Heat Illness prevention and compliance reminder

I highly recommend formal Heat Illness Prevention training, which includes a test, supporting employees and supervisors in understanding their responsibilities under the heat illness regulation. 

When performing a Heat Illness program audit my top five elements that I look for include:

1. Provide 1 quart of water per employee per hour.
2. Be sure that shade and water is as close as practicable. Ideally within 300 feet.
3. Make sure employees and supervisors understand symptoms, and that they have a right to take a break whenever they experience any symptoms.
4. Make sure employees and supervisors know what acclimatization is. If there’s a new employee, Cal/OSHA is likely looking for a buddy system for the first 14 days during acclimatization.
5. Make sure that you have your heat illness prevention program at the worksite. Sometimes this might mean having the heat illness prevention program in the vehicle or equipment that an employee is using to perform work at day as they may be working independently and not in a set location.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule Heat Illness Prevention training or a program audit please contact us.

Have a great and safe day.

We have witnessed a rise in Cal/OSHA consultation visits and surprise enforcement inspections this year. Typically, these visits include an analysis of programs such as your Injury & Illness Prevention Program, Heat Illness Program, Training Program, and a walk-through inspection of your worksite.

To stay safe and be prepared, ensure your company safety programs are being implemented and are effective.  This means your programs are current and up to date, employees are experienced in the job being performed and employees have effective training in matters respective to their particular job assignments.

Your programs such as your IIPP and Heat Illness Program are required to be updated and reviewed annually at a minimum or whenever new substances, processes, procedures, or equipment are introduced to the workplace and represent a new hazard. These programs must be readily available for employees to access.

If Cal/OSHA Shows up:

SAFETY COACHING UPDATE SUBMITTED BY BEN W. LAVERTY, III, Ph.D., CSP, FACFE, REPA
 

1.Opening Conference: Issues to be reviewed.

• a. Have IIPP available
• b. Have training records available
• c. Have disciplinary notice(s) available
• d. Have 5 years of OSHA 300 Logs with current year included
• e. Have 5 years of OSHA 300A Logs with current year included

2.  Escort Cal/OSHA person to incident scene using route least likely to offer the Cal/OSHA person a view of other operations.

3.  Be truthful and brief when answering questions.

4.  Do not share opinions on: injured individuals, (verbal or mutual), training programs, competency or supervisory personnel at time of inspection (get all available evidence first).

5.  Make copies of or note any statements made by Cal/OSHA inspector.

6.  If inspector takes a picture, a mirror image of that picture MUST BE taken by company personnel, developed, documented and put into the investigation file.

7.  Never argue with a Cal/OSHA representative.

8.  Do not ask if there will be a citation.

9.  Do not say that you think a citation should be written even if at the time you may think one is deserved. (Yet to be discovered evidence could change your mind…you will have difficulty in taking the statement back).

10.  Be on the alert for verbal entrapment. The inspector will often:

• a. Ask, ask, ask – is the answer the same each time?
• b. Implying “another” usually higher-ranking individual, said the facts were different.
• c. Let Cal/OSHA expert draw and report on any preliminary conclusion, not you.
• d. Don’t get hooked with “what do you think.” Answer with, “I’m holding off on making conclusions until I have all the information.”

11.Closing Conference: Listen and take notes.

Don’t forget to fill out, submit(as required) and post(Form 300A only) your OSHA 300 logs February 1 – April 30.  Forms can be found at https://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/forms.

Recordables are an illness that is work-related and result in one of the following:

• Death
• Days away from work
• Restricted work or transfer to another job
• Medical treatment beyond first aid
• Loss of consciousness
• A significant injury or illness diagnosed by a physician or other licensed health care professional.

The forms must be filled out even if no recordable illnesses have occurred.

Cal/OSHA has been visiting worksites and asking for and or utilizing the general checklist attached to enforce COVID-19 protocols.  Please see the link for the Cal/OSHA Ag checklist specific to COVID-19 and note that when the CSTC worksite specific document (see link) is utilized with the IIPP topic (see link) then the checklist items are addressed.

Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Checklist for Ag

IIPP-CSP COVID-19 Update 6.25.20

Worksite Specific COVID-19 Prevention Plan Checklist

We are here to support you.  Please reach out to any of our staff.

Stay Safe! Stay Healthy!

CSTC Team

Two weeks ago I did a Zoom meeting presentation on COVID-19 for my business networking group here in Hawaii.  After sharing the PowerPoint with Ben (my brother and colleague), he thought it would be great to share with all of you.  If you would like to talk about any of the information in the slides or want further details of the presentation, please reach out to me.  I would love to share and chat. 

CSTC COVID-19 TLAV 5.2020

Stay Safe!  Stay Healthy!

We are all in this together!

Essential Industries with an employee who tests positive for COVID-19

1. Isolate sick worker from other employees.
2. Inform other employees while protecting privacy under HIPAA laws.
3. Perform a contact tracing of the employee at your workplace for the previous 14 days including contractors and suppliers who may have been in close contact* with the infected worker.
4. Sanitize surfaces which the worker may have touched including tools and transportation.
5. Monitor employees who were potentially exposed. Ask daily about symptoms and potential exposures. Train employees to inform you if any symptoms appear while working and isolate any employee who has symptoms. Consider monitoring temperatures of employees.
6. If contact tracing indicates the employee was exposed while working then recording (worker comp) and reporting to Cal/OSHA if the illness leads to a fatality, in-patient hospitalization or disfigurement.
7. Review your companies code of safe practice for COVID-19 and review your infectious disease management plan and update as needed.

** Data is limited to define of close contact. Factors to consider when defining close contact include proximity (within 6 feet), the duration of exposure (e.g., longer exposure time likely increases exposure risk), whether the individual has symptoms (e.g., coughing likely increases exposure risk) and whether the individual was wearing a facemask (which can efficiently block respiratory secretions from contaminating others and the environment).

Sources: Cal/OSHA, CDC, OSHA, CA DHS and HHS

The CDC and Cal/OSHA regulations have been changing as the pandemic is progressing.  The Code of Safe Practice attached for COVID-19 reflects the most recent changes we are aware of.  In particular the return to work and quarantine guidelines have changed recently.  Please review and update your IIPP with this Code of Safe Practice.  If you have questions or need assistance in updating your programs please contact us.

IIPP CSP COVID-19 English 4.22.2020

IIPP CSP COVID-19 Spanish 4.22.2020

Cal/OSHA has released specific COVID-19 guidance for the Agriculture community. 

Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Specific Guidance for Agriculture Employers and Employees

Guía de Seguridad y Salud de CalOSHA sobre COVID-19 en la Industria Agricola

CSTC has created a COVID-19 Code of Safe Practice (E/S) for you to include in your updated Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) as directed by the Cal/OSHA guidance. 

IIPP CSP COVID-19 English 4.6.2020

IIPP CSP COVID-19 Spanish 4.6.2020

We are available to help and support you with any questions or assistance in updating your Company's specific IIPP.