ABC Retro Makes Financial Cents, Part 3: Picking a Program that Rewards Safety
Winter Weather Warnings
Fatality Narrative: Carpenter Struck By Concrete Pump Hose
OSHA Addition of MSD to the 300 Log - Recognition of A10.40
In the final part of this three part series, we will explore how retrospective rating groups let new members in, and how they reward members who make safety a priority.
Many retrospective rating programs will allow any and all new members into their group. This can cause potential problems for the group if the employers they let in do not provide a safe working environment for their employees. If an employer does not provide a safe working environment and employees are consistently injured, the costs associated with these claims will hurt the retrospective rating group’s overall refund. ABC’s Retrospective Rating Program has a set of comprehensive underwriting criteria that screen employers’ safety programs and claims history to determine if they would be a good match for retro membership. ABC is dedicated to working with contractors who put safety and the health of their employees first.
Additionally, while looking into retrospective rating programs it is important to find out how a retro program rewards safety. If a retro program gives equal refunds to its members regardless of their workers' compensation record, safe members are in a sense subsidizing those members within the group that do not provide a safe work environment for their employees. ABC’s Retrospective Rating Program rewards those members that take safety seriously. The refund formula is performance-based, so those employers who prevent injuries to their employees, and effectively manage their costs through light/modified duty, can achieve higher percentage refunds.
Over the last three months we have discussed the true cost of retro, the services different retro program’s provide, and how retro programs let new members into their groups. Based on all of the issues we have discussed, ABC’s retrospective rating program, to coin a phrase we have used, just makes cents.
Contact Greg Kabacy at Employer Resources Northwest: (800) 433-7601 ext. 803. See Part 1 of this story here and Part II here.[Back to the top]
It is winter, and for all of us that do not work or live in warm climates (i.e.: Hawaii), the cold weather is something that we have to deal with.
According to NIOSH, “Workers who are exposed to extreme cold or work in cold environments may be at risk of cold stress. Extreme cold weather is a dangerous situation that can bring on health emergencies in susceptible people, such as those without shelter, outdoor workers, and those who work in an area that is poorly insulated or without heat. What constitutes cold stress and its effects can vary across the country. In regions relatively unaccustomed to winter weather, near freezing temperatures are considered factors for cold stress. Whenever temperatures drop decidedly below normal and as wind speed increases, heat can leave your body more rapidly. These weather-related conditions may lead to serious health problems.”
Let’s face it—winter presents specific safety hazards to your workers. As safety professionals, cold weather hazards are our business. Even though OSHA/DOSH does not have any specific rules for cold exposure, they do have the “General Duty Clause,” which means we have to look at employees who are exposed to cold temperatures no matter what time of year. (Don’t forget the refrigeration industry!)
First, we need to teach workers about the dangers of working in cold temperatures. They need to be informed that exposure to freezing or cold temperatures, especially for prolonged periods, can cause serious health problems.
Next, employees and supervisors need training on the danger signs of cold weather illnesses. These signs include uncontrolled shivering, slurred speech, clumsy movements, numbness, swelling, tingling feeling, fatigue and confused behavior.
Finally, consider the following recommendations from NIOSH. Workers should avoid exposure to extremely cold temperatures whenever possible. When cold environments or temperatures cannot be avoided, workers should follow these recommendations to protect themselves from getting cold stress:
- Wear appropriate clothing.
- Wear several layers of loose clothing. Layering provides better insulation.
- Tight clothing reduces blood circulation. Warm blood needs to be circulated to the extremities.
- When choosing clothing, be aware that some clothing may restrict movement resulting in a hazardous situation.
- Make sure to protect the ears, face, hands and feet in extremely cold weather.
- Boots should be waterproof and insulated.
- Wear a hat—it reduces the amount of body heat that escapes from your head.
- Move into a warm location during work breaks.
- Limit time outside on extremely cold days.
- Carry cold weather gear, such as extra socks, gloves, hats, jacket, blankets, a change of clothes and a thermos of hot liquid.
- Include a thermometer and chemical hot packs in your first aid kit.
- Avoid touching cold metal surfaces with bare skin.
- Monitor your and coworkers' physical condition.
The bottom line is that workers need to be aware of all the hazards they work in, including cold weather. It is important that employers monitor their employees’ exposure to cold weather and take the appropriate steps to protect them. If you would like to have us review your cold weather program, or any of your safety programs, give Evergreen a call today. We can help.
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Industry: Commercial and Institutional Building Construction
Release Date: January 28, 2010
Task: Pour leader for crew pumping concrete for building floor
Incident Date: June 26, 2008
Occupation: Carpenter
Case No.: 08WA03401
Type of Incident: Struck by
SHARP Report No.: 71-89-2010
On June 26, 2008, a carpenter suffered fatal injuries when struck by a concrete pump hose. The 31-year-old victim had worked for the past five years as a carpenter for his employer, a company that performs commercial and institutional building construction. On the day of the incident, the victim was the pour leader working with a crew pouring concrete for the second story floor of a new municipal building. As they were making the pour there was a blockage in the two-section hose. The whip hose was removed and the delivery line was removed from the building and the blockage cleared. The delivery line and the remaining hose with metal fittings on both ends were returned to the building but the whip hose was not reattached. As they attempted to pump, there was another blockage in the hose. The pump truck operator raised the hose up about 5 feet so that he could remove it from the building. He entered the building to warn the carpenters that the hose had pressure in it. As he was walking back to the truck there was an explosive discharge from the hose, causing it to whip. The victim was struck in the head by the metal fitting on the hose. Despite wearing a hard hat, the victim died at the scene of head injuries.
! Employers should train everyone involved in concrete pumping operations. See WAC 296-155-110
! Training should include aspects related to the pressures involved in the piping system during the operation and the hazards due to a blockage when trapped air is released causing the end of the hose to whip. See WAC 296-155-110
! Double ended hoses must not be used as whip hoses. See WAC 296-155-682
• Establish safe work practices for concrete pumping operations and ensure that they are followed by employees.
• Clear the area around the reach of the whip hose, especially during priming, any delay in the concrete operation or with any blockage in the hose.
• Planning the pumping operation and preparing the job site is very important. The planning should include the primary setup, the cleaning of the system, and knowledge of other jobs and workers that are in the proximity of the concrete pumping process.
State-wide Statistics: This was number 34 out of 72 work-related fatalities in Washington State during 2008, and was number 8 out of 18 construction-related fatalities.
*This bulletin was developed to alert employers and employees of a tragic loss of life of a worker in Washington State and is based on preliminary data ONLY and does not represent final determinations regarding the nature of the incident or conclusions regarding the cause of the fatality.
Developed by the Washington State Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program and the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), WA State Dept. of Labor & Industries. The FACE Program is supported in part by a grant from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). For more information, contact the Safety and Health Assessment and Research for Prevention (SHARP) Program, 1-888-667-4277, http://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Research/FACE.
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SUMMARY: OSHA is proposing to revise its Occupational Injury and Illness Recording and Reporting (Recordkeeping) regulation to restore a column to the OSHA 300 Log that employers would use to record workrelated musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). The 2001 Recordkeeping final regulation included an MSD column, but the requirement was deleted before the regulation became effective. This proposed rule would require employers to place a check mark in the MSD column, instead of the column they currently mark, if a case is an MSD that meets the Recordkeeping regulation’s general recording requirements.
We did note that the ANSI/ASSE A10.40 Standard is recognized as an example in the announcement (Page 4734). The link to information about the standard is also at the bottom of this article.
Many definitions using a general description also contain examples of specific types of MSDs to help illustrate the types of disorders the definition is intended to cover. OSHA’s proposed definition uses this approach, as does the American National Standard A10.40, 2007, Reduction of Musculoskeletal Problems in Construction, which defines ‘‘musculoskeletal problems’’ as:
Injuries to the muscle, tendon, sheath, nerve, bursa, blood vessel, bone, joint, or ligament and musculoskeletal pain or swelling, and also where there may not be any obvious evidence of injury, and where occupational exposure is clearly identified. The injuries include, but are not limited to:
—Muscular
—Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
—Throracic Outlet
—Tenosynovitis
—Myalgia
—Double Crush Syndrome
—Connective Tissue
—Bursitis
—Spasms
—Sciatica
—Disc Damage
—Neurological
—Vascular
—Tendonitis
—Back
Full proposed rule: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-2010.pdf
ANSI/ASSE A10.40-2007: Reduction of Musculoskeletal Problems in Construction - American National Standard for Construction and Demolition Operations: https://www.asse.org/shoponline/products/A10-40-2007.php
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