New OSHA Heat Standards ?
By Rob DeFranco
Sam Steel , Ed . D ., safety adviser for National Association of Landscape Professionals ( NALP ), says new , stricter heat standards from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration ( OSHA ) are on the horizon .
“ OSHA has looked at our numbers , and they know [ our industry ] has had fatalities among workers impacted by heat-related illness , and part of that new standard will be aimed directly at us ,” he says .
Steel says OSHA may take a page out of the California / OSHA book because OSHA currently has no standards related explicitly to heat safety . Cal / OSHA has a specific section dedicated to heat illness applying to outdoor places of employment and refers specifically to landscaping as one of five industries subject to all provisions of the standard .
Among the provisions in the standard is the requirement that employees must have access to shade and water when the temperature exceeds 80˚F . It also states that an employer should have high-heat procedures for when the temperature exceeds 95˚F . Procedures should include communication so employees can contact a supervisor and designating one or more employees to call for emergency services .
OSHA is in the beginning stages of putting together the standard , according to Steel , meaning implementation could still be more than nine months away . Still , Steel says companies should consider creating their own written heat illness policies – if they don ’ t have them already – to prepare for the future .
Excerpts from Landscape Management Magazine – Sept . 2022 .
AVAILABLE ON-DEMAND : JANUARY 15 – FEBRUARY 28 , 2023
Presented by :
John Ball , Ph . D ., BCMA , CTSP South Dakota State University
MAA Safety Webinar : Electrical Hazard Awareness
All arborists must be trained to recognize and avoid electrical hazards . This newly updated webinar covers a wide range of safety-related topics essential for arborists working near energized overhead power lines , presented by the tree care industry ’ s leading safety expert – Dr . John Ball .
Critical topics addressed in this webinar include :
• How electricity works and basic terminology
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• Line clearance pruning practices to reduce exposure
• Recent incidents involving tree workers and electrical conductors
• Emergency response to electrical contact incidents involving workers who are aloft
The webinar provides Electrical Hazard Awareness education in three 1-hour sessions . Completion of the course satisfies one major OSHA requirement for arborists working 10 feet or closer to energized conductors .
Dr . Ball will issue a Certificate of Attendance to participants who watch the full 3-hour course and successfully complete the follow up quiz by February 28 . Additional employer-verified proof of aerial rescue training and CPR / First Aid are required to fully meet OSHA ’ s EHAP certification standards .
CEU Credit : MCA Safety , ISA , CTSP Registration Fees : $ 79 / per person for MAA member firms and employees $ 129 / per person for Non-Members
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14 MAA NEWS WINTER 2022