Question: Are safety and health agencies still paying attention to “regular” pre-existing safety regulations, or are they mostly focusing on COVID-19 (coronavirus) protocols?
Answer: Yes, federal OSHA and state safety and health agencies are continuing to address safety concerns and violations unrelated to COVID-19. Recently, federal OSHA came onsite to investigate a partial finger amputation at a Montana manufacturer and discovered multiple violations, including lack of appropriate machine guards, lockout/tagout procedures, and noise monitoring. OSHA also learned the company had failed to report previous serious injuries. OSHA cited the manufacturer and the staffing agency it used, proposing a combined total of $264,478 in penalties.
There’s a lot to juggle out there between keeping employees safe from amputations and global pandemics, all the way down to first aid for minor injuries. To understand where to focus, you should identify hazards, monitor incident trends, and key in on the most common and the most expensive injuries. Your Vigilant safety professionals are here to help you chip away at these goals and embed a culture of safety into production and quality control. We’re happy to set up a virtual Zoom conference with you to get started. And if you’re ever unsure when to report a serious work-related injury, see our Legal Guide, Catastrophe/Fatality Notification Procedure, and contact your Vigilant safety professional with any questions.
