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March 2022 Newsletter

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Welcome to our monthly newsletter for March 2022!

Our goal for the newsletter is to connect our members to relevant safety resources, all linked together in one convenient location every month. We hope you find this resource useful and valuable!

SAFETY RESOURCES:

  1. The Top 4 Levers That Will Drive Safety Forward in 2022: Article by Safeopedia.
  2. Embracing the Long View for Safety. Do you abandon your new safety strategy too soon? In this episode, Mike & Nic chat about the diffusion of innovation model and what it means for safety! Available on most podcast apps. (11:30)
  3. Drive Safe on St. Patrick’s Day. Lori Cook, Traffic Safety Advisor for AAA East Central NEO reminds us to drive safe on St. Patrick’s Day! (2:20)
  4. Situational Awareness at Work: Informative video by Career coach and corporate trainer, Chrissy Scivicque. (3:45)
  5. Testing PPE: Fun video by Ally Safety (3:48)
  6. Eye Injury Prevention Safety Fact Sheet: By The Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC)-Workplace Safety.
  7. Ototoxicity: March 2022 Safety & Hygiene Corner.
  8. Ohio BWC Distance Learning: March-June 2022.
  9. PCSC Podcasts: Our podcasts are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Podbean, Stitcher, & TuneIn/Alexa! Access local & relevant workplace safety information right through your phone! Subscribe today!

PCSC NEWS:

  1. No PCSC Meeting in March: There will be no regularly scheduled PCSC virtual meeting in March due to OSC22.
  2. April 13, 2022 – Statewide Mega Meeting: Hosted by the Ohio BWC. You do not need to pre-register, click link to view the flyer that contains the event link.
  3. Next Virtual Meeting – April 28, 2022: Ohio EPA’s Regulations – What You Need to Know to Stay Out of Trouble,  presented by Dan Sowry, Assistant Environmental Administrator, Ohio EPA.

COMMUNITY NEWS:

  • Problem Gambling 101: March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month so here’s a video on problem gambling.

Ototoxicity: March 2022 Safety & Hygiene Corner

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Q: What is chemical ototoxicity, and should I be worried?

A: Ototoxic chemicals may cause hearing loss or balance problems to employees who are exposed. Ototoxic chemicals can be found in certain pesticides, solvents, and pharmaceuticals. The chemicals can negatively affect how the ear functions, causing hearing loss, and/or affect balance. The risk of hearing loss is increased when workers are exposed to these chemicals while working around elevated noise levels. What are some common ototoxic chemicals? Toluene, n-hexane, p-xylene, ethylbenzene, trichloroethylene, carbon monoxide, tobacco smoke, and lead. How do I know if these chemicals are present in my workplace? Review the Safety data sheets for solvents and degreasers. Pay attention to Section 3 that lists the product’s components. What should you do if you use a product containing an ototoxic chemical? Contact a BWC Industrial Hygienist. The Industrial Hygienist can assist you in determining the noise levels at your facility, help you review Safety Data Sheets for ototoxic chemicals and ensure your employees are using proper personal protective equipment.

For more information, see Preventing Hearing Loss Caused by Chemical (Ototoxicity) and Noise Exposure | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (osha.gov)

*Brought to you by the Ohio BWC safety consultants.

March 2021 Newsletter

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Welcome to our monthly newsletter for March 2021!

Our goal for the newsletter is to connect our members to relevant safety resources, all linked together in one convenient location every month. We hope you find this resource useful and valuable!

Please share with your colleagues!

SAFETY RESOURCES:

  1. Trench Safety Interview. Nic Coia interviews Eric White, Safety Consultant for the Ohio BWC, for an in-depth conversation on trench safety! (11:54)
  2. Trenching and Excavation Safety: PDF from OSHA.
  3. Excavations in Construction/Soil Classification: Video from OSHA.
  4. [Safety Talk] Trench Safety. Eric White, Safety Consultant for the Ohio BWC, gives us a crash course on trench safety! (3:18)
  5. Combating Fatigue in the Workplace (Live): This is a live recording of our Virtual Safety Council meeting on Thursday, January 14, 2021. The topic was Combating Fatigue in the Workplace and it was presented by Dr. Bruce Hensley, St. Vincent Charity Medical Center. (36:06)
  6. Office set up – Practical solutions to computer set up at home: Video from the Ohio BWC.
  7. Sanitizer Storage: March Safety & Hygiene Corner.
  8. Stay engaged and promote safety with remote/home-based workers: Free handout/power point from our meeting on 3/25/21, courtesy of Ving!
  9. Sanitizer Storage: March 2021 Safety & Hygiene Corner.
  10. PCSC Podcasts: Our podcasts are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Podbean, Stitcher, & TuneIn/Alexa! Access local & relevant workplace safety information right through your phone! Subscribe today!

PCSC NEWS:

  1. FY22 Info Coming Soon! We’re expecting an announcement from the Ohio BWC in early May. We’ll send a mass email out once we have the official information. Please stay tuned!
  2. April 8, 2021 – Human Trafficking 101, presented by Mary Kate Waggoner, Education & Outreach Committee Co-Chair at The Summit County Collaborative Against Human Trafficking, and Megan Vermillion, Volunteer Coordinator at the Hope & Healing Survivor Resource Center. Sponsored by UH Portage Medical Center.

COVID-19 RESOURCES:

  1. OSHA’s COVID-19 F.A.Q.’s
  2. Ohio Dept of Health COVID-19 Dashboard
  3. Portage County Health District’s COVID-19 Page
  4. CDC COVID-19 Page
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Sanitizer Storage: March 2021 Safety & Hygiene Corner

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Question: I have a lot of alcohol-based hand sanitizer on hand, due to the pandemic. Is there anything special about storage or placement of dispensers that I should know?

Answer: Yes, alcohol-based hand sanitizer that is greater than 20% alcohol falls under a Class 1B flammable liquid according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Here are some requirements to consider:

  • Individual dispensers located in a hallway must be 0.5 gallons or less (no gallon jugs).
  • Dispensers must be installed at least 1 inch away from electrical receptacles and light switches and must be separated from another dispenser by at least 4 feet horizontally.
  • Dispensers must not be installed above carpeted floors, unless the area is sprinklered.
  • Automatic dispensers (touch free) are required to be tested each time they are refilled, can only activate when the object is within 4 inches of the dispenser and will only dispense the amount required as determined by the United States FDA.
  • The Ohio Fire Code requires the storage of more than 10 gallons in a flammable liquid cabinet or flammable liquid storage room. The NFPA 30 code dictates storage considerations starting at 5 gallons. No storage is permitted in basements.

If you have specific questions about safe storage and handling, consult the Safety Data Sheet for the product or call your local Authority Having Jurisdiction for fire code enforcement. 

*Provided by the Ohio BWC safety consultants.

Trenching Hazards: March’s Safety & Hygiene Corner

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Question: I am hearing a lot about trench & excavation hazards recently.  Besides cave-ins, is there any other hazards I should be aware of?

Answer: Many construction workers are injured and killed in trench and excavation collapses each year.  Although collapsing is the major hazard with trenches and excavations, there are others that you should be aware of, as well.

  1. Trenches and excavations can be deficient of oxygen or could contain hazardous concentrations of gases like carbon monoxide. Stay out of the trench or excavation and report to your supervisor if either hazard is a possibility.
  2. Watch out for buried electrical cables that could cause injuries or electrocutions. Excavators are supposed to call local utilities before they dig, but its safest to assume that they haven’t.  If you see a cable, assume it is hot.  Get out immediately without coming into contact with it and report to your supervisor.
  3. Watch for water lines and avoid breaking them. Broken lines will cause trenches and excavations to cave in quickly.  If you see water inside a trench or excavation, get out immediately and contact your supervisor.
  4. Watch for buried gas lines and other buried hazards. They could cause injuries.  For example, a broken natural gas line could be ignited by a welding spark, torch, cigarette or other source.
  5. Be aware of falling and moving objects while working, especially when an equipment operator is lowering pipe, shoring materials or other objects into the trench or excavation. Keep well away from the process.
  6. Remember that changing weather conditions may affect the stability of the soil in a trench or excavation. When changes in weather occur, such as rain, snow, ice storms, heavy winds or extended periods of hot, dry, weather.  Stay out of the trench until it is inspected by someone with the knowledge and experience to know whether entering could be hazardous.
  7. Always maintain an accessible means of exiting the trench or excavation such as a ladder or ramp. There should be an accessible exit within 25 feet of every worker inside the trench or excavation.

Provided by the Ohio BWC safety consultants.

March 2019 Newsletter

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Welcome to the 16th edition of our new monthly newsletter!

Our goal for the newsletter is to connect our members to relevant safety resources, all linked together in one convenient location every month. We hope you find this resource useful and valuable!

Please share with your colleagues!

SAFETY RESOURCES:

  1. Silica Standard Overview: We caught up with Dianne Grote Adams & the Safex team at the 2019 Ohio Safety Congress in Columbus, OH! She sat down with Nic to share steps companies can take to ensure full compliance with OSHA’s silica standard update that went into effect last year. 
  2. Ladder Safety Training (Live Recording). This is a live recording of our monthly workplace safety luncheon on Jan. 10, 2019. The topic was Ladder Safety and it was presented by Dave Dennison, Safety Specialist at Flaherty Sales (Werner Co).
  3. Engaging Millennials in Safety (Live Recording). This is a live recording of the Engaging Millennials in Safety breakout session at the NE Ohio Safety Expo. The topic was presented by Nicholas Coia, Industrial Safety Consultant, for Ohio BWC!
  4. March’s Safety Update from the Ohio BWC Library. Each edition provides up-to-date news & safety information.
  5. 5 Benefits to Having a Safety Culture During an Emergency. Article provided by Ving!
  6. Overcoming Fatigue: In this short Health Talk, Mindy Gusz, Community Outreach Coordinator at University Hospitals Portage Medical Center, gives us a snapshot of fatigue and how to overcome it!
  7. March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month: Dr. Amanda Burke, Prevention Specialist at Townhall II, tells us how problem gambling can cause big problems at work, especially around the time of March Madness!
  8. Employee Engagement Best Practices: We caught up with Stephen Francis, ESQ, President & Lead Strategist at Franchise D & I Solutions, before his presentation at the 2019 Ohio Safety Congress on how we can better engage employees through inclusion, involvement & investment!
  9. Crisis Communications Interview: Thom Fladung, Managing Partner at Hennes Communications, stayed over with us to recap his presentation at our monthly safety luncheon!
  10. The Real Costs of Safety: Safety Keynote Speaker, Rich McElhaney, stayed over with us at our monthly safety luncheon to give our listeners a quick recap of his presentation! 
  11. PCSC Podcasts: Our podcasts are now available on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Podbean, & Stitcher! Access local & relevant workplace safety information right through your phone! Subscribe today!

PCSC NEWS:

  • NEXT MEETING: Thursday, April 11, 2019, 11:30am-1:00pm. Our topic is Tornado’s Don’t Care: Are you Prepared? and it will be presented by Cody Brookover, Deputy Director, Portage County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management. RSVP deadline is 12pm on Monday, Apr. 8th.
  • New Podcast Archives! We’re excited to announce that new free PCSC Podcast archives are now available on our website under the “Podcasts” tab! You can now easily search for podcasts by topic, format or episode number. 

EXTERNAL TRAINING CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES:
Please Note: these are not PCSC sponsored events but do qualify for 1 external training credit for PCSC members.

PROGRAM UPDATES:

  • BWC Updates: These are the power points presented by BWC Representative Nic Coia at our monthly meetings.
  • Monthly Meeting Power Points. We post them on our website after the presenters send them to us and give us permission to publish. If the speaker provides additional info, we’ll post it there as well.
  • External Training Credit Opportunities: We post them on our blog as outside organizations send them to us. A maximum of 2 external training credits are allowed per program year to help members earn the 10 minimum attendance credits required by the rebate. Please Note: ETC certificates of completion must be submitted by June 30 every year in order to qualify. Click here for ETC guidelines.
  • Rebate Participation Spreadsheet. Rebate eligible members can review how close they are to fulfilling the minimum rebate eligibility requirements by reviewing the Participation Spreadsheet which is typically updated on a monthly basis. Please Note: new monthly updates for FY19 are currently available!

March 19, 2019 – Safeguarding Is Not the Enemy of Productivity

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Please Note: this is not a PCSC sponsored event but does qualify for 1 external training credit for PCSC members.

  • Host: ASSP Northern Ohio Chapter
  • Time:  Registration and networking – 5:30pm, Dinner – 6:00 p.m. Presentation following dinner
  • Location: Liberty Air Museum, Port Clinton Airport, 3515 E. State Road, Port Clinton, Ohio 43452
  • Speaker: Michael Berakis, Director, Health and Safety, Materion Corporation
  • Cost:  $21 members; $23 non-members; $10.50 Student and Emeritus members

Click here for more info.