Injury and Illness Prevention Programs


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Injury and Illness Prevention Programs—General

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Appeals Board Decisions: Employer's Cal/SHARP Status Bears Fruit; Citations Against IIPP Thrown Out
December 2010
At a geothermal power plant operated by Cal Energy Operating Corporation in the Imperial County city of Calipatria, two workers were welding a flange onto an injection well pipe when flammable gases inside the pipe exploded, seriously injuring one of the workers. After the April 2009 incident, a Cal/OSHA inspection resulted in multiple citations against Cal Energy, including one for not requiring in its Injury and Illness Prevention Plan (IIPP) that inspections identify and evaluate hazards whenever new substances, processes, procedures, or equipment are introduced, or whenever the employer becomes aware of a new or previously unrecognized hazard. . . . more »

Appeals Board Decisions: Employer's Hearing Protection Program Had Hits and Misses; Tips to Make Sure Your Program Provides Full Coverage
August 2010
After receiving an employee complaint about noise issues, Cal/OSHA inspected three "chill plants"--large warehouses for machinery that controls heating and cooling--at San Diego State University (SDSU) in August 2007. The inspection included the main chill plant, the business administration chill plant, and the athletics chill plant. . . . more »

Injury and Illness Prevention Programs: Check Your Compliance with the Most-Violated Cal/OSHA Standard
July 2010
Cal/OSHA's Injury and Illness Prevention Programs (IIPPs) standard topped the list of most-violated standards yet again in 2009. . . . more »

Bulletin: OSHA proposes new Injury and Illness Prevention Program standard
June 2010
Federal OSHA's spring 2010 Regulatory Agenda includes a new standard that would require employers to implement safety prevention measures tailored to the actual hazards in . . . more »

Appeals Board Decisions: Employer Cited for Inadequate Injury and Illness Prevention Program
September 2009
During an accident investigation of a forklift backover, a Cal/OSHA inspector asked to see RCP Block and Brick's injury and illness prevention program (IIPP). The inspector noted four deficiencies in the Escondido masonry supply company's plan, and cited the employer for a violation of Section 3203 of the Injury and Illness Prevention Program standard because its plan didn't . . . more »

Safe Work Practices: Does Your Injury and Illness Prevention Plan Combine Carrots and Sticks to Ensure Employee Compliance?
February 2009
Do you reward workers with incentives for working safely, or do you instead adhere to a strict disciplinary program for infractions? Do your workers encourage one another to work safely, or is all of the responsibility on management? Whether you use carrots or sticks, California requires you to have an Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) that includes a system for ensuring that workers comply with safe and healthy work practices. The IIPP standard, found in General Industry Safety Orders Section 3203, suggests three strategies employers can use to ensure compliance, and an effective program should incorporate elements of all three. . . . more »

Infection Control Checklist
Updated November 2010
Antibiotic-resistant microorganisms are becoming increasingly common. In part, this is due to the misuse and overuse of antibiotics, which tends to breed resistant strains. Another factor is the spread of these organisms from the immunocompromised populations where they first . . . more »

Ergonomics: Lean Manufacturing, Part 1; When More Efficiency Leads to Aching Backs
August 2008
Over the last decade, many manufacturers have embraced "lean manufacturing," a strategy to eliminate wasted time, motion, and storage by streamlining production, altering production processes, and paring back warehousing. These changes often show up in the bottom line at . . . more »

Combustible Dusts: Act Now to Protect Workers from Explosions
August 2008
On Feb. 7, 2008, the city of Savannah, Ga., shook to the blast of an explosion at the Imperial Sugar refinery, which claimed 13 lives. In the four months following that incident, more than 50 additional combustible dust explosions occurred in the United States, including one in the Los Angeles . . . more »

Injury Prevention: Animal Handling; Don't Let the Bear Get You
August 2008
Rocky the grizzly bear was a star. The 5-year-old, 7 1/2-foot-tall grizzly had most recently appeared in the Will Ferrell movie "Semi-Pro." So when Randy Miller and his cousin Stephen Miller, both experienced animal handlers, were working with Rocky and a third trainer at the Predators . . . more »

Emerging Hazards: Mercy, Mercy, MRSA; Keep Workers Safe from This Drug-Resistant Microbe
August 2008
Alma Zavala worked for 12 years as a guard at Calipatria State Prison in Imperial County before she became a dorm officer there in March 2008 at a level I minimum security dorm. Within about two weeks, the 45-yearold Zavala was admitted to a hospital and diagnosed with pneumonia; shortly . . . more »

Trainer's Handbook: Confined Spaces; A Basic Refresher for All Workers
August 2008
Workers whose jobs may never require them to enter a confined space need to know what one is so that they'll know to avoid its deadly hazards. A worker who thinks he or she can clear a jam in a process vessel by climbing into it, or a worker who thinks that it would only take a . . . more »

News Note: CPWR Releases Report, Recommendations for Preventing Crane Deaths, Injuries
August 2008
An average of 22 workers die each year in crane-related incidents, according to a new report on U.S. crane fatalities from the Center for Construction Research and Training (formerly known as the Center to Protect Workers' Rights and still known as CPWR). The report recommends . . . more »

News Note: EPA May Follow California's Lead
August 2008
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has acted on a citizens' petition requesting it to nationally adopt a recently enacted California regulation to control formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products and extend the rule to include composite wood products in . . . more »

News Note: Asthma Admissions Soaring
August 2008
Hospitals are finding that increasing numbers of adults admitted to the hospital for other conditions also have asthma, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Causes of the disease, which include occupational . . . more »

Electrical Safety: Flexible Cords and Cables; Be Inflexible About Safety
July 2008
Sometimes you need an electrical cord that bends a little. Maybe it's because you have to use your power drill or saw in many different locations during the workday. Maybe it's because a piece of machinery . . . more »

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