Safety Training – Employer and Worker Benefits

Before admiring great buildings and infrastructures, do know that they were once construction sites that are filled with a lot of dangers and hazards and that at one point or another, some workers may have been injured and even killed. Other occupations are not far different from construction sites – they are filled with things that can hurt workers or even worse, cause fatality. Hundreds of workers are killed annually in occupational accidents and mishaps along with thousands of workers injured and suffer illnesses because of their poor working environment.

Employers and workers, however, can always prevent from being included in those numbers and reports. One thing that they can include in their safety plan is safety trainings. They can easily get those trainings for both the supervisors and the workers. A lot are available at affordable prices nowadays both online and offline. Those safety training programs can help create safety awareness in an organization which can also lead to smoother day to day operations. Without accidents and injuries in the workplace, you can make sure that there wouldn’t be added delays and expenses which may include or come from lack of man power, extra medical bills, extra penalty bills (for safety citations), possible lawsuits, and more. All of those can be avoided with health and safety training programs.

Being able to identify hazards at different kinds of workplaces can help increase safety. Workers, supervisors and managers can learn this by taking up safety courses – this way they can control the risks involved with their working environments.

Safety training programs can help them:
•    Get new employees acquainted with the environment/process
•    Get employees acquainted with a safety day to day process or the right SOP
•    Introduce equipments
•    Recognize hazards
•    Communicate properly
•    Know how to properly act during emergencies
•    Be acquainted with personal protective equipments
•    Reduce accidents and injuries
•    Improve staff sense of safety and morale
•    Reduce loss of manpower
•    Save money
•    Etc.

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OSHA Citations for Petrol Explosion and Burn hazards

Petrol Explosion and Burn Hazards Result in OSHA Fines

All manner of accidents threaten the American worker, and all are preventable. Sadly, every day across the country these same avoidable accidents cause dire consequences on health, or result in injury, even death. Although most employers now require Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) training, such as OSHA 30 certification and OSHA 10 hour training, and 40 Hour HAZWOPER training, lapses (both unintentional and not) still frequently occur and put in great danger the health and safety of workers.

This February, OSHA cited Coomes Oil & Supply Inc. for safety hazards after an employee of Florida Rock & Tank Lines, the company that delivers petroleum to one of its gas stations, was burned in an explosion in August 2011.

OSHA reported that the delivery driver was refilling an above-ground gasoline storage tank that had a malfunctioning gauge. The tank eventually overflowed and caused an explosion. The subsequent OSHA investigation revealed that the gas station and Florida Rock & Tank Lines knew of the broken gauge and yet proceeded with refilling the storage tank.

Florida Rock & Tank Lines was cited for one willful violation for failing to provide a way for the delivery driver to determine if the storage tank was in danger of overflowing. The citation carried a proposed penalty of $70,000. Coomes Oil & Supply, on the other hand, was cited for one serious violation with a proposed penalty of $7,000.

"Unfortunately for the injured employee, the two companies involved in this explosion learned a safety lesson by means of a terrible incident instead of taking the steps they should have to protect their workers in the first place," stated OSHA area director Brian Sturtecky.

One company that may be luckier than either Coomes Oil & Supply Inc. or Florida Rock & Tank Lines is Miniature Precision Components Inc.

For failing to provide the simple matter of personal protective equipment, Miniature Precision Components Inc. is looking at a proposed fine by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of $55,000.

The penalty came after an OSHA investigation at the company’s Richland Center facility which found that employees working mold machines were exposed to very hot temperatures without adequate personal protective equipment

"Failing to protect employees from burns while they are working with materials manufactured at high temperatures shows a disregard for their safety," pointed out Kim Stille, OSHA area director in Madison. Wisconsin. "Employers have a responsibility to be aware of the hazards that exist in their workplace and ensure that work environments are healthful and safe."

Miniature Precision Components' corporate headquarters is located in Walworth. The company's Richland Center facility had been inspected by OSHA five times since 1999, resulting in 11 citations.

OSHACampus.com, a leading provider of online OSHA training, has 10 Hour OSHA Training and 30 Hour OSHA Training, as well as 40 Hour HAZWOPER training for workers, supervisors, and contractors.

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