OSHA issues planto help reduce workplace accidents, deaths

OSHA recently announced this year’s Site-Specific Targeting (SST) plan for general industry employers with 20 or more employees. The primary inspection list for federal OSHA jurisdiction will be comprised of 1,260 establishments in what the agency describes as high-hazard, non-construction industries.

It is OSHA’s goal that the inspection plan will reduce the number of injuries and illnesses that occur at individual workplaces by directing enforcement resources to workplaces with the highest rates of illness and injury. OSHA said the plan is based on survey data of 80,000 employers in high-hazard industries.

Those industries surveyed and targeted, include manufacturing, trucking, warehousing, air transportation and courier services, automobiles, construction materials, scarp and waste, groceries, poultry products, department stores and medical facilities. Among other things, the directive provides a checklist for compliance safety and health officers and provides scheduling and inspection procedures.

According to the US Department of Labor, on average there are nearly 12 work-related deaths in the country every day. Fatal work injuries involving workers under the age of 16 nearly double in 2012. Fatal work injuries in the private mining sector rose in 2012, led by an increase in fatal injuries to workers and oil and gas extraction industries. Fatal work injuries in those industries rose 23%, reaching a new high in an industry that we see booming in Pennsylvania.

Transportation incidents accounted fro more than 2 out of every 5 fatal work injuries in 2012, with about 58% of those being roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicles. Fatal falls, slips, or trips continued to be a leading cause of workplace fatalities, accounting for 668 deaths in 2012.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and providing training, education, and assistance.

If you have been injured in an accident at work or are having a workers comp issue, the Pennsylvania personal injury lawyers at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys can fight for you. Call Robert Munley III and the personal injury lawyers at Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys at 855-866-5529.