the paperwork sent to HQ so any needed actions can be taken. Positive comments about the trainers should also be noted. It’s OK for a trainer to “toot their own horn” when they are praised. The USW/TMC wants our trainers to be proud of their hard work and accomplishments.

 The following summaries are from sampling evaluations from:

•  CFR 851 Final Rule
•  Hazwoper
•  Near Miss Prevention
•  TOP
•  OSHA
•  Training the Trainer

 CFR 851 Final Rule

CFR 851 class participants indicated that they thought the worker participation rule is one of the most important in the CFR 851 rule.  They also agreed that inclusion of all workers is important.

All participants also found the worker participation section helpful in determining what is meaningful participation.

Participants also agreed that having the opportunity to determine what worker participation is, under 851, is helpful in their health & safety work.

They also found the information on worker protections helpful. The curriculum met its purpose of helping workers to understand the protections provided them under the rule according to all responses.

All participants found materials to be of very high or somewhat high quality

Hazwoper

Hazwoper class participants agreed that corrective action resulting from Lessons Learned is one the best methods for achieving a proactive Health & Safety atmosphere.  Class members recognized and agreed that identifying hazards is only part of Health &Safety and that correcting underlying defects is the key to a safer workplace

All agreed the training met the objective of recognizing that there are multiple root causes in an incident. Also, indicating that it would be helpful in their Health & Safety work.

All agreed that understanding the hierarchy of Systems of Safety will help them in their Health & Safety work and in identifying ways to reduce or eliminate hazards.

All agreed that understanding the limitations of an MSDS and learning how to use the NIOSH Pocket Guide and the DOT Emergency response guidebook is helpful in their Health &Safety work and the quest for a safer workplace.

All agreed that knowing the limits of the worker role in emergency response is crucial and that non trained personnel should leave an emergency area.

Assessing hazards and understanding protective clothing was another area where all agreed the training will be helpful in their Health & Safety work. 

Unfortunately there were no written comments on any of the Hazwoper assessments, indicating the need for trainers to encourage and ask for written comments.

Near Miss Prevention classes

In every Near Miss prevention class all agreed that hazardous conditions don’t get reported or fixed due to fear of discipline, the reporting systems can be difficult and confusing, participants felt someone else would report the problems or they see the hazard as normal working conditions.

The majority of participants agreed that the activities met the stated purposes and would be useful in their Health & Safety work.

There was slight disagreement on the Identifying Near Misses activity. Not all agreed that the hazard itself is a near miss. Although all participants agreed that hazards that are accepted as normal were the most dangerous. 

Even though some disagreed with the concept of a hazard being a near miss in itself, they all agreed that eliminating the hazard before a near miss happens is the most effective means of incident prevention. They also agreed or strongly agreed that actuated safety devices, relief valves, overflows, etc. indicate a near miss when they are activated, recognizing an upset in the system may be contained but it is an indicator of something amiss in the operation

All participants felt the class could help them in their Health & Safety work. They all recognized the need for confidentiality and anonymity in making a near miss program a success.

Overall, all participants found the materials to be of very high or somewhat high quality. They also stated the materials and what they learned were very useful or somewhat useful.

TOP 4 Hour Investigator Refresher

In the TOP 4 hour Investigator Refresher Class, there was agreement from all the participants that the curriculum met its stated purposes. All agreed that getting 100 % of the TOP findings and recommendations into the corrective action process of the employer is an important part of the investigation process.

Although all participants agreed that positive results from investigations create interest and promote the TOP program, they disagreed on whether or not the TOP Process needs to fit into the employer safety process. 

Participants agree that for the program to be effective all workers at the facility need to be part of the investigation process. The training of the entire workforce in Systems of Safety will aid in making better recommendations according to the responses from class participants.

All agreed or strongly agreed that Local Union support is critical to the success of the program and the amount of participation of the workers at the facility.

There was one suggestion to include some Systems of Safety review for the Investigator Refresher Training.

TOP Awareness Training

According to responses from participants in the TOP Awareness Training, the classes were well received by new employees. Most of the participants had never had any USW/TMC trainings in the past. They all agreed that the trainings and curriculum met the stated purposes and would be useful in the workplace.

All participants found the Introduction to Logic Tree to be very useful or moderately useful in analyzing the results of investigations. All agreed that sharing of the findings was important to making a safer workplace.

All participants found the materials to be easy to understand and found the Systems of Safety approach to be useful in tackling Health & Safety problems in the workplace.

OSHA 501

The OSHA 501 classes were also well received by participants. All had high marks for the instructors and the training materials.  Participants found the materials to be up to date and the instructors to be well informed. All agreed or strongly agreed that the instructors were well organized, well prepared and presented the materials well.

On a scale of 1-6 with 6 being excellent and 1 being poor, the participants rated the value of the materials (manuals and handouts) at 5 or 6. There were no ratings below 5. The audio-visual materials were rated slightly lower on the scale, but no lower than 4 and most participants choosing 5.

The overall value of the course was also rated highly with no scores below a 5. The responses were evenly split between 5 and 6.

When asked what was the best section of the course the answers given varied greatly. Some participants found the Lock out/Tag out to be the best section, but others felt that Fire Prevention, PPE, Confined Space, Hazardous Materials, Electrical and Student Preparation were the best sections of the course.

OSHA 10 Hour

The OSHA 10 hour classes also had positive evaluation results. When asked how interested the participants were about a certain subject or module, most said they were very interested or somewhat interested in each module, with the exception of Hazard Communications and Access to Records Standard.  The majority of participants chose “not at all interested” for that section. Those who said they were uninterested before the class had very positive comments about the section in which they previously had no interest. Participants stated that they gathered good information in this section, although it was a lot to cover in a short time.  They also agreed that knowing how to get access to records was very useful.

All participants appreciated the hands on learning of how to use the OSHA manuals and how to look up regulations. Most participants chose using the books as the best part of the Introduction to OSHA/OSH Act module.

When asked to rate each module on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being bad, 5 being OK and 10 being great, the majority chose 9 or 10. There were no ratings below 5.  In each module participants were asked what they liked least about the section and most wrote “nothing”. The only thing mentioned was the length of the module, but no indications were given as to what about the length they didn’t like. There was no mention of too long or not enough time, making it impossible to draw a conclusion on what to try and improve.

Training the Trainer

The Train the Trainer classes have also had positive results. The hands on trainings seem to be well received by all. All participants agree that the curriculum meets its stated purposes and will be helpful in their Health & Safety work.

The smaller class sizes that have taken place in the last year have afforded the participants the opportunity to present more than one activity during the practice section of the training. The participants find this helpful to correct whatever they felt was done poorly on their first try at presenting activities.

The Train the Trainer classes have piloted an “end of class” evaluation asking participants to state how they plan to use what they have learned in the class.

As expected, all class members planned on doing training at their sites. Some participants know that they will facilitate DOE required courses and others know that they are going to do TOP trainings. Those from sites that are not DOE or TOP have a harder time distinguishing what type of trainings they will attempt to hold at their sites.

Hazard mapping is very popular as the companies the class members work for are accepting of some training, but have not yet progressed to the point where their worker trainers can present anything else.

Conclusions

Although the responses to questions have been positive there is a serious lack of written comments from all classes. There is a request for comments in all of the different forms of evaluations/assessments, but few choose to comment. Perhaps indicating a need for trainers to encourage and request written comments.

It is important to note that all of the participants, no matter what class, agreed that the curriculum met the stated purposes and all felt that what they learned will be helpful to them in their Health & Safety work.

The only real differences in the evaluations, when comparing the class size, were the amount of written comments. The larger the class the less likely the participants were to offer any written comments except for the request for more time to cover the materials. This may indicate to trainers that the longer the activities take, the more the class participants are ready for a break and don’t want to take the time to add written comments. Trainers should encourage and request written comments.

The smaller classes had more written comments, but none were about the curriculum itself. The majority of comments mentioned liking the classes and said that nothing could be added to improve the class.

Although we want to have a full class so participants can share ideas, experiences and solutions, trainers should keep the materials and the difficulty of said materials in mind when scheduling. The more in depth and complicated the materials, the fewer people we should have in the class.

There are indications that class participants, (in all but the OSHA classes), fully understand the hierarchy of Systems of Safety.

It is important to note that all participants felt that sharing the lessons learned from an incident is a powerful tool to bring about fixes in the hazards identified.

As for the trainers themselves, there is praise in all classes on the knowledge of the trainers and the method of delivery of each subject.

So what do you know about your rights under OSHA?

How about the OSH Act?

What about you and your employers health and safety responsibilities under OSHA?

Do you want to know more?

Would it benefit you and your fellow employees?

If these are all questions you have asked yourself as a trainer or as an employee, isn’t it about time you found out the answers? What better way to find this out than to go directly to the source. Visit the OSHA Workers Webpage and get the answers for yourself. It might surprise you on what a little knowledge can do to help you make a change in your work environment!

There is an old saying that “Money is what makes the world go around,” and while this may be true, another driver we have in the grant world is training hours.  Training hours documentation is how we prove that we are reaching the workforce with the valuable training that our worker trainers provide.  And the more training we can document, the more efficient and cost effective our training programs are.  So you can see how important this process is.

So you probably have a few questions.  Let’s see if we can answer them:

WHO should turn in these hours?

Anyone who is currently an authorized TMC Trainer.  In the OSHA programs, that is anyone that has completed a USW-TMC facilitated OSHA Train the Trainer Class.

WHAT hours should be turned in?

Not only is this for OSHA 10 and 30 hour classes, but also any OSHA related safety and health topic.  Some examples of these would be fork truck training, hazard communication, etc.  If you train in an “in house” safety program, that is acceptable as well.  While we could list many more types of training, it is important to understand that the basic criteria are that the hours are OSHA and the topics are safety related.

HOW do we turn in these hours?

You can find an OSHA Facilitator Field Training Report for your use here.  Just fill out the required fields, attach the requested information and send this information as requested on the form.

As an OSHA trainer, I have been asked many times about 11C in the OSHA Act and the Whistleblower Act, and how they apply when reporting accidents and incentive based safety programs.  I would reply that you are protected under 11C and that incentive based programs could discourage the reporting of incidences, but I must admit that my response was based more on the abstract knowledge that I had on this subject, rather than specific examples.

Well, today no TMC Trainer, including myself, needs to rely on abstract knowledge (for this particular circumstance) because OSHA has provided us with specific examples for these cases through a memorandum on Employer Safety Incentive and Disincentive Polices and Procedures.  As OSHA Trainers, we have a responsibility to review this memorandum for our personal knowledge and to pass on the knowledge to those we train in our classes.  So please review this information and use it in your training.  It is a new and invaluable tool that we have at our disposal.