Hot Topics in Health and Safety-and Why Members Should Get Involved!

1
Hot Topics in Health and Safety-and Why Members
Should Get Involved!

• Diane Matthew Brown
• Health and Safety Specialist
• Department of Research and Collective Bargaining
  Services

2
The Fight for Safe Workplaces

• This year marks the 40th anniversary of OSHA.
• But eight years of neglect and inaction by the
  Bush Administration seriously eroded safety and
  health protections and put workers lives in
  danger.
• Every day in this country, an average of 14
  workers die on the job as a result of workplace
  injuries.

3
The Fight for Safe Workplaces

• In less than 3 months time, 41 workers killed in
  3 major industrial disasters.
• In 2008, 5,214 workers lost their lives on the
  job, and another 50,000 died from occupational
  diseases.
• Over 8 million public employees STILL do not have
  safety and health protections on the job.
• SO, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?

4
Protect Americas Workers Act!

• HR 2067 introduced by Representative Lynn
  Woolsey (D-CA) April 23, 2009
• Sister Bill in Senate S. 1580
• Referred to the House Committee on Education and
  Labor, Rep. George Miller, Chair
• 72 co-sponsors- see who they are here
• http//protectingworkers.org/node/25

5
Protect Americas Workers Act

• Extends OSHA coverage to all public employees
• This provision is threatened to be dropped from
  the bill!
• Increases penalties to be meaningful deterrent to
  reckless employers
• For the first time, employers could face criminal
  charges
• Strengthens whistleblower provisions (11c)
• Expands worker and Union rights in inspections
  and enforcement cases
• Provides rights to victims families

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Is Your State Covered by OSHA? Find out here

• http//www.osha.gov/dcsp/osp/states.html
• See the Protect Americas Workers Act here
• http//www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill
  h111-2067

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What AFSCME Activists Need To Do!

• Even if your state already has OSH coverage this
  law is important to YOU!
• Write a letter to Congress! Tell them to support
  the Protect Americas Workers Act!
• Support State initiatives that expand health and
  safety protections.
• Negotiate strong health and safety contract
  language!

8
Health and Safety Issues Every AFSCME Member
Needs to Know

• Global Harmonization
• Infectious Diseases and H1N1 Update
• Whats Up with Ergonomics?
• Workplace Violence Initiatives
• Other issues of note

9
What is the Global Harmonization System (GHS)?

• A consistent method of defining and
  classifying hazards of chemical products and
  mixtures, and communicating those hazards through
  standardized labels and data sheets

10
Global Harmonization and Right to Know

• GHS will significantly change the Hazard
  Communication Standard (Hazcom), 29 CFR 1910.1200
• The current Hazcom standard is performance based
  and covers these five elements
• Chemical inventory
• Written program
• Labels and labeling systems
• Material safety data sheets (MSDS)
• Training
• Other chemical specific standards may
• also be affected

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What are the Major Changes?

• Transition from performance oriented to a
  standardized approach.
• Health, physical and environmental hazard
  criteria for substances and classification of
  mixtures.
• Harmonized pictograms, hazard statements and
  signal words on labels.
• 16 section standardized safety data sheet

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Pictograms

• 9 pictograms that convey a certain class of
  hazards
• NOT required on all labels-depends on severity
  of hazard
• Diamond shaped with red border
• Similar to the DOT labels and placards
• Pictograms would also be used on EPA regulated
  products (disinfectants, pesticides, herbicides,
  etc.)

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Sample Label GHS
14
The Safety Data Sheet (SDS)
ORDER IS SPECIFIC AND REQUIRED!

• Stability and reactivity
• Health effects -Physical and chemical properties
• toxicity
• Ecological info
• Disposal
• Transport
• Regulatory information-optional
• Other information incl. date of preparation or
  revision

• Identification of substance or mixture and of the
  supplier
• Hazard identification
• Information on ingredients
• First aid measures
• Firefighting measures
• Accidental release
• Handling and storage
• Exposure controls/PPE

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When Would GHS Take Affect?

• Already taking affect in Europe and Canada
• In the US proposed amendments to the OSHA Hazard
  Communication Standard were published 9/30/2009.
• The proposed rule includes a two year transition
  period for training and a three year transition
  period for other parts of the standard

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What AFSCME Activists Need To Do!

• Make sure your union health and safety committees
  and labor-management committees are aware of
  upcoming changes
• Hold your employer accountable-make sure chemical
  inventories, MSDS, and training are up to date
• Look for an announcement on the Final Rule in the
  next year to 18 months
• Look out for free training and Webinars from
  AFSCME!

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Infectious Diseases

• CA drafts and passes the countrys first Airborne
  Transmission Disease Standard
• Support for a Federal standard grows. OSHA
  publishes a federal register notice requesting
  information on an infectious disease standard was
  published on May 6 and can be found at
• http//edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-10694.
  pdf
• 25 states now require hospitals to provide the
  public with report cards on their infection rates
• 4 states and the VA mandate screening for
  Hospital Acquired Infections (HAI) incl. MRSA
• Clostridium difficile (C.-diff) now 1 HAI

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Law Updates for HAIs
19
H1N1-Lessons Learned from the Pandemic

• H1N1 2009 strain has affected over 214 countries
  and territories
• World Health Organization puts the number of
  confirmed deaths at 17,798 (04/11/2010)
• H1N1 2009 continues to be
• the predominate influenza worldwide

20
Statistics

• Height of the second wave pandemic in the US was
  late October (week 43)
• Not normal seasonal influenza pattern
• CDC Case estimates (midrange)
• 57 million cases
• 257,000 Hospitalizations
• 11,690 Deaths
• Higher number of healthy persons with
  complications than seasonal flu
• Among healthcare workers, Emergency Dept.
  personnel had the highest infection rate

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Vaccine Production and Distribution

• States underestimated number to order
• About 155 million vaccines distributed
• 86 million persons vaccinated
• CDC made appeal for most at risk to be
  prioritized
• Slow grower made quick
• mass production difficult
• Single dose injections
• production takes longer
• Some recalls due to poor
• efficacy

22
Working While Sick

• Based on BLS survey data, it is estimated that
  nearly 8 million workers attended work while sick
• Employees who attended work while ill may have
  infected another 7 million co-workers
• Data suggests that 90 of public employees stayed
  home while ill-compared to 66 of the private
  sector

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Concerns

• Mandatory vaccination vs. voluntary programs
• Essential vs. non-essential personnel
• Definition?
• Cant have it both ways
• Sick leave policies, out of leave or attendance
  issues
• Respiratory protection surgical masks vs. N95s
• Surge capacity issues
• Physicians did not want to see patients-what
  about doctors notes?

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Sources of Information

• CDC free resources flu page http//www.cdc.gov/f
  lu/freeresources/additional_print.htm
• WHO flu updates http//www.who.int/csr/don/2010_0
  3_12/en/index.html
• BNA Briefing report Sick at Work
  http//op.bna.com/dlrcases.nsf/id/czon-82gr94/Fil
  e/sick.pdf

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What AFSCME Activists Need To Do!

• Provide comments if appropriate and support an
  expanded infectious disease standard by lobbying
  your State and Federal representatives
• Support voluntary vaccination programs
• Best control for contagious individuals is
  containment therefore allowing people to stay
  home while sick is key
• Revisit contract language and family leave
  policies
• Pandemic flu planning fully integrated into
  emergency preparedness plans.

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Ergonomics

• History-Ergonomic standard revoked via
  Congressional Review Act by the Bush
  Administration
• Notice to put the MSD column back on the 300 log
  out for public comment
• OSHA to update their guidance documents
• Ergonomics could be dealt with sector by sector
• HUGE resistance by industry, even though
  ergonomic injury rates to workers are high

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Safe Patient Handling

• Several States (Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota,
  New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas,
  and Washington) have enacted safe patient
  handling laws and initiatives
• Win-win for both patient and staff
• Clear cost benefits-research studies show a drop
  in injuries to both patients and staff when
  enacting safe patient handling procedures
• Hearings on May 11, 2009 on the Federal Bill
  Nurse and Health Care Worker Protection Act of
  2009, S 1788 in the Senate Bill with a sister
  bill H.R.2381in the House

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WA
ME
MT
ND
VT
NH
MN
OR
NY
MA
WI
ID
CT
SD
MI
RI
WY
PA
IA
NJ
NE
OH
MD
DE
NV
IN
IL
WV
UT
VA
DC
CO
CA
KS
MO
KY
NC
TN
SC
OK
AR
NM
AZ
GA
AL
MS
AK
TX
LA
FL
Enacted legislation/adopted regulations to date
(9 states) IL, MD, MN, NJ, NY, OH, RI, TX, and
WA, plus a resolution from HI. Legislation
introduced in 2010 (7 states) HI, MA, MI, MN,
MO, NY, VT
HI
Source ANA February 2010
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What AFSCME Activists Need To Do!

• Does your state have a safe patient handling law?
  Find out!
• Partner with patient care/quality groups and
  other health care unions to enact legislation in
  your state
• Do you work in a health care facility? Work with
  labor-management to enact a no-lift policy at
  your facility!
• Contact your Senators and Representatives to
  support the Nurse and Health Care Worker
  Protection Act!

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Other State Safety Initiatives

• On September 1, 2009, the Illinois Public
  Employee Only (PEO) State Plan was approved as a
  developmental plan under Section 18 of the
  Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 and 29
  CFR 1956.
• http//www.state.il.us/agency/idol/
• Green Cleaning Movement-several states are
  requiring green products be purchased (esp.
  schools)
• http//www.epa.gov/dfe/tools/
• http//www.epa.gov/epp/pubs/products/cleaning.htm
  
• Workplace Violence Initiatives NY, WA, IN, CA,
  MN and others
• http//www.osha.gov/dcsp/osp/work_violence.html
• Work zone safety initiatives nationwide

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What AFSCME Activists Need To Do!

• Survey your co-workers-what are the most pressing
  issues at your worksite?
• Photograph and document!
• Bring up safety issues at every labor-management
  meeting!
• Lobby locally for safety improvements!
• Email/write/call your Representatives!

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Additional Sources of Information

• Global Harmonization
• http//www.osha.gov/dsg/hazcom/ghs.html
• Society for Chemical Hazard Communication
  www.schc.org
• CA Airborne Diseases Standard http//www.dir.ca.g
  ov/title8/5199.html
• Ergonomics
• http//www.osha.gov/SLTC/ergonomics/index.html
  
• http//www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ergonomics/