Page 103 - Occupational Health & Safety, September 2017

locations
Even workplaces not covered in the
indicated sections of the CFR can still be cited for combustible dust under the Gen- eral Duty Clause of the OSH Act of 1970.10 This clause holds employers responsible for providing workplaces free of recognized hazards that can cause death or serious physical harm.
The fines associated with these viola- tions aren’t small. Between October 2015 and September 2016, OSHA issued more than $1.8 million in penalties related to CFR 1910.22 alone.11 And that was largely before the 78 percent increase in maximum penalties that went into effect last August.
With OSHA fines set to grow on an in- flation-adjusted basis from here on out, the cost of compliance is becoming a bargain compared to the penalties for violations.
It’s also important for employers to un- derstand that OSHA penalties aren’t the only financial ramifications of allowing combustible dust to accumulate. Insur- ance companies take this hazard into ac- count when determining premiums and fire marshals rely on NFPA codes, such as NFPA 652: Standard on the Fundamentals of Combustible Dust, when performing workplace safety inspections.
Improving Safety Is the Right Thing to Do, For Your Bottom Line and For Your Talent Pipeline
Finally, even in the absence of regulations, safety should always be a top priority. If you can implement engineering controls or provide PPE to save your workers from ex- posure to hazards, you should. It’s the right thing to do.
This isn’t just an appeal to emotion. Do- ing the right thing in terms of safety will have a positive effect in many areas of your business, including boosting your bottom line. It can also give you a competitive ad- vantage for attracting, hiring, and retaining top talent, which is something many com- panies are struggling to do right now.
Let’s look at some evidence that backs this up:
■ Safety is tied to worker engage- ment. In 2016, Gallup did a meta-analysis of 1.8 million employees representing 230 organizations across 49 industries.12 They found, among other things, that organiza- tions with “top-notch safety cultures” had more engaged employees. In particular,
employees were committed to doing quality work, felt that their job was important, and felt like they had a voice. In contrast, Gallup notes that “an unsafe workplace can have far-reaching effects,” including loss of pro- ductivity, as well as higher insurance premi- ums and other financial consequences.
■ Millennials want to work at or- ganizations that care about purpose and people. Competition for Millennial workers is very high, especially in indus- tries experiencing talent shortages. But Millennials want more from their em- ployers than just a paycheck. According to a 2016 Deloitte survey, 87 percent of Millennials believe that business success goes beyond financial results.13 When asked about what values contribute to long-term success, the most common answer, accounting for 26 percent of re-
REFERENCES
sponses, was “employee satisfaction, loy- alty, and fair treatment.”
The manufacturing and processing in- dustries are increasingly having to compete with tech for talent. And while industrial processors may not be able to offer gaming lounges, catered meals, or on-site health care,14 they can provide employees with the security of a safe place to work.
The regulatory environment now is dif- ferent from what it was a year ago, and a year or two from now it could be different still. But that shouldn’t stop companies from implementing the safety measures neces- sary to keep their workers safe. The benefits of doing so are significant, as are the conse- quences of failing to take action.
Jamie O’Neill is the General Manager of Nil- fisk, Inc.’s Industrial Vacuum Division.
www.ohsonline.com
SEPTEMBER 2017 | Occupational Health & Safety 91
1. OSHA National News Release. US Labor Department announces delay in beryllium rule effective date.
https://www.osha.gov/news/newsreleases/national/03212017
2. Federal Register. Occupational exposure to beryllium and beryllium compounds in construction and shipyard sectors. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/06/27/2017-12871/occupational- exposure-to-beryllium-and-beryllium-compounds-in-construction-and-shipyard-sectors
3. OSHA National News Release. OSHA to delay enforcing crystalline silica standard in the construction industry. https://www.osha.gov/news/newsreleases/national/04062017
4. OSHA National News Release. US Labor Department’s OSHA proposes to delay compliance date for elec- tronically submitting injury, illness reports. https://www.osha.gov/news/newsreleases/national/06272017
5. Nilfisk Industrial Vacuum Blog. OSHA removes combustible dust standard from regulatory agenda. http://news.nilfiskcfm.com/2017/07/osha-removes-combustible-dust-standard-regulatory-agenda/
6. U.S. Department of Labor. The job safety law of 1970: Its passage was perilous. https://www.dol.gov/general/aboutdol/history/osha
7. Business Insurance. OSHA’s beryllium rule unlikely to be reversed.
http://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20170501/NEWS08/912313176/OSHA-beryllium-rule- unlikely-to-be-reversed
8. Occupational Health & Safety. What you don’t know about combustible dust, but should. https://ohson- line.com/Articles/2017/05/01/What-You-Dont-Know.aspx
9. OSHA. Combustible Dust National Emphasis Program (Reissued).
https://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/Directive_pdf/CPL_03-00-008.pdf
10. OSH Act of 1970. Section 5. Duties.
https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=OSHACT&p_id=3359
11. OSHA. Industry Profile for OSHA Standard 19100022.
https://www.osha.gov/pls/imis/industryprofile.stand?p_esize=&p_stand=19100022&p_ state=FEFederal&p_type=3
12. Gallup. “Engaged workplaces are safer for employees.”
http://www.gallup.com/businessjournal/191831/engaged-workplaces-safer-employees.aspx
13. Deloitte. “Millennials want business to shift its purpose.”
https://www2.deloitte.com/bb/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/gx-millennials-shifting-business- purpose.html
14. Forbes. “13 tech companies that offer cool work perks.”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurencebradford/2016/07/27/13-tech-companies-that-offer- insanely-cool-perks/#5302f20e79d1