OSHA Announces Regional Emphasis Program Targeting Warehouses
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On August 3rd, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced the establishment of a Regional Emphasis Program (REP) for Warehousing Operation. The REP applies to areas of federal jurisdiction in Region III and is limited to warehousing and inside or outside storage and distribution yards in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. According to OSHA, the REP is intended to reduce injury/illness rates in the warehousing industry by conducting comprehensive inspections to address hazards that may include those associated with powered industrial trucks, lockout tagout, life safety, means of egress and fire suppression.
This emphasis program supports the DOL objective to secure safe and healthful working conditions for America’s workers by implementing the OSHA Agency Management Plan objective to target the most hazardous worksites for inspection by making efforts to prioritize its limited resources for inspections, compliance assistance, and outreach efforts on specific industries that routinely experience injury, illness, or fatalities above the national average. OSHA is justifying the REP by citing that for 2020, the rate of total recordable case rate for all private industry was 2.7 cases per 100 full-time workers. The rates for the industries included in this REP were 3.5 for beverage manufacturing; 4.8 for warehousing and storage; 4.0 for food and beverage stores; 4.3 for grocery wholesalers; and 5.5 for beer, wine, and alcoholic beverage wholesalers.
GCCA members with warehouses in Region 3 are strongly encouraged to revisit the policies and procedures related to powered industrial trucks, lockout tagout, life safety, means of egress and fire suppression to ensure they are up to date and being followed for compliance.
