Category: Safety

Each year the National Safety Council encourages America to celebrate National Safety Month (June). MCAA is helping you celebrate this year with three new safety resources. The resources, which include MCAA Toolbox Safety Talks for Mechanical Construction Workers  (Volume VI), MSCA Safety Manual for Mechanical Service Technicians (Third Edition), and MCAA Safety Manual for Mechanical Construction Workers (Eighth Edition), will be made available to members for free this month as a benefit of membership. MCAA will announce the release of each new safety resource, all of which will be accessible here.

OSHA recently delayed enforcement of its 2016 rule on respirable crystalline silica. The enforcement date has been changed from June 23, 2017 to September 23, 2017. Affected employers can comply by either following Table 1 of the rule, or by implementing the alternative exposure control methods that are established by the rule. (Note: This rule is under litigation by the Construction Industry Safety Coalition and other groups. The groups that are in opposition to the rule believe that OSHA did not meet its burden of prove with regard to the rule being technologically and economically feasible. It is unknown whether the litigation will be resolved prior to the newly established September 23 enforcement date. 

MCAA has several silica safety resources to help your company comply with the rule. They are available to you for free as a benefit of membership. The resources, which can be accessed here, are listed below.

• Worker Safety Training Video on Silica
• Accompanying Silica Safety Pocket Guide
• 20-Question Multiple Choice Test and Answer Key
• Worker Safety Training Documentation Sheet
• Model Silica Exposure Control Plan
• Silica Safety Guide
• Silica Safety Bulletin

MCAA urges all affected members to participate in the 4th annual nationwide OSHA Safety Stand Down to help prevent workers from falling from elevations, and protect those workers who do fall. Falls from elevations are the third leading cause of injury in the mechanical construction and service injury, and the injuries from the impact of falling are often extremely severe. The stand down takes place May 8-12, 2017. To participate, take time out during that week to refresh your workers memories about the industry’s fall hazards and accompanying fall prevention and protection measures. MCAA’s educational fall prevention and protection safety resources, which are provided for you as a benefit of membership, are listed below. You can access them here.

MCAA Educational Safety Resources:

Fall Restraint and Arrest Systems – Video – Pocket Guide – Training Documentation Sheet – 20-Question Multiple Choice Test – Test Answer Key

Ladder Safety – Video – Pocket Guide – Training Documentation Sheet – 20-Question Multiple Choice Test – Test Answer Key

Aerial Lift Safety – Video – Pocket Guide – Training Documentation Sheet – 20-Question Multiple Choice Test – Test Answer Key

Scaffold Safety – Video – Pocket Guide – Training Documentation Sheet – 20-Question Multiple Choice Test – Test Answer Key

MCAA Toolbox Safety Talk – Volume I – Talk #s (1 – 11)

MCAA Toolbox Safety Talk – Volume II – Talk #s (1 – 6)

MCAA Toolbox Safety Talk – Volume IV – Talk #s (1 – 5)

Online OSHA 10 & 30 hour construction safety standards courses, and the OSHA 10 hour general industry safety standards course (fabrication shops & mechanical service work) are available to MCAA and MSCA members at discounted prices.

OSHA 10 Hour Construction (Discount not available for CAL OSHA 10-hour course)

Regular Price – $89        MCAA Member Price – $80.10

OSHA 30 Hour Construction

Regular Price – $189      MCAA Member Price – $170.10

OSHA 10 Hour General Industry

Regular Price – $89        MCAA/MSCA Member Price – $80.10

The provider of the courses… ClickSafety is one of very few companies that are authorized by OSHA to provide these courses. The company has a great deal of experience presenting top-qualify safety training online. To take advantage of your 10% discounts, visit ClickSafety  and use the MCAA VIP discount code: MCAA2017.

Skin Cancer has become a major concern in the mechanical construction and service industry. Every year more than 5 million cases of skin cancer are treated nationwide. The vast majority of skin cancer cases are attributed to (UV) Radiation from the sun. Working in the sun unprotected substantially increases the risk of developing skin cancer. To find out more about how to help your fitters, plumbers, and service techs protect themselves from skin cancer, please join us for a free one-hour webinar on May 3rd from 1:30 to 2:30 Eastern Time. The presenter is  friend, colleague, and former MCAA staffer Cheryl Stratos. The host of the webinar is long-time partner in safety… CNA.

Learn More
 

Several of OSHA’s recently released safety and health regulations have provisions that become enforceable sometime this year.  The three that apply to the mechanical industry are silica, recordkeeping, and crane operator certification. Each of these regulations is currently under scrutiny by the new administration and various employer groups. It is conceivable that one or more of the compliance deadlines could be extended or rescinded. However, MCAA recommends that you get your company into compliance with all rules that apply to it prior to the established enforcement deadlines. MCAA will let you know immediately if substantive changes are made to any of the regulations. The compliance deadlines are shown below along with notes describing the current status of each regulation.

Respirable Crystalline Silica 

June 23, 2017 – By June 23 affected employers must be in compliance with OSHA’s new rule on respirable crystalline silica. Employers can comply by either following Table 1 of the rule, or by implementing the alternative exposure control methods that are established by the rule. (Note: This rule is under litigation by the Construction Industry Safety Coalition and other groups. The groups that are in opposition to the rule believe that OSHA did not meet its burden of prove with regard to the rule being technologically and economically feasible. It is unknown whether the litigation will be resolved prior to the June 23 enforcement date). 

Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses  

 July 1, 2017  – By July 1 small employers (20 to 249 employees), and large employers (250 or more employees) must electronically submit their OSHA 300A summary information from 2016 to OSHA. The agency will provide a secure website address for submitting the information. MCAA will provide you with that address as soon as it becomes available.  (Note: This regulation is under litigation by several employer groups contesting the anti-retaliation provisions, and the requirement for employers to disclose confidential business information. It is unknown whether the litigation will be resolved prior to the July 1 enforcement date). 

Cranes & Derricks in Construction (Operator Certification)

November 10, 2017 – By November 17 employers with affected crane operators will have to be in compliance with OSHA’s crane operator certification requirements. However, the agency is currently in the process of updating the crane operator certification requirement in its Cranes and Derricks in Construction rule. The agency expects to issue a final rule in time for the November 17 crane operator certification compliance date. (Note: It is unknown whether OSHA will be able to issue a final rule on crane operator certification requirements prior to the November 17 compliance deadline.)

MCAA is producing several new safety and health resources for members in 2017. These resources will be free in electronic format as a benefit of membership. Coming to you the first-half of 2017 are:

• Safety Manual for Mechanical Fabrication Shop Workers (Already available electronically – Printed manuals will be available in February)

• Toolbox Safety Talks for Construction Contractors – Volume VI

• Safety Manual for the Mechanical Construction Trades (Revised)

• Safety Manual for the Mechanical Service Trades (Revised)

• Mechanical Industry Ergonomics for Injury Prevention Video and Accompanying Materials

The release of each resource will be announced on the MCAA website.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently published a new rule on Beryllium. The rule does apply to the construction industry, but it will have little effect on mechanical construction employers and their workers. The only potential exposure to beryllium for mechanical construction workers would be work in close proximity to another trade that is performing abrasive blasting with a blasting media containing beryllium. Under these circumstances affected employers would have to reschedule work in the affected area or establish protective measures for the workers, such as ventilation and respiratory protection. The welding consumables used for most mechanical work do not contain beryllium.
 
Read OSHA’s Fact Sheet on the Final Rule

If you would like more information on beryllium in construction, the Hilgeman Group is presenting a one hour webcast on the subject on February 2, 2017 starting at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

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Selecting subcontractors that are fully committed to workplace safety and health is crucial to staying competitive in the mechanical construction industry. Subcontractors’ safety and health practices can positively or negatively impact your company’s ability to protect workers, make money, and secure future work. Following selection, properly managing subcontractors to ensure implementation of effective safety and health programs, and best safe work practices is just as critical. Safe projects are more profitable, and companies whose subcontractors consistently perform safely have a much easier time securing future work.

This guide provides mechanical construction employers with the information needed to objectively select subcontractors that are committed to jobsite safety and health, and assist them through the process of establishing and implementing the programs, policies, procedures, and safe work practices necessary to consistently perform their work safely. The guide will also help the user verify and document that the necessary safety and health measures have been established, and are consistently implemented.

Download Guide

MCAA recently released another safety resource… the MCAA Safety Manual for Mechanical Fabrication Shop Workers. This resource is similar in design to the association’s extremely popular Safety Manual for the Mechanical Construction Trades, and Safety Manual for the Mechanical Service Trades.  The manual provides fabrication shop workers with critical safety information on everything from working safely with overhead and gantry cranes to preventing overexposure to manganese while performing hot work in the fab shop. The information is presented in a user-friendly manner and includes illustrations to keep the users engaged in the topics. This resource is available to members for free in electronic format as a benefit of membership.

Download the Manual

MCAA’s safety training video Pre-Task Safety and Health Planning for Supervisors is one of six mechanical construction supervisor safety training videos that are available to you as a benefit of membership. The video describes the benefits of pre-task safety and health planning and walks supervisors through the quick and easy planning process. 

Download or play the video