OSHA revises NEP on amputations in manufacturing

Washington — Effective Dec. 10, OSHA has updated its National Emphasis Program on amputations in manufacturing industries to “identify and reduce or eliminate” amputation-related hazards.

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 5,920 amputation injuries occurred among U.S. private-sector employees in 2018.

The updated NEP:

• Revises coding requirements for agency amputation inspections in the OSHA Information System database.
• Revises targeting methodology to include data from the amputation reporting requirement, as mandated under the agency’s incident reporting standard.
• Removes two appendices from the previous NEP, which expired at the end of this past fiscal year, and adds appendices on amputations targeting methodology and covered North American Industry Classification System codes.

“Operating machinery or equipment can be extremely dangerous when it is not properly guarded or maintained,” OSHA states. “Injuries involving machinery or equipment often result in death or permanent disability. OSHA’s enforcement history shows that employees performing servicing and maintenance on machinery or equipment are often injured when no machine guarding is present. OSHA workplace requirements prescribe measures for the safe operation, servicing, and/or maintenance of machinery and equipment.”

OSHA regional and area offices will provide education and prevention outreach to qualifying industries during the first 90 days of the program, as required under the NEP.