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Occupational Safety and Health Data Collection and Injury Prevention Work Group

May 20, 2009:

Minutes:

Minutes

Bureau of Labor Standards Central Maine Commerce Center Frances Perkins Conference Room A May 20, 2009

Present: William Peabody, Chair (Maine Department of Labor); Kim Barierre (Workers? Compensation Board); Kim Lim (Maine Department of Labor); Louise Morang (Maine Occupational Health Nurses), and Leslie Walleigh (Maine Center for Disease Control).

Staff Present: Linda Huff and Terry Hathaway.

Call to Order: Bill Peabody called the meeting to order at 10:12 a.m.

Introductions: Introductions were made as Kim Barierre attended the meeting.

April 15, 2009 Minutes. Leslie made a motion to accept the April 15th minutes as amended. Louise Morang seconded the motion. Vote, unanimous.

2008 Topic Updates. Bill handed out a chart, DART Incidence Rates and Estimated Number of Incidents, By Size Class, Maine 2008 (private employers). This chart is similar to the one used by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics when they look at incidence rates by size class. Bill?s chart came about as the result of a table Leslie Manning had sent out. Bill stated that OSHA defines small employers as those having less than 250 employees. Leslie W. asked if Bill?s chart was created by OSHA?s definition of small employers. Bill said that he probably could, but not from the charts as the data is developed here. The Maine Bureau of Labor Standards goes by establishments rather than employers. Bill will check on the year 2008. ? Self-Insured Study (M.O.?s) ? Current M.O. Reports ? Bill Peabody. No update available.

? Detailed Review of Prevention Activities ? Bill. Bill spoke about the vacant Outreach and Education position in the Bureau of Labor Standards. It had been filled in acting capacity, but that person got placed into another position.

Update on Legislature ? Bill. Bill stated that the U.S. Department of Labor is strengthening their enforcement positions within Wage and Hour as well as OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health). Bill added that the Maine Regional Office is in the process of hiring a bilingual Wage and Hour inspector, who would be able to speak Spanish.

This afternoon Bill will be attending a work session on legislation concerning Workers? Compensation and independent contractors in the construction industry. There would be a new definition of independent contractor just for the construction industry.

The OSHA 10-hour training bill is dead. This is the legislation that would have mandated that all workers on state-funded construction projects would need to have a 10-hour OSHA card.

There were also two new bills concerning severance pay.

The substance abuse testing bill expanding the types of testing allowed was passed and signed by the Governor.

Next Meeting. The next meeting of the Occupational Safety and Health Data Collection and Injury Prevention Work Group is scheduled for Wednesday, June 17, 2009, 10:00 ? 11:30 a.m., Maine Department of Labor, Frances Perkins Conference Room A, Central Maine Commerce Center, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta.

The meeting concluded at 11:00, followed by a power-point presentation by Dr. Susan Fineran, Associate Professor, School of Social work and Women and Gender Studies, University of Southern Maine. Dr. Fineran?s presentation was entitled Employed Maine Teens and Workplace Sexual Harrassment. This was based on the results of a survey done in conjunction with the Maine Bureau of Standards.

Respectfully submitted, Terry M. Hathaway, Recording Secretary