OSHA 3317-06N. First aid is emergency care provided for injury or sudden illness before emergency medical treatment is available. The first-aid provider in the workplace is someone who is trained in the delivery of initial medical emergency procedures, using a limited amount of equipment to perform a primary assessment and intervention while awaiting arrival of emergency medical service (EMS) personnel. A workplace first-aid program is part of a comprehensive safety and health management system that includes the following four essential elements: management leadership and employee...

OSHA 3341-03N - Ergonomics for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders: Guidelines for Shipyards. Many proactive initiatives taken by the shipyard industry have resulted in a reduction in injuries and illnesses. Shipyards have reported that many shipyard tasks are performed in awkward body postures, at nonadjustable workstations, on scaffolds, and in enclosed or confined spaces (1, 2, 3). Even in this environment, the shipbuilding industry has found ways to make shipyard work easier through ergonomic solutions. However, the industry still has higher injury rates than general industry and...

In 2005, OSHA published the Best Practices for Hospital-Based First Receivers guide that provided guidance for those healthcare facilities that receive and treat victims of hazardous substance releases. At the request of stakeholders that participated in the development of that guide, OSHA has developed a similar guide for emergency medical service (EMS) responders who provide medical assistance during an incident involving a hazardous substance release. This guide, OSHA 3370-11, Best Practices for Protecting EMS Responders, is intended for employers of EMS responders and discusses the...

More than 500,000 workers are employed in laboratories in the U.S. The laboratory environment can be a hazardous place to work. Laboratory workers are exposed to numerous potential hazards including chemical, biological, physical and radioactive hazards, as well as musculoskeletal stresses. Laboratory safety is governed by numerous local, state, and federal regulations. Over the years, OSHA has promulgated rules and published guidance to make laboratories increasingly safe for personnel. This document, OSHA 3404-11R, Laboratory Safety Guidance, is intended for supervisors, principal...

This guide, OSHA 3433-05, Small Entity Compliance Guide for the Final Rule for Cranes and Derricks in Construction, is intended to help small businesses comply with OSHA's standard for Cranes and Derricks in Construction. It is designed to address the most common compliance issues that employers will face and to provide sufficient detail to serve as a useful compliance guide. It does not, however, describe all provisions of the standard or alter the compliance responsibilities set forth in the standard, which is published at 29 CFR 1926.1400 - 1442. The reader must refer to the standard...

OSHA 3335-10N, Preparing and Protecting Security Personnel in Emergencies, addresses emergencies involving hazardous substance releases and provides guidance for employers, and their security personnel, who may be involved in the emergency response. In this guidance document, OSHA provides practical information to assist employers of security personnel in addressing employee protection and training as part of emergency planning for hazardous substance, natural disaster, and WMD-type incidents. While terrorist incidents are not emergencies that OSHA expect an employer to reasonably anticipate,...

OSHA 3358-01N, Deck Barge Safety, presents guide on preventing injuries and illnesses from workplace hazards on deck barges. Approximately 4,000 deck barges operate in the Unites States, using different types of winches and other equipment in a variety of operations. Employees on these vessels can face serious hazards. Between 1997 and 2006, 305 employees were killed on barge/tow combinations, and 379 explosions or fires occurred on barges or towboats, killing 14 employees. Many such injuries and deaths could be prevented with proper controls, procedures, training, and awareness of hazards...

This guidance document, OSHA 3362-04, Controlling Silica Exposures in Construction, addresses the control of employee exposures to respirable dust containing crystalline silica, which is known to cause silicosis, a serious lung disease, as well as increase the risk of lung cancer and other systemic diseases. This document provides information on the effectiveness of various engineering control approaches for several kinds of construction operations and equipment, and contains recommendations for work practices and respiratory protection, as appropriate. Quartz is the most common form of...

This Small Entity Compliance Guide (SECG), OSHA 3384-09 - Small Entity Compliance Guide for the Respiratory Protection Standard, is intended to help small businesses comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Respiratory Protection standard (63 FR 1152; January 8, 1998). While the guide is for small entities, the guide itself is not small. OSHA's goal for this document is to provide small entities with a comprehensive step-by-step guide complete with checklists and commonly asked questions that will aid both employees and employers in small businesses with a better...

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is a major concern to businesses, schools, building managers, tenants, and workers because it can impact the health, comfort, well-being, and productivity of the building occupants. OSHA recognizes that poor IAQ can be hazardous to workers' health and that it is in the best interest of everyone that building owners, managers, and employers take a proactive approach to address IAQ concerns. This OSHA guidance document on IAQ, OSHA 3430-04 - Indoor Air Quality in Commercial and Institutional Buildings, provides practical recommendations that will help prevent or...