The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) recently adopted federal OSHA's National Emphasis Program (NEP) to prevent falls, the leading cause of fatal workplace injuries in Michigan and nationally.
MIOSHA's newly adopted national emphasis program will direct enforcement and educational resources to prevent worker injuries and deaths from falls in all industries. MIOSHA's NEP will remain in effect for one year following its adoption on Sept. 21.
In the last decade, over 100 workers have died from falls in Michigan, including 11 fall-related workplace fatalities in 2022. In 2021, 680 of 5,190 fatal workplace injuries were associated with falls from elevations nationwide, about 13 percent of all workplace deaths, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Being injured from a fall can have lasting impacts on lives. In all industries, falls, slips, and trips cause thousands of nonfatal injuries, involving days away from work annually, according to the BLS.
MIOSHA's Construction Safety and Health Division (CSHD)will focus on residential construction by using its targeting system. Typically, employees working at residential worksites may be at a greater risk of falls due to smaller staff sizes, fewer safety resources available, and less knowledge about MIOSHA and safety standards.
- 17 of 36 Michigan's fall related workplace fatalities occurred in construction from 2019-2022. (Highest risk occupations: roofer, construction laborer and carpenter)
- Fall Protection rules were the most cited serious violations in construction industry inspections statewide in 2022.
MIOSHA's General Industry Safety and Health Division (GISHD) will continue to use its targeting system; to randomly select establishments for planned programmed inspections, and will address the slip, trip, and fall hazards during wall-to-wall inspections. Safety officers will also continue to self-initiate inspections of tree trimming operations. In general industry, Michigan's workplace fatalities were concentrated in tree trimming operations; work on trees accounted for eight of the fall-related deaths from 2016-2018.
MIOSHA’s Consultation, Education and Training (CET) Division’s outreach plan includes communication, educational resources, training, and other outreach activities for general industry and construction.
Click on the tabs below for resources on fall prevention, including fact sheets, toolbox talks, relevant MIOSHA rules and regulations for construction and general industry, free video streaming and video loan services, and more.
Standards
Part 45. Fall Protection – MIOSHA Construction Safety and Health Standard
Part 2. Walking-Working Surfaces – MIOSHA General Industry Safety and Health Standard
Training Resources
On-Demand Training and Videos
Publications
Threshold Heights Requiring Fall Prevention/Protection (SP #0172)
Construction Part 45: Fall Protection Quick Guide (SP #0503)
Fact Sheet: Falls – Unprotected Sides, Wall Openings, and Floor Holes
Fall Protection - Highlights of the Construction Standard
Construction Safety (Slips, Falls, Ladder, Scaffolds) (SP #0119)
MIOSHA Fatal Facts: Falls That Kill (SP #0168)
Residential Fall Protection (SP #35)
Toolbox Talks:
Guardrails for Fall Protection
Holes on the Job Site
Personal Fall Arrest Systems
|
 |
$500,000 in grant funding available to Michigan small businesses for enhanced worker protections
Small businesses in Michigan with 250 employees or fewer can now apply for a MIOSHA matching grant up to $5,000 to access the equipment and training they need to improve the safety and health of their employees.
"MIOSHA's innovative grant opportunities are a critical tool to foster safe and healthy workplaces in Michigan," said Susan Corbin, director of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. "Investments in this area uplift workers and businesses and create a thriving and prosperous economy that benefits all Michiganders."
The MIOSHA Workplace Improvement to Safety and Health (MIWISH) grant program awards qualifying employers a dollar-for-dollar match, up to $5,000, to purchase safety and health-related equipment to support safer and healthier work environments.
MIOSHA awarded a total of $250,000 in MIWISH grant funding to 63 Michigan employers in 2022. The Howell Area Fire Department used its $1,968 MIWISH grant to purchase traffic cones, safety vests for its entire staff, and eye wash stations at the department’s four fire stations.
“ We began the process when we saw items covered in the grant could benefit the health and safety of our firefighters,” said Brian Anderson, Howell Area Fire Department deputy chief of operations. “The process was extremely easy to navigate, and I recommend all fire service agencies and employers look into the offerings of MIOSHA’s grants.”
|
Members of the Howell Area Fire Department are pictured wearing safety vests purchased with a MIOSHA grant aimed to improve workplace health and safety.
All eligible employers are encouraged to apply for the grants while funds last. Preference will be given to employers in high hazard industries identified in MIOSHA’s 2024-2028 strategic plan and in industries covered by a State or National Emphasis Program. Industries or hazards covered under a State or National Emphasis Program include the following: Amputations, Cannabis, Heat-related illness, Metal Industries, Oil and Gas Drilling and Servicing Operations, Silica, Trenching and Excavation, Hexavalent Chromium, Combustible Dust, and Process Safety Management. All projects will be evaluated based on the specific hazards addressed.
“Our mission is to help employers reduce the risk of injury and illness in the workplace. This grant funding is significant because it enables more small businesses to access the equipment and training that ensures the safety and health of their employees,” said MIOSHA Director Bart Pickelman.
To qualify for the MIWISH grant program, employers must have 250 or fewer employees. The employer will need to have a qualified safety professional or safety committee conduct a site-specific evaluation justifying the equipment purchase. The applicant's employer should have knowledge and experience to complete the project and commitment to implementation as well as match dollars for the grant money awarded and cover all estimated project costs.
Recommended actions must be in the form of equipment or work area modifications to be used to reduce workplace hazards. Only items referenced in the application can be considered eligible, within the proposed project.
Some equipment examples include:
-
Residential fall protection systems
-
Lifting equipment or portable lifting equipment for small nursing/residential care facilities
-
Monitoring equipment for confined space entry
-
Noise reduction engineering controls
-
Lock out/tag out systems
-
Cooling systems for agriculture-based worksites
-
Eyewash stations
“Our organization represents many small businesses with limited resources for workplace safety and health equipment. Programs like this allow small employers to build up their safety culture and employee well-being without sacrificing their bottom line," said Michigan Green Industry Association Executive Director Michelle Atkinson.
"Programs like this help employers navigate the day-to-day challenges while protecting their greatest asset and builds on a “culture” that is not only financially driven but includes the impact it can have on the longevity and wellbeing of their employees,” said Associated General Contractors of Michigan President Damian Hill.
The grant period began Oct. 1, 2023, the start of MIOSHA’s 2024 fiscal year, and will continue until grant funding is expended. MIOSHA encourages new grantees to take advantage of this program.
Previous Fiscal Year 2023 grantees may apply for funds after Jan. 1, 2024, if funding is still available.
For more information about the MIWISH grant program and how to apply, visit michigan.gov/mioshagrants or contact MIOSHA’s grant administrator at 269-275-7155.
Held annually on the first Friday in October, MFG Day—Manufacturing Day—helps show the reality and future of modern manufacturing careers by encouraging thousands of companies and educational institutions nationwide to open their doors to students, parents, educators and community leaders.
MFG Day is an initiative of The Manufacturing Institute, with the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association.
At MIOSHA, we celebrate the hardworking innovators of Michigan's manufacturing industry by striving to keep them safe and sound in the workplace every day.
To learn how your workplace can participate in MFG Day and for more resources on manufacturing safety and health regulations, check out our general industry safety and health standards.
|
MIOSHA and the Construction Association of Michigan invites employers and employees to share a cup of coffee and learn about the importance of workplace safety and health.
Representatives from the MIOSHA's Construction Safety and Health Division and the Consultation Education and Training Division will answer questions about MIOSHA services and ways to make the construction industry a safer place to work.
Coffee with MIOSHA events provide an informal opportunity for employers and employees to meet with MIOSHA representatives (Administrative, Consultative, Enforcement) to ask questions, obtain information on program services and resources, learn about MIOSHA Training Institute opportunities and establish rapport.
WHO: All Michigan employers and employees (This event has a construction emphasis)
WHAT: Coffee with MIOSHA
WHEN: Thursday November 2, 2023, 9-11:00 a.m.
WHERE:
Construction Association of Michigan
43636 Woodward Ave, Suite 400
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48302
COST: Free
RSVP: Register Online by Tuesday October 31.
There have been 25 work-related fatalities reported to MIOSHA in 2023. The information below shares preliminary details about the most recent fatalities reported to MIOSHA, which are believed to be covered by the MIOSH Act. The descriptions reflect information provided to MIOSHA at the initial report of the incidents and are not the result of the official MIOSHA investigations.
Preliminary summaries of the most recent 2023 incidents:
A 57-year-old truck driver was making a delivery in a concrete truck which became stuck at the jobsite. A contractor used a bulldozer with a tow cable to pull the concrete truck out. The hitch pin on the bulldozer failed, causing the tow cable to whip through the windshield of the concrete truck, fatally striking the victim.
A 54-year-old truck driver was kneeling over a single-piece rim wheel and tire assembly. While inflating the tire, the sidewall burst, and the assembly shot up, fatally striking the man.
A 28-year-old Southwest Michigan firefighter responded to a call for a broken tree branch hanging on a power line. After the fire department secured the scene, a different power line broke and struck the firefighter who was knocked down and electrocuted.
A 58-year-old Van Buren County road worker was part of a four-person crew doing repair work. The victim was performing traffic control when he was struck by a commuter vehicle.
A 34-year-old truck driver was on route performing trash collection. The victim had exited the garbage truck and was placing a garbage hopper into the hopper lift. He proceeded to the right side of the truck to operate the hopper controls with his back to the road when an oncoming commuter vehicle struck the garbage truck from the rear, fatally striking the victim.
A 39-year-old EMT worker was driving an ambulance on I-75 when he came upon a vehicle that crashed into a viaduct wall near an exit ramp. When the victim exited the ambulance to assist the driver, he was fatally struck by an oncoming vehicle, which also fatally struck the driver of the crashed vehicle.
A 61-year-old electrical maintenance journeyman, part of a multi-person crew, was struck by a radiator assembly during the dismantlement of a transformer at an electrical substation.
A 19-year-old warehouse worker and another employee were attempting to change the bucket on a Bobcat backhoe. The victim was attempting to remove a pin from the bucket while the coworker was operating the Bobcat. The victim was fatally crushed after being caught between the bucket and a bollard.
A 35-year-old laborer and his employer arrived at a private residence to perform a tree-trimming job. The bucket truck became stuck, so the crew attached a rope to the front axle of the dump truck and the tie down on the skid steer's bucket. The rope snapped and struck the victim, who was operating the skid steer in the chest.
A 24-year-old production technician was heating a finished part to remove oils when the next cycle of a vacuum forming mold began. The victim was caught between an extended conveyor and a vacuum forming mold, crushing him.
A 24-year-old laborer/roofer was performing a roofing operation on a flat roof near a skylight. The victim fell 20 feet through the skylight and landed on the concrete floor below. The victim was admitted to the hospital and died from his injuries one month later.
A 57-year-old mechanic was mounting two tires for a trailer. The victim took one of the tires outside the shop and placed it on the ground to inflate using a pneumatic air compressor, set at approximately 150 psi (pounds per square inch). The tire exploded and struck the victim in the head.
A 60-year-old owner was found on the workshop floor, unresponsive. During the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) response, individuals on site began to feel ill and the fire department found carbon monoxide levels ranging from 500 to 800 parts-per-million (ppm). Vehicle exhaust fumes exposed the victim to carbon monoxide which caused carbon monoxide poisoning.
A 70-year-old traffic flagger was fatally hit by a car while regulating traffic at a road construction project.
A 33-year-old demolition laborer was demolishing a cooling tower located on the roof of a building with an angle grinder. The worker cut away one angle iron and was cutting a second angle when the cooling tower started to fall. The worker ran towards the cooling tower when it fell on them.
A 53-year-old laborer was performing fire-proofing activities to structural steel while wearing fall protection, but not physically tied-off to an anchorage point. During the work operation, the victim fell approximately 18 feet to the concrete below.
A 30-year-old journeyman lineman was performing maintenance operations to powerline(s). During the operation, the victim was electrocuted.
A 75-year-old general laborer was operating a riding lawn mower and it flipped over a retention wall.
A 41-year-old truck driver was adjusting the tie-downs on a tractor-trailer near the side of the road when the victim was struck by a pedestrian vehicle.
A 38-year-old tree trimmer was performing trimming operations when he was struck and killed by a falling tree.
A 42-year-old owner was contracted to perform roof repair on a barn. The victim had removed a sheet off of the roof and fell through the opening 30-35 feet to the concrete floor below.
A 31-year-old tree trimmer was aloft trimming a tree limb when he contacted a live overhead power line. The employee was pronounced dead at the scene.'
A 41-year-old pipefitter was pressure testing a pipe when a valve came off the pipe and struck him in the head. The victim was hospitalized and succumbed to his injuries the following day.
A 59-year-old grounds worker was operating a zero-turn riding lawn mower. A witness stated they observed the victim drive straight off an approximate four-foot embankment and onto the cement. The victim was killed when the lawn mower landed on them.
A 69-year-old owner was trimming tree limbs in a bucket truck and fell approximately 30 feet.
Aug. 28, 2023 — Cannabis - State Emphasis Program (SEP)
Sept. 21, 2023 — Fall Protection - National Emphasis Program
September 8, 2023 — Construction Suicide Prevention Event Aims to Raise Awareness, Action to Support Workers
Variances from MIOSHA standards must be made available to the public in accordance with Part 12, Variances (R408.22201 to 408.22251). MIOSHA variances are published online at:
michigan.gov/mioshavariances.
Quick Links
Agency/Division Instructions/Memorandums
Air Contaminants Initiative
Asbestos Program
CET Request for Consultative Assistance Services (RCA)
CET Training Calendar
Construction Safety and Health Division (CSHD)
DVD/Video Library Service
Employee Safety, Health, and Discrimination Complaint Forms
Fall Prevention Campaign (STOP FALLS. SAVE LIVES.)
General Industry Safety and Health Division (GISHD)
Hazard Communication/GHS
Laboratory and Equipment Services
Michigan Alliances
Michigan Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (MSHARP)
Michigan Voluntary Protection Program (MVPP)
MIOSHA FOIA Request
MIOSHA News
MIOSHA Publications
MIOSHA Recordkeeping
MIOSHA Standards
MIOSHA Take A Stand Day
MIOSHA Training Institute (MTI)
MIOSHA Updates
MIOSHA Variances
Radiation Safety Section
Residential Construction
Strategic Plan and Initiatives
Telephone, Mailing and Email Addresses
|
