An e-newsletter with information and updates from the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry for the Commonwealth's workplaces

In This Issue


New Overhead High Voltage Line Safety Act
The new law prohibits work within 10 feet of an overhead line carrying 600 or more volts. (Previously the prohibition was 6 feet for individuals and 10 feet for covered equipment.) If anyone wants to work within the 10-foot limit, the law requires that mutually acceptable safety arrangements be made between the person performing the work and the utility that owns the line.

New Labor Laws
A revised payment of wage law now allows electronic automated fund transfer to an employee's account provided the employee elects this option. Another law change allows a child 12 years of age or older to act as a referee for sports programs.

Safety and Health Codes Board Actions
The Board approved proposed language that will eventually result in a new Virginia unique regulation "General Requirements for Clearance, Construction of Electric Transmission and Distribution Lines and Equipment." Protection in the construction industry will be equivalent to that of general industry.

Safety and Health Training
VOSH Consultation Services will offer Fall Protection in Residential Building in Northern Virginia and an update on VOSH Inspections and Consultation Services in Fishersville. The Department of Human Resource Management, the National Resource Center and the National Safety Council also offer training sessions in Virginia. [>>more]

Accident Report
VOSH determined that a fatal accident of an interstate gas station employee while changing filters on the station's multiple fuel island pumps could have been prevented if a lockout/tagout program had been implemented and enforced.

The following items have been reprinted from OSHA's Quick Takes. Some items have been edited for this publication.

Workplace Violence Guidelines Related to Social Service Workers Updated
OSHA recently revised Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Health Care and Social Service Workers publication by adding updated statistics and new tools for assessing the potential for workplace violence. The guidelines offer assistance and information to employers to aid in establishing effective workplace violence prevention programs.

Workplace Violence Awareness Course
The OSHA Training Institute has developed an innovative on-line course on workplace violence awareness. This course on workplace violence is designed for the general public and provides basic concepts to address the issue - the definition of workplace violence, risk factors, and prevention programs.

New Fact Sheet for Summer Workers
OSHA's new fact sheet, Working Outdoors, helps employers and workers manage work hazards during the summer months by focusing on protecting workers against heat, direct sun exposure, Lyme disease (from ticks), and illnesses associated with the West Nile Virus. The fact sheet also provides several related links from OSHA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Virginia Works is provided by DOLI, Office of Cooperative Programs.
Thursday, July 31, 2003