Mar 14, 2021
Perhaps more than any other department, human resources can cover the widest scope of job activities within a company. And there are quite literally hundreds of job titles that can fall under the HR umbrella, with countless more possible based on specific needs.
No matter which titles are used, the HR department is generally responsible for administering employee benefits and managing the employee life cycle, from recruiting and hiring to onboarding and even terminating.
One important aspect a human resources team handles is employee training. Much like HR in general, this can include many things, but it doesn’t always include safety training. However, perhaps it should.
MSHA Releases New Guidance to Protect Miners from COVID-19
A new guidance from the Mine Safety and Health Administration outlines steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 for coal miners.
Mar 12, 2021
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration announced a stronger coronavirus safety guidance intended to keep coal miners safe from the coronavirus in the workplace. MSHA, notably, did not issue an emergency temporary standard, as the union had requested.
“This updated guidance provides U.S. mine operators with important recommendations for protecting miners from coronavirus,” Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health Jeannette Galanis said in a statement.
By Travis Rhoden, Senior EHS Editor at J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.
If you use forklifts at your facility, you know you have to train your operators. OSHA s standards for Powered Industrial Trucks at 29 CFR 1910.178 require all forklift operators to receive a combination of formal instruction and hands-on experience. Formal training can be made up of classroom lectures, discussions, interactive computer learning, videos, and written materials. Hands-on training may include demonstrations by the trainer and practical exercises performed by the employee.
Employers must evaluate all employees on their skills before allowing them to operate a forklift at the facility. Employees must also be evaluated after refresher training and at least once every three years, or whenever an operator is observed to operate in an unsafe manner, or who is involved in an accident or a near miss. If the employee doesn t pass the evaluation, then you must provide refresher training. Of course, if the op
OSHA Launches Program to Protect High-Risk Workers from COVID-19
In response to an executive order from President Biden, OSHA has released details on how it will focus in on worker safety and health amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Mar 12, 2021
In a highly anticipated move, the Occupational Health & Safety Administration announced a new program intended to protect high-risk workers from coronavirus. In a press release, OSHA said it launched a national emphasis program (NEP) focusing enforcement efforts on companies that put the largest number of workers at series risk of contracting the coronavirus.
“This deadly pandemic has taken a staggering toll on U.S. workers and their families. We have a moral obligation to do what we can to protect workers, especially for the many who have no other protection,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Jim Frederick. “This program seeks to substantially reduce or eliminate coronavirus exposu