Issue Brief - OSHA National Emphasis Program on Amputations

October 2006

Background:

In April 2002, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced a special national emphasis program aimed at reducing amputations in general industry workplaces. The National Emphasis Program on Amputations targeted all types of power presses, including press brakes, saws, shears and slicers, and targeted industries that OSHA considered a high risk for operating equipment that can be very dangerous, as injuries involving these machines are often fatal or result in permanent disability.

On October 27, 2006, OSHA reissued their National Emphasis Program on Amputations (NEP) ? with an expanded focus to identify and reduce workplace machinery and equipment hazards which are causing or likely to cause amputations. This Federal Program replaces the April 2002 program in which plastics processing, SIC 3089, was among the ten industries receiving targeted workplace inspections for amputation hazards.

Issue:

In 2002, in keeping with OSHA's mission to identify and reduce or eliminate the workplace incidence of hazards which are causing or likely to cause amputations, OSHA initiated targeted inspections of workplaces under SIC 3089, Plastics Products, Not Elsewhere Classified. The twenty-four states and two territories which operate their own OSHA programs were encouraged, but not required, to adopt a similar emphasis program.

The expanded 2006 NEP will target general industry workplaces where any machinery or equipment that is likely to cause amputations is present. OSHA will develop its targeting lists based on their list of 40 SIC codes associated with high amputation rates, and if any of the targeted machinery is present at an establishment, will conduct an inspection of all machinery and equipment associated with amputations. Inspections may begin as early as December 28, 2006.

What you need to know:

The revised NEP includes the following changes that will have significant impact on the full supply chain of the plastics industry:

• This program now focuses on identifying industries and establishments associated with amputations, rather than on equipment;
• It contains a list of targeted machinery and equipment associated with amputations;
• It contains a list of targeted Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes and the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes;
• Prior targeting methodology that stressed machine guarding is now expanded to include the standards for Lockout/Tagout and Mechanical Power-transmission Apparatus.

Targeted Plastics Industry SIC/NAICS Codes

• SIC 2671 Packaging Paper and Plastics Film, Coated & Laminated, includes unsupported packaging film and sheet manufacturing
• SIC 2673 Plastics, Foil, and Coated Paper Bags, included unsupported plastics bag manufacturing
• SIC 3089 Plastics Products, NEC
• SIC 3544 Special Dies and Tools, Die Sets, Jigs, Fixtures, and Industrial Mold Manufacturing
• SIC 3599 Industrial and Commercial Machinery & Equipment Manufacturing, includes machine shops

Targeted Machinery and Equipment Identified as Sources of Amputations

• Benders, rollers and shapers
• Press brakes (all types)
• Casting machinery
• Conveyors ? belt, chain, live roller, and auger screw conveyors
• Drills ? stationary
• Extruding machinery
• Grinders, abraders
• Plastic injection molding machinery
• Milling machines
• Mixers, blenders
• Packing, wrapping, bundling machinery
• Presses (mechanical, hydraulic and pneumatic)
• Printing presses
• Sawing machinery (band, table, radial arm saws)
• Shears (all types) 

What you should expect from an OSHA inspection under this NEP:

If any of the targeted machinery and equipment (or any other machinery and equipment that could cause amputations) are present in the workplace, the OSHA inspector will conduct an inspection of the machinery and equipment with particular attention to employee exposure to nip points, pinch points, shear points, cutting actions, and other points of operation. Following a review of your OSHA 200 and 300 logs for recorded amputations, the inspector will evaluate employee exposures during any of the following:

• Regular operation of the machine;
• Setup/threading/preparation for regular operation of the machine;
• Clearing jams or upset conditions;
• Making running adjustments while the machine is operating;
• Cleaning of the machine;
• Oiling or greasing of the machine or machine pans;
• Scheduled/unscheduled maintenance; and
• Locking out or tagging out.

Where to get additional information:

• OSHA National Emphasis Program on Amputation 2006
• Employer Self-Inspection Checklist
• SPI/OSHA Alliance Website for machine safety training courses that address machine guarding and lockout/tagout for injection molding, extrusion and thermoforming operations.
• Machinery Safety Standards developed by the SPI Machinery Division
• SIC Codes for the Plastics Industry
• OSHA Regional and Area Offices - Includes Consultation Offices and State Plan State
• Establishment Search on OSHA's Web site - access inspection statistics for your company.