Does OSHA have any back bone?

[roger]

Re: Does OSHA have any back bone?

Brian, we have a full time safety director and committee. We furnish all safety equipment one time and replace it when it has been damaged or worn out. If the employee looses it, they may or may not be required to replace it depending on circumstances, but they will have it.

We furnish everything from particle mask to MV equipment.

We have training for issues such as "trenching", confined spaces, asbestos recognition, etc...

Many industrial facility's we work in have specific training to their application (paper mills for one)

The committee meets once a month and reviews infractions that has taken place. We have a point system in place that the infractions are judged on and depending on accumulation of points disciplinary actions are dealt.

It is a constant fight to keep employees following the rules even with the best efforts.

Standing on the top of a ladder is probably the most common infraction. (go back to the thread about j boxes in suspended ceilings)

We spend over $100,000 a year on our safety program.

Roger

[ December 27, 2003, 10:46 AM: Message edited by: roger ]

 

[batch]

Re: Does OSHA have any back bone?

The company I work for has a safety meeting nearly every Tuesday. They show a video or talk about a certain incident that happened to someone in the industry. They talk a good game...

We saw a video on lockout devices for breakers. Something I had requested they supply for some time now. After watching the video the owner stood up and gave his interpretation of the requirement. His solution put a piece of tape over the breaker!

The airial bucket truck is cracking around the bucket. Down the supporting sides. The liner is cracked and broken and the fiberglass bucket is cracked in several places. When I pointed this out the owner said that he would order a new one right away and until then he would put some angle iron to reinforce it. I told him that the warning label on the bucket says NOT to drill holes in the bucket. When I came back from vacation angle iron had been bolted with 1/4-20 bolts to the bucket and ALL safety labels had been removed.

The owner is well aware of the inadequacy of the rope that he sends his men over the side of high rises in boswains chairs. I have shown him the Osha standard and also several accountings of fatalities that have occurred because of the use of this rope. It's 1/2" manila... The rope is used every week and stored directly adjacent to the paint station where chemicals are used daily and 8' from an GNC router that spews metal and plastic shavings onto the rope.

Even though we have all been through a fall protection class, most don't wear their fall protection at all. The rest only occasionally.

The rope grabs that they bought are not used because they will not disengage to allow descent, You must remove you fall protection to go down! They have not been returned and the employees that work on swing stages (the only time all employees wear the fall protection)Have to put together a system themselves.

The company anounced that to comply with the OSHA competent person issue that everybody was their own competent person.

I complain all the time and they say that they will work on it. Nothing ever changes.

They have a brand new $150,000.00 Skyhook crane on a double tandem axle truck. I have twice seen them with all 4 tires and an outrigger well of the ground. Picture the bed of the truck level at first lifted to an angle of 25 degrees or so. three employees stand under the load. No hard hats to be seen...

 

[noxx]

Re: Does OSHA have any back bone?

I've worked for shops like that, now that I am a little older and wiser, I simply won't. I'd sooner be perusing the want ads than a coffin lid.

Sadly many employers feel that safety violations are a "nuisance" of business, without ever pondering the ethical morass of allowing, or requiring, employees to work without the proper gear. You can save money for 20 years, but the first time someone is hurt or killed, and it could have been prevented, you would gladly exchange every dime of it to take that moment back.

It's very sad really, the competitive nature of the contracting business rewards, in the short term, employers who cut costs by any means, including safty gear, and a damn shame, that people in our field sometimes allow themselves to be harassed into doing the wrong thing for fear of their job.

Employers in this field are dime a dozen, but the body you have now is the only you're gonna get.

[ December 28, 2003, 01:29 PM: Message edited by: noxx ]

 

[jimwalker]

Re: Does OSHA have any back bone?

I too take the attitude that safety comes first.At 55 i am looking forward to retiring in 7 years.Been lucky and never any serious injuries.I will walk off a job before i will do something i feel is dangerious.Have seen some crazy stuff like using NM to wire a ladder to a 4 x 4 wood post and then a guy climb it to hang a flood light.All of this at about 18 feet high.His safety was another piece of romex rapped around him and held by 3 men.I didn't stay there long.
NOXX curious as to where you work i might know you.

[ December 28, 2003, 02:00 PM: Message edited by: jimwalker ]