Forklift Safety Day, silica hazards, and Covid-19
What’s going on in EHS this week? Find out with Safety at the Frontline!
Tune in on Mondays to get the latest safety news with Frontline’s podcast. We’re covering the top EHS news, along with some quick and useful tips, so you can stay safe and keep rocking on the frontlines.
National Forklift Safety Day
June 14th is National Forklift Safety Day! Organized by the Industrial Truck Association, a mix of industry and government representatives along with safety experts will host a panel on forklift safety and operator training. Participation will be open to ITA members, anyone who works in the material handling industry, or end-users, so if you’re interested make sure to check it out on June 14th, 9 AM eastern.
MSHA’s silica hazard initiative
Our next topic is silica hazards. The Mine Safety and Health Administration launched a new enforcement initiative to better protect miners from health hazards resulting from repeated overexposure to respirable crystalline silica. MSHA reports silica dust affects thousands of miners each year and, without adequate protection, miners face risks of serious illnesses, many of which can be fatal.
This new initiative will include:
- Spot inspections at mines with a history of repeated silica overexposures
- Increased oversight and enforcement of known silica hazards at mines with previous citations
- Expanded silica sampling and
- Reminding miners about their rights to report hazardous health conditions
OSHA’s Covid-19 measures
Last news of the week, Douglas L. Parker, assistant secretary of OSHA stated that the agency is “working to finalize a permanent COVID-19 standard to ensure healthcare workers are protected as long as COVID-19 is a threat.” He recently testified before the House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor’s Workforce Protections Subcommittee regarding the Supreme Court’s decision on having all employees vaccinated against covid-19. He also stated that “While COVID-19 remains a priority, they are also looking ahead to ensure workers in the highest risk workplaces are protected against future infectious disease outbreaks and pandemics.”
