Safety and health newsletter for the Oregon construction industry

• The cost of workplace accidents: going up
• Struck-by injuries in construction - what they are and how they happen
• Update: Oregon OSHA's new confined space rule
• Update: Penalties and other Division 1 General Administrative Rules
• Oregon OSHA's "Fatality and accident reports" webpage revised

	The cost of workplace accidents: going up How effectively are you managing safety? If you want to keep your workers’ compensation costs down, you’ll need to be even more vigilant about loss control, according to the employer consulting firm Lynch Ryan Associates. In part, that’s because, under the NCCI’s new rating plan, employers’ primary losses – the most expensive costs in a claim – are doubling from the current cap of ... Read more ...
	Struck-by injuries in construction - what they are and how they happen After falls and injuries caused by overexertion, “struck-by” injuries account for the third-largest proportion of disabling claims in Oregon’s construction industry. What exactly are they and how do they happen? ... Read more ...
	Update: Oregon OSHA's new confined space rule Oregon OSHA’s new confined space rule, 437-002-0146, Confined Spaces, which will replace 1910.146, Permit-Required Confined Spaces, may be adopted as early as July. The agency still needs to review comments that were received just before the comment period closed on May 9. The effective date for complying with the new rule will most likely be the beginning of 2013. ... Read more ...
	Update: Penalties and other Division 1 General Administrative Rules Oregon OSHA has adopted changes to its penalties rules and other rules in Division 1 General Administrative Rules. The rules, which were adopted May 11, will become effective July 1, 2012. ... Read more ...
	Oregon OSHA's "Fatality and accident reports" webpage revised Oregon OSHA has revised and updated its Fatality and accident investigation reports webpage. If you’re looking for information on work-related fatalities in Oregon and summaries of accidents requiring overnight hospital stays ... Read more ...