Top Ten OSHA Violations for 2020 and a hint to the Top Ten for 2021.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) annually publishes the top ten most frequently cited OSHA standards violated in the previous fiscal year.  Unfortunately, the list has not been published yet on the OSHA website.  OSHA unveiled a preliminary list of its top 10 violations during a webinar with the National Safety Council's (NSC) Safety+Health magazine.  In the webinar, OSHA discussed the stats for the fiscal year (FY) 2020 (which runs from October 1, 2019, to September 30, 2020).  Here is the list of most frequently cited OSHA standards:

1. Fall Protection, construction (1926.501)
2. Hazard Communication Standard, general industry (1910.1200)
3. Respiratory Protection (1910.134)
4. Scaffolding, general requirements, construction (1926.451)
5. Ladders, construction (1926.1053)
6. Control of Hazardous Energy (lockout/tagout), general industry (1910.147)
7. Powered Industrial Trucks, general industry (1910.178)
8. Fall Protection - training requirements, construction (1926.503)
9. Eye and Face Protection (1926.102)
10. Machinery & Machine Guarding, general requirements, general industry (1910.212)

Proper Fall Protection and Scaffolding

It is interesting to see that Respiratory Protection moved into third place and Ladders moved into the top 5.  Considering OSHA published a list of the frequently cited standards related to COVID-19 inspections in November 2020, and that list also includes respiratory protection violations.  We may continue to see Respiratory Protection in the top three of most frequently cited violations again next year.  The COVID-19 list includes:

1. Provide a medical evaluation before a worker is fit-tested or uses a respirator.
2. Perform an appropriate fit test for workers using tight-fitting respirators.
3. Assess the workplace to determine if COVID-19 hazards are present, or likely to be present, which will require the use of a respirator and/or other personal protective equipment (PPE). 
4. Establish, implement, and update a written respiratory protection program with required worksite-specific procedures. 
5. Provide an appropriate respirator and/or other PPE to each employee when necessary to protect the health of the employees (ensuring the respirator and/or PPE used is the correct type and size).
6. Train workers to safely use respirators and/or other PPE in the workplace, and retrain workers about changes in the workplace that might make previous training obsolete.
7. Store respirators and other PPE properly in a way to protect them from damage, contamination, and, where applicable, deformation of the facepiece and exhalation valve.
8. For any fatality that occurs within 30 days of a work-related incident, report the fatality to OSHA within eight hours of finding out about it. 
9. Keep required records of work-related fatalities, injuries, and illness.

Quantifit Respirator Fit Testing System (QNFT)

In FY 2020, OSHA conducted 21,674 inspections, including 12,948 (about 60%) unprogrammed inspections, which include employee complaints, injuries/fatalities, and referrals, all of which were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.  In FY 2019 OSHA conducted 33,393 inspections which mean OSHA conducted 35% fewer inspections in 2020.  This reduction in inspections has been noted and criticized by the Department of Labor's Office of the Inspector General (OIG)  in its audit of OSHA.  That audit concluded OSHA received 15% more complaints in 2020 compared with the same period in 2019 but performed 50% fewer inspections.  Leading the audit to the conclusion that reduced OSHA inspections leave US workers' safety at increased risk.

     

Scaffolding Violations are number 4 for all industries & number 3 for the remediation industry

The top 10 violations in the Remediation Services Industry (which includes asbestos abatement, lead abatement, crime scene cleanups, oil spill cleanup, mold remediation, and hazardous materials remediation companies) were:

1. Duty to have fall protection (1926.0501)
2. Respiratory Protection (1910.0134)
3. Scaffolding, general requirements (1926.0451)
4. Reporting Fatality, Injury and Illness Information to the Government (1904.0039)
5. Hazard Communication (1910.1200)
6. Ladders (1926.1053)
7. Duty to have fall protection and falling object protection (1910.0028)
8. Fall protection systems criteria and practices (1926.0502)
9. Asbestos (1926.1101)
10. Respirable crystalline silica (1926.1153)

It certainly seems like fall protection has now become part of the focus in the remediation industry with 5 of the top ten involving falls.  Interesting how the respirator violations remain number two in the remediation industry.  When this should be the industry's specialty.

Mold Remediation Industry 

As you can see OSHA is still performing inspections and still issuing citations.  Though under President Biden's Administration, OSHA inspections are likely to increase, along with citations.  Which shouldn't be hard considering the few inspections conducted in FY 2020.  Though fall protection is still number one on OSHA's focus, respiratory protection is starting to creep up the ranks. 

5 Benefits of Online Safety Training by Natasha Serafimovska

The construction industry has come a long way since the early 1900s when the world was just learning about the harmful effects of asbestos and mold on people’s health. Today, Local Law 196 by the City of New York and other government regulations make safety training mandatory for all construction workers to ensure their own safety as well as the safety of others.

Online Safety Training

Despite New York's construction industry shrinking 8.5% since the pandemic hit, experts expect it to quickly recover and serve as the backbone of the U.S. economy in upcoming years. Construction in healthcare is expected to see the biggest rise with growth of 38% between 2020 and 2023. 

All of this is great news for construction workers as well as individuals who might be out of a job and thinking about joining the industry. However, this news also means that there will be an increased demand for safety training in times when physical movement and social interactions are very limited.

This is where online training can make a real difference. Traditionally associated with soft skills and IT training, online learning is a real game-changer when it comes to health and safety training. Not only is it more affordable than its face-to-face alternative, but it’s far more flexible and accessible in a time when people’s mobility is restricted.

Whether you’re looking for mold remediation certification or asbestos training classes, here we cover the top five benefits you can expect from your online safety training.

Asbestos pipe insulation

It’s More Affordable

When it comes to safety, no cost is too high. Still, the increase in job uncertainty and market volatility has made people very cost-sensitive. In a world where no job is secure, every cent counts. 

In this context, online training is a winner as online courses can be as much as 10 times less expensive than its face-to-face alternative. In-person training often requires significant logistical effort, both from the training provider and the construction worker. This includes the time the instructor needs to spend in preparing for and delivering training, printing and preparing materials, arriving at and leaving the training premises, etc. Likewise, the construction worker needs to invest time in getting to and out of their training, taking away from the valuable time they can spend working or with their families. 

 

Online training removes all of this complexity while not compromising on quality, making it a super affordable option. Learners need a computer or a smartphone with a good internet connection and they’re good to go.

Silica Sampling

Easy Access to the Latest Information

Health and safety standards are continuously updated in order to keep in line with the latest research and developments in healthcare. One clear example is the pandemic and the sudden need for training on SARS-CoV-2 for all construction workers.

However, updating materials when they’re printed and ready for distribution might not be the easiest task. Say, for instance, there was a slight change in regulations on how construction workers need to secure a space before they commence work. If the training is already scheduled for the following day, there might not be enough time to get the training materials updated in time for that training session.

However, that isn’t the case with online training. Online learning materials can be uploaded in small learning units which can easily be edited and re-uploaded to reflect the latest information on the topic. Regardless of whether you bought the training before the change was introduced, your online training materials will always be up-to-date. 

COVID-19 Training

Accessible at Any Time, Anywhere

Online safety training might not have been an option 30 or even 20 years ago because the internet was still not a thing. However, the last decade has seen a dramatic increase in the adoption of online learning across all industries. This is not only because learning technologies have greatly evolved in this period, but also because individuals have become increasingly interconnected with the use of smartphones. 

The fact that you can now get training while commuting from work or during your lunch break at work means that you can save yourself a great amount of time. No longer do you need to block out days from your calendar to take hours-long training. Nor do you need to take time off of work to finish the training before your certificate expires. Online training puts you in the driver’s seat on where and when you get trained without making any major changes to your schedule.  

It’s More Personalised

Face-to-face training works well because it’s familiar and people know what to expect. However, face-to-face training is also designed to fit the needs of the group, leaving very little room for a personalized approach to training. If you’re struggling with one part of the training, it will require an extra effort on your part to flag that up with your instructor and get additional support.

Online training makes this much easier as the instructor can often see how you’re progressing through the coursework and offer advice on additional materials you might benefit from, all from the comfort of your own home. Likewise, different people have different learning styles. While you might prefer to learn through videos, others could learn better by hearing a step-by-step guide on how something is done. Online training offers that flexibility where learning materials can come either as videos, audio recordings, or digital instruction manuals for you to use. This can make the learning process more engaging and effective and help you learn better.

Construction Safety Training

It’s Easily Scalable

When training people on-site, there’s a limit to how many people can attend the training based on compliance requirements as well as restrictions imposed by the pandemic. This could mean that you won’t be able to get your slot well into the future depending on available spaces.

This can make things complicated if your certificate is about to expire and you require to take your training within a very limited timeframe. Online training solves that problem by making it possible for any number of people to book their training at any given time. There’s no problem with over-booking or under-booking training sessions, meaning that your training is always going ahead. Not to mention that the training will always be delivered at the highest possible standard, to all people attending the course.

Online training has often been pushed to the sidelines when it comes to safety training. Some people might argue that there’s something counterintuitive in delivering safety training remotely. However, nothing can be further from the truth. A big part of what construction workers have to know has to do with observing regulations and standards and understanding how to maneuver in a potentially hazardous environment. A lot of this learning can be done online, at home, saving yourself and the instructor time and money. And that is something we can all use a bit more of today.