OSHA Renews Focus on Amputation Hazards in Manufacturing

An OSHA directive (PDF) that went into effect last week updates the agency’s 2015 National Emphasis Program on amputations and provides guidance to OSHA’s national, regional, and area offices for continued implementation of the program. As part of the NEP, OSHA will target industrial and manufacturing workplaces where employees are injured by unguarded or improperly guarded machinery and equipment. The updated NEP includes revisions to targeting methodology to include data from amputation reporting requirements; changes to coding requirements for amputation inspections in the OSHA Information System; and new appendices on amputations that address methodology and North American Industry Classification System codes.

OSHA’s updated NEP includes three months of education and prevention outreach, which will run until March 10, 2020. The agency’s news release states that enforcement activities will begin after the outreach period and remain in effect until canceled.

More information on machine guarding is available on OSHA’s website.