OSHA initiative to target worker injuries in warehousing, distribution
Reprints
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Wednesday announced a Mid-Atlantic regional initiative in three states and the District of Columbia in an effort to protect workers and reduce injuries and illnesses in the warehousing, storage and distribution.
The five-year program focuses on industry employers in Pennsylvania, Delaware, the District of Columbia and West Virginia.
The initiative follows a Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2020 finding that the warehousing and storage industry’s injury rate of 4.8 per 100 workers is higher than the U.S. average of 2.7 per 100 rate among all private industries. In addition, from 2017 to 2020, BLS reported 93 work-related fatalities nationally in the industry.
OSHA said its emphasis program launched Aug. 3 and includes a three-month period of outreach aimed at education and prevention. During this time, agency representatives will share safety and health information with employers, trade associations and workers.
In fall 2022, OSHA will begin targeted enforcement, incorporating on-site inspections to identify safety and health hazards, including those typically found in the warehousing industry. These include those related to the use of powered industrial trucks, such as forklifts, lockout/tagout procedures, machine guarding, means of egress, and fire suppression. Inspections will not include marine terminals or shipyards.
“With the rapid growth of e-commerce, the warehousing industry has significantly expanded. This emphasis program will address hazardous conditions these workers continuously face every day,” OSHA Regional Administrator Michael Rivera in Philadelphia said in a statement. “Through coordinated outreach, education efforts and on-site inspections, OSHA is determined to identify hazardous workplace conditions and hold industry employers accountable for providing a safe and healthful workplace.”
The emphasis program will expire Aug. 3, 2027.
