Safety Matters

OSHA Invites Small Business Owners, Local Governments to Share Input on Potential Heat Standard

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) invites small business owners and representatives from local government entities to join a series of upcoming discussions on the potential impacts of a workplace heat standard on small businesses.

Currently, OSHA is developing a potential standard for workplaces — in which the agency has jurisdiction — to prevent heat illness and injury in outdoor and indoor environments. As part of its process, OSHA is holding Small Business Advocacy Review Panel meetings to gather views on the potential effects of a heat standard on small businesses. The meetings will be held in teleconferences where small businesses can share concerns and discuss current practices for protecting their employees from heat-related illnesses and injuries. The discussions will be open to the public.

In October 2021, OSHA published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings in the Federal Register, initiating the rulemaking for OSHA to consider a heat-specific workplace standard. OSHA has also taken several actions to protect workers from the dangers of excess heat in the workplace, including:

• Developing an enforcement initiative on heat-related hazards.
• Launching a National Emphasis Program on heat inspections.
• Creating a National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Work Group.
• Launching a Heat Illness Prevention campaign to educate employers and workers on the dangers of working in the heat.

For more information, please see the OSHA Trade Release.

Accidents in the News

Apopka, FL – A garbage truck driver making a left turn collided with a motorcycle in an intersection, killing the motorcyclist. MORE

New Sharon, ME - An 18-year-old died after her mother crashed their SUV into a recycling truck that was stopped for collection. MORE

Davie, FL – A garbage truck struck and killed an 83-year-old bicyclist on a turnpike who was using an outside travel lane prohibited to pedestrians and cyclists. MORE

Minnetonka, MN – A 78-year-old woman died after a collision with a garbage truck that rolled over. MORE

Pequannock, NJ – A garbage truck driver reportedly using his cellphone struck and killed the driver of an SUV. MORE

Greentown, IN – An 81-year-old motorcyclist was killed in a collision with a garbage truck at an intersection. MORE

Gulf Shores, AL – A 13-year-old boy was struck and killed by a garbage truck after he lost control of the electric bike he was riding on the sidewalk and fell into traffic. MORE

Asheville, NC – A 46-year-old man on skateboard entering an intersection against a red light was struck and killed by a garbage truck. MORE

Miami, FL - A man riding a bicycle was killed after he was hit by a garbage truck. MORE

Wildfire Smoke Resources

With many areas experiencing smoke and poor air quality from wildfires, below is a list of online resources for employers and employees.

• OSHA’s Wildfires webpage has resources addressing exposure for outdoor workers
• CCOHS Forest fires and wildfire smoke safety hazards page: Forest Fires and Wildfire Smoke
• National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) website with resources focused on wildfire smoke: Outdoor Workers Exposed to Wildfire Smoke | NIOSH | CDC.
• National Institute of Environmental Health Science (NIEHS) resources on wildfires: Wildfires (nih.gov)
• California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA) webpage on protecting outdoor workers: Protecting Outdoor Workers Exposed to Smoke from Wildfires (ca.gov)
• Washington Occupational Safety and Health Administration webpage on wildfire smoke: Wildfire Smoke (wa.gov)

Providing Input on OSHA Leading Indicators Research

To improve safety and health management programs and establish safety as a core value in American workplaces, OSHA is creating a new Leading Indicators Resource for employers. This resource will cater particularly to small- and medium-sized employers, equipping them with the knowledge and tools necessary to integrate leading indicators into their safety and health program.

Any organization interested in providing feedback is asked to review OSHA’s list of questions: Questions on the Use and Development of Leading Indicators on its Leading Indicators Research website and provide comments at Regulations.gov, docket number OSHA-2023-0006, by July 17, 2023.

For additional leading indicators information, please visit the links listed below:

• OSHA’s leading indicators webpage
• OSHA Trade Release
• Doug Parker’s Tracking Leading Indicators to Prevent Injury and Illness

2023 Safety Events

Safe + Sound Week
August 7–13, 2023
National
Click here to learn more »

CCOHS Forum 2023: The Changing World of Work
September 26–27, 2023
Halifax, NS
Click here to learn more »

SWANA Safety Summit
September 27–29, 2023
Boston, MA
Click here to learn more »