OSHA 10 HR Construction Course – Mohawk Valley Builders Exchange

June 17th & June 18th , 2021  7:30AM-1:30PM

To aid in your compliance with the various Federal, State and City regulations requiring this training, the LSM safety department is once again offering the OSHA 10 Hour Course.  The course is provided by our OSHA certified instructors. Each employee who successfully completes the program will receive a certification card from OSHA.


Masks are required and social distancing will be obtained.



Nominated: A New Assistant Secretary of Labor – OSHA

Dear Group Member:

A new Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA has been nominated by the Biden Administration.  If approved by the Senate, he will be the first assistant secretary for OSHA since 2017.  Please see the attached for more details.  
 
Thank you,
 
Safety Department of Lovell Safety Management Co., LLC
lsmsafetydepartment@lovellsafety.com
212-709-8899        


COVID-19, One Year Out

A recent headline in the Wall Street Journal proclaimed, “COVID-19 Workers’ Claims Face a High Bar.” Acknowledging that there is no comprehensive data on COVID-19 claims, the author, utilizing some anecdotal stories along with some scattered data, implies that legitimate claims are being denied. COVID-19 may be a novel virus, but state workers’ compensation systems have decades of experience with contagions in the workplace. By their nature, infectious disease claims are complicated. It is not unusual for insurance carriers to deny a claim pending the determination of the factual circumstances that gave rise to the claim. 

In New York, as anticipated, the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) has readily accepted COVID-19 claims from health care workers. A recent decision by the WCB provided guidance for other types of employers. The Board reversed the establishment of a COVID-19 claim, but then directed further development of the record. The decision provided a road map for claimants: 

“…the claimant may show that an accident occurred in the course of employment by demonstrating prevalence. Prevalence is evidence of significantly elevated hazards of environmental exposure that are endemic to or in a workplace which demonstrates that the level of exposure is extraordinary. A claimant may demonstrate prevalence through evidence of the nature and extent of work activities, which must include significant contact with the public and/or co-workers in an area where COVID-19 is prevalent. Public-facing workers and workers in a highly prevalent COVID-19 environment are the workers who can show that the exposure was at such a level of elevated risk as to constitute an extraordinary event. Moreover, it is not necessary that the medical opinion of causally related COVID-19 be 100% certain …. Rather, it is sufficient for the claimant to provide testimony regarding the work environment along with a medical opinion that indicates that because COVID-19 is prevalent in the community and in the workplace, it is reasonably probable that it is causally related….” 

A carrier does have the opportunity to present contrary evidence in opposition to the claim. 

To date, we have not seen a large number of COVID-19 related claims from our 3,200 contractor and industrial clients. Fortunately, the anecdotal evidence suggests that workplace safety protocols were effective in reducing transmission of COVID-19.

The impact of the pandemic, however, has not been limited to the small number of COVID-19 related claims. The health emergency has deleteriously affected the management and outcomes of many non-COVID-19 claims. Claimants who are partially disabled are required to demonstrate “labor market attachment.” In other words, claimants must produce evidence of a genuine attempt to obtain employment within their physical limitations as determined by their medical providers. This requirement greatly inhibits abuse. Due to the disruption of economic activity caused by the pandemic, the WCB has suspended this requirement. This suspension is reasonable, but it does serve to delay claim resolutions, which result in increased claim costs. 

Due to the disruptions in the medical community, needed treatment, diagnostic tests, and surgeries were delayed. The WCB necessarily loosened the requirements for claimants to periodically provide medical evidence of their disability. Carriers have also experienced delays in scheduling independent medical examinations (IMEs) with qualified consultants. These delays negatively impact the outcome of the claims. The WCB has issued an emergency authorization allowing telemedicine visits, which has somewhat alleviated these problems, but a virtual visit is not the same as an in-person physical examination.

Despite these disruptions and problems, the system, under the guidance of the WCB, promptly responded to the emergent crisis and has adapted to the situation. Through the use of virtual hearings and the implementation of several procedural adjustments, the WCB continued to meet the needs of injured workers. Benefits continued with minimal interruption. Most disputes were resolved promptly with due consideration for the rights of all parties. 

OSHA 10-HR Construction Course – Mohawk Valley Builders Exchange 

April 6th & April 7th, 2021 from 7:30AM-1:30PM
To aid in your compliance with the various Federal, State and City regulations requiring this training, the LSM safety department is once again offering the OSHA 10 Hour Course.  The course is provided by our OSHA certified instructors. Each employee who successfully completes the program will receive a certification card from OSHA.
Masks are required and social distancing will be obtained.



NYC DOB LL196 – 40-Hour Site Safety Training Deadline

The 40-Hour Site Safety Training Deadline is fast approaching! The deadline for workers on Site Safety Training (SST) construction sites to meet the 40 hours of safety training mandated by Local Law 196 of 2017 is March 1, 2021.


Electronic Filing of your 2020 OSHA 300A Summary Log

Dear Group Member,

We hope that you are all doing well and staying safe. Attached please find information and important links to aid you in completing and filing your OSHA 300A Summary log.  
 
Thank you,
 
The Lovell Safety Department
212-709-8899        
lsmsafetydepartment@lovellsafety.com


Lovell Safety Management Safety eTalks

Ongoing safety training is critical to ensuring a safe and healthy workplace. With this goal in mind the Lovell Safety Department has developed effective safety training materials in different formats to meet your specific needs.

We have created individualized YouTube videos (eTalks) that group members can use to enhance their safety program. The eTalks can be shown on a phone, tablet or computer. The links can even be emailed to employees for them to view on their own. This is an optimal way of maintaining social distancing while training during these unusual times. 
 
Remember, we also have available to you written safety talks and onsite training.
 
If you have any questions, or need any additional information please contact your local safety representative or the LSM Safety Department.
 
212-709-8899   
lsmsafetydepartment@lovellsafety.com