Safety and health newsletter for the Oregon construction industry

• Tool talk: Portable abrasive grinders
• Small business and obstacles to workplace safety
• New rules update: Hazard communication
• Respirable hazard of the month: silica dust
• What’s wrong with this picture
• Three new “quick facts” fact sheets from Oregon OSHA

	Tool talk: Portable abrasive grinders One of the most common tools found in any shop, the portable grinder is incredibly useful for grinding and finishing material of all shapes and sizes. What are the hazards? The hazards associated with portable grinders are similar to those of pedestal or bench grinders. The rotating abrasive stone can cause ... Read more ...
	Small business and obstacles to workplace safety Among the advantages of owning and running a small business – let’s say one that employs 14.6 people, the statistical average for an Oregon firm – is the owner’s relative freedom to decide how the business will prosper. What role should workplace safety play in the owner’s decisions?... Read more ...
	New rules update: Hazard communication Oregon OSHA is adopting federal OSHA’s revised hazard communication standard [1910.1200] by Sept. 26, 2012. The revised standard will conform to the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). Oregon OSHA is also modifying other standards, including flammable and combustible liquids; spray finishing; reinforced plastics; dipping and coating; welding, cutting, and brazing; hazardous waste operations and emergency response; process safety management; pipe labeling; and most substance-specific health standards to ensure consistency with the revised hazard communication standard.... Read more ...
	Respirable hazard of the month: silica dust On many construction projects, some unsafe practices are obvious to a passerby. Working on a steep roof without fall protection, working in an unshored trench, and using a stepladder on a scaffold to gain a few extra feet are examples. But there’s one unsafe practice that literally calls attention to itself with ear-splitting noise and clouds of dust: dry-cutting concrete without respiratory protection. ... Read more ...
	What’s wrong with this picture Try Oregon OSHA’s interactive “What’s wrong with this picture” (beta) application. Our interactive “What’s wrong with this picture” application includes twenty-four photographs of workplace hazards taken by Oregon OSHA compliance officers. Can you identify the hazards? Some are easy to see. Others aren’t obvious. Give it a try. ... Read more ...
	Three new “quick facts” fact sheets from Oregon OSHA Oregon OSHA has new “quick facts” fact sheets on diisocyanates, methylene chloride, and hydrofluoric acid. Quick facts tell employees “just the facts” about safety and health topics in English and Spanish. Quick facts fact sheets are available only online on Oregon OSHA’s Publications page; click on ... Read more ...