Backend Category: Safety Excellence Initiative

Resource Highlight: MCAA/CNA MICROLEARNING SAFETY VIDEO SERIES: Refraining from Distracted Driving

Each week, MCAA will highlight one or more of the educational resources that are free to MCAA members as a benefit of membership. This week, we focus on the MCAA/CNA MICROLEARNING SAFETY VIDEO SERIES: Refraining from Distracted Driving. This video will teach your workers how refraining from distracted driving can help prevent motor vehicle collisions.

Your workers will learn:

  • How talking on the phone – even using a hands-free device – takes the mind off the road and leads to inattention blindness, a phenomenon that has proven to be deadly
  • Why it is smart to pull off the road to a safe location before making calls, sending texts, programming a GPS, or similar tasks
  • The importance of taking 60 seconds to clear the dashboard and organize the vehicle before heading out

Together with our partners in safety, CNA, MCAA developed the video, which is part of the MCAA/CNA Microlearning Safety Video Series, a series of easy-to-watch safety videos that are under 3-minutes long.

Download or Play the Video

All the videos in this series are available in our Resource Center any time.

Have Questions or Need Personal Assistance?

Contact MCAA’s Raffi Elchemmas.

BREAKING NEWS: Supreme Court Reinstates OSHA ETS Stay

Today the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued a decision regarding the highly controversial OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for COVID-19 vaccination.

SCOTUS granted the application for the stay blocking enforcement and progress of the ETS.

Regarding this nationwide stay of OSHA’s ETS for COVID-19 vaccination, SCOTUS holds that challengers to the rule are “likely to succeed on the merits” of their claims because the rule is broad enough to qualify as a “public health” mandate rather than an occupational standard.

They went on to say, “OSHA has never before imposed such a mandate. Nor has Congress.”

The full decision can be read here.

Watch for Updates As They Occur

MCAA will be closely monitoring SCOTUS and OSHA developments related to this issue and will communicate updates as they occur. In the meantime, questions may be addressed to MCAA’s Raffi Elchemmas.

Update on OSHA’s ETS on COVID-19

Today is the first day the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) can begin enforcement of the planning and record keeping mandates in its Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) on vaccine mandates.

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) heard oral arguments of the appeal on January 7, 2022, but has not reached a determination. Multiple Justices expressed doubt over OSHA’s claim on a “clear” basis for the vaccine ETS. While the Supreme Court could issue a decision at any time, we do anticipate it happening before February 10, 2022, the compliance deadline for testing.

In the meantime, MCAA has provided you with all the tools to help your company comply today.

Compliance Tools

  • MCAA’s Updated Bulletin on OSHA’s COVID-19 ETS – The only changes to the bulletin are the new enforcement dates. This bulletin is a simple reference document for you.
  • The original MCAA Model COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination Policy – This policy is for companies that require vaccines, but do not allow weekly testing and face covering use as an alternative.
  • The MCAA Model COVID-19 Vaccination, Testing and Face Covering Policy – This policy is for companies that require vaccines, or weekly testing and face covering use as an alternative to vaccines. It can also be easily tailored for use as your Mandatory Vaccination Policy for the companies that require vaccines, but do not allow weekly testing and face covering use as an alternative.
SAFETY BULLETIN
MODEL VACCINATION POLICY
MODEL VACCINATION, TESTING AND FACE COVERING POLICY

A Simple Record Keeping Tool

Additionally, to support the planning and record keeping deadline, TYFOOM, a member of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council (M/SC), created an automated, simple, and easy process to reach all employees on a regular basis with an ETS survey.

LEARN MORE

OSHA Compliance Deadlines

January 10, 2022: all requirements except testing

February 9, 2022: Vaccines or Testing

Watch for Updates As They Occur

MCAA will be closely monitoring SCOTUS and OSHA developments related to this issue and will communicate updates as they occur. In the meantime, questions may be addressed to MCAA’s Raffi Elchemmas.

Resource Highlight: MCAA/CNA MICROLEARNING SAFETY VIDEO SERIES: Worker Personal Health

Each week, MCAA will highlight one or more of the educational resources that are free to MCAA members as a benefit of membership. This week, we focus on the MCAA/CNA MICROLEARNING SAFETY VIDEO SERIES: Worker Personal Health. This video will teach your workers simple personal health practices that can help reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries.

Your workers will learn:

  • How insufficient oxygen throughout the body leads to fatigue and increased risk of injury
  • Why it’s important to have a healthy diet and stay hydrated
  • How both cardio and strength-building exercise can help
  • Why it’s important to stretch and flex muscles several times a day

Together with our partners in safety, CNA, MCAA developed the video, which is part of the MCAA/CNA Microlearning Safety Video Series, a series of easy-to-watch safety videos that are under 3-minutes long.

Download or Play the Video

Watch for highlights of the other videos in this series in the coming weeks. They are also available in our Resource Center any time.

Have Questions or Need Personal Assistance?

Contact MCAA’s Raffi Elchemmas.

New Tool to Track and Report Vaccine and Testing for OSHA’s ETS on COVID-19

There have been many requests from MCAA members for a simple and easy way to track & report the Emergency Testing Standard (ETS) from OSHA for both the vaccine requirements and weekly testing. 

TYFOOM, a member of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council (M/SC), created an automated, simple, and easy process to reach all employees on a regular basis with an ETS survey (examples attached).

For more information, please contact Tyfoom at customercare@tyfoom.com or call 801.717.1231 and mention that you are an MCAA member to obtain a 10% member discount.

As a reminder, unless ruled on by the Supreme Court, the most current OSHA compliance deadlines are:

  • January 10, 2022: All requirements except testing
  • February 9, 2022: Testing

If you have any questions, please contact MCAA’s Executive Director of Safety, Health, and Risk Management, Raffi Elchemmas, at raffi@mcaa.org. 

MCAA Offers Materials to Prepare You for OSHA’s ETS on COVID-19

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) will begin enforcement of its Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) on vaccine mandates in early 2022 barring an emergency stay from the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS). MCAA’s Safety Bulletin on the ETS, the MCAA Model COVID-19 Mandatory-Vaccination Policy, and NEW MCAA Model COVID-19 Vaccination, Testing and Face Covering Policy outline what needs to be done to be compliant with the ETS.

It is important for all MCAA members to begin making every possible attempt to comply with the standard, and carefully document every part of every attempt made to comply.

MCAA offers three items, available via the buttons below, that may be useful to you:

  • MCAA’s Updated Bulletin on OSHA’s COVID-19 ETS – The only changes to the bulletin are the new enforcement dates. This bulletin is a simple reference document for you.
  • The original MCAA Model COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination Policy – This policy is for companies that require vaccines, but do not allow weekly testing and face covering use as an alternative.
  • The MCAA Model COVID-19 Vaccination, Testing and Face Covering Policy – This policy is for companies that require vaccines, or weekly testing and face covering use as an alternative to vaccines. It can also be easily tailored for use as your Mandatory Vaccination Policy for the companies that require vaccines, but do not allow weekly testing and face covering use as an alternative.
SAFETY BULLETIN
MODEL VACCINATION POLICY
MODEL VACCINATION, TESTING AND FACE COVERING POLICY

OSHA Compliance Deadlines

January 10, 2022: all requirements except testing

February 9, 2022: testing

OSHA “will not issue citations for noncompliance with the standard’s testing requirements before February 9, so long as an employer is exercising reasonable, good faith efforts to come into compliance with the standard.”

OSHA released the following statement:

“To account for any uncertainty created by the stay, OSHA is exercising enforcement discretion with respect to the compliance dates of the ETS. To provide employers with sufficient time to come into compliance, OSHA will not issue citations for noncompliance with any requirements of the ETS before January 10 and will not issue citations for noncompliance with the standard’s testing requirements before February 9, so long as an employer is exercising reasonable, good faith efforts to come into compliance with the standard. OSHA will work closely with the regulated community to provide compliance assistance.”

Watch for Updates As They Occur

MCAA will be closely monitoring SCOTUS and OSHA developments related to this issue and will communicate updates as they occur. In the meantime, questions may be addressed to MCAA’s Raffi Elchemmas.

ETS BREAKING NEWS – 6th Circuit Dissolved the Stay of the OSHA ETS, Emergency Stay Application Filed, New Compliance Deadlines

A three-judge panel of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals dissolved the stay of the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) on vaccine mandates and testing on December 17, 2021. An emergency stay application has since been filed with the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) and OSHA has announced new compliance deadlines for implementation and enforcement of the ETS.

6th Circuit Dissolved Stay on OSHA ETS

The court order does not mention deadline extensions, it simply grants “the Government’s motion and DISSOLVE[S] the stay issued by the Fifth Circuit.”  MCAA has filed a request with OSHA to extend enforcement deadlines so all employers can have time to develop the appropriate plans.

COURT ORDER

OSHA Announces New Compliance Deadlines

January 10, 2022: all requirements except testing

February 9, 2022: testing

OSHA “will not issue citations for noncompliance with the standard’s testing requirements before February 9, so long as an employer is exercising reasonable, good faith efforts to come into compliance with the standard.”

OSHA released the following statement: 

“To account for any uncertainty created by the stay, OSHA is exercising enforcement discretion with respect to the compliance dates of the ETS. To provide employers with sufficient time to come into compliance, OSHA will not issue citations for noncompliance with any requirements of the ETS before January 10 and will not issue citations for noncompliance with the standard’s testing requirements before February 9, so long as an employer is exercising reasonable, good faith efforts to come into compliance with the standard. OSHA will work closely with the regulated community to provide compliance assistance.”

Impact on MCAA Members

Unless SCOTUS acts, MCAA members with over 100 workers must require them to be vaccinated or tested weekly by the new compliance deadlines.

MCAA Offers Compliance Resources

MCAA’s Safety Bulletin on the ETS and the MCAA Model COVID-19 Mandatory-Vaccination Policy outline what needs to be done to be compliant with the ETS.

SAFETY BULLETIN
MODEL PROGRAM

Watch for Updates As They Occur

MCAA will be closely monitoring SCOTUS and OSHA developments related to this issue and will communicate updates as they occur. In the meantime, questions may be addressed to MCAA’s Raffi Elchemmas.

Resource Highlight: MCAA/CNA MICROLEARNING SAFETY VIDEO SERIES: Proper Material Staging

Each week, MCAA will highlight one or more of the educational resources that are free to MCAA members as a benefit of membership. This week, we focus on the MCAA/CNA MICROLEARNING SAFETY VIDEO SERIES: Proper Material Staging. This video will teach your pipefitters, plumbers, sprinklerfitters, welders, service technicians and fabrication shop workers how to protect themselves from the musculoskeletal injuries that occur when materials are improperly staged.

Your workers will learn about:

  • How staging materials at waist height can help reduce the amount of bending needed to complete their work, reducing the risk of incurring back pain or back injuries
  • The types of commercially available staging areas
  • What to do when a commercially available staging area isn’t present

Together with our partners in safety, CNA, MCAA developed the video, which is part of the MCAA/CNA Microlearning Safety Video Series, a series of easy-to-watch safety videos that are under 3-minutes long.

Download or Play the Video

Watch for highlights of the other videos in this series in the coming weeks. They are also available in our Resource Center any time.

Have Questions or Need Personal Assistance?

Contact MCAA’s Raffi Elchemmas.

MCAA/MILWAUKEE TOOL 2021 Safety Professional of the Year Award Nominations Deadline Extended

At the request of members and local affiliate executives, the deadline for MCAA/MILWAUKEE TOOL Safety Professional of the Year award nominations has been extended until Friday, December 17, 2021. The award is presented annually to a mechanical industry safety and health professional who has led his or her company to achieving an exceptionally high degree of safety excellence.

The award winner for 2021 will be announced during MCAA’s 2022 Safety Directors’ Conference. This year the winner will also be invited to the MCAA22 convention in San Diego, CA in March to receive the award on stage during the Awards of Excellence Breakfast. Airfare, lodging and registration will all be complimentary.

To nominate someone from your company, or from another company, to become the 2021 MCAA/MILWAUKEE TOOL Safety Professional of the Year, please complete the nomination form and e-mail it to MCAA’s Executive Director of Safety, Health, and Risk Management, Raffi Elchemmas, at raffi@mcaa.org by close of business on Friday, December 17, 2021.

DOWNLOAD THE NOMINATION FORM

Don’t Miss the Latest Information & Innovations at the Safety Directors’ Conference

Safety and health professionals are registering for MCAA’s 19th annual Safety Directors’ Conference in record numbers. Don’t miss out! Join them at Disney World in Orlando, FL, January 18 – 20, 2022, to: 

  • Get the latest information on the current state of the OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) from Lauren Rayner Davis from Peckar & Abramson, P.C.
  • Explore the newest safety innovations from MILWAUKEE TOOL, Tyfoom, DEWALT, and Victaulic during the exhibit.
  • Hear from Olympic Skier and Best Selling Author Vince Poscente on Radical Safety, a zero incident mindset.

You won’t want to miss it! Check out the video and explore the event brochure to learn more. Better yet, click the register button and sign up today! We look forward to seeing you there!

BROCHURE
REGISTER

Resource Highlight: MCAA’s GHS Pictograms and Hazards Poster

Each week, MCAA will highlight one or more of the educational resources that are free to MCAA members as a benefit of membership. This week, we focus on MCAA’s GHS (globally harmonized system) Pictograms and Hazards Poster. This poster will teach your workers to recognize the pictograms used on chemical labels and understand the hazards associated with each.

DOWNLOAD

You Might Also Like These Resources

Have Questions or Need Personal Assistance?

Contact MCAA’s Raffi Elchemmas.

MCAA Offers Materials to Prepare You in the Event the Stay on OSHA’s ETS on COVID-19 Is Lifted

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) issued an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) on COVID-19 on November 5, 2021. While the standard has been temporarily stayed by the Fifth Circuit, MCAA wants to help mechanical construction, service, and fabrication shop employers prepare in the unlikely event the stay is temporarily lifted and OSHA decides to initiative enforcement. To that end, we’ve prepared this Safety Bulletin offering a quick overview of potential impacts and a Model COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination Policy. Both are now available free to members as a benefit of membership.

MCAA is closely monitoring the daily changes and legal challenges to the ETS and while we don’t believe the stay will be lifted anytime soon, we want you to be prepared just in case.

If you have questions, please contact Raffi Elchemmas, MCAA’s Executive Director of Safety, Health and Risk Management.

Resource Highlight: MCAA/CNA MICROLEARNING SAFETY VIDEO SERIES: Safe Lifting Technique to Help Prevent Musculoskeletal Injuries

Each week, MCAA will highlight one or more of the educational resources that are free to MCAA members as a benefit of membership. This week, we focus on the MCAA/CNA MICROLEARNING SAFETY VIDEO SERIES: Safe Lifting Technique to Help Prevent Musculoskeletal Injuries. This video will teach your pipefitters, plumbers, sprinklerfitters, welders, service technicians and fabrication shop workers how to protect themselves from the musculoskeletal injuries that occur when materials are improperly lifted and moved by hand.

Your workers will learn:

  • Why it’s important to warm up muscles
  • To assess how heavy and bulky the items are before lifting or moving them
  • To get help with items that are excessively heavy or bulky
  • Proper lifting technique
  • Proper turning technique
  • How to safely place an object down

Together with our partners in safety, CNA, MCAA developed the video, which is part of the MCAA/CNA Microlearning Safety Video Series, a series of easy-to-watch safety videos that are under 3-minutes long.

Download or Play the Video

Watch for highlights of the other videos in this series in the coming weeks. They are also available in our Resource Center any time.

Have Questions or Need Personal Assistance?

Contact MCAA’s Raffi Elchemmas.

Registration is Open for MCAA’s 2022 Safety Directors’ Conference

MCAA is ‘ALL IN’ for our 19th Annual Safety Directors’ Conference at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, January 18-20, 2022. This conference brings together hundreds of occupational safety and health professionals, MCAA local affiliate executives, United Association safety instructors, principals, owners, and others who have safety and health responsibility.

The conference includes:

20 Knowledgable Speakers
Several Hands-On Workshops
Team Building at EPCOT

PLUS The 2021 Safety Professional of the Year will be announced

We can’t wait to go ALL IN in 2022!

LEARN MORE & REGISTER

OSHA ETS on COVID-19 Stayed, Delaying Enforcement

On November 6, 2021, the attorneys general in ten states (Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Iowa) sued the Biden administration over the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) on COVID-19 that would have been effective immediately. As anticipated, the ETS has been stayed by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. MCAA members won’t have to worry about enforcement until the courts hear, and rule on, the lawsuits.

Resource Highlight: MCAA’s Mechanical Service Safety Training Video & Materials

Each week, MCAA will highlight one or more of the educational resources that are free to MCAA members as a benefit of membership. This week, we focus on MCAA’s Mechanical Service Safety Training Video and its materials. This video will teach your service techs how to protect themselves from the most common safety hazards in the field.

Your workers will learn:

  • How to conduct a quick walk-around vehicle inspection
  • Why it’s important to preplan their days to ensure that they have the right tools, materials and safety equipment on hand
  • How to protect themselves and others while driving
  • Why they should check in with their supervisor or someone at the office when working alone
  • How to safely set up and use ladders
  • When fall prevention/protection are needed and how to properly protect themselves
  • How to protect themselves from electrical hazards while working on equipment pushing 480 volts or less
  • What additional protection is needed when working on equipment pushing more than 480 volts

The video comes with a pocket guide that highlights key training points, a training documentation sheet, a 20-question multiple choice test, and a test answer key.

Download the Video and Accompanying Materials

Video |  Pocket Guide | Documentation Sheet | Test | Answer Key

You Might Also Like These Resources

Have Questions or Need Personal Assistance?

Contact MCAA’s Raffi Elchemmas.

OSHA Issues Highly Anticipated COVID-19 ETS

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) is issuing an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) on COVID-19.

Summary:

  1. Employers with 100 or more employees must ensure that each of their workers is fully vaccinated by January 4th, 2022 or test for COVID-19 on at least a weekly basis.
  2. Employers do not have to pay for COVID-19 tests under the OSHA ETS but may be required to pay under other laws or collective bargaining agreements (CBAs).
  3. Employers must provide paid-time for employees to get vaccinated and any sick leave for employees who get side effects starting on December 5, 2021.
  4. Unvaccinated employees must wear a face mask in the workplace starting on December 5th.
  5. Employers must remove from the workplace any employee who receives a positive COVID-19 test or is diagnosed with COVID-19.
  6. This ETS is effective immediately, although all aspects of the standard, other than testing, are enforceable starting Dec. 5th, 2021. Testing requirements become enforceable starting Jan 4th, 2022.

Additional details:

New Vaccination Requirement for Employers With 100 or More Employees: OSHA is issuing a COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) to require employers with 100 or more employees to:

  • Get Their Employees Vaccinated by January 4th and Require Unvaccinated Employees to Produce a Negative Test on at Least a Weekly Basis: All covered employers must ensure that their employees have received the necessary shots to be fully vaccinated – either two doses of Pfizer or Moderna, or one dose of Johnson & Johnson – by January 4th. After that, all covered employers must ensure that any employees who have not received the necessary shots begin producing a verified negative test to their employer on at least a weekly basis, and they must remove from the workplace any employee who receives a positive COVID-19 test or is diagnosed with COVID-19 by a licensed health care provider. The ETS lays out the wide variety of tests that comply with the standard. Given that vaccines are safe, free, and the most effective way for workers to be protected from COVID-19 transmission at work, the ETS does not require employers to provide or pay for tests. Employers may be required to pay for testing because of other laws or collective bargaining agreements. 
  • Pay Employees for the Time it Takes to Get Vaccinated: All covered employers are required to provide paid-time for their employees to get vaccinated and, if needed, sick leave to recover from side effects experienced that keep them from working. 
  • Ensure All Unvaccinated Employees are Masked: All covered employers must ensure that unvaccinated employees wear a face mask while in the workplace. 
  • Other Requirements and Compliance Date: Employers are subject to requirements for reporting and recordkeeping that are spelled out in the detailed OSHA materials available here. While the testing requirement for unvaccinated workers will begin after January 4th, employers must be in compliance with all other requirements – such as providing paid-time for employees to get vaccinated and masking for unvaccinated workers – on December 5th. The Administration is calling on all employers to step up and make these changes as quickly as possible.

Additional information on the OSHA ETS website

MCAA & MILWAUKEE TOOL 2021 Safety Professional of the Year Award Now Accepting Nominations

MCAA is now accepting applications for the 2021 MCAA & MILWAUKEE TOOL Safety Professional of the Year award. The award is presented annually to a mechanical industry safety and health professional who has led his or her company to achieving an exceptionally high degree of safety excellence. The award winner for 2021 will be announced during MCAA’s 2022 Safety Directors’ Conference. 

This year the winner will also be invited to the MCAA22 convention in San Diego, CA in March to receive the award on stage during the Awards of Excellence Breakfast. Airfare, lodging and registration will all be complimentary.

To nominate someone from your company, or from another company, to become the 2021 MCAA & MILWAUKEE TOOL Safety Professional of the Year, please complete the nomination form and e-mail it to MCAA’s Executive Director of Safety, Health, and Risk Management, Raffi Elchemmas, at raffi@mcaa.org by close of business on December 13, 2021.

DOWNLOAD THE NOMINATION FORM

Register Now for MCAA’s 2022 Safety Directors’ Conference

MCAA is ‘ALL IN’ for our 19th annual Safety Directors’ Conference at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, January 18-20, 2022. This conference brings together hundreds of occupational safety and health professionals, MCAA local affiliate executives, United Association safety instructors, principals, owners, and others who have safety and health responsibility.

Additionally, this conference is open to our partners at NECA, TAUC, and SMACNA to attend and participate in. Over the three days you will hear from subject matter experts on safety, health, risk management, legal, and other topics. Also​, Captain Richard Phillips will be presenting on the Hijacking of the Maersk Alabama. ​We can’t wait to go ALL IN in 2022!

LEARN MORE & REGISTER

Resource Highlight: MCAA’s Jobsite Safety Inspection Checklist

Each week, MCAA will highlight one or more of the educational resources that are free to MCAA members as a benefit of membership. This week, we focus on MCAA’s Jobsite Safety Inspection Checklist. This checklist can be easily customized to help keep you organized and on track when you perform safety inspections.

Topics covered by the basic checklist include:

  • Ladders & Stairways
  • General Fall Protection
  • Scaffolds
  • Excavations/Trenches
  • Electrical
  • Personal Protective Equipment
DOWNLOAD

For additional safety-related resources, including training videos and materials, visit the Direct Links to MCAA & MSCA Safety Resources page.

Have Questions or Need Personal Assistance?

Contact MCAA’s Raffi Elchemmas.