August 17, 2005— The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has published two new Safety and Health Information Bulletins on its Web site. The first highlights the special challenges of hearing-impaired workers, and the second focuses on excavator bucket hazards.
“Innovative Workplace Safety Accommodations for Hearing-Impaired Workers” highlights the challenges hearing-impaired individuals face on the job, including receiving emergency notifications, evacuating safely in an emergency, receiving training, communicating, and responding to workplace safety hazards. OSHA says these barriers can be minimized through implementation of the practical steps, as appropriate for each situation, described in the bulletin. This bulletin, prepared in collaboration with the National Hearing Conservation Association alliance participants, industry representatives and other federal agencies, offers emergency/evacuation response and workplace safety and health considerations for hearing-impaired employees.
“The Hazards of Inadequately Securing Hydraulic Excavator Buckets When Using Quick Coupling Devices” outlines specific methods for workers and employers to address workplace hazards and prevent further accidents caused by the use of excavator buckets. OSHA published the bulletin following a recent accident in Wisconsin where an excavator bucket was released unexpectedly from a quick coupler, resulting in the death of the worker involved.
