December 2010
NPCA Safety Express is Your Resource
The NPCA Safety Express is an electronic newsletter developed under
the leadership of the NPCA Safety, Health and Environmental (SHE) Committee.
It is only through the support of the safety community that we will
be able to keep the content of this newsletter interesting and relevant.
What safety topics would you like to read about? What are the safety
challenges you are currently facing? We encourage you to e-mail Kathy
Shelton to share your suggestions.
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OSHA’s New Crane Standard
OSHA’s new standard on cranes and derricks in construction has
been in development for a long time. The previous standard was adopted
in 1971, and OSHA has been working on a new rule since 1998. OSHA’s
Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH) established
a workgroup to develop changes to the requirements in Subpart N for
cranes and derricks. In October 2008, OSHA issued a proposed rule based
upon the committee’s work.
After public comments and hearings, OSHA published its final rule on Aug. 9, 2010, with its provisions taking effect on Nov. 8, 2010. This new rule is vital to the industry’s safety. The changes address key hazards relating to cranes and derricks on construction worksites including the main causes of fatal crane accidents: electrocution, being crushed during the assembly or disassembly and being struck by a load.
“The new rule applies to mobile cranes above a rated capacity of 2,000 pounds. The new rule does not affect the permanently installed overhead cranes in precast plants,” according to Don Graham, safety director of Jensen Precast in Sparks, Nev., and member of NPCA’s SHE Committee. “When deliveries are made to job sites from the precast plant they may not be covered under the new rule,” he said. “OSHA does not regard the delivery process a construction activity when lifting equipment is used solely to deliver building supply materials from a supplier to a construction site by placing/stacking the materials on the ground, without arranging the materials in a particular sequence for hoisting. Many precasters, however, do set their products in a customer’s excavation, and in this case, the operators would need to be trained and qualified under this rule.”
Articulating
Crane Operator Certification Program
NPCA is pleased to offer an Articulating Crane Operator Certification
program in conjunction with The
Precast Show 2011 in Charlotte. The certification program includes
a preparatory training course, written exam and practical exam, which
fulfills the new OSHA crane requirement that took effect on Nov. 8,
2010. The program begins on Wednesday, Jan. 26, with the written exam
on Jan. 27 and practical exams (by appointment only) following the written
exam.
We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to certify your crane operator.
Read
complete course description
Safety Awards Entry Deadline
is Jan. 14
A successful precast plant operates with safety as its highest priority.
The NPCA Safety, Health & Environmental (SHE) Committee invites
NPCA Producer members to participate in the association’s Annual
Safety Survey and Awards program. The program honors safety-conscious
plants for their achievements during the 2010 calendar year.
The SHE Committee strongly encourages all plants to submit survey and awards information, whether or not they believe they will win an award. All the safety survey data is analyzed to determine which areas of improvement may need to be addressed by the committee. All award winners will be recognized in Precast Inc. magazine and highlighted on screen during the Salute to Excellence dinner. This year the Most Improved award winners in each category will be spotlighted at the Salute to Excellence banquet. Because of the early date of The Precast Show, awards will not be presented at the event. Awards will be shipped to the plants in mid-February. The entry deadline for submitting your safety data for calendar year 2010 is Jan. 14, 2011.
Consequences of Job-Related Anxiety
Unresolved stress on the job poses a threat to both the health of workers
and organizations. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health defines job stress as, “The harmful physical and emotional
responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the
capabilities, resources or needs of the worker.” Some job conditions
that lead to stress include:
- Unclear or conflicting expectations
- Lack of involvement in decision-making
- Unrealistic workloads or deadlines
- Uncertainty of future employment
Prolonged exposure to high levels of stress can result in job dissatisfaction, low morale and decreased productivity. In addition, employers may also experience increased health care expenditures, higher rates of absenteeism and even incidents of workplace violence due to high stress.
Employers can help
to alleviate stress by examining the workplace to find sources of stress,
developing programs and processes to address these stresses and seeking
preventative measures against stress. By clearly defining workers’
roles and responsibilities, recognizing employee performance and creating
opportunities for career development, employers can help to promote
low stress AND high levels of productivity.
