Page 10 - Occupational Health & Safety, November 2017

HEAD & FACE PROTECTION
Keys to Effective Head & Face Protection
The National Safety Council’s “Injury Facts, 2017 Edition” informs us that the most expensive lost-time workers’ compensation claims are for those involving the head and central nervous system.
BY JERRY LAWS
Here’s an example of what you don’t want to read about your company:
In this recent case, OSHA’s citations said the em- ployer committed a repeat violation by not ensuring each affected employee used appropriate eye or face protection when exposed to hazards from flying par- ticles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapor, or potentially harm- ful light radiation. The violation was not ensuring that roofing workers were protected from eye injuries while using pneumatic nail guns. There were numer- ous other violations, according to OSHA, which is-
sued proposed penalties totaling $1,523,710 and also placed the employer in its Severe Violator Enforce- ment Program.
Following the Hierarchy of Controls
Preventing head, eye, and facial head injuries isn’t expensive, at least when compared with the cost of a serious injury. The National Safety Council’s “Injury Facts, 2017 Edition” informs us that the most expen- sive lost-time workers’ compensation claims are for those involving the head and central nervous sys- tem. These injuries averaged $87,086 per claim filed in 2013 and 2014—about 40 percent higher than the next-highest cost, $62,386, for injuries involving mul- tiple body parts.
Wearing inadequate protection or none at all is not an alternative if the hazards involved in a given task cannot be eliminated, engineered out, or solved through administrative controls. Because these pre- ferred steps in the hierarchy of controls are not tried or would not be effective in many cases, eye, face, and
Aug. 9, 2017
ST. AUGUSTINE, FL – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Admin- istration (OSHA) has again cited a North Florida roofing contractor for failing to protect its work- ers from the risks of dangerous falls and other hazards at two St. Augustine work sites. . . .
10 Occupational Health & Safety | NOVEMBER 2017
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