For the third consecutive year, Arkansas will be focusing on a very specific aspect of worker safety by conducting an Amputation Prevention Stand-Down, September 14-29.

The purpose of the Stand-Down is to raise awareness of amputation hazards throughout various general industry establishments. For the past several years, machine guarding has remained the top frequently cited violation by the Little Rock Area Office of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Since the inception of the OSHA recordkeeping modifications on January 1, 2015, employers are required to report to OSHA any amputations in the workplace within 24 hours. As a result, local area offices statewide have received an influx of amputation reporting.

Arkansas was the first state in the country to sponsor an Amputation Prevention Stand-Down and anticipates reaching more than 10,000 workers in over 20 individual Stand-Downs.  The 2015 and 2016 Arkansas Amputation Prevention Stand-Downs drew over 25,000 participants in 16 different states and two foreign countries.

Kick-Off Event

An Amputation Prevention Stand-Down kick-off event, which is free and open to the public, will be held Wednesday, September 13, from 9:30 am – 12:30 pm at Little Rock Wastewater, 5300 S. Shackleford Road, Little Rock.

TEEX OSHA Training Institute Education Center

During the stand-down period, the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) will deliver two classes of the Introduction to Machinery and Machine Guarding (OSH710) course. One will be conducted in Little Rock and the other in Camden. These classes will be tuition-free and open to the public. Following these four-hour training classes, certificates of completion will be provided. 

How do I get involved?

Companies conduct an Amputation Prevention Stand-Down by stopping work and providing a focused toolbox talk on topics such as machine guarding or lockout/tagout. The meeting provides information to workers about hazards, protective methods such as machine safeguarding, pullback devices, restraints, two-hand controls, and the company’s safety policies, goals, and expectations.

During the two-week Stand-Down period, employers will be able to conduct site activities such as employee training, inspections of machinery where the potential for amputations exist, corrections of any identified machine guarding hazards, and review of lock-out/tag-out procedures. Companies will be recognized with an OSHA Certificate for their participation in the Amputation Stand-Down by simply visiting http://oshastanddown.org/.

For more resources and additional information about the 3rd Annual Arkansas Amputation Prevention Stand-Down visit https://teex.org/Pages/events/annual-amputation-stand-down.aspx. 

About TEEX

TEEX, home to a Region VI OHSA Training Institute Education Center, is an internationally recognized leader in the delivery of emergency response, homeland security and workforce training, exercises, technical assistance, and economic development. The agency operates a comprehensive emergency preparedness and infrastructure training campus, which includes some of the world’s top facilities for hands-on training. Courses are conducted by instructors, many of whom are recognized experts in their respective fields. TEEX offers on-site, customized training and services to businesses and industries, municipalities and public agencies across the globe. TEEX is a member of The Texas A&M University System.