Precast Inc. - July/August 2008 - (Page 55) (such as California, Oregon and Washington), while others simply follow the federal OSHA Standards (such as Georgia and Florida). In total there are 23 states that have their own plans, but while the individual plans may vary from state to state, they are still subject to the federal OSHA plan. Which industry? The OSHA Standards are divided into groups for different industries. For precast manufacturers, the most important are 1910 (General Industry) and 1926 (Construction Industry). In a precast plant, any manufacturing operation falls under the General Industry Standards. When a plant dispatches the product to a job site and the installation is performed by plant personnel, then such operations are regulated under the Construction Industry Standards. For example, manufacturing a prestressed wall will be under Industry Standards, and setting it up at the job site will be under Construction Standards. Since its passage into law in 1970, the Occupational Safety and Health Act has been very specific about the roles played by employers and employees. This can be best summarized by the General Duty Clause under 29 USC 654, which states that “each employer shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees; and shall comply with occupational safety and health standards promulgated under this Act.” In reference to the employees, the Clause adds that “each employee shall comply with occupational safety and health standards and all rules, regulations, and orders issued pursuant to this Act which are applicable to his own actions and conduct.” OSHA inspections One way for OSHA to enforce the Standards and the General Duty Clause is by conducting inspections at the workplace through its list of occurrences mandated by Congress that generate such inspections. First and foremost is something called imminent danger (that is, a worker exposed to a condition that could result in death or grave personal injury). This is followed by fatal accidents and catastrophes (accidents that require hospitalization of three or more workers); employers are required to report fatalities and catastrophes to OSHA within eight hours. Third on the list are employee’s complaints received by OSHA about unsafe conditions at the workplace. Next are referrals, which are usually calls received by OSHA from law enforcement personnel, emergency services and sometimes members of the public. Last on the list are programmed high-hazard inspections, which are conducted by OSHA in industries that have a high ELECTRICAL UPGRADES CUSTOM DESIGN/PLANNING/CONSULTING BATCH PLANT INSTALLATION RETROFITS MIXER REPLACEMENTS web: www.robertober.com email: info@robertober.com phone: 210.569.9262 or 877.HP.PLANT (877.477.5268) Plant SM Plant Out tters SILO REPAIR CONVEYOR REPAIRS SM BOOTH 1851 THE PRECAST SHOW ONSITE PLANT FABRICATION DUST COLLECTOR UPGRADES DESIGN-BUILD CONTRACTORS PLANT RENOVATION & MOVING JULY/AUGUST 2008 | WWW.PRECAST.ORG 55 http://www.robertober.com http://www.robertober.com http://www.precast.org
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.