The document summarizes recent workplace safety news from December 2015. It discusses OSHA raising penalty amounts in 2016, the top 10 safety articles and highest OSHA fines of 2015 totaling $8.7 million. It also provides a tip on concussions in the workplace and announces new safety signs available from ComplianceSigns.com.

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Top Safety News, December 2015
• OSHA to raise fine amounts in 2016
• Top 10 safety articles of 2015
• 10 highest OSHA fines of 2015 total $8.7 million
• Top 2015 safety tip: What to know about workplace concussions
Your ComplianceSigns Service Team Wishes You All the Best in the New Year!
December Safety News and Notes
Here's a collection of recent workplace safety news and resources from around the web. Click the
headline link above for full details.
OSHA to Raise Penalties for Safety Violations in 2016
OSHA is expected to increase its monetary penalties for safety violations next year. The change came
early this month, with a budget amendment that would allow OSHA to increase its fines in light of inflation.
Electronic Logging Devices to be Required for Commercial Drivers
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has announced
adoption of a Final Rule requiring commercial truck and bus drivers who
currently use paper log books to maintain hours-of-service records to adopt
Electronic Logging Devices within two years.
OSHA Publishes Tools to Help Prevent Workplace Violence in Healthcare
OSHA has developed a new webpage to provide employers and workers with
strategies and tools for preventing workplace violence in healthcare settings.
NIOSH Launches Motor Vehicle Safety eNewsletter, Behind the Wheel at
Work
The NIOSH Center for Motor Vehicle Safety has launched a quarterly e-newsletter to share research
updates, links to motor vehicle safety resources, practical tips on workplace driving and news about
upcoming events.
OSHA Expects to Complete Silica Rule in February 2016
OSHA's fall 2015 regulatory agenda projects that its final rule for occupational
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1/7/2016

2. exposure to crystalline silica will be completed in February 2016. The rule has
been in development for more than 15 years.
Review Floor Maintenance Procedures to Reduce Slip and Fall Incidents
Analyzing floor safety risks and establishing plans and procedures that address
hazards will help prevent or minimize the chance of incidents and injuries,
according to a recent article in OH&S magazine.
OH&S Webinars in January:
January 21 - Chemicals, Pesticides and Other Stuff - How to Comply?
January 27 - Care and Maintenance of PPE for Arc Flash and Flash Fire
Safety Stats for Construction Trades Released
The Center for Construction Research and Training released a report that charts fatal and nonfatal injuries
among construction trades between 2003 and 2014.
What's New at ComplianceSigns.com
• 356 Mine Safety signs, including safety notices for blasting, rigging,
active quarries, shafts, pits, abandoned mines and more in OSHA, ANSI
and standard formats.
• 138 new signs and labels for automatic doors and gates.
• Octagon-shaped pesticide and herbicide safety signs that address
fire safety issues.
• Type IV and Type IX prismatic reflective options for our parking,
truss construction, recreation and many other signs and labels. If you
need higher reflectivity than our standard 3M Engineer Grade material, it's
easy to choose these new options from our existing skus.
See all the newest signs and labels at ComplianceSigns.com.
Top 10 Workplace Safety Articles of 2015
Review the 10 articles that generated the most interest in the Connection newsletter and on our safety
blog during 2015, including:
1. Top 5 Disabling Workplace Injuries Cause 2/3 of Workers' Comp Costs
2. "Why'd They Do That?" Photos Show Safety Fails
3. How Safe is Your State? NSC Releases Top 10 List of Accidental Death Rates
We do our best to keep you up-do-date on new rules, tools and tips that can help keep your workplace
safe and in compliance.
10 Highest OSHA Fines of 2015 Total $8.7 Million
The 10 largest OSHA fines of 2015 totaled $8.7 million from January to mid
December. What these numbers don't show is that some individual companies
have received multiple fines this year totaling from $1.4 million for one company
to $1.9 million for another. OSHA issued more than 165 significant fines
(over $100,000) for the year, with a total value of $35.1 million, including:
1. $1.8 million and SVEP for willfully exposing construction workers to
asbestos in Illinois.
2. $1.76 million fine and SVEP after more than 1,000 injuries in 36
months at a Wisconsin furniture manufacturer.
3. $963,000 and SVEP following a deadly blast at a Nebraska railcar
cleaning facility that killed two workers and injured a third.
OSHA is expected to significantly increase fines for safety violations next year.
TOP SAFETY TIP of 2015:
What to Know About Workplace Concussions
Concussions can occur anywhere, including the workplace. The number of
lost-time claims for work-related concussions has increased significantly
in recent years, probably due to increased reporting and awareness of this
injury. Yet there is a general lack of understanding about concussions and how
they can be managed at the workplace. Information from the Canadian Centre
for Occupational Health and Safety can help you deal with and prevent
concussions in the workplace - or anywhere.
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1/7/2016

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