OSHA

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OSHA Tips to Protect Workers During the Holiday Season

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Author, Jadyn Brandt, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

As the holiday season approaches, many businesses will experience an increase in demand that can put an extra strain on a workplace and its employees. The surge in work often means more safety challenges for an employer. To deal with the additional strain, employers may be hiring new or seasonal employees, bringing in additional volunteers, and/or expanding their hours. Despite these changes, safety should still remain a top priority.

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OSHA Form Submission Time: A Refresh

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Author, Megan Lockhart, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

It's that time of the year again, when employers review their work-related injuries and illnesses from the past year and fill out their OSHA 300A Form. Companies in designated industries must electronically submit the 300A Form to OSHA by March 2nd, 2024. As this deadline swiftly approaches, let’s review further details of these requirements.

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Top 5 OSHA Violation Trends and Solutions

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Author, Sam Clayton, Vice President, Construction Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Every year, Federal OSHA conducts thousands of inspections and issues costly citations to companies. So, it is imperative for business owners and safety managers to be aware of the most common citations and how to avoid them through effective safety programs.

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The Final Chapter: Addressing Training, Access and Recordkeeping in the IIPP

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Author, Jack Marrs, Associate Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

In this third installment of exploring an Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP), we will be taking a closer look at: Providing employee training and instruction, procedures to allow employee access to the program, and recordkeeping and documentation.

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Safety Evolution: General Contractors Begin Requiring Safety Helmets Over Hard Hats

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Author, Megan Lockhart, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

The hard hat has long been a staple for construction-site safety. However, a new contender has entered the industry in 2023 as more and more general contractors are requiring safety helmets.

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OSHA Officially Rules for Expanded Recordkeeping Requirements for High-Hazard Industries

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Author, Megan Lockhart, Client Communications Coordinator, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Recently, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) made its final ruling to expand recordkeeping requirements for high-hazard industries, such as construction. The new requirements will take effect January 1, 2024 and will expand on what injury and illness information is needed to be electronically submitted to OSHA.

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Identifying Proper Procedures for the Injury and Illness Prevention Program

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Author, Jack Marrs, Associate Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

In this second installment of exploring an Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) we will be taking a closer look at the procedures for identifying and evaluating workplace hazards, investigating occupational injury or illnesses, and correcting unsafe or unhealthy conditions, work practices and procedures.

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Implementing Best Practices when Hiring in the Construction Industry

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Author, Casey Craig, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

With unemployment rates settling near 4 percent, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find the right employees to help grow your construction company. With most able-bodied workers having secure employment, this leads to having either apprentice-type employees that come with unique challenges or pulling from an aging workforce that can bring cumulative injuries and risks. Navigating these issues can be complex and there is not a perfect solution, but employer’s hiring practices need to change in order to keep up with the current state of the industry.

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Properly Utilizing Tailgate Meetings

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Author, Casey Craig, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

For many foremen and superintendents, weekly tailgate meetings can feel like a task that just needs to be checked off the list. However, while the purpose of these meetings is critical for the health and well-being of fellow field employees, the time required and repetitive nature of them can create challenges. To maximize the benefits of these meetings, construction firms must be proactive and thoughtful as they develop an inventory of topics.

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Construction Death Rate Not Decreasing as Expected

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Author, Casey Craig, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

With the heightened safety regulations and OSHA guidelines over the past decade, many would think we are working in a much safer environment with fewer fatalities. Despite the rising number of employees and using a standard based off deaths per 100,000 employees, the data is showing that the number of fatalities are the same as they were a decade ago.

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OSHA Proposes to Expand Electronic Form Submission Requirements

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Author, Lauren Stumpf, Media Communications & Client Services Specialist, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently released a proposed rule that would increase electronic reporting requirements for businesses summiting OSHA logs.

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Understanding the DART and TCIR Calculations

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Author, Lauren Stumpf, Media Communications and Client Services Specialist, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

When a project owner asks you to provide the company’s DART or TCIR rate, it may seem a little overwhelming at first. But, the two numbers are really a score that can be used to compare contractors’ safety history. These numbers can be important during the bidding process when comparing multiple bids and could be a determining factor for who is awarded the contract.

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Top 5 OSHA Violations for 2021

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Author, Sam Clayton, Vice President, Construction Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Every year, Federal OSHA conducts thousands of inspections and issues costly citations to companies. So, it is imperative for business owners and safety managers to be aware of the most common citations and how to avoid them through effective safety programs.

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Cal/OSHA Adopts Revised ETS Through April 2022

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Author, Alyssa Burley, Media Communications and Client Services Manager, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

On Thursday, December 16, 2021, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board voted in favor, 6 to 1, of adopting the revised COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS). This is the third iteration of the ETS since it originally went into effect in November 2020 and it happens to be the second and final re-adoption that’s allowed.

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Top Five Workers’ Compensation Claims That Impact a MEP’s Bottom Line

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Author, Amber Webb, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

If you are an MEP contractor who wants to impact both your productivity and profitably, then the following is crucial for your success. Our MEP Group at Rancho Mesa understands the importance of identifying the top five workers’ compensation claims that impact your industry while providing pertinent resources to help mitigate that risk.

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OSHA Issues ETS Addressing Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination or Testing

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Author, Sam Clayton, Vice President, Construction Group, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced a new emergency temporary standard (ETS) to protect more than 84 million workers from the spread of the coronavirus on the job.

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How Janitorial Firms Can Avoid OSHA Fines

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Author, Jeremy Hoolihan, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Avoiding government standards in the janitorial industry can be costly in the event of an unexpected OSHA visit or after a serious injury. In an industry that generally has lean profit margins, OSHA fines could be detrimental to the stability of the business. Knowing the most common OSHA violations and protecting your business from them can help insulate your organization from costly fines while also keeping your company safe. Here are five of the most common OSHA violations in the janitorial industry and strategies to avoid potential fines.

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Top Five OSHA Citations the Tree Care Industry Should Avoid

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Author, Rory Anderson, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Every year, Federal OSHA conducts hundreds of inspections and issues costly citations to tree care companies. Although the Occupational Health OSHA citations can be issued for many reasons, there are five specific citations that continually plague the tree care industry every year.

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ANSI Releases New Mobile Elevating Work Platforms Standards

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Author, Casey Craig, Account Executive, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Last year, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) updated their aerial lift standard, starting with renaming it Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWP). This has been in the works since 2018 and is designed to align training, certifications, and equipment used on a more universal standard. According to the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR), roughly 26 people die from MEWP each year. This prompted the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to increase training requirements to keep accidents to a minimum. Obviously, MEWP are essential for completing a wide variety of construction jobs. So, what should you, as a business owner, be doing to ensure your employees are safe and in compliance when OSHA comes by your jobsites?

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Californians Wait for Revised COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards

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Author, Alyssa Burley, Media Communications and Client Services Manager, Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, Inc.

Over the past few weeks, Californians have eagerly awaited news from the State’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (Standards Board) on revisions to Cal/OSHA’s COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards after the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released its latest guidance that ease mask wearing for those who are fully vaccinated.

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