This topic is not intended to encompass all areas of plant safety. Many OSHA regulations may not apply to your operations, depending on the machines and processes involved. However, some OSHA regulations apply to nearly all business operations, or are common enough to warrant inclusion here. This topic presents a brief overview of these “general” areas. The areas listed below can be found in our Topic Index under headings with the same name.
Bloodborne pathogens
OSHA’sbloodborne pathogens standard, located at 1910.1030, covers an estimated 5.6 million workers in healthcare and other facilities who are at risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens (BBPs). Exposure to BBPs may occur in many ways. Although needlestick injuries are the most common means of exposure, pathogens can also be transmitted through body fluids, mucous membranes, and non–intact skin. The majority of at-risk workers are in the healthcare field, but exposures can also occur to workers in general industrial and office settings. It’s up to every employer to ensure that those employees are protected. If you have at least one employee with one or more of these responsibilities, OSHA requires your company to develop a bloodborne pathogens exposure control program.
Emergency action plan
A number of different OSHA regulations involve emergency response. A few of them include:
Your company needs to be prepared for emergency situations. This includes planning and training. The more prepared you are, the fewer losses you will have. Employees should be aware of certain procedures to protect themselves and others from injury during fire and other emergencies. Your company should conduct regular emergency drills so that all employees know what to do and where to proceed during an emergency. They should be familiar with the following:
- How to report fires, hazardous chemical spills, and other emergencies.
- The route they are assigned to take during a building evacuation.
- Who to ask for more information.
First aid
OSHA requires that employees be given a safe and healthy workplace that is reasonably free of occupational hazards. However, it is unrealistic to expect accidents not to happen. Therefore, employers must provide medical and first aid personnel and supplies commensurate with the hazards of the workplace. The details of a workplace medical and first aid program are dependent on the circumstances of each workplace and employer. Employers must determine their requirements for medical and first aid services. The first aid standards can be found in 1910.151.
Hazard communication
The Hazard Communication Standard contains a number of elements: Hazard evaluation, MSDSs, the written program, labels, and employee training. OSHA issued the regulation to help control chemical exposure on the job. It can be found at 1910.1200. The Standard says you have a right to know what chemicals you are working with or around. Its intention is to make your workplace a safer place. The Hazard Communication Standard requires that all chemicals in the workplace be fully evaluated for possible physical or heath hazards. Also, it mandates that all information relating to these hazards be made available to workers.
Lockout/tagout
OSHA regulates lockout/tagout through the Control of Hazardous Energy standard, found at 1910.147. This standard mandates training, audits, and recordkeeping to ensure that workers will not be unintentionally injured by the unexpected energization, start-up, or release of electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, thermal, or any other type of energy.
Machine guarding
There seem to be as many hazards created by moving machine parts as there are types of machines. Safeguards are essential for protecting workers from needless and preventable injuries. A good rule to remember is: Any machine part, function, or process which may cause injury must be safeguarded. When the operation of a machine or accidental contact with it can injure the operator or others in the vicinity, the hazards must be either controlled or eliminated. The requirements for machine guarding can be found in Subpart O.
Occupational noise exposure
Excessive noise or unwanted sound in the workplace is annoying and can affect worker performance, as well as safety. An effective noise hazard assessment program involves assessing the workplace for noise hazards, taking appropriate measures to eliminate or control noise, and protecting workers from any such hazards that are found. There is no cure for noise-induced hearing loss, so the prevention of excessive noise exposure is the only way to avoid hearing damage. The applicable OSHA regulation can be found at 1910.95.
Personal protective equipment
Careful selection and use of adequate PPE should protect the respiratory system, skin, eyes, face, hands, feet, head, body, and hearing. No single combination of protective equipment and clothing is capable of protecting against all hazards. Thus, PPE should be used in conjunction with other protective methods. The use of PPE can itself create significant worker hazards, such as heat stress, physical and psychological stress, and impaired vision, mobility, and communication. In general, the greater the level of PPE protection, the greater are the associated risks. For any given situation, equipment and clothing should be selected that provide an adequate level of protection. Over-protection as well as under-protection can be hazardous and should be avoided. The requirements for PPE selection and use can be found in Subpart I.
Powered industrial trucks (forklifts)
Powered industrial trucks most often operate in areas where other people are working, creating a potential for accidents involving both the forklift operator and pedestrians. OSHA has developed extensive regulations, detailing operator training requirements, forklift inspection needs, safe driving rules, and battery charging and changing requirements. The regulations even spell out what type of vehicle must be used in certain types of work areas. These regulations can be found at 1910.178.
Walking/Working surfaces
Slips, trips, and falls account for many industry accidents. They cause 10 percent of all accidental deaths and are fourth, following motor vehicles, homicides, and being struck by objects or equipment as a cause of fatalities. The OSHA standards for walking and working surfaces apply to all permanent places of employment, except where domestic, mining, or agricultural work only is performed. The applicable regulations can be found at 1910.22.
