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  • 6 Changes in OSHA to be Aware of in 2024

    If you run any type of warehouse, factory, or other industrial facility, it's important to keep your workplace safe. That includes doing whatever is necessary to protect you, your workers, and anyone who might be visiting your facilities. To ensure that you do this, OSHA has put several safety protocols and standards in place.

    However, just when you thought you had all of OSHA's rules down pat, they're set to make some changes in 2024. This includes how and when you're required to document injuries and illnesses, tighter standards on workplace violence, and more. Failing to note these changes could result in infractions, leading to costly fines and work delays.

    If you want to make sure you stay up to date on everything OSHA-related for the new year, you've come to the right place. This article will detail several important changes you need to be aware of, as well as how they might benefit your workplace.

     

    What is OSHA, and What Do They Do?

    OSHA, short for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, is the official governing body responsible for protecting the workers of America. OSHA is a federal entity, and they have the power to punish and discipline you and your business if you violate their rules.

    While OSHA is a stern governing body that is strict with its rules, they are doing what they do to keep workers safe. Each of their rules is put in place for a reason, and businesses that comply with them are safer and better for it.

    OSHA is also responsible for tracking and documenting different types of injuries, illnesses, and incidents that happen in the workplace. This is only possible, however, when employers and business owners do their part in reporting and properly documenting incidents in the workplace. As such, many of OSHA's rule changes for 2024 revolve around these aspects.

     

    Important Changes OSHA is Making For 2024

     

    Electronic Injury Tracking Practices

    The biggest change to watch out for in 2024 is that OSHA is looking to improve tracking of workplace injuries and illnesses, specifically for companies with 100 or more employees. The new illness and injury tracking rules will apply to high-hazard facilities, such as those involved with agriculture, food, transportation, manufacturing, and more.

    Employers will have to make submissions of Form 300 and Form 301 once per year and include a comprehensive list of all illnesses and injuries that took place. In addition to these changes, the new rule, "Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses," also includes the following requirements:

    - When they make the electronic submission, each company has to include its full legal name.

    - Double-check the current North American Classification System to see if the new rule applies to them.

    - Appendix B has been added to the existing OSHA code books with the new stipulations of new companies required to adhere to the new rule.

    This new rule will make it easier for OSHA to keep track of injuries and illnesses in the workplace. However, they're also allowed to post some of the information on public websites, which will make some injuries and illnesses public knowledge. This is good for the sake of full disclosure but could anger some employers.

    However, in spite of the potential downfalls, the new "Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses" rule will be beneficial. It will ensure that employers are more accountable than ever when it comes to reporting injuries and illnesses so that OSHA can make the necessary changes in the future.

    Deadline For Submissions

    In conjunction with the new "Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses" rule, there's also a new deadline for when submissions need to be made. All submissions from last year must be made by March 2, 2024, and any ensuing submissions must be made at the same time each year.

    Three-Year National Program Regarding Warehouse and Distribution Center Operation

    Thanks to an increase in warehouses and distribution centers in the US, OSHA is amping up its three-year national safety program initiative. They will be making more inspections of warehouses and distribution centers, and the inspections will be more comprehensive than before.

    Incidents That Qualify as Workplace Violence

    Another notable change in 2024 is that injuries sustained due to workplace violence must now be reported to OSHA, per the "Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses" rule. The rule applies to violent injuries that also occur outside of the workplace, such as if an employee is traveling for work or to or from work.

    The Potential for a New Heat Sickness Standard

    While nothing is set in stone yet, OSHA has created a comprehensive outline that could result in a new standard for protecting against heat sickness in the workplace. The goal of the new rule would be to require employers to come up with a comprehensive plan related to heat hazards. The plan would include evaluating and protecting against these hazards and the dangers of heat sickness they present.

    Clarification of Construction Safety Gear Requirements

    Finally, OSHA is doubling down on its previous PPE requirements as it pertains to the construction industry. Rather than having generic ill-fitting equipment, all employers and workers are required to have personal protective equipment and gear that fits them properly. While there's currently a similar rule in place, the new ruling is expected to get enforced quickly, which could result in additional PPE expenses to purchase new equipment.

    What Do You Need to Do When OSHA Makes Changes

    If OSHA makes a rule change and it applies to you, you must make changes within your company to comply with OSHA. To do this, double-check to ensure that the new rule applies to you and follow up on OSHA's website to see what exactly the changes entail. Failing to comply with new changes could result in fines and penalties for your business.

    How to Ensure You Remain OSHA Compliant

    It's important to note that not all of the changes coming in 2024 will affect all businesses. The "Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses" rule, for example, only applies to businesses with more than 100 employees. Other new rules, such as the proposed new heat sickness standard, only apply to companies that have heat hazards in the workplace.

    Therefore, it's important to do your research and determine if the rule changes apply to you. If they do, you'll need to make changes within your warehouse, distribution center, or company to comply with OSHA's changes.

  • The Effects of Diesel Fuel on PVC Piping

    red truck diesel fuel towing highway transportation

    "Will diesel fuel harm PVC pipe?"

    "Will PVC pipe hold up to diesel fuel?"

    "Can PVC pipe be used for diesel fuel?"

    "Is PVC pipe compatible with diesel fuel?"

    These questions are difficult to answer because they can mean different things. Often people ask these questions because they are wondering whether or not they can use PVC pipe to transport or store diesel fuel. Others ask because they are transporting PVC pipe and want to know if diesel fuel exhaust from a truck will damage the pipe or make it less usable. Regardless of the motivation, these questions are all perfectly reasonable. This blog post will provide some answers to this tricky topic.

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  • 7 Common Building and Plumbing Code Violations

    Both building code violations and plumbing code violations can cause major problems in a home or any building. Most of the rules are in place to ensure the safety of a building's occupants, so disregarding them is putting people's safety in jeopardy. This list compiles some of the most common plumbing code violations as well as some regularly-seen building code violations.

    1. Improper Bathroom Venting

    Most bathrooms have exhaust fans. These fans send steam or odors out of the bathroom and into a vent. These vents are meant to lead directly outside, but they often end in an attic instead. This is dangerous, as moisture can collect in an attic and cause rot and other issues. Also, since the warm air and moisture is getting trapped in the closed space of the attic, they may get stuck in the bathroom, causing mold and mildew to form. To avoid those problems, all vents should have their outlets outside the building, either through the roof or through the side of the building.

    2. Misplaced Smoke Alarms

    smoke alarm placed proper distance from ceiling

    Building codes require smoke alarms to be placed on each level of the house and outside each  bedroom. Codes for new homes are even stricter, requiring a smoke alarm in each bedroom, hard-wired with a battery backup, and interconnected. This means that if one activates, they will all activate. The most commonly-seen mistake with smoke alarms is that they are placed too low. Because smoke travels upwards, it can sometimes miss smoke alarms that are too low on a wall.

    Smoke alarms can be either ceiling-mounted or wall-mounted. Ceiling-mounted alarms should be installed at least 4 inches away from walls. Wall-mounted alarms should be installed between no less than 4 but no more than 12 inches down from the ceiling. These guidelines are provided in the directions included in their packaging. Smoke alarms are important life-saving devices and must be installed properly.

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  • 5 Interesting Trends and Statistics for "Women in Construction Week"

    Women in Construction Week is a yearly event started by the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) to highlight women as a visible and necessary component of the building and construction industry. This year it falls on March 6th-12th and will raise awareness of all the diverse opportunities for women in construction.

    To celebrate this week, we at CIS have compiled this list of interesting and eye-opening facts about women in the construction industry.

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  • 7 Important Facts About Green Building Ratings

    1. The popularity of green buildings continues to increase.

    leed-green-ratings-factsSoon, all buildings may be required to meet, at least, the prerequisites for LEED certification -LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is given by the U.S. Green Buildings Council -. Homeowners that apply for LEED certification have increased rapidly in residential and commercial/ industrial buildings. Today, more than 50,000 residential units and more than 57,000 commercial or industrial buildings hold this certification and the numbers continue to increase every day. The number of green buildings has increased by more than 35 percent since 2005.

    2. Green building rating system includes standards for indoor environment and maintenance.

    Buildings are also rated on how environmentally-friendly their interior is. Usage of water- and energy-saving systems, such as compact fluorescent light bulbs, effective air filtration systems,  and moisture control, can be built-in and need to be maintained properly by contractors and building managers.

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  • OSHA Safety Violations in 2015 & Tips on How to Avoid Them in 2016

    In order for business owners to prevent accidents in the workplace, it is important that they know the top OSHA safety violations in 2015, and how they can avoid them.

    Fall Protection

    osha-safety-violationsWhen an employee falls in the workplace, it can lead to serious injuries. If the employees are working at heights, it is important that they take a safety at heights class. They should also be using the proper safety gear, while working at heights.
    It is also important to protect employees working on the ground. If there is any type of spill, a sign should be placed by the spill along with an orange safety cone to block off the entire area.

    Hazard Communication

    New changes to OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard require that chemical manufacturers not only put the information about the hazardous chemicals on the label, they must also prepare safety data sheets in a specific form. When the Hazard Communication Standard is not followed, it can result in serious chemical burns. It is important that all people working with hazardous chemicals follow the standard to the letter to prevent an accident.

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  • No-Lead Act for Potable Water

    As of January 4th, 2015 leaded brass products are obsolete under the No-Lead Act for potable water applications. This provides your customers with lead-free water so you need to know what has changed and what the new requirements are.

    For a start, the new law has an effect on thousands of brass products. Here is a list of some of the products that have changed:

    • • Copper Meter Setters and Insetters
    • • Angle Stops
    • Check Valves
    • • Corporation Stops
    • • Backflow Valves
    • • Supplies
    • • Curb Stops
    • • Water Heaters
    • • Meter Yoke Valves
    • • Indirect Tanks
    • • Shower Heads

    There are more but this is an example of just some of the products that are affected.

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  • Trade School Scholarship Program Announcement

    CIS Core ValuesCommercial Industrial Supply is offering a scholarship for students pursuing a certification or degree in the commercial and industrial field. We want to support students pursuing a career as a skilled builder or contractor. We are proud to announce a scholarship program focused on students attending trade or technical schools!

    We want to help students that are seeking degrees or certifications in HVAC, general contracting, plumbing, construction or residential/commercial remodeling. Commercial Industrial Supply’s first scholarship award of $1,000 will be awarded for the fall semester of Fall 2016 to cover costs of tuition, books, training costs or certification exam fees.

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  • Construction Worker Shortage: Fact, Fiction or Both?

    Shortage claims vs. conflicting economic data

    According to home builders, the nation's housing market is facing a shortage of qualified construction workers. According to economists, however, the numbers just don't add up.

    As of November 2015, the rate of unemployment for those in the construction industry is roughly 6.2%, and in 2014 the number of construction workers per housing unit was found to be 40% higher than it was before the housing crisis.

    In addition, economists argue, in a true shortage one would expect that the wages of construction workers would be rising rapidly; according to a report from J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., this isn't happening.

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