Welcoming 2022 with a Year in Review: January 2022

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Congratulations to Rick McCauley and Linda Stiefel, our December prize winners!

January winners have been drawn! To claim your prize, you must respond to the confirmation email by the end of the month.

2022 Statewide Conference on Occupational Safety & Health

To be held April 1, 2022 – April 3, 2022 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. This year’s conference will be a hybrid event; both virtual and in-person options will be available, although for safety’s sake, onsite attendance will be limited to the first 500 registrations. Better yet, all members are welcome to attend virtually at no cost. Online registration will open soon – stay tuned by following us on social media and get the most recent updates and announcements:

Facebook:@CSEASafetyNet Instagram: @CSEA_safety_net

WELCOMING THE NEW YEAR

Each new year, we celebrate new beginnings as we look toward a future brighter than the year past – out with the old, in with the new. Although, this time around, feelings of inspiration and optimism may be dulled as we enter yet another year of the pandemic. We’re often quick to forget the hardships and in doing so, miss the opportunity to express gratitude and acknowledge lessons learned.

As we prepare to move forward, let’s reflect on where we’ve been. Much of CSEA’s  membership includes essential and frontline workers – the ones who were hit the hardest with few or no workplace protections during the height of the pandemic. The fight continues in many of these workplaces, who are still dealing with issues relating to density reduction, social distancing, personal protective equipment,  and contact tracing.

This issue highlights topics related to reporting and recordkeeping, an essential factor in implementing change and holding employers accountable for your right to a safe and healthy workplace. Unions give voice to workers, but knowledge is key in standing for your rights. We must continue to educate, motivate, and activate as a union if we want safer workplaces for all.

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Thank you, Patrick, for submitting to this month’s Spotlight!

“I would like to share my story of frontlline work during the pandemic to assist in assuring the safety of staff and residents in a state-operated residential setting. Early on, we were tasked with being fit tested with N95 masks and training. We were then asked to wear full gear head to toe, and transport suspected infected residents to testing sites in a vehicle to keep others safe. We would assist with feeding and caring for quarantined individuals. We used universal precautions and infection control measures. We wiped door handles and surfaces daily. Some of us eventually became trained in Binax COVID-19 testing and became certified testers ourselves.

 At my site, represented by CSEA Local 403, we test more than 20 residents and staff for COVID-19 biweekly. We have prevented significant cases and have protected our family, friends and community. Thanks for hearing a CSEA story.

 My name is Patrick Oliver and I’m a Residential Program Assistant 2 at Buffalo Psychiatric Center.” 

Share your story, meme, or photo for chance to be featured in the Safety Net Newsletter!

All participants will automatically receive a prize for submitting their content relating to safety & health. Submissions can be emailed to Bernadette Foley at Bernadette.foley@cseainc.org, or sent via Facebook @CSEASafetyNet or Instagram @CSEA_safety_net.

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

OSHA Reminds Employers to Submit Injury and Illness Logs

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) began collecting 2021 injury and illness data (OSHA Form 300A) on Jan. 2, 2022. Employers must electronically submit logs by March 2, 2022, if they have:

• 250 or more employees and are currently required to keep OSHA injury and illness records.
• 20-249 employees classified in specific industries with historically high rates of occupational injuries and illnesses.

Fatalities down in 2020, COVID-19 cases not counted

Workplace fatalities were down almost 11% in 2020, according to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, but keep in mind that those new numbers do not factor in any COVID-19 cases.

Read the full article here: https://www.safetynewsalert.com/articles/workplace-fatalities-down-2020-covid-19-cases-not-counted/

DID YOU KNOW?

33 to 69 PERCENT OF WORK-RELATED INJURIES AND ILLNESSES ARE MISSED BY THE U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS (BLS) SURVEY OF OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES AND ILLNESSES?

Studies comparing injuries captured by the BLS survey with injuries reported to workers’ compensation or other injury reporting systems have found that the BLS survey missed 33% to 69% of work-related injuries. -AFL-CIO

STANDING UP FOR SAFETY: REPORTING and RECORDKEEPING

The Importance of Recordkeeping

1. Keeping track of work-related injuries and illnesses can help prevent future incidents.
2. Using injury and illness data helps identify problem areas and better administer the appropriate safety and health programs.
3. As employee awareness about injuries, illnesses, and hazards in the workplace improves, workers are more likely to follow safe work practices and report workplace hazards.
4. Documentation helps union leaders and CSEA Occupational Safety and Health Department staff build leverage when advocating for workplace improvements. It is also essential when filing a PESH or OSHA complaint.
5. OSHA uses the information as part of its site-specific inspection targeting program.
6. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) also uses injury and illness records as the source data for the Annual Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses that shows safety and health trends nationwide and industrywide.

To learn more about OSHA/PESH Recordkeeping, including:

• Requirements and Recordables
• Privacy Concern Cases
• Evidence For and Against Work-Relatedness
• Tips on Reporting and Your Rights

Follow this link: https://cseany.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/OSHA-PESH-Reporting-Recordkeeping.pdf

Check out CSEA’s fact sheet on Reporting and Recordkeeping.

MEMBER RESOURCES

For more info on trainings + educational resources, visit https://cseany.org/member-resources

CSEA Occupational Safety + Health Specialists can provide training, technical assistance, labor-management services, and even help establish a safety & health committee in your workplace.

Contact your OSH Specialist here:

https://cseany.org/member-support

TOP 10 OSHA VIOLATIONS OF 2021

The Top 10 most frequently cited workplace safety standards for 2021 are:

Fall Protection – General Requirements (1926.501): 5,295 violations

Respiratory Protection (1910.134): 2,527 violations

Ladders (1926.1053): 2,026 violations

Scaffolding (1926.451): 1,948 violations

Hazard Communication (1910.1200): 1,947 violations

Lockout/Tagout (1910.147): 1,698 violations

Fall Protection – Training Requirements (1926.503): 1,666 violations

Personal Protective and Lifesaving Equipment – Eye and Face Protection (1926.102): 1,452 violations

Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178): 1,420 violations

Machine Guarding (1910.212): 1,113 violations

SUBSCRIBE TODAY