Longitudinal Patterns of Compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration Health and Safety Regulations in the Manufacturing Sector

Recent trends in the organization of work have increased the risk of occupational safety and health (OSH) in Kenyan industries through exposure to hazardous substances, work related accidents and increased stress-related illnesses. According to International lab our organization (ILO) everyone is entitled to the right to safe and healthy working conditions and therefore the corpus of law in Kenya dealing with occupational safety and health should be embedded in the international OSH legal instruments. Specifically the occupational health and safety Act (2007) is expected to provide for safety, health and welfare of workers and all persons lawfully present at workplaces. The purpose of this study therefore was to investigate legal framework as a determinant of implementation of occupational health and safety programmes in the manufacturing sector in Kenya. It focused on six legal areas predicted as affecting implementation of OSH. These factors were national OSH policy, OSHA (occupational safety and health Act) familiarity with OSHA, government OSH inspections and audits, ease of implementation of OSHA, Government support in the implementation of OSH and OSHA implement ability. The study adopted descriptive cross-sectional survey design but however intended to gather both qualitative and quantitative data. A self administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 257 OSH officers drawn randomly from 735 manufacturing industries registered by Kenya manufacturers association. 252 questionnaires were received back and analyzed with the help of SSPS window version 21. Both correlation and regression analysis were conducted and the results showed that there was a positive significant relationship between legal framework and implementation of OSH programmes.

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Are we Failing Vulnerable Workers? the Case of Black Women in Poultry Processing in Rural North Carolina

NEW SOLUTIONS A Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy ◽

10.1177/104829110701700204 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 17-40

Author(s):

H. J. Lipscomb ◽

J. M. Dement ◽

C. A. Epling ◽

M. A. Mcdonald ◽

A. L. Schoenfisch

Keyword(s):

North Carolina ◽

Black Women ◽

Occupational Safety ◽

Health And Safety ◽

Occupational Safety And Health ◽

Musculoskeletal Symptoms ◽

Health Administration ◽

Poverty Level ◽

Safety And Health ◽

Poultry Processing

In 1989, North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspectors cited two poultry processing plants in northeastern North Carolina for serious repetitive motion problems. In 1990, investigators from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health confirmed significant upper extremity musculoskeletal symptoms and disorders among workers. We now report on analyses of baseline data collected from a cohort of women employed in one of these plants. The plant, which is the largest employer of women in the area, is located in a sparsely populated area with a black majority where nearly one-third of the population lives below the poverty level. Conditions we report suggest failure of existing health and safety systems, both regulatory and consultative, to prevent morbidity among vulnerable women in this industry, as well as social and economic conditions that influence availability of work and use of benefits to which they are entitled.

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Commercial Diving Operations During Salvage and Pollution Response Operations1

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-2003-1-153 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 2003 (1) ◽

pp. 153-159 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

James E. Elliott

Keyword(s):

Oil Spill ◽

Occupational Safety ◽

Health And Safety ◽

Coast Guard ◽

Occupational Safety And Health ◽

Hazardous Substance ◽

Health Administration ◽

Safety And Health ◽

Oil Spill Response ◽

Standards And Regulations

ABSTRACT Oil spill response personnel encounter commercial diving operations during salvage and pollution response operations. During an oil spill or hazardous substance release, the National Contingency Plan requires that response operations, including commercial diving operations, be conducted in accordance with the requirements, standards, and regulations of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Additionally, the Coast Guard requires that commercial diving contractors meet their own commercial diving regulations (46 CFR 197) during response operations. Incident commanders and safety officers should ensure that an inspection of the on-site diving operation is conducted to confirm that commercial diving personnel, operations, and equipment meet the applicable regulations. This technical paper provides guidance to response personnel on the inspection of commercial diving operations during marine response operations and an overview of the equipment used to protect divers in contaminated waters. Additionally, this guidance provides checklists to facilitate the inspection of commercial diving operations to protect the health and safety of commercial divers.

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A descriptive analysis of 2020 California Occupational Safety and Health Administration COVID-19-related complaints

10.1101/2021.12.06.21262384 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Marilyn D Thomas ◽

Ellicott C Matthay ◽

Kate A Duchowny ◽

Alicia R Riley ◽

Harmon Khela ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Occupational Safety ◽

Descriptive Analysis ◽

Health And Safety ◽

Workplace Safety ◽

Occupational Safety And Health ◽

Future Research ◽

Health Administration ◽

California Department ◽

Safety And Health ◽

Per Capita

COVID-19 mortality disproportionately affected specific occupations and industries. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) protects the health and safety of workers by setting and enforcing standards for working conditions. Workers may file OSHA complaints about unsafe conditions. Complaints may indicate poor workplace safety during the pandemic. We evaluated COVID-19-related complaints filed with California (Cal)/OSHA between January 1, 2020 and December 14, 2020 across seven industries. To assess whether workers in occupations with high COVID-19-related mortality were also most likely to file Cal/OSHA complaints, we compared industry-specific per-capita COVID-19 confirmed deaths from the California Department of Public Health with COVID-19-related complaints. Although 7,820 COVID-19-related complaints were deemed valid by Cal/OSHA, only 627 onsite inspections occurred and 32 citations were issued. Agricultural workers had the highest per-capita COVID-19 death rates (402 per 100,000 workers) but were least represented among workplace complaints (44 per 100,000 workers). Health Care workers had the highest complaint rates (81 per 100,000 workers) but the second lowest COVID-19 death rate (81 per 100,000 workers). Industries with the highest inspection rates also had high COVID-19 mortality. Our findings suggest complaints are not proportional to COVID-19 risk. Instead, higher complaint rates may reflect worker groups with greater empowerment, resources, or capacity to advocate for better protections. This capacity to advocate for safe workplaces may account for relatively low mortality rates in potentially high-risk occupations. Future research should examine factors determining worker complaints and complaint systems to promote participation of those with the greatest need of protection.

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Labor-Management Cooperation in Illinois: How a Joint Union Company Team Is Improving Facility Safety

NEW SOLUTIONS A Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy ◽

10.1177/1048291118759303 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. 227-239

Author(s):

Bruce Mahan ◽

Reggie Maclin ◽

Ruth Ruttenberg ◽

Keith Mundy ◽

Tom Frazee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Occupational Safety ◽

Health And Safety ◽

Work Force ◽

Occupational Safety And Health ◽

Health Administration ◽

Labor Management ◽

Significant Safety ◽

Safety And Health ◽

Chemical Workers ◽

Cost Efficient

This study of Afton Chemical Corporation’s Sauget facility and its International Chemical Workers Union Council (ICWUC) Local 871C demonstrates how significant safety improvements can be made when committed leadership from both management and union work together, build trust, train the entire work force in U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration 10-hour classes, and communicate with their work force, both salaried and hourly. A key finding is that listening to the workers closest to production can lead to solutions, many of them more cost-efficient than top-down decision-making. Another is that making safety and health an authentic value is hard work, requiring time, money, and commitment. Third, union and management must both have leadership willing to take chances and learn to trust one another. Fourth, training must be for everyone and ongoing. Finally, health and safety improvements require dedicated funding. The result was resolution of more than one hundred safety concerns and an ongoing institutionalized process for continuing improvement.

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