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Many injuries occur in our workplaces each day. OSHA regulations are designed to help reduce the number of accident and exposure injuries at work. Safety is the best way to prevent injuries. Occasionaly the OSHA officials reveal their top concerns for the year. In early 2011, OSHA did just that and below is the list of what the concerns were for this year. Weigh in with your thoughts regarding how you think these concerns were addressed and handled in 2011.

According to The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), these were the big concerns for this year:

Updating Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs): Sadly, our PELs haven't been updated since the 1960s and as we know, times have changed and many new chemicals and exposures are in the workplace currently. OSHA's plan was to update these PELs so that employees were better protected.

Injury and Illness Prevention Program (I2P2): Some employers still do not have a I2P2 to protect workers and OSHA is working to change that by formulating a rule that identifies and controls hazards.

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs)/ Globally Harmonized System (GHS): Many people know what a MSDS is but many people still struggle to read the forms because the standards are not consistent. This standard would be very beneficial as it would help standardize formats for MSDSs.

Professional Recognition/ Title Protection: Everyone wants to be recognized but when it comes to protocol and safety, there has to be consistency. AIHA has noticed a continuing influx of specific occupational health and safety titles that are awarded by non-accredited bodies which is obviously a concern.

OSHA reform: AIHA says it supports efforts to amend the Occupational Safety and Health Act if changes provide added protection for employees.

Follow safety attorney Lindsay Rakers on Twitter at #KLindsayRakers.

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