Safe Workplace and Safety News
This is the safety news blog for the Safe Workplace web site. We cover workplace safety related news with a focus on how safety, or a lack of safety, impacts employers, employees and their families. We also cover topics such as safety training, safety tools, and legal issues related to safety. For regular safety news and information enter your email address in the box above the Subscribe button to the right (then click on the button).
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Least Nobody's Been Hit By A Meteor
This is an interesting title for a safety article. But, on the other hand I've never considered the hazards of working in a nursery... the garden type not the ones with lots of little kids. It turns out that nurseries can be very dangerous places. An article by Todd Davis published today in Nursery Management & Production magazine provides some helpful tips we all can use to help reduce injuries.
Read the article here and learn about trailer, tarp and lifting injuries and their prevention.
Read the article here and learn about trailer, tarp and lifting injuries and their prevention.
Labels: Safety Training, Transportation Safety, workplace safety
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Wednesday, February 24, 2010
The Five Threats To Worker's Safety
The 2009 data on the top ten violations of OSHA standards, as well as the top ten OSHA fines in 2009 is available in a new report from Graphic Products. Use this link to get your free copy: Top Ten OSHA Serious Violations.
But... what was the underlying cause?
A new study released today by VitalSmarts found that five threats to workers’ safety are commonly left undiscussed and lead to avoidable injury or fatalities.
The study, named Silent Danger: The Five Crucial Conversations that Drive Workplace Safety, surveyed more than 1,600 frontline workers, managers, and safety directors across 30 safety-conscious organizations in 2009.
According to the data, 93 percent of employees say their company is currently at risk and nearly half are aware of an injury or death caused by one of five avoidable workplace dangers. However, despite being aware of these five threats, only one in four employees speaks up and tries to correct unsafe conditions.
"Silent Danger shows the tragic secret behind most workplace injuries is that someone is aware of the threat well in advance, but is either unwilling or unable to speak up," said Joseph Grenny, co-founder of VitalSmarts and leading researcher of the study. "The greatest dangers to workplace safety are the norms, habits, and assumptions embedded in our corporate cultures that stifle employees’ ability to speak up and confront unsafe practices."
Each of the five threats to workplace safety outlined in Silent Danger was identified as being costly, common, and undiscussable. The five threats are:
* Get It Done: Unsafe practices that are justified by tight deadlines.
* Undiscussable Incompetence: Unsafe practices that stem from skill deficits that can’t be discussed.
* Just This Once: Unsafe practices that are justified as exceptions to the rule.
* This Is Overboard: Unsafe practices that bypass precautions considered excessive.
* Are You a Team Player? Unsafe practices that are justified for the good of the team, company, or customer.
However, not all employees remained silent bystanders when confronted with these and similar threats. A small minority, ranging from 25 to 28 percent, say they are able to speak up effectively in these crucial moments and address unsafe conditions. More than 82 percent of this vocal minority says that when they speak up, their actions result in a safer work environment for everyone.
Grenny says additional training, safety audits, and other tools, while important, will never be enough to create a truly safe environment.
"The reason we are seeing safety improvements begin to stall is not because the systems and policies we have implemented don’t work, it's because people don’t speak up and hold one another accountable," says Grenny. "Accidents in the workplace will not be prevented until senior leaders eradicate cultures of silence."
Grenny outlines recommendations senior leaders can follow for teaching their employees to speak up in crucial moments. One year after implementing Grenny’s recommendations, Pride International, an offshore drilling contractor, decreased its total incident rate by 55 percent and reported zero accidents that required employees to miss time on the job.
The full Silent Danger research results and recommendations for leaders are available for download at www.vitalsmarts.com/safety.
About the Silent Danger Study
In early 2009, VitalSmarts began identifying ways to improve workplace safety incidents that led to 4 million injuries and 5,600 deaths per year. The Silent Danger study began with interviews and focus groups with 130 people from eight organizations. Trends unveiled in the interviews were verified through a survey administered to 1,500 employees from 22 organizations to test the impact communication breakdowns had on workplace safety. Full results available at www.vitalsmarts.com/safety.
But... what was the underlying cause?
A new study released today by VitalSmarts found that five threats to workers’ safety are commonly left undiscussed and lead to avoidable injury or fatalities.
The study, named Silent Danger: The Five Crucial Conversations that Drive Workplace Safety, surveyed more than 1,600 frontline workers, managers, and safety directors across 30 safety-conscious organizations in 2009.
According to the data, 93 percent of employees say their company is currently at risk and nearly half are aware of an injury or death caused by one of five avoidable workplace dangers. However, despite being aware of these five threats, only one in four employees speaks up and tries to correct unsafe conditions.
"Silent Danger shows the tragic secret behind most workplace injuries is that someone is aware of the threat well in advance, but is either unwilling or unable to speak up," said Joseph Grenny, co-founder of VitalSmarts and leading researcher of the study. "The greatest dangers to workplace safety are the norms, habits, and assumptions embedded in our corporate cultures that stifle employees’ ability to speak up and confront unsafe practices."
Each of the five threats to workplace safety outlined in Silent Danger was identified as being costly, common, and undiscussable. The five threats are:
* Get It Done: Unsafe practices that are justified by tight deadlines.
* Undiscussable Incompetence: Unsafe practices that stem from skill deficits that can’t be discussed.
* Just This Once: Unsafe practices that are justified as exceptions to the rule.
* This Is Overboard: Unsafe practices that bypass precautions considered excessive.
* Are You a Team Player? Unsafe practices that are justified for the good of the team, company, or customer.
However, not all employees remained silent bystanders when confronted with these and similar threats. A small minority, ranging from 25 to 28 percent, say they are able to speak up effectively in these crucial moments and address unsafe conditions. More than 82 percent of this vocal minority says that when they speak up, their actions result in a safer work environment for everyone.
Grenny says additional training, safety audits, and other tools, while important, will never be enough to create a truly safe environment.
"The reason we are seeing safety improvements begin to stall is not because the systems and policies we have implemented don’t work, it's because people don’t speak up and hold one another accountable," says Grenny. "Accidents in the workplace will not be prevented until senior leaders eradicate cultures of silence."
Grenny outlines recommendations senior leaders can follow for teaching their employees to speak up in crucial moments. One year after implementing Grenny’s recommendations, Pride International, an offshore drilling contractor, decreased its total incident rate by 55 percent and reported zero accidents that required employees to miss time on the job.
The full Silent Danger research results and recommendations for leaders are available for download at www.vitalsmarts.com/safety.
About the Silent Danger Study
In early 2009, VitalSmarts began identifying ways to improve workplace safety incidents that led to 4 million injuries and 5,600 deaths per year. The Silent Danger study began with interviews and focus groups with 130 people from eight organizations. Trends unveiled in the interviews were verified through a survey administered to 1,500 employees from 22 organizations to test the impact communication breakdowns had on workplace safety. Full results available at www.vitalsmarts.com/safety.
Labels: Free Safety Guides, workplace fatalities, workplace injuries, workplace safety
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Thursday, September 24, 2009
To Avoid Liability, Create a No-Driving-While-Texting Policy
An article in yesterday's online edition of Business Week points out:
"Cell phone usage and texting have grown to become a leading factor in automobile accidents. As of this writing, only nine states have legislated against driving while texting. That means that 41 states have no laws restricting DWT. And that can mean trouble for any business owner."
You may have heard about the mass transit accidents that have happened as a result of drivers texting while driving. Those are the high-profile accidents that make the news. To protect your business the Business Week article (read here) recommends that all business have a written policy against texting while driving.
Related Past Posts:
Working Safety With Forklifts
Online Training For Required OSHA Certifications
"Cell phone usage and texting have grown to become a leading factor in automobile accidents. As of this writing, only nine states have legislated against driving while texting. That means that 41 states have no laws restricting DWT. And that can mean trouble for any business owner."
You may have heard about the mass transit accidents that have happened as a result of drivers texting while driving. Those are the high-profile accidents that make the news. To protect your business the Business Week article (read here) recommends that all business have a written policy against texting while driving.
Related Past Posts:
Working Safety With Forklifts
Online Training For Required OSHA Certifications
Labels: Safety Blog, safety statistics, workplace safety
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Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Top 10 Common Workplace Injuries and Ways to Prevent Them
An article on the web site of the Health Diet Institute gives the top ten categories for workplace accidents. Written by Joanne Aika Castillo, the article opens by stating:
"Workplace injuries happen all the time. The most susceptible employees who experience workplace injuries are those working in more dangerous areas such as construction sites and factories. However the most common types of injuries which have greatly affected both employees and employers are those that we don't necessarily think as dangerous but are nevertheless detrimental to the health and safety of workers."
You can read the top ten list here.
Related Past Posts:
Company Cited For Poor Hazard Communication
Employee Complaint Results in $62,000 Fine
Revised OSHA Field Operations Manual
"Workplace injuries happen all the time. The most susceptible employees who experience workplace injuries are those working in more dangerous areas such as construction sites and factories. However the most common types of injuries which have greatly affected both employees and employers are those that we don't necessarily think as dangerous but are nevertheless detrimental to the health and safety of workers."
You can read the top ten list here.
Related Past Posts:
Company Cited For Poor Hazard Communication
Employee Complaint Results in $62,000 Fine
Revised OSHA Field Operations Manual
Labels: workplace safety
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Goose Attack Tests Railroad Worker Injury Law
Aaron Richards, "a West Virginia railroad worker is causing a bit of a flap in his industry by suing his employer for failing to protect him from an unusual workplace hazard –- a nesting goose."
Under the Federal Employers' Liability Act allows workers can collect a damage award from their employer based on only circumstantial evidence of very slight employer negligence.
Read the complete story in the On.Point blog
Under the Federal Employers' Liability Act allows workers can collect a damage award from their employer based on only circumstantial evidence of very slight employer negligence.
Read the complete story in the On.Point blog
Labels: employment, workplace safety
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New Video - Combustible Dust: An Insidious Hazard
This new safety video uses 3-D animation to show how accumulations of combustible dust at industrial workplaces can provide the fuel for devastating explosions that kill and maim workers, shut down plants, and harm local economies. Excellent quality - 30 minutes in length.
Related Past Posts
OSHA Issues New Combustible Dust Instruction
Combustible Dust Standards
Related Past Posts
OSHA Issues New Combustible Dust Instruction
Combustible Dust Standards
Labels: hazardous materials, Industrial Safety, Safety Training, safety videos, workplace safety
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Monday, June 29, 2009
Into The Pit
This seems to be the day for unusual incidents involving things falling. This video shows a car falling into the oil change pit at Jiffy Lube.
Labels: consumer safety, workplace safety
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Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Mimes Used To Promote Workplace Safety
This report comes from the Halifax News in Nova Scotia. I've seen a lot of creative ways to promote workplace safety in Canada, and this safety campaign from Canadian Workers’ Compensation Board is... well, it's creative.
The campaign is called "Silence Doesn’t Work Here," and it uses mimes to represent the dangers of not speaking out against workplace safety hazards.
The article quotes Shelley Rowan, Vice President of Strategy and Employee Engagement, "The idea came from the thought that when people don’t talk about workplace safety, people can get hurt. Mimes are the epitome of silence, yet have such a strong message."
Read the entire article here (and see a picture of a mime in action). Or visit the Silence Does Not Work Here web site.
Related Posts:
There Once Was A Nail Without A Job
The Stress Of Fight To Prove Injury Claim Blamed For Man's Death
WSIB Workplace Safety Videos
The campaign is called "Silence Doesn’t Work Here," and it uses mimes to represent the dangers of not speaking out against workplace safety hazards.
The article quotes Shelley Rowan, Vice President of Strategy and Employee Engagement, "The idea came from the thought that when people don’t talk about workplace safety, people can get hurt. Mimes are the epitome of silence, yet have such a strong message."
Read the entire article here (and see a picture of a mime in action). Or visit the Silence Does Not Work Here web site.
Related Posts:
There Once Was A Nail Without A Job
The Stress Of Fight To Prove Injury Claim Blamed For Man's Death
WSIB Workplace Safety Videos
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Monday, April 27, 2009
Cast Iron Pipe Manufacturer, Company Officials Found Guilty of Worker Safety Violations and Environmental Crimes
A New Jersey cast iron pipe manufacturer, Atlantic States Cast Iron Pipe Co. (a division of McWane Inc.) and four company officials were found guilty of committing flagrant abuses of environmental and worker safety laws, the Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency announced today. The charges include, among others, the regular discharge of oil into the Delaware River, concealing serious worker injuries from health and safety inspectors, and maintaining a dangerous workplace that contributed to multiple severe injuries and the death of one employee at the Phillipsburg, N.J., plant.
After approximately six days of deliberations, the jury returned guilty verdicts against five of six defendants: Atlantic States; plant manager John Prisque; maintenance supervisor Jeffrey Maury; finishing superintendent Craig Davidson; and former Atlantic States human resource manager Scott Faubert—each of whom face prison time for the convictions. One defendant, Daniel Yadzinski, formerly the engineering manager at the plant, was acquitted on three counts.
U.S. District Judge Mary L. Cooper, who presided over the nearly seven-month-long trial—the longest environmental crimes trial prosecuted by the Justice Department—scheduled the sentencing for the corporation and individual defendants for Sept. 7, 2006.
"As a multiple offender, McWane has time and again shown a disturbing indifference towards the health and safety of their workers and a blatant disregard for the natural environment we all share," said Sue Ellen Wooldridge, assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division. "Today's conviction shows that the Department of Justice takes seriously its responsibility to enforce the nation's environmental laws. And when companies or individuals break them with such shocking regularity, they will be vigorously prosecuted."
"The conviction of Atlantic States and its managers after a trial of unprecedented length sends a clear message: neither EPA nor the public will tolerate knowing and rampant environmental misconduct," said Granta Y. Nakayama, EPA's assistant administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "This manner of 'doing business' injures workers, the public and our environment, and EPA will continue to deter such flagrant disregard of pollution laws by vigorously pursuing not only corporations, but also the culpable individuals regardless of their position within the organization."
The 34-count indictment charged Atlantic States, a subsidiary of McWane Inc. of Birmingham, Ala., and the named managers, with conspiracy to violate federal clean air and water regulations and laws governing workplace safety, as well as obstruction of criminal and regulatory investigations by the EPA and Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
The company and the four managers were each convicted on Count One of the 34-count indictment, charging that they and the company engaged in an eight-year conspiracy to pollute the air and Delaware River in violation of the federal Clean Water and Clean Air Acts, expose its employees to dangerous conditions and impede federal regulatory and criminal investigations. For the individual defendants, the conspiracy count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and a fine of $500,000 for the company.
Atlantic States was named in all counts of the indictment, and was also convicted on five counts of making materially false statements to state and federal environmental agencies and the federal Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA); four counts of obstructing OSHA investigations; 22 counts of violating the federal Clean Water Act and one count of violating the Clean Air Act.
In addition to the main conspiracy conviction, the verdicts for the individual defendants were as follows:
– Guilty on one count of violating the Clean Water Act.
– Guilty on one count of violating the Clean Air Act.
– Guilty on two counts of obstructing an OSHA investigation.
– Guilty of obstruction of an OSHA investigation
– Guilty of seven counts of violating the Clean Water Act
– Guilty on 16 counts of violating the Clean Water Act.
The privately held McWane Inc. and its divisions are among the largest manufacturers in the world of ductile iron pipe with more than a dozen plants in the United States and Canada. McWane's products are used primarily for municipal and commercial water and sewer installations.
Assistant Attorney General Sue Ellen Wooldridge of the Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie credited Special Agents of the U.S. EPA, under the direction of William V. Lometti, special agent in charge of EPA's Criminal Investigation Division in New York; staff of OSHA's Avenel, N.J. office, under the direction of Patricia K. Clark, OSHA regional administrator in New York; the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, under the direction of Commissioner Lisa P. Jackson; the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, Division of Criminal Justice, under the direction of Attorney General Zulima Farber; and the Phillipsburg Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ralph J. Marra, Jr., Assistant U.S. Attorney Norv McAndrew, Andrew Goldsmith, Senior Trial Attorney and Assistant Section Chief in the Environmental Crimes Section, and Senior Trial Attorney Deborah Harris in the Environmental Crimes Section of the Department of Justice in Washington.
After approximately six days of deliberations, the jury returned guilty verdicts against five of six defendants: Atlantic States; plant manager John Prisque; maintenance supervisor Jeffrey Maury; finishing superintendent Craig Davidson; and former Atlantic States human resource manager Scott Faubert—each of whom face prison time for the convictions. One defendant, Daniel Yadzinski, formerly the engineering manager at the plant, was acquitted on three counts.
U.S. District Judge Mary L. Cooper, who presided over the nearly seven-month-long trial—the longest environmental crimes trial prosecuted by the Justice Department—scheduled the sentencing for the corporation and individual defendants for Sept. 7, 2006.
"As a multiple offender, McWane has time and again shown a disturbing indifference towards the health and safety of their workers and a blatant disregard for the natural environment we all share," said Sue Ellen Wooldridge, assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division. "Today's conviction shows that the Department of Justice takes seriously its responsibility to enforce the nation's environmental laws. And when companies or individuals break them with such shocking regularity, they will be vigorously prosecuted."
"The conviction of Atlantic States and its managers after a trial of unprecedented length sends a clear message: neither EPA nor the public will tolerate knowing and rampant environmental misconduct," said Granta Y. Nakayama, EPA's assistant administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "This manner of 'doing business' injures workers, the public and our environment, and EPA will continue to deter such flagrant disregard of pollution laws by vigorously pursuing not only corporations, but also the culpable individuals regardless of their position within the organization."
The 34-count indictment charged Atlantic States, a subsidiary of McWane Inc. of Birmingham, Ala., and the named managers, with conspiracy to violate federal clean air and water regulations and laws governing workplace safety, as well as obstruction of criminal and regulatory investigations by the EPA and Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
The company and the four managers were each convicted on Count One of the 34-count indictment, charging that they and the company engaged in an eight-year conspiracy to pollute the air and Delaware River in violation of the federal Clean Water and Clean Air Acts, expose its employees to dangerous conditions and impede federal regulatory and criminal investigations. For the individual defendants, the conspiracy count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and a fine of $500,000 for the company.
Atlantic States was named in all counts of the indictment, and was also convicted on five counts of making materially false statements to state and federal environmental agencies and the federal Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA); four counts of obstructing OSHA investigations; 22 counts of violating the federal Clean Water Act and one count of violating the Clean Air Act.
In addition to the main conspiracy conviction, the verdicts for the individual defendants were as follows:
- John Prisque, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania:
– Guilty on one count of violating the Clean Water Act.
– Guilty on one count of violating the Clean Air Act.
- Scott Faubert, of Easton, Pennsylvania:
– Guilty on two counts of obstructing an OSHA investigation.
- Jeffrey Maury, 36, of Tamaqua, Pennsylvania:
– Guilty of obstruction of an OSHA investigation
– Guilty of seven counts of violating the Clean Water Act
- Craig Davidson, of Nazareth, Pennsylvania:
– Guilty on 16 counts of violating the Clean Water Act.
The privately held McWane Inc. and its divisions are among the largest manufacturers in the world of ductile iron pipe with more than a dozen plants in the United States and Canada. McWane's products are used primarily for municipal and commercial water and sewer installations.
Assistant Attorney General Sue Ellen Wooldridge of the Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie credited Special Agents of the U.S. EPA, under the direction of William V. Lometti, special agent in charge of EPA's Criminal Investigation Division in New York; staff of OSHA's Avenel, N.J. office, under the direction of Patricia K. Clark, OSHA regional administrator in New York; the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, under the direction of Commissioner Lisa P. Jackson; the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, Division of Criminal Justice, under the direction of Attorney General Zulima Farber; and the Phillipsburg Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ralph J. Marra, Jr., Assistant U.S. Attorney Norv McAndrew, Andrew Goldsmith, Senior Trial Attorney and Assistant Section Chief in the Environmental Crimes Section, and Senior Trial Attorney Deborah Harris in the Environmental Crimes Section of the Department of Justice in Washington.
Labels: Nuclear Power Safety, safety, workplace safety
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Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Workplace Safety: 5 Ways to Prevent an Injury Upturn During the Economic Downturn
Safety consulting firm BST announced five recommendations for business leaders wishing to protect worker safety and health during the economic downturn. The recommendations, released in a new white paper titled "Leading Safety in a Downturn," outlines the effects of a recession on workplace safety and proposes five actions to address them.
According to the paper, common downturn events, such as job reassignments and layoffs, can increase employee exposure to injury just as many organizations have fewer available resources to manage those risks. According to BST vice president Don Groover, fewer resources are only part of the problem. "A downturn can also have significant cultural implications for a business," he says. "What leaders do now with respect to safety and the business sends a message to employees about what really matters. That message will resonate long after the outside situation improves." In the paper, BST recommends that leaders:
1. OPEN UP AND COMMUNICATE WHY SAFETY MATTERS NOW. Employees anxious about the impact of the economy on the company, and on them personally, can be at increased risk for injury. Leaders need to be out front, demonstrating concern, listening, and taking appropriate actions.
2. CONSIDER THE EFFECTS OF YOUR ACTIONS ON THE CULTURE. How leaders "do the hard stuff" - layoffs, job assignments, budget cuts - will dictate how people engage in safety and the business now and down the road.
3. REFINE YOUR STRATEGY. Oftentimes safety performance can become bogged down, both financially and functionally, by legacy systems that no longer meet the needs of the business. Many companies find that their actual needs dictate an investment in fewer (or different) systems than they have right now.
4. WORK THE FUNDAMENTALS. Survival in a downturn, for any part of the business, is about targeting the core elements that sustain the enterprise. In safety performance, that means protecting the lives and livelihoods of employees. Life-altering injuries and fatalities must be a primary concern.
5. DEMONSTRATE - AND DEVELOP - TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP. Leaders who use a transformational style are more successful at creating the will to go "above and beyond" self-interest and give people a sense of purpose, belonging, and understanding regarding the work they do.
The full paper and recommendations are available at BST’s website: http://www.bstsolutions.com/perspectives.
According to the paper, common downturn events, such as job reassignments and layoffs, can increase employee exposure to injury just as many organizations have fewer available resources to manage those risks. According to BST vice president Don Groover, fewer resources are only part of the problem. "A downturn can also have significant cultural implications for a business," he says. "What leaders do now with respect to safety and the business sends a message to employees about what really matters. That message will resonate long after the outside situation improves." In the paper, BST recommends that leaders:
1. OPEN UP AND COMMUNICATE WHY SAFETY MATTERS NOW. Employees anxious about the impact of the economy on the company, and on them personally, can be at increased risk for injury. Leaders need to be out front, demonstrating concern, listening, and taking appropriate actions.
2. CONSIDER THE EFFECTS OF YOUR ACTIONS ON THE CULTURE. How leaders "do the hard stuff" - layoffs, job assignments, budget cuts - will dictate how people engage in safety and the business now and down the road.
3. REFINE YOUR STRATEGY. Oftentimes safety performance can become bogged down, both financially and functionally, by legacy systems that no longer meet the needs of the business. Many companies find that their actual needs dictate an investment in fewer (or different) systems than they have right now.
4. WORK THE FUNDAMENTALS. Survival in a downturn, for any part of the business, is about targeting the core elements that sustain the enterprise. In safety performance, that means protecting the lives and livelihoods of employees. Life-altering injuries and fatalities must be a primary concern.
5. DEMONSTRATE - AND DEVELOP - TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP. Leaders who use a transformational style are more successful at creating the will to go "above and beyond" self-interest and give people a sense of purpose, belonging, and understanding regarding the work they do.
The full paper and recommendations are available at BST’s website: http://www.bstsolutions.com/perspectives.
Labels: safety management, Safety Training, VPP Safety Articles and Papers, workplace safety
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Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Adult ADHD Is A Risk To Workplace Safety
An article in Abeceder/Independent Minds discusses recent research that indicates that adult ADHD may be a factor in workplace safety. The article opens with the following statement:
"Some people just seem to be accident prone. Well now that we understand more about childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) maybe we should be asking what happens to those children when they grow up and go to work, and what about the undiagnosed adults currently in the workforce."
The research showed that: "Based on the extra sick leave the staff with ADHD took and their lower work performance, the researchers estimated that each staff member with ADHD was costing their employer $4336 a year in lost revenue."
Read the complete article here.
"Some people just seem to be accident prone. Well now that we understand more about childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) maybe we should be asking what happens to those children when they grow up and go to work, and what about the undiagnosed adults currently in the workforce."
The research showed that: "Based on the extra sick leave the staff with ADHD took and their lower work performance, the researchers estimated that each staff member with ADHD was costing their employer $4336 a year in lost revenue."
Read the complete article here.
Labels: Industrial Health, Industrial Safety, safety statistics, Safety Training, workplace safety
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Top Ten Most Disabling Injuries
Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety has released the 2008 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index which includes a list of the top ten most disabling workplace injuries. The opening sentence states that "The estimated direct U.S. workers compensation costs for the most disabling workplace injuries and illnesses in 2006 were $48.6 billion. This finding and many others are presented in the 2008 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index."
The complete report is available here.
The most recent information is for 2006. The top ten causes of the most disabling workplace injuries in 2006 were:
Overexertion - 25.7%
Fall On Same Level - 13.3%
Fall To Lower Level - 10.8%
Bodily Reaction - 10.0%
Struck by Object - 8.9%
Struck Against Object - 5.1%
Highway Incident - 4.9%
Caught In/Compressed By - 4.4&
Repetitive Motion - 4.0%
Assaults/Violent Acts - 0.9%
The complete report is available here.
The most recent information is for 2006. The top ten causes of the most disabling workplace injuries in 2006 were:
Overexertion - 25.7%
Fall On Same Level - 13.3%
Fall To Lower Level - 10.8%
Bodily Reaction - 10.0%
Struck by Object - 8.9%
Struck Against Object - 5.1%
Highway Incident - 4.9%
Caught In/Compressed By - 4.4&
Repetitive Motion - 4.0%
Assaults/Violent Acts - 0.9%
Labels: hazard identifcation, Industrial Safety, safety management, workplace safety
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Thursday, January 29, 2009
Big Fines For Violating Fork Lift Safety Rules In Ontario
ONTARIO SAFETY BLITZ TARGETS INDUSTRIAL WORKPLACES
The Ontario provincial government is cracking down on hazards involving forklifts and lifting devices at industrial workplaces during February, Labour Minister Peter Fonseca announced yesterday.
Inspectors will focus on ensuring employers are inspecting and maintaining lifting devices in good condition, using competent persons to operate the equipment and ensuring that the equipment is being used in a safe work environment.
For each conviction, the court can impose a fine of up to $500,000 against a corporation convicted under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Individuals face a fine of up to $25,000 or imprisonment of up to 12 months, or both.
This initiative is part of the province’s new Safe At Work Ontario blitz strategy, announced on July 23, 2008. Keeping more workers safe means increased productivity for Ontario’s economy and less strain on the health care system.
“Forklifts and other lifting devices are a significant cause of serious worker injury and deaths,” said Labour Minister Peter Fonseca. “The Government of Ontario and its workplace partners are committed to eliminating all workplace injuries, including those related to these lifting devices. Workers have a right to come home each day to their families, safe and sound.”
QUICK FACTS
* The Ministry of Labour compliance program that ran from April 1, 2004 to March 31, 2008 reduced the workplace injury rate by 20 per cent, or more than 50,000 incidents.
* Thirteen workers died between 2003 and 2007 as a result of industrial incidents involving lift trucks, reach trucks, forklifts and tow motors, according to ministry statistics.
* In total, there were 10,308 forklift–related incidents where there was a lost time injury between 1996 and 2008, an average of 793 incidents a year, according to the data compiled by the Occupational Health and Safety Council of Ontario (OHSCO).
* Because of the drop in the annual rate of lost–time injuries, employers have avoided about $5 billion in direct and indirect costs during the four years ending March 31, 2008. Reduced injuries also result in less strain on the health care system, and fewer workers off the job means increased productivity for Ontario’s economy.
Learn more about Ontario’s new four year plan, Safe at Work Ontario, that will help strengthen workplace safety.
The Ontario provincial government is cracking down on hazards involving forklifts and lifting devices at industrial workplaces during February, Labour Minister Peter Fonseca announced yesterday.
Inspectors will focus on ensuring employers are inspecting and maintaining lifting devices in good condition, using competent persons to operate the equipment and ensuring that the equipment is being used in a safe work environment.
For each conviction, the court can impose a fine of up to $500,000 against a corporation convicted under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Individuals face a fine of up to $25,000 or imprisonment of up to 12 months, or both.
This initiative is part of the province’s new Safe At Work Ontario blitz strategy, announced on July 23, 2008. Keeping more workers safe means increased productivity for Ontario’s economy and less strain on the health care system.
“Forklifts and other lifting devices are a significant cause of serious worker injury and deaths,” said Labour Minister Peter Fonseca. “The Government of Ontario and its workplace partners are committed to eliminating all workplace injuries, including those related to these lifting devices. Workers have a right to come home each day to their families, safe and sound.”
QUICK FACTS
* The Ministry of Labour compliance program that ran from April 1, 2004 to March 31, 2008 reduced the workplace injury rate by 20 per cent, or more than 50,000 incidents.
* Thirteen workers died between 2003 and 2007 as a result of industrial incidents involving lift trucks, reach trucks, forklifts and tow motors, according to ministry statistics.
* In total, there were 10,308 forklift–related incidents where there was a lost time injury between 1996 and 2008, an average of 793 incidents a year, according to the data compiled by the Occupational Health and Safety Council of Ontario (OHSCO).
* Because of the drop in the annual rate of lost–time injuries, employers have avoided about $5 billion in direct and indirect costs during the four years ending March 31, 2008. Reduced injuries also result in less strain on the health care system, and fewer workers off the job means increased productivity for Ontario’s economy.
Learn more about Ontario’s new four year plan, Safe at Work Ontario, that will help strengthen workplace safety.
Labels: Canadian Safety Standards, safety management, safety statistics, Vehicle Safety, workplace safety
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Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Reducing Or Ignoring Workplace Safety During Business Downturns Costly, ASSE Notes
"Workplace safety processes must be in place at all times," American Society of Safety Engineers’ (ASSE) President Warren K. Brown, CSP, ARM, CSHMM, of Fairborn, Ohio, said today. "hey are even more critical during business downturns."
Brown is referring to recent reports of some companies cutting safety processes hoping to reduce costs.
"If companies believe they will save money by reducing or ignoring safety for their workers, customers and communities they do business in, they are mistaken," Brown said. "The ongoing positive results are in and have been for companies that have a strong safety culture and continually invest in and implement effective safety processes. Not only does their bottom line benefit positively, but their company reputation stays intact, employees stay safe and healthy reducing health care, workers comp, training and turnover costs not to mention keeping customers, the communities they do business in, vendors and employees happy. Safety is good business."
Members of the 97-year-old ASSE -- occupational safety, health and environmental professionals located worldwide -- caution employers against cutting back on workplace safety in time of economic difficulty.
President-Elect of the ASSE South Carolina Chapter Laura Comstock said, "Some safety related purchases and testing can be deferred, but other purchases, such as those for employee personal protective equipment (PPE) like hardhats, safety glasses and respirators, are critical to operations."
It is especially important for companies to show support for their employee safety during challenging economic times, she notes. "Employee morale may be low and employees may be carrying additional workloads, such as working additional hours or doing unfamiliar tasks due to cutbacks," she notes.
Comstock added, "In order to remain viable long-term, a company must maintain a solid safety process even through difficult times. The most successful companies in the long term also have the strongest safety performance."
"We realize these are tough times, but during economic down-turns, employers seeking to cut expenses may target variable operating costs such as travel, training and safety," Brown said. "Money cut from safety processes now could have an enormous cost later; this can be from injury and health care costs, fines, lost production time, employee morale, or worst of all, employee injury or even death. There are better and smarter ways to protect the bottom line."
The South Carolina ASSE chapter suggests employees can also take measures to help companies save money such as by: following safe working procedures and practices to prevent injuries, related downtime and expenses such as costly fines; by properly using, cleaning and caring for protective equipment such as hardhats and respirators; reusing gloves whenever possible for as long as possible; and by keeping track of safety glasses and reusable hearing protection.
Investing in safety pays and contributes positively to a company’s bottom line. Businesses spend about $170 billion a year on costs associated with workplace injuries and illnesses and pay almost $1 billion every week to injured employees and their medical providers. In addition, a recent investment firm study in Australia showed valuation links between workplace safety and health factors and investment performance. It found that companies who did not adequately manage workplace safety issues underperformed those that did.
Comstock also reminds employers, "When considering training reductions, some safety related training is driven by regulation, is time sensitive and cannot be delayed. Safety training related savings can be generated by streamlining and implementing simple solutions including using online or electronic safety training services, rather than face-to-face classroom safety training."
"We need to work together during these difficult times, but reducing or ignoring workplace safety should not be a strategic or budget option," Brown said. "The costs – both tangible and intangible – are far too high and hard to recoup."
Brown is referring to recent reports of some companies cutting safety processes hoping to reduce costs.
"If companies believe they will save money by reducing or ignoring safety for their workers, customers and communities they do business in, they are mistaken," Brown said. "The ongoing positive results are in and have been for companies that have a strong safety culture and continually invest in and implement effective safety processes. Not only does their bottom line benefit positively, but their company reputation stays intact, employees stay safe and healthy reducing health care, workers comp, training and turnover costs not to mention keeping customers, the communities they do business in, vendors and employees happy. Safety is good business."
Members of the 97-year-old ASSE -- occupational safety, health and environmental professionals located worldwide -- caution employers against cutting back on workplace safety in time of economic difficulty.
President-Elect of the ASSE South Carolina Chapter Laura Comstock said, "Some safety related purchases and testing can be deferred, but other purchases, such as those for employee personal protective equipment (PPE) like hardhats, safety glasses and respirators, are critical to operations."
It is especially important for companies to show support for their employee safety during challenging economic times, she notes. "Employee morale may be low and employees may be carrying additional workloads, such as working additional hours or doing unfamiliar tasks due to cutbacks," she notes.
Comstock added, "In order to remain viable long-term, a company must maintain a solid safety process even through difficult times. The most successful companies in the long term also have the strongest safety performance."
"We realize these are tough times, but during economic down-turns, employers seeking to cut expenses may target variable operating costs such as travel, training and safety," Brown said. "Money cut from safety processes now could have an enormous cost later; this can be from injury and health care costs, fines, lost production time, employee morale, or worst of all, employee injury or even death. There are better and smarter ways to protect the bottom line."
The South Carolina ASSE chapter suggests employees can also take measures to help companies save money such as by: following safe working procedures and practices to prevent injuries, related downtime and expenses such as costly fines; by properly using, cleaning and caring for protective equipment such as hardhats and respirators; reusing gloves whenever possible for as long as possible; and by keeping track of safety glasses and reusable hearing protection.
Investing in safety pays and contributes positively to a company’s bottom line. Businesses spend about $170 billion a year on costs associated with workplace injuries and illnesses and pay almost $1 billion every week to injured employees and their medical providers. In addition, a recent investment firm study in Australia showed valuation links between workplace safety and health factors and investment performance. It found that companies who did not adequately manage workplace safety issues underperformed those that did.
Comstock also reminds employers, "When considering training reductions, some safety related training is driven by regulation, is time sensitive and cannot be delayed. Safety training related savings can be generated by streamlining and implementing simple solutions including using online or electronic safety training services, rather than face-to-face classroom safety training."
"We need to work together during these difficult times, but reducing or ignoring workplace safety should not be a strategic or budget option," Brown said. "The costs – both tangible and intangible – are far too high and hard to recoup."
Labels: ASSE, Industrial Health, Industrial Safety, workplace safety
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Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Watch Out For The Unexpected
It is often the things we don't think about that get people hurt. For example, what happens when an aerosol can is exposed to high temperatures....?
The is a quote from Daily Record in Dunn, NC:
"Teen Burned In Fryer Accident Still Critical
An Erwin teen injured in an accident at Andy's in Dunn Sunday remains in critical condition at UNC Hospitals' burn unit in Chapel Hill.
Corbett Hicks, an employee at the Andy's in Harnett Crossing Shopping Center, was severely burned last Sunday afternoon as he was cleaning one of the restaurant's deep fryers. Corbett turned 19 Saturday, according to his mother.
Corbett's mother, Teressa Hicks, said her son was in critical condition and has been sedated since the accident.
"It burned his face, his chest, his stomach, both arms front and back and his left thigh to the knee," Mrs. Hicks said. "He will respond when I speak to him, but as far as talking to him, I've not been able to.
Unconfirmed reports say the accident occurred around 4 p.m. Sunday when an aerosol can of cooking spray fell into a grease-cleaning machine and exploded."
(Read the entire article at: The Daily Record)
Would you have been able to anticipate this and established a procedure or guidelines to prevent this incident? If you were the safety director for this restaurant, what would you have done (before this happened) that might have made a difference?
The is a quote from Daily Record in Dunn, NC:
"Teen Burned In Fryer Accident Still Critical
An Erwin teen injured in an accident at Andy's in Dunn Sunday remains in critical condition at UNC Hospitals' burn unit in Chapel Hill.
Corbett Hicks, an employee at the Andy's in Harnett Crossing Shopping Center, was severely burned last Sunday afternoon as he was cleaning one of the restaurant's deep fryers. Corbett turned 19 Saturday, according to his mother.
Corbett's mother, Teressa Hicks, said her son was in critical condition and has been sedated since the accident.
"It burned his face, his chest, his stomach, both arms front and back and his left thigh to the knee," Mrs. Hicks said. "He will respond when I speak to him, but as far as talking to him, I've not been able to.
Unconfirmed reports say the accident occurred around 4 p.m. Sunday when an aerosol can of cooking spray fell into a grease-cleaning machine and exploded."
(Read the entire article at: The Daily Record)
Would you have been able to anticipate this and established a procedure or guidelines to prevent this incident? If you were the safety director for this restaurant, what would you have done (before this happened) that might have made a difference?
Labels: fire safety, workplace safety
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Monday, December 01, 2008
Is PPE Compliance A Challenge In Your Facility?
"A recent survey conducted by Kimberly-Clark Professional found that 89% of safety professionals polled have observed workers failing to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) when they should have been. This is the third consecutive year that the Kimberly-Clark survey has revealed a high rate of PPE noncompliance. In 2007, 87% of respondents said they had observed PPE noncompliance in the workplace, while 85% answered yes to this question in 2006."
The above is from the blog for Today's Facility Manager magazine.
The following is the press release from Kimberly-Clark:
U.S. workers are risking workplace injuries by not complying with important safety procedures, according to a survey released today by Kimberly-Clark Professional. The survey found that 89 percent of safety professionals polled at the 2008 National Safety Council (NSC) Congress have observed workers failing to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) when they should have been.
"We find it disheartening that people continue to put themselves at risk by failing to wear PPE when undertaking hazardous tasks," said Randy Kates, general manager of the safety business for Kimberly-Clark Professional. "Despite the importance of PPE, there is still an unacceptably high rate of noncompliance in the workplace."
This is the third consecutive year that the Kimberly-Clark survey has revealed a high rate of PPE noncompliance. In 2007, 87 percent of respondents said they had observed PPE noncompliance in the workplace, while 85 percent answered yes to this question in 2006.
Given the high rate of noncompliance over the past three years, it is not surprising that when asked to name the top workplace safety issue in their facilities one third of respondents cited worker compliance with safety protocols. Next was insufficient management support and/or resources for health and safety functions (27 percent). Under-reporting of workplace injuries and illnesses was third (14 percent), followed by training a multilingual, multicultural workforce (7 percent) and escalating worker compensation costs (5 percent).
Is the Economy a Factor?
One potential explanation for continuing problems with compliance could be the economy. Thirty-four percent of respondents said the economy had affected worker safety training programs or resources. Fifty-nine percent said it had not. Of those who said the economy had impacted safety training or resources, the survey found that:
• 63 percent said it had led to less money for education and training.
• 42 percent said it had resulted in reduced personnel to handle safety training tasks.
• 33 percent said the faltering economy had led to business concerns taking precedence over safety concerns.
This year’s survey also polled safety professionals about the steps they have taken or intend to take to encourage greater PPE compliance. The top response was "improving existing education and training programs," followed by "purchasing more comfortable PPE." Increased monitoring of employees was third, followed by tying compliance to individual performance evaluations and purchasing more stylish PPE.
"Work-related injuries in the U.S. cost more than $50 billion a year," said Kates. "Our research has shown that comfort and style are major drivers for compliance with PPE protocols. In the current economic climate it is more important than ever to invest in PPE that workers will want to wear."
Focus on Environmental Sustainability
The environment was another topic covered in this year’s survey. Fifty-nine percent of respondents reported that their companies had formal corporate sustainability goals, while 22 percent said they did not. (Twenty percent said they did not know the answer to this question.)
Respondents from companies with corporate sustainability goals were asked what their facilities were doing to become more environmentally responsible. The top choice was reducing the waste generated by a facility’s processes. It was followed by:
• Reducing energy consumption.
• Reducing the waste associated with supplies and other items that they purchased.
• Reducing water consumption.
All respondents were asked what their facilities had done to encourage or require suppliers to assist them in becoming more environmentally responsible. The top selection was increasing the amount of recycled content in the products supplied to them (39 percent). Tied for second place were: reducing packaging materials for the products supplied to them and having suppliers "demonstrate or state/warrant that they have environmentally responsible business practices" (29 percent). Close behind was delivering more products at one time to reduce fuel usage (27 percent).
Only 6 percent of respondents said environmental responsibility was not a major concern for their organizations. (For this question, respondents were allowed to select more than one answer.)
Health Concerns
When asked if they were concerned about the potential health and safety issues for their workers posed by oil, grease, heavy metal residues or toxic elements on re-usable rental shop towels, 63 percent of respondents answered yes. This compares with 73 percent of respondents answering yes to the same question in 2007.
When asked what might encourage them to switch from re-usable rental shop towels to
disposable wipers, the survey found:
• 35 percent of respondents cited concerns about the health and safety issues
mentioned above.
• 28 percent chose a closed loop solution for disposable wipers, in which used wipers
are recycled or converted to energy and diverted from landfills.
• 10 percent were concerned about water pollution from laundering re-usable rental
shop towels.
• 29 percent said they did not use rental shop towels.
Safety Philosophy
This year respondents were asked to describe their personal safety philosophy from a list of choices. Two responses tied for first place: "Safety doesn’t cost it pays" and "Organizations must create safety based cultures" (43 percent each). Only 10 percent selected the statement "Safety begins and ends at the top" and just two percent chose "Safety is a pain, but so is my boss."
"These results did not surprise us," said Scott Gaddis, global safety leader for
Kimberly-Clark Professional. "Workplace safety must be managed like every other strategic business objective that is important to an organization’s success."
Survey Methodology
The survey was undertaken at the NSC Congress in Anaheim, Calif., on September 23,
2008. The survey questionnaires were filled out by 153 safety professionals who reported being responsible for purchasing, selecting or influencing the purchase or selection of, or compliance with, PPE. The respondents included safety directors and managers, industrial hygienists, environmental managers and purchasing professionals. For full survey results, visit www.kcprofessional.com/us/mkt/2008nscpressrelease .
The above is from the blog for Today's Facility Manager magazine.
The following is the press release from Kimberly-Clark:
U.S. workers are risking workplace injuries by not complying with important safety procedures, according to a survey released today by Kimberly-Clark Professional. The survey found that 89 percent of safety professionals polled at the 2008 National Safety Council (NSC) Congress have observed workers failing to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) when they should have been.
"We find it disheartening that people continue to put themselves at risk by failing to wear PPE when undertaking hazardous tasks," said Randy Kates, general manager of the safety business for Kimberly-Clark Professional. "Despite the importance of PPE, there is still an unacceptably high rate of noncompliance in the workplace."
This is the third consecutive year that the Kimberly-Clark survey has revealed a high rate of PPE noncompliance. In 2007, 87 percent of respondents said they had observed PPE noncompliance in the workplace, while 85 percent answered yes to this question in 2006.
Given the high rate of noncompliance over the past three years, it is not surprising that when asked to name the top workplace safety issue in their facilities one third of respondents cited worker compliance with safety protocols. Next was insufficient management support and/or resources for health and safety functions (27 percent). Under-reporting of workplace injuries and illnesses was third (14 percent), followed by training a multilingual, multicultural workforce (7 percent) and escalating worker compensation costs (5 percent).
Is the Economy a Factor?
One potential explanation for continuing problems with compliance could be the economy. Thirty-four percent of respondents said the economy had affected worker safety training programs or resources. Fifty-nine percent said it had not. Of those who said the economy had impacted safety training or resources, the survey found that:
• 63 percent said it had led to less money for education and training.
• 42 percent said it had resulted in reduced personnel to handle safety training tasks.
• 33 percent said the faltering economy had led to business concerns taking precedence over safety concerns.
This year’s survey also polled safety professionals about the steps they have taken or intend to take to encourage greater PPE compliance. The top response was "improving existing education and training programs," followed by "purchasing more comfortable PPE." Increased monitoring of employees was third, followed by tying compliance to individual performance evaluations and purchasing more stylish PPE.
"Work-related injuries in the U.S. cost more than $50 billion a year," said Kates. "Our research has shown that comfort and style are major drivers for compliance with PPE protocols. In the current economic climate it is more important than ever to invest in PPE that workers will want to wear."
Focus on Environmental Sustainability
The environment was another topic covered in this year’s survey. Fifty-nine percent of respondents reported that their companies had formal corporate sustainability goals, while 22 percent said they did not. (Twenty percent said they did not know the answer to this question.)
Respondents from companies with corporate sustainability goals were asked what their facilities were doing to become more environmentally responsible. The top choice was reducing the waste generated by a facility’s processes. It was followed by:
• Reducing energy consumption.
• Reducing the waste associated with supplies and other items that they purchased.
• Reducing water consumption.
All respondents were asked what their facilities had done to encourage or require suppliers to assist them in becoming more environmentally responsible. The top selection was increasing the amount of recycled content in the products supplied to them (39 percent). Tied for second place were: reducing packaging materials for the products supplied to them and having suppliers "demonstrate or state/warrant that they have environmentally responsible business practices" (29 percent). Close behind was delivering more products at one time to reduce fuel usage (27 percent).
Only 6 percent of respondents said environmental responsibility was not a major concern for their organizations. (For this question, respondents were allowed to select more than one answer.)
Health Concerns
When asked if they were concerned about the potential health and safety issues for their workers posed by oil, grease, heavy metal residues or toxic elements on re-usable rental shop towels, 63 percent of respondents answered yes. This compares with 73 percent of respondents answering yes to the same question in 2007.
When asked what might encourage them to switch from re-usable rental shop towels to
disposable wipers, the survey found:
• 35 percent of respondents cited concerns about the health and safety issues
mentioned above.
• 28 percent chose a closed loop solution for disposable wipers, in which used wipers
are recycled or converted to energy and diverted from landfills.
• 10 percent were concerned about water pollution from laundering re-usable rental
shop towels.
• 29 percent said they did not use rental shop towels.
Safety Philosophy
This year respondents were asked to describe their personal safety philosophy from a list of choices. Two responses tied for first place: "Safety doesn’t cost it pays" and "Organizations must create safety based cultures" (43 percent each). Only 10 percent selected the statement "Safety begins and ends at the top" and just two percent chose "Safety is a pain, but so is my boss."
"These results did not surprise us," said Scott Gaddis, global safety leader for
Kimberly-Clark Professional. "Workplace safety must be managed like every other strategic business objective that is important to an organization’s success."
Survey Methodology
The survey was undertaken at the NSC Congress in Anaheim, Calif., on September 23,
2008. The survey questionnaires were filled out by 153 safety professionals who reported being responsible for purchasing, selecting or influencing the purchase or selection of, or compliance with, PPE. The respondents included safety directors and managers, industrial hygienists, environmental managers and purchasing professionals. For full survey results, visit www.kcprofessional.com/us/mkt/2008nscpressrelease .
Labels: Industrial Health, Industrial Safety, safety management, Safety Training, workplace safety
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Protesters Could Be Prosecuted Over Safety
ABC News in Australia had a short news article last Friday that was interesting. It reports that people involved in protesting logging in the Southern forests of Tasmania may be prosecuted under workplace safety laws because their actions are endangering themselves as well as workers.
Read the article here.
The article states:
"Workplace Standards Tasmania has warned the tactics being used by some forest protesters are putting lives at risk. It is so concerned about the issue it has launched an investigation into whether protesters in the southern forests are breaching workplace safety laws. The investigation could lead to the prosecution of protesters if workplace health and safety has been compromised."
Read the article here.
The article states:
"Workplace Standards Tasmania has warned the tactics being used by some forest protesters are putting lives at risk. It is so concerned about the issue it has launched an investigation into whether protesters in the southern forests are breaching workplace safety laws. The investigation could lead to the prosecution of protesters if workplace health and safety has been compromised."
Labels: workplace safety
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Thursday, October 30, 2008
Texas Workplace Injury Rate Lowest In Five Years
A total of 252,784 nonfatal injuries and illnesses were reported by private industry workplaces in Texas during 2007. The resulting rate of 3.4 cases per 100 equivalent full-time employees marks a five-year low. The rate of injuries and illnesses reflects a 15% decrease from 4.0 in 2003, when data collection began under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The Texas rate is below the national rate of 4.2 for 2007; the national rate for 2006 was 4.4.
The 2007 injury and illness data are the latest available from the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses conducted by the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation (TDI-DWC) in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The occupational injury and illness rates are based on a statistical sample of approximately 10,000 private employers in Texas.
Workplace injury and illness rates vary widely among private sector industries (Table 1).
The 2007 injury and illness data are the latest available from the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses conducted by the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation (TDI-DWC) in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The occupational injury and illness rates are based on a statistical sample of approximately 10,000 private employers in Texas.
Workplace injury and illness rates vary widely among private sector industries (Table 1).
- The goods producing industries reported an overall 7% decrease from 2006. Within this group, mining showed the largest decrease (29%) of all sectors, matching the rate in 2003 and 2004. Manufacturing slightly decreased from 2006 and is down by 17% from 2003. Meanwhile, construction remained the same and the industry maintained a 14% decrease from 2003.
- The service providing industries also showed a decrease of almost 6% from 2006. Health care and social assistance reported the largest decrease (20%).
- In 2007, the manufacturing, wholesale trade, transportation and warehousing, utilities, financial activities, educational services and health care and social assistance (7 of 16) sectors experienced their lowest nonfatal injury and illness rate in the last five years (since collecting the data under NAICS).
Workplace injury and illness rates varied among the major industries with the 10 highest rates in 2007 (Table 2).
- Wood product manufacturing (7.1) recorded a notable 17% increase from 2006 (5.9) and beverage and tobacco product manufacturing (6.6) experienced a slight increase (6.4). These two industries replaced transportation equipment manufacturing (5.0), which had a significant 26% decrease from 2006; and furniture and related product manufacturing (5.6), which experienced a substantial 22% decrease.
- The remaining industries also experienced decreases from 2006. The largest decreases were in air transportation (13%) followed by nursing and residential care facilities (10%).
- Within the goods producing group, industries that experienced the highest rates were primary metal manufacturing (7.2), wood product manufacturing (7.1) beverage and tobacco product manufacturing (6.6), food production (6.5) and animal production (6.5).
- Air transportation (10.5) and couriers and messengers (10.2) continued to report the highest rates in all industries, followed by warehousing and storage (7.4).
The TDI-DWC collects survey data in order to assist employers, safety professionals, and policymakers in identifying safety and health issues in the state. Visit the TDI website at http://www.tdi.state.tx.us/wc/safety/index.html .
Labels: Industrial Safety, safety statistics, workplace safety
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Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Safety Decisions Often Based On Incomplete Information
A new doctoral thesis from Karolinska Institutet reveals that professionals may overlook important information when they search for research findings about injury prevention and safety promotion. The typical search uses no more than one or two online databases, and often only familiar search terms are used thereby limiting the search even further.
"Our findings are compelling because we were able to identify problems both with how professionals look for published research about safety and with the way that the online literature databases is organized," says Dr David Lawrence, Postgraduate Student at Karolinska Institutet. "This knowledge should be helpful in teaching people to be better searchers and for making improvements to the design of databases."
The researchers conducted six studies of the information-seeking behaviors of professionals who work in the fields of injury prevention and safety promotion. They used subscribers to the weekly SafetyLit Literature Update Bulletin as a pool for a survey. Subscribers included attorneys, engineers, staff members of legislative and other government offices, community planners, physicians, psychologists, workplace safety specialists, consumer product safety specialists, building codes and standards professionals, academic researchers and others. Among the respondents there where professionals from 173 countries represented. All terms used to search the SafetyLit database during the years 2000-2005 were registered. During the six years that the web logs were examined the site averaged 2500 searches each week.
The researchers found that when injury prevention professionals search for information, they typically search no more than one or two online databases. They only use familiar search terms and often exclude professional terms commonly used by professionals in other fields. Because at least thirty distinct professional disciplines contribute to what is known about injury prevention and safety promotion topics, this means that the searchers are self-limiting their ability to find new information. Further, professional journals exist to serve researchers in each of these disciplines but online literature databases tend to focus on the perceived needs of researchers in a single specialty and exclude journals from other disciplines.
"A large proportion of injury prevention and safety promotion professionals may hold a biased view of the full nature of injury problems and the options for prevention", says Dr Lawrence. "When they search a database they find a satisfyingly large list of articles and conclude that they must have received comprehensive information, unintentionally missing information from other perspectives."
David Lawrence is also affiliated to Center for Injury Prevention Policy & Practice, San Diego State University Graduate School of Public Health. For further information, please contact: Dr David Lawrence Mobile: +1-619-322-4917 (US) or +46 76-2817009 (Sweden) Work: + 1-619-594-1991 (US) E-mail: david.lawrence@sdsu.edu
Doctoral thesis:
David Lawrence. The information-seeking behaviors of professionals and information sources in the field of injury prevention and safety promotion.
Read thesis
"Our findings are compelling because we were able to identify problems both with how professionals look for published research about safety and with the way that the online literature databases is organized," says Dr David Lawrence, Postgraduate Student at Karolinska Institutet. "This knowledge should be helpful in teaching people to be better searchers and for making improvements to the design of databases."The researchers conducted six studies of the information-seeking behaviors of professionals who work in the fields of injury prevention and safety promotion. They used subscribers to the weekly SafetyLit Literature Update Bulletin as a pool for a survey. Subscribers included attorneys, engineers, staff members of legislative and other government offices, community planners, physicians, psychologists, workplace safety specialists, consumer product safety specialists, building codes and standards professionals, academic researchers and others. Among the respondents there where professionals from 173 countries represented. All terms used to search the SafetyLit database during the years 2000-2005 were registered. During the six years that the web logs were examined the site averaged 2500 searches each week.
The researchers found that when injury prevention professionals search for information, they typically search no more than one or two online databases. They only use familiar search terms and often exclude professional terms commonly used by professionals in other fields. Because at least thirty distinct professional disciplines contribute to what is known about injury prevention and safety promotion topics, this means that the searchers are self-limiting their ability to find new information. Further, professional journals exist to serve researchers in each of these disciplines but online literature databases tend to focus on the perceived needs of researchers in a single specialty and exclude journals from other disciplines.
"A large proportion of injury prevention and safety promotion professionals may hold a biased view of the full nature of injury problems and the options for prevention", says Dr Lawrence. "When they search a database they find a satisfyingly large list of articles and conclude that they must have received comprehensive information, unintentionally missing information from other perspectives."
David Lawrence is also affiliated to Center for Injury Prevention Policy & Practice, San Diego State University Graduate School of Public Health. For further information, please contact: Dr David Lawrence Mobile: +1-619-322-4917 (US) or +46 76-2817009 (Sweden) Work: + 1-619-594-1991 (US) E-mail: david.lawrence@sdsu.edu
Doctoral thesis:
David Lawrence. The information-seeking behaviors of professionals and information sources in the field of injury prevention and safety promotion.
Read thesis
Labels: hazard prevention, safety management, workplace safety
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Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Updated OSHA eTool For The Healthcare Industry
Employers and employees in the healthcare industry stand to benefit from the new sonography and updated surgical modules featured in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Hospital eTool, posted to OSHA's Web site last Friday.
OSHA's eTools are stand-alone, Web-based training tools on occupational safety and health topics. OSHA developed these eTool modules with input from the following Alliance Program participants: Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Association of Occupational Health Professionals, American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, Laser Institute of America, American Biological Safety Association, Association of periOperative Registered Nurses, and the Joint Commission and Joint Commission Resources.
"These new and updated modules are examples of the many resources developed through our Alliances that address common hazards in the healthcare industry," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Edwin G. Foulke, Jr. "We will continue our mission of providing useful information to ensure employees remain safe and healthy while on the job."
Employees face many occupational safety and health hazards while working in a hospital. OSHA originally developed the Hospital eTool with modules describing common hazards and possible solutions for tasks performed in administration, central supply, clinical services, dietary, emergency, engineering, heliport operations, housekeeping, laboratories, laundry, pharmacy, the intensive care unit and the surgical suite.
The sonography module provides guidance on how sonographers—medial professionals who use high frequency ultrasound to create diagnostic images—can reduce their risk of musculoskeletal disorders. The surgical module now features updated information on bloodborne pathogens, waste anesthetic gases, laser safety, and other topics related to workplace safety and health in surgical suites.
OSHA's eTools are stand-alone, Web-based training tools on occupational safety and health topics. OSHA developed these eTool modules with input from the following Alliance Program participants: Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Association of Occupational Health Professionals, American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, Laser Institute of America, American Biological Safety Association, Association of periOperative Registered Nurses, and the Joint Commission and Joint Commission Resources.
"These new and updated modules are examples of the many resources developed through our Alliances that address common hazards in the healthcare industry," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Edwin G. Foulke, Jr. "We will continue our mission of providing useful information to ensure employees remain safe and healthy while on the job."
Employees face many occupational safety and health hazards while working in a hospital. OSHA originally developed the Hospital eTool with modules describing common hazards and possible solutions for tasks performed in administration, central supply, clinical services, dietary, emergency, engineering, heliport operations, housekeeping, laboratories, laundry, pharmacy, the intensive care unit and the surgical suite.
The sonography module provides guidance on how sonographers—medial professionals who use high frequency ultrasound to create diagnostic images—can reduce their risk of musculoskeletal disorders. The surgical module now features updated information on bloodborne pathogens, waste anesthetic gases, laser safety, and other topics related to workplace safety and health in surgical suites.
Labels: hospital safety, workplace safety
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Tuesday, September 16, 2008
OSHA Proposes More Than $41,000 In Penalties Against Beeline Store
MOBILE, Ala. -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is proposing $41,650 in penalties against Ganapatibapa Inc. for one willful and two serious safety violations found at its Ozark, Ala., Beeline Store.
The willful violation, which carries a proposed penalty of $38,500, stems from the company's failure to provide a standard guardrail or its equivalent on an open-sided platform four feet or more above the ground. The agency defines a willful violation as one committed with plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health.
Ganapatibapa Inc. had been told about this violation in December 2007. After announcing that it would no longer utilize the platform, the company resumed its practice of requiring employees to use the platform to change gas pricing signs without modifying the structure to conform to OSHA safety regulations. Instead, the company supplied employees with a full-body safety harness but did not instruct them on its use.
"OSHA will not tolerate the practice of employers agreeing to correct safety hazards and then failing to make the required changes," said Clyde Payne, OSHA's acting area director in Mobile.
Ganapatibapa Inc. is also being cited for two serious violations with $3,150 in proposed penalties for exceeding the weight duty limit of a portable ladder and failing to provide appropriate training to employees.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to contest them and the proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The site was inspected by staff from OSHA's Mobile Area Office, 1141 Montlimar Drive, Suite 1006; telephone 251-441-6131.
The willful violation, which carries a proposed penalty of $38,500, stems from the company's failure to provide a standard guardrail or its equivalent on an open-sided platform four feet or more above the ground. The agency defines a willful violation as one committed with plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health.
Ganapatibapa Inc. had been told about this violation in December 2007. After announcing that it would no longer utilize the platform, the company resumed its practice of requiring employees to use the platform to change gas pricing signs without modifying the structure to conform to OSHA safety regulations. Instead, the company supplied employees with a full-body safety harness but did not instruct them on its use.
"OSHA will not tolerate the practice of employers agreeing to correct safety hazards and then failing to make the required changes," said Clyde Payne, OSHA's acting area director in Mobile.
Ganapatibapa Inc. is also being cited for two serious violations with $3,150 in proposed penalties for exceeding the weight duty limit of a portable ladder and failing to provide appropriate training to employees.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to contest them and the proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The site was inspected by staff from OSHA's Mobile Area Office, 1141 Montlimar Drive, Suite 1006; telephone 251-441-6131.
Labels: OSHA Citations, OSHA Fines, workplace safety
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Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Award Winning Chinese Safety Video
A very different safety video made in the Republic of China (Taiwan) won first first place at an international film festival. You can view the video on the web site of the International Social Security Association. I don't feel this video will deliver a strong safety message in the typical American workplace culture, but it may be useful when training workers from Asian cultures.
The following is a press release announcing the award:
The Republic of China Institute of Occupational Safety and Health won first place at the International Film Festival in Seoul, Korea during the XVIII World Congress on Safety and Health at Work: A Global Forum for Prevention, Safety and Health at Work: A Societal Responsibility. The International Film and Multimedia Festival attracted 115 films and 50 multimedia applications from 25 countries, and brought a wide range of topics, new and old, to the attention of the Juries.
The Nick of Time, produced by the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Council of Labor Affairs in Taiwan, Republic of China, was awarded a first prize for a very different approach. Taking the concept that "Death is watching", the film uses animation to present the many risks and dangers facing workers, and how their attitude to safety is critical in avoiding injury. The Jury commended the excellent quality of the film, and applauded the original approach.
The following is a press release announcing the award:
The Republic of China Institute of Occupational Safety and Health won first place at the International Film Festival in Seoul, Korea during the XVIII World Congress on Safety and Health at Work: A Global Forum for Prevention, Safety and Health at Work: A Societal Responsibility. The International Film and Multimedia Festival attracted 115 films and 50 multimedia applications from 25 countries, and brought a wide range of topics, new and old, to the attention of the Juries.
The Nick of Time, produced by the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Council of Labor Affairs in Taiwan, Republic of China, was awarded a first prize for a very different approach. Taking the concept that "Death is watching", the film uses animation to present the many risks and dangers facing workers, and how their attitude to safety is critical in avoiding injury. The Jury commended the excellent quality of the film, and applauded the original approach.
Labels: Safety Training, workplace safety
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Thursday, August 07, 2008
What To Do When Responding To A Fire
When responding to or fighting a fire, firefighters are in a dangerous situation. They know they are in a dangerous situation, yet firefighters do not always follow the proper safety procedures. An article in yesterday's issue of Fire Rescue 1 magazine looks into this behavior and presents conclusions that are useful to all of us.
The article states:
The article states:
"Working safely makes sense. Firefighter death and injury statistics don't. Within the fire service, activists are well aware of the issues. They have created programs for defensive driving, seat belt awareness, safety officer training, wellness, and a host of others. The programs are internationally supported and recognized. But still death and injury statistics are relatively unchanged. How can that be the case? We have the information we need to prevent many of these situations so what is in the way?"
"One would think that the chance of serious injury or death would be enough to motivate safe practices. Since the stats prove this isn't always the case, we have to explore other reasons for failure to comply with safety recommendations. That brings us to the idea of workplace culture and whether proactive attitudes toward safety planning and action are automatic."
Read the entire article online. It is titled: A Workplace Culture Based on Safety.Labels: fire safety, Industrial Safety, workplace safety
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Thursday, July 10, 2008
There Once Was A Nail Without A Job
There once was a nail without a job.
He'd done his duty proudly for years.
Then one day it was taken from him.
He was sure someone would notice and put him back to work.
But no one did.
Hope turned to despair.
Finally he decided he would be ignored no longer....
This innocent sounding introduction leads to serious head injury in a safety video titled "Nail" produced by the Extreme Group, in Halifax, Canada. It is one of three videos showing how safety hazards that are ignored can result in injury.
You can view all three videos at:
http://www.extremegroup.com/work/42
The Extreme Group, along with the Workers' Compensation Board of Nova Scotia , Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Worker's Compensation Board of PEI took home a Bronze Lion in the Product and Service, public health and safety category for the "Nail" television commercial at the 2008 Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival.
He'd done his duty proudly for years.
Then one day it was taken from him.
He was sure someone would notice and put him back to work.
But no one did.
Hope turned to despair.
Finally he decided he would be ignored no longer....
This innocent sounding introduction leads to serious head injury in a safety video titled "Nail" produced by the Extreme Group, in Halifax, Canada. It is one of three videos showing how safety hazards that are ignored can result in injury.
You can view all three videos at:
http://www.extremegroup.com/work/42
The Extreme Group, along with the Workers' Compensation Board of Nova Scotia , Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Worker's Compensation Board of PEI took home a Bronze Lion in the Product and Service, public health and safety category for the "Nail" television commercial at the 2008 Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival.
Labels: Safety Training, safety videos, workplace safety
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Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Winning Teen Safety Video
California's Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) Distributes Winning Teen Video Public Service Announcement to Theaters Statewide
The following is a press release from DIR. The video produced by Jose Villasenor, Jr., a high school student, is impressive. To view the video visit http://www.dir.ca.gov/youngworker/PSAcontest08.asp.
California's Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) announced the release of the winning video public service announcement (PSA) created by California teens, between the ages of 14-17, as part of a workplace safety contest. The PSA will be shown at theaters statewide.
"The purpose of the contest is to encourage California teens to take an active role in learning about safety and health and labor requirements in the workplace," said DIR Director John Duncan. "The contest raises much needed public awareness of workplace safety and child labor laws."
The winning 2008 PSA was created by Jose Villasenor, Jr., a student of Lindhurst High School in Olivehurst who creatively delivered his message with unique visual effects focusing on workplace safety and health.
Sponsored by DIR’s Divisions of Occupational Safety and Health and Labor Standards Enforcement, as well as the Commission on Health and Safety and Workers’ Compensation, the contest was opened to all California teens under 18, challenging them to create a 30-second video PSA centering on workplace safety and/or child labor laws.
Villasenor’s PSA will be aired during movie previews at Cinemark Theater in Yuba City, near his home town of Olivehurst, and at theaters through out California from June 27-July 24, which are peak months when parents and teens attend movies most frequently. The PSA will be seen on well over 60 screens averaging 370,000 monthly viewers.
Working teens must also know their employment rights on the job. Teens under 18 are required to obtain a work permit from the schools or school district; cannot perform dangerous work specified under the child labor law guidelines, and they must be paid the minimum wage of $ 8 per hour.
According to DIR’s Division of Labor Standards Enforcement over $450,000 in penalties have been issued to businesses for violations of child labor laws last year. Nearly 90 percent of those fines were employers who failed to have work permits for the minors they employed.
The following is a press release from DIR. The video produced by Jose Villasenor, Jr., a high school student, is impressive. To view the video visit http://www.dir.ca.gov/youngworker/PSAcontest08.asp.
California's Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) announced the release of the winning video public service announcement (PSA) created by California teens, between the ages of 14-17, as part of a workplace safety contest. The PSA will be shown at theaters statewide.
"The purpose of the contest is to encourage California teens to take an active role in learning about safety and health and labor requirements in the workplace," said DIR Director John Duncan. "The contest raises much needed public awareness of workplace safety and child labor laws."
The winning 2008 PSA was created by Jose Villasenor, Jr., a student of Lindhurst High School in Olivehurst who creatively delivered his message with unique visual effects focusing on workplace safety and health.
Sponsored by DIR’s Divisions of Occupational Safety and Health and Labor Standards Enforcement, as well as the Commission on Health and Safety and Workers’ Compensation, the contest was opened to all California teens under 18, challenging them to create a 30-second video PSA centering on workplace safety and/or child labor laws.
Villasenor’s PSA will be aired during movie previews at Cinemark Theater in Yuba City, near his home town of Olivehurst, and at theaters through out California from June 27-July 24, which are peak months when parents and teens attend movies most frequently. The PSA will be seen on well over 60 screens averaging 370,000 monthly viewers.
Working teens must also know their employment rights on the job. Teens under 18 are required to obtain a work permit from the schools or school district; cannot perform dangerous work specified under the child labor law guidelines, and they must be paid the minimum wage of $ 8 per hour.
According to DIR’s Division of Labor Standards Enforcement over $450,000 in penalties have been issued to businesses for violations of child labor laws last year. Nearly 90 percent of those fines were employers who failed to have work permits for the minors they employed.
DIR was established to improve working conditions for California's wage earners, and to advance opportunities for profitable employment in California.
Labels: safety videos, workplace safety
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Monday, June 30, 2008
Job Safety Numbers Are Under-Reported In Canada
The Toronto Star reports that hiding workplace injuries produces financial rewards for companies.
An investigation by the Toronto Star revealed that job safety numbers are under-reported in order to cut employer costs. The article in Sunday's edition states:
"The provincial government's highly touted campaign to improve workplace safety is rewarding companies for hiding injuries and rushing the wounded back to work.
A Toronto Star investigation has found that since 2000, companies have reported thousands of seriously injured Ontarians as having missed no time off work.
Some companies pressure or bribe workers not to report major injuries at all.
Some pay the wounded full salary to do degrading make-work jobs.
Others, such as construction giant Aecon Group Inc., have lied to make injuries look less serious."
Read the entire article at: http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/451322
An investigation by the Toronto Star revealed that job safety numbers are under-reported in order to cut employer costs. The article in Sunday's edition states:
"The provincial government's highly touted campaign to improve workplace safety is rewarding companies for hiding injuries and rushing the wounded back to work.
A Toronto Star investigation has found that since 2000, companies have reported thousands of seriously injured Ontarians as having missed no time off work.
Some companies pressure or bribe workers not to report major injuries at all.
Some pay the wounded full salary to do degrading make-work jobs.
Others, such as construction giant Aecon Group Inc., have lied to make injuries look less serious."
Read the entire article at: http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/451322
Labels: Industrial Health, Industrial Safety, workplace safety
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Results of 2008 World Safety Declaration Survey
SEOUL, Korea, June 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Driving a safety culture across organizations, extending it beyond the workplace and keeping it top of mind with a commitment to collaboration and sharing are critical for keeping employees safe, according to a DuPont-sponsored survey of signers of the World Safety Declaration (WSD).
The survey results are the basis for the 2008 WSD Report, "Instilling a Safety Culture Across Continents: How Collaboration, Commitment and Accountability Help Organizations Achieve Measurable Results in Workplace Safety," which was issued by DuPont at the XVIII World Congress on Safety and Health at Work. The WSD was created by DuPont in 2005 to provide companies with a framework to find common ground in identifying and improving workplace safety.
Among the leading areas of progress reported by WSD signers:
and to a growing list of companies. We will continue to strive to help others to better protect their employees, their customers and their communities."
Held every three years, the World Congress brings together several thousand key leaders and influencers of workplace safety policy from industry, government and labor who present and discuss emerging safety research, trends, best practices and innovations in the workplace. Today's World Day for Safety and Health at Work was established by the International Labour Organization in 2003 to emphasize the prevention of illness and accidents at work.
For a complete copy of the 2008 World Safety Declaration Report visit:
http://www.worldsafetydeclaration.com
The survey results are the basis for the 2008 WSD Report, "Instilling a Safety Culture Across Continents: How Collaboration, Commitment and Accountability Help Organizations Achieve Measurable Results in Workplace Safety," which was issued by DuPont at the XVIII World Congress on Safety and Health at Work. The WSD was created by DuPont in 2005 to provide companies with a framework to find common ground in identifying and improving workplace safety.
Among the leading areas of progress reported by WSD signers:
- Driving safety cultures across companies represents the greatest area of improvement, but continues to be an ongoing challenge as organizations strive to keep safety top of mind
- Driving line management accountability for safety was next, indicating that companies are effecting a shift in their organizations
- Reducing occupational accidents and injuries remains the bottom line focus of all safety programs.
and to a growing list of companies. We will continue to strive to help others to better protect their employees, their customers and their communities."
Held every three years, the World Congress brings together several thousand key leaders and influencers of workplace safety policy from industry, government and labor who present and discuss emerging safety research, trends, best practices and innovations in the workplace. Today's World Day for Safety and Health at Work was established by the International Labour Organization in 2003 to emphasize the prevention of illness and accidents at work.
For a complete copy of the 2008 World Safety Declaration Report visit:
http://www.worldsafetydeclaration.com
Labels: safety management, workplace safety
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Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Budgeting for the Safety Miser
A current article in Occupational Health & Safety magazine tackles the subject of Budgeting for the Safety Miser.
Linda Johnson Sherrard, Technical Editor of Occupational Health & Safety, writes: "I admit it, I'm a budget miser who is horrible at developing realistic needs analysis. I always hold funds to the last minute, expecting some dire happening or equipment break that needs immediate assistance. I try to obtain at least one meaningful piece of equipment or diagnostic monitoring every year and keep my resources up to date. The costs of a new safety program (or refreshing an older, established one) can be staggering: You have to section it off for several years in order to obtain the items you need."
In this short article she offers a number of bullet points for estimating your safety budget. Read the article here: http://www.ohsonline.com/articles/63420
Linda Johnson Sherrard, Technical Editor of Occupational Health & Safety, writes: "I admit it, I'm a budget miser who is horrible at developing realistic needs analysis. I always hold funds to the last minute, expecting some dire happening or equipment break that needs immediate assistance. I try to obtain at least one meaningful piece of equipment or diagnostic monitoring every year and keep my resources up to date. The costs of a new safety program (or refreshing an older, established one) can be staggering: You have to section it off for several years in order to obtain the items you need."
In this short article she offers a number of bullet points for estimating your safety budget. Read the article here: http://www.ohsonline.com/articles/63420
Labels: safety management, workplace safety
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Monday, June 16, 2008
OSHA Accepts Anonymous Complaints
In their Sunday edition the Boston Globe answers this question from a worker:
"My co-workers and I are subject to what we believe are harmful fumes. Management is aware of the problem, but has refused to take measures to improve air quality. My co-workers and I are hesitant to speak out due to fear of retaliation. What actions can we take to ensure safe conditions without risking our jobs?"
Read the answer in the Boston Globe
"My co-workers and I are subject to what we believe are harmful fumes. Management is aware of the problem, but has refused to take measures to improve air quality. My co-workers and I are hesitant to speak out due to fear of retaliation. What actions can we take to ensure safe conditions without risking our jobs?"
Read the answer in the Boston Globe
Labels: OSHA, osha information, workplace safety
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NIOSH Offers Online Library for Preventing Work Traffic Injuries
The U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) now offers an online library to house resources from around the world related to the prevention of road traffic injuries and deaths while at work. The resources are stored in the "Road Safety at Work" online library, at www.roadsafetyatwork.org.
The online library contains information on the following:
- "Best practices" including engineering controls, policies, administrative procedures, and guidance to employers or workers about safety on roads.
- Materials that show evidence of implementation and evaluation of success.
- Statistics about worker injuries and fatalities on roads.
NIOSH is working with partners to reduce the toll of road traffic injuries at work, which are the leading cause of occupational fatalities in the U.S. (30%) and other high-income nations. In the general population, deaths from road traffic injuries are projected to increase from 1.2 million in 2002 to 1.9 million in 2030, with low- and middle-income nations bearing most of the increase. If effective interventions are not implemented, the World Health Organization and the World Bank estimate that by the year 2030, road traffic injuries will become the 8th leading cause of mortality worldwide.*
"Thank you to all who have contributed to this library," said NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D. "NIOSH and partners remind you that this library is in continuing development and welcome your materials."
To contribute to the online library, www.roadsafetyatwork.org, please contact Jane Hingston at JHingston@cdc.gov. Information is needed on all types of occupational drivers: (1) drivers of commercial vehicles such as large trucks and buses (workers for whom driving is the primary job duty); (2) workers who use smaller trucks or passenger vehicles provided by their employer (workers whose primary occupation is something other than “driver”); and (3) workers who drive personal vehicles for work purposes. Workers who are pedestrians and those who are working on roads are also included.
NIOSH encourages use the online library, free of charge, and consider the best practices that may be useful in their workplace.
Labels: NIOSH, workplace safety
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Friday, June 06, 2008
This Article Bothers Me
An article in today's San Fransisco Chronicle is titled "Worker crushed at South San Francisco asphalt plant". The article states:
"A worker at a South San Francisco asphalt plant was killed Wednesday when the machine he was repairing turned on and crushed him, authorities said today.
'It looks like an industrial accident, but we have to make sure all the T's are crossed and everything,' said South San Francisco police Sgt. Joni Lee."
What bothers me is the statement "it looks like an industrial accident." There is no such thing as an accident. If you read the article the cause of the "accident" is clear. Proper Lockout/Tagout procedures were not used prior to starting the work. I understand the police officer is looking at this from the perspective of whether or not a police investigation is needed. But still, this is an "accident" that could easily have been prevented. When it comes to safety, there is no such thing as an accident.
"A worker at a South San Francisco asphalt plant was killed Wednesday when the machine he was repairing turned on and crushed him, authorities said today.
'It looks like an industrial accident, but we have to make sure all the T's are crossed and everything,' said South San Francisco police Sgt. Joni Lee."
What bothers me is the statement "it looks like an industrial accident." There is no such thing as an accident. If you read the article the cause of the "accident" is clear. Proper Lockout/Tagout procedures were not used prior to starting the work. I understand the police officer is looking at this from the perspective of whether or not a police investigation is needed. But still, this is an "accident" that could easily have been prevented. When it comes to safety, there is no such thing as an accident.
Labels: workplace fatalities, workplace safety
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Monday, June 02, 2008
Union Ban On Killer Hose
News from Australia concerns the dangers of high pressure water lances. The Illawarra Mercury News reports on the death of a worker using a high pressure water lance and the supsequent union ban on the use of similar equipment. The article reports:
"Mr Kolomaka, 39, died after he was hit in the chest by an ultra high-pressure stream of water while cleaning a catchment sump at BlueScope's Springhill site last Thursday.
"Mr Kolomaka, 39, died after he was hit in the chest by an ultra high-pressure stream of water while cleaning a catchment sump at BlueScope's Springhill site last Thursday.
Wollongong Police Inspector Mark Lavers said Mr Kolomaka lost control of the hose while breaking up sediment at the bottom of a large pit in an area known as the 21 Dump.
'His colleague was standing 5m to 7m behind him controlling the water flow by a foot-activated pedal,' Insp Lavers said."
Do you see anything wrong with what happened as described above? Use this link to read the entire article.Labels: Construction Safety, Industrial Safety, workplace fatalities, workplace safety
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Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Developing A Health And Safety Program
In an article for Today's Facility Manager Gary Ganson provides an overview of how to establish a health and safety plan, and have compliance with that plan. He begins by pointing out that:
"Compliance begins with commitment to a health and safety program that’s tailored to fit the company. It must blend with its operations and culture so it can help employers maintain a system that continually addresses a focus on prevention of workplace injuries and illnesses."
He then addresses the need to involve employees in health and safety policy making and he follows this with a discussion of an initial and ongoing workplace safety audit and analysis.
He goes on to talk about continually reviewing workplace health and safety to control or prevent workplace hazards.
The article concludes with a discussion about the need and value of training.
You can read the article at Today's Facility Manager.
"Compliance begins with commitment to a health and safety program that’s tailored to fit the company. It must blend with its operations and culture so it can help employers maintain a system that continually addresses a focus on prevention of workplace injuries and illnesses."
He then addresses the need to involve employees in health and safety policy making and he follows this with a discussion of an initial and ongoing workplace safety audit and analysis.
He goes on to talk about continually reviewing workplace health and safety to control or prevent workplace hazards.
The article concludes with a discussion about the need and value of training.
You can read the article at Today's Facility Manager.
Labels: hazard prevention, Industrial Health, Industrial Safety, Safety Training, workplace safety
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Monday, May 19, 2008
U.S. Navy Safety Bucks
Developing a way to reward safe behavior, without rewarding underreporting of accidents and injuries, is a goal may strive for. The U.S. Navy South East Region has developed the Safety Buck program. Here is how is it described in the Kings Bay Periscope:
The purpose of the program is to increase safety awareness throughout Navy Region Southeast installations by rewarding safe acts that go beyond normal day-to-day operations. It uses an immediate reward as the incentive to good safety deeds.
All base employees should apply safe work practices in their daily operations. Recognition should be given to individuals and departments for attaining an excellent safety record and providing and supporting the Voluntary Protection Program.
Behaviors that are acceptable for an award of an MWR Safety Buck include: identification of unknown hazards in the workplace, providing additional safety guards that enhance a job, taking initiatives to correct a known hazard such as a broken guard or any other good deed is determined by the Safety Buck distributors.
You can read the entire article at: Safety Bucks Program Kicks OffLabels: safety, Safety Training, workplace safety
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Monday, May 05, 2008
North American Occupational Safety and Health Week May 4 - 10
Yesterday was the beginning of the North American Occupational Safety and Health Week. The following was adapted from an announcement from the American Society of Safety Engineers.
Due to the efforts of many, millions of people go to and return home safely from work every day. However, in the U.S. alone, 5,840 workers died from on-the-job injuries in 2006 and millions more suffered workplace injuries and illnesses. These can be prevented.
During the annual North American Occupational Safety and Health Week (NAOSH) this May 4 – 10th, the American Society of Safety Engineers' (ASSE) along with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE), the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and 72 corporations and associations representing all industries, plus 150,000+ businesses and millions of people will provide tools, best practices and solutions on how accidents can be prevented and illustrate how safety is good business.
The 32,000 ASSE SH&E professionals work day in and day out identifying hazards and implanting safety and health advances in all industries and at all workplaces, aimed at eliminating workplace fatalities, injuries, and illnesses. Businesses who have adopted safety into their core business strategy continue to see how safety contributes positively not only to their bottom line, but to the company's brand and reputation and employee and vendor morale. Workplace safety also contributes to a reduction in health insurance and workers compensation costs and provides a safe working environment for employees and for the community they do business in. Society as a whole benefits when there are fewer accidents and on-the-job injuries increasing everyone's quality of life.
Poor Workplace Safety Costs...
· businesses spend about $170 billion a year on costs associated with occupational injuries and illnesses – it is estimated that U.S. employers pay almost $1 billion every week to injured employees and their medical care providers;
· each year families, friends, and co-workers of victims of on-the-job accidents suffer intangible losses and grief, especially when proper safety measures could have prevented worker injury or death;
· ASSE has recognized that a safe and healthy workplace positively impacts employee morale, health, and productivity; and
· a recent study done by Goldman Sachs JBWere showed valuation links between workplace safety and health factors and investment performance – they found companies who did not adequately manage workplace safety and health issues underperformed those who did -- suggesting that workplace safety and health factors have potentially greater effectiveness at identifying underperforming stocks.
Due to the efforts of many, millions of people go to and return home safely from work every day. However, in the U.S. alone, 5,840 workers died from on-the-job injuries in 2006 and millions more suffered workplace injuries and illnesses. These can be prevented.
During the annual North American Occupational Safety and Health Week (NAOSH) this May 4 – 10th, the American Society of Safety Engineers' (ASSE) along with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE), the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and 72 corporations and associations representing all industries, plus 150,000+ businesses and millions of people will provide tools, best practices and solutions on how accidents can be prevented and illustrate how safety is good business.
The 32,000 ASSE SH&E professionals work day in and day out identifying hazards and implanting safety and health advances in all industries and at all workplaces, aimed at eliminating workplace fatalities, injuries, and illnesses. Businesses who have adopted safety into their core business strategy continue to see how safety contributes positively not only to their bottom line, but to the company's brand and reputation and employee and vendor morale. Workplace safety also contributes to a reduction in health insurance and workers compensation costs and provides a safe working environment for employees and for the community they do business in. Society as a whole benefits when there are fewer accidents and on-the-job injuries increasing everyone's quality of life.
Poor Workplace Safety Costs...
· businesses spend about $170 billion a year on costs associated with occupational injuries and illnesses – it is estimated that U.S. employers pay almost $1 billion every week to injured employees and their medical care providers;
· each year families, friends, and co-workers of victims of on-the-job accidents suffer intangible losses and grief, especially when proper safety measures could have prevented worker injury or death;
· ASSE has recognized that a safe and healthy workplace positively impacts employee morale, health, and productivity; and
· a recent study done by Goldman Sachs JBWere showed valuation links between workplace safety and health factors and investment performance – they found companies who did not adequately manage workplace safety and health issues underperformed those who did -- suggesting that workplace safety and health factors have potentially greater effectiveness at identifying underperforming stocks.
Labels: Industrial Health, Industrial Safety, workplace safety
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Wednesday, April 16, 2008
What's More Important, Religion or Safety?
Hard hat policy spurs debate between safety and religion.
International Forest Products Ltd (Interfor) in Delta, BC (Canada) put a new safety policy in place that required all sawmill workers to wear hard hats. This caused a problem for two employees who practice the Sikh religion. OHS Canada reported yesterday that:
"Since early last November, Sikh sawmill workers Mander Singh Sohal and Kalwant Singh Sahota have not been permitted to work at Interfor's Acorn Mill in Delta because they refused to wear hard hats over their turbans. For many Sikhs, it is considered a religious requirement to not cover their turbans."
You can read the complete article at: OHS Canada
Negotiations are in progress. Interfor will enforce the new safety policy, and they plan to offer alternative work to the Sikh employees.
International Forest Products Ltd (Interfor) in Delta, BC (Canada) put a new safety policy in place that required all sawmill workers to wear hard hats. This caused a problem for two employees who practice the Sikh religion. OHS Canada reported yesterday that:
"Since early last November, Sikh sawmill workers Mander Singh Sohal and Kalwant Singh Sahota have not been permitted to work at Interfor's Acorn Mill in Delta because they refused to wear hard hats over their turbans. For many Sikhs, it is considered a religious requirement to not cover their turbans."
You can read the complete article at: OHS Canada
Negotiations are in progress. Interfor will enforce the new safety policy, and they plan to offer alternative work to the Sikh employees.
Labels: employment, safety, safety regulations, workplace safety
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Friday, April 04, 2008
Feds File Criminal Charges In Death Of Roofer
This week I've been focusing on articles showing an increasing level of public dissatisfaction resulting from a perception that OSHA is not doing the job it should be doing. I'll finish the week with this article from yesterday's edition of the Quad Cities Dispatch. It reports that "A one-time superintendent for a Carbon Cliff roofing company faces federal criminal charges for allegedly obstructing an investigation into the accidental death of an employee."
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of Illinois has filed a criminal complaint against Stephen F. Vyncke, an employee of Winter's Architectural Roofing in Carbon Cliff. He is charged with obstructing an OSHA investigation.
You can read the article online at: http://qconline.com/archives/qco/display.php?id=381169
Again I urge you to read the comments at the bottom of the article.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of Illinois has filed a criminal complaint against Stephen F. Vyncke, an employee of Winter's Architectural Roofing in Carbon Cliff. He is charged with obstructing an OSHA investigation.
You can read the article online at: http://qconline.com/archives/qco/display.php?id=381169
Again I urge you to read the comments at the bottom of the article.
Labels: OSHA, Workers' Comp, workplace safety
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Thursday, April 03, 2008
Congressional Hearings On Safety and OSHA
The congressional safety hearings being conducted this week were prompted by the series of articles in the Charlotte Observer in mid-February (see blog posts Pain Behind Safety Streak and Do Employers Underreport Worker's Injuries). This week's hearing is the first of three scheduled congressional hearings. The Charlotte Observer summarized the testimony given in Tuesday's hearings in an article published yesterday.
The article reported "Saying companies that ignore workplace hazards face little more than a 'slap on the wrist,' lawmakers on Tuesday called for stiffer penalties and stronger enforcement against chronic violators."
Read the Charlotte Observer article at: http://www.charlotte.com/739/story/562887.html
The article reported "Saying companies that ignore workplace hazards face little more than a 'slap on the wrist,' lawmakers on Tuesday called for stiffer penalties and stronger enforcement against chronic violators."
Read the Charlotte Observer article at: http://www.charlotte.com/739/story/562887.html
Labels: OSHA, workplace safety
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Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Cintas Corp. Safety Criticized In Senate Hearing
The following press release was issued by Change to Win, a partnership of seven unions.
The Cintas Corp. was criticized today in a U.S. Senate hearing for having a dangerous pattern of disregarding worker safety. The hearing, held by the Employment and Workplace Protections Subcommittee of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, sought to hold leading corporations like Cintas accountable for repeated safety violations.
"What is most disturbing to me is that these tragedies are happening over and over again in the same industries. And they are happening far too often at the same companies -- where workers are doing jobs that their employers know are dangerous and unsafe," stated Subcommittee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-Wash.).
Not even multiple citations and record breaking proposed penalties have persuaded Cintas to eliminate the kinds of violations that led to the March 2007 death of Tulsa, Oklahoma, worker Eleazar Torres Gomez. More than one year after this fatality, Cintas workers report they continue to face the same kinds of potentially lethal dangers in their plants. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is currently investigating these hazards in an Illinois Cintas laundry.
In addition to Cintas, Senators heard testimony about pork producer Smithfield Farms, garbage collector Waste Management, and residential construction developer Avalon Bay. While these employers are from vastly different industries, like Cintas, they have made choices that increased the risk of injury or illness to their workers.
The hearing also addressed OSHA's failures to investigate and remedy corporate-wide health and safety violations as a result of ineffective enforcement tools and inadequate resources.
"To prevent accidents, instead of only assigning blame afterward, OSHA needs to root out the source of these problems," said Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), HELP Committee Chairman. "A broad-based approach to enforcement has the power to transform workplace accidents from senseless losses to catalysts for changes that save lives."
Witnesses made several suggestions to reform OSHA including passage of the Protecting America's Workers Act. This bill would expand the protection of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, strengthen the agency's ability to enforce the law and increase criminal penalties for the most egregious safety violations.
"OSHA and America's working families need your help to send a clear message to negligent employers: Workers lives must be valued more than profits," Change to Win Health and Safety Coordinator Eric Frumin told senators. "The Protecting America's Workers Act is a good first start. But much more is needed to prevent more families, like the Torres family in Tulsa, from mourning because of unsafe jobs."
Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) agreed. "Workplace safety isn't an option, it's an imperative," he said. "American workers built this nation's prosperity, and it is in our nation's interest to protect their health and safety in the workplace."
The Cintas Corp. was criticized today in a U.S. Senate hearing for having a dangerous pattern of disregarding worker safety. The hearing, held by the Employment and Workplace Protections Subcommittee of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, sought to hold leading corporations like Cintas accountable for repeated safety violations.
"What is most disturbing to me is that these tragedies are happening over and over again in the same industries. And they are happening far too often at the same companies -- where workers are doing jobs that their employers know are dangerous and unsafe," stated Subcommittee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-Wash.).
Not even multiple citations and record breaking proposed penalties have persuaded Cintas to eliminate the kinds of violations that led to the March 2007 death of Tulsa, Oklahoma, worker Eleazar Torres Gomez. More than one year after this fatality, Cintas workers report they continue to face the same kinds of potentially lethal dangers in their plants. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is currently investigating these hazards in an Illinois Cintas laundry.
In addition to Cintas, Senators heard testimony about pork producer Smithfield Farms, garbage collector Waste Management, and residential construction developer Avalon Bay. While these employers are from vastly different industries, like Cintas, they have made choices that increased the risk of injury or illness to their workers.
The hearing also addressed OSHA's failures to investigate and remedy corporate-wide health and safety violations as a result of ineffective enforcement tools and inadequate resources.
"To prevent accidents, instead of only assigning blame afterward, OSHA needs to root out the source of these problems," said Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), HELP Committee Chairman. "A broad-based approach to enforcement has the power to transform workplace accidents from senseless losses to catalysts for changes that save lives."
Witnesses made several suggestions to reform OSHA including passage of the Protecting America's Workers Act. This bill would expand the protection of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, strengthen the agency's ability to enforce the law and increase criminal penalties for the most egregious safety violations.
"OSHA and America's working families need your help to send a clear message to negligent employers: Workers lives must be valued more than profits," Change to Win Health and Safety Coordinator Eric Frumin told senators. "The Protecting America's Workers Act is a good first start. But much more is needed to prevent more families, like the Torres family in Tulsa, from mourning because of unsafe jobs."
Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) agreed. "Workplace safety isn't an option, it's an imperative," he said. "American workers built this nation's prosperity, and it is in our nation's interest to protect their health and safety in the workplace."
Labels: OSHA, politics, workplace safety
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Culture, Leadership Critical to Reducing Workplace Injuries
The following is based on press release issued by Behavorial Science Technology.
BST testifimony at the Employment and Workplace Safety Subcommittee hearing on serious OSHA violations states that safety program effectiveness is influenced by the culture that leaders create.
In a hearing yesterday before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety, Behavioral Science Technology, Inc. (BST) testified that organizational leaders strongly influence the effectiveness of injury reduction programs through the cultures they create. Data show that safety outcomes markedly improve in companies that take a holistic approach to improvement activities that includes giving leaders an active role in safety functioning.
BST executive consultant Carmen Bianco cited results from more than 150 client sites in North America to show that companies reduce injuries more effectively with a comprehensive employee-engagement approach than with traditional safety programs alone. Companies in the study group achieved an average 25% reduction in injury rate after the first year, increasing to an average 65% improvement after five years.
"Traditional safety programs are essential but not sufficient for excellence," says BST chief operating officer Scott Stricoff. "Business systems, management decisions, and the culture as a whole all influence how effectively safety systems perform. Engaging executives, managers, and
supervisors helps companies align the business to work with, not against, the safety objective."
According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, work-related accidents injure more than four million workers, and cause more than 5,000 worker fatalities, every year. Workplace injuries are estimated to cost U.S. businesses in excess of $120 billion dollars annually.
For a copy of BST's testimony or additional information on culture, leadership, and workplace safety, contact Rebecca Nigel or visit http://www.bstsolutions.com/about/press_room.shtml.
BST is a global safety consulting and solutions firm headquartered in Ojai, California.
BST testifimony at the Employment and Workplace Safety Subcommittee hearing on serious OSHA violations states that safety program effectiveness is influenced by the culture that leaders create.
In a hearing yesterday before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety, Behavioral Science Technology, Inc. (BST) testified that organizational leaders strongly influence the effectiveness of injury reduction programs through the cultures they create. Data show that safety outcomes markedly improve in companies that take a holistic approach to improvement activities that includes giving leaders an active role in safety functioning.
BST executive consultant Carmen Bianco cited results from more than 150 client sites in North America to show that companies reduce injuries more effectively with a comprehensive employee-engagement approach than with traditional safety programs alone. Companies in the study group achieved an average 25% reduction in injury rate after the first year, increasing to an average 65% improvement after five years.
"Traditional safety programs are essential but not sufficient for excellence," says BST chief operating officer Scott Stricoff. "Business systems, management decisions, and the culture as a whole all influence how effectively safety systems perform. Engaging executives, managers, and
supervisors helps companies align the business to work with, not against, the safety objective."
According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, work-related accidents injure more than four million workers, and cause more than 5,000 worker fatalities, every year. Workplace injuries are estimated to cost U.S. businesses in excess of $120 billion dollars annually.
For a copy of BST's testimony or additional information on culture, leadership, and workplace safety, contact Rebecca Nigel or visit http://www.bstsolutions.com/about/press_room.shtml.
BST is a global safety consulting and solutions firm headquartered in Ojai, California.
Labels: Industrial Safety, OSHA, politics, workplace safety
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Friday, March 14, 2008
Combustible Dust Standards
On February 7th a dust explosion at the Imperial Sugar refinery killed 12 workers and critically injured 11 others, making this the deadliest industrial explosion in the United States since 1980. The following provides links to articles that summarize what is happening in this area.
Occupational Hazards Magazine reports that on Wednesday this week OSHA Administrator Edwin Foulke Jr. stated in congressional testimony that OSHA would consider new rule making on combustible dust a "strong option" only if its investigation of the Feb. 7 explosion and an inspection of existing standards show that existing standards are not adequate.
Safety Business and Legal Reports (Safety.BLR.com) published an article yesterday titled: "OSHA Reissues Combustible Dust National Emphasis Program". This article states that OSHA is taking action. The article states:
"OSHA reissued its Combustible Dust National Emphasis Program (NEP) Instruction. The NEP will increase enforcement activities and focus on specific industry groups that have experienced frequent combustible dust incidents. 'Combustible dust fires or explosions can pose significant dangers in the workplace,' said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Edwin G. Foulke Jr. 'With this new Combustible Dust NEP, the Agency will increase its activities in outreach, training, and cooperative ventures with stakeholders, as well as enhance its enforcement activities.'"
You can read the Safety.BLR article at: http://safety.blr.com/display.cfm/id/105965
Meanwhile Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John W. Oxendine announced new tougher state regulations to improve safety in workplaces that "produce flammable dust in their manufacturing processes." An article in the Peachtree Corners Weekly reports:
"Oxendine said the new rules will require all industries in Georgia that produce combustible dust to draw up emergency plans, practice implementing the plan, and train employees in evacuation techniques."
In addition:
"At Oxendine’s request, the International Fire Code Committee has approved for their final action hearings, requirements for factory fire emergency evacuation procedures and drills for the 2009 edition of the International Fire Code."
Occupational Hazards Magazine reports that on Wednesday this week OSHA Administrator Edwin Foulke Jr. stated in congressional testimony that OSHA would consider new rule making on combustible dust a "strong option" only if its investigation of the Feb. 7 explosion and an inspection of existing standards show that existing standards are not adequate.
Safety Business and Legal Reports (Safety.BLR.com) published an article yesterday titled: "OSHA Reissues Combustible Dust National Emphasis Program". This article states that OSHA is taking action. The article states:
"OSHA reissued its Combustible Dust National Emphasis Program (NEP) Instruction. The NEP will increase enforcement activities and focus on specific industry groups that have experienced frequent combustible dust incidents. 'Combustible dust fires or explosions can pose significant dangers in the workplace,' said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Edwin G. Foulke Jr. 'With this new Combustible Dust NEP, the Agency will increase its activities in outreach, training, and cooperative ventures with stakeholders, as well as enhance its enforcement activities.'"
You can read the Safety.BLR article at: http://safety.blr.com/display.cfm/id/105965
Meanwhile Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John W. Oxendine announced new tougher state regulations to improve safety in workplaces that "produce flammable dust in their manufacturing processes." An article in the Peachtree Corners Weekly reports:
"Oxendine said the new rules will require all industries in Georgia that produce combustible dust to draw up emergency plans, practice implementing the plan, and train employees in evacuation techniques."
In addition:
"At Oxendine’s request, the International Fire Code Committee has approved for their final action hearings, requirements for factory fire emergency evacuation procedures and drills for the 2009 edition of the International Fire Code."
Labels: Emergency Planning, OSHA, safety regulations, workplace safety
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Tuesday, March 04, 2008
10 Steps to Leading Measures of Workplace Safety
HR.BLR reported yesterday that Earl Blair from Indiana University and Barry Spurlock from the Midwestern Insurance Alliance spoke at a conference of more than 600 safety professionals from Indiana and several surrounding states. They talked about the "ten steps for developing and applying leading safety measures in the workplace, how to measure safety performance, and how to sell the leading measures to management."
The articled opened with this introduction: "Is your safety program proactive to create safety performance excellence, or is it reactive to simply hold the line on injuries and illnesses? Safety professionals who are trying to achieve excellence through leading measures of performance can take the next step to develop and apply such measures in a systematic way."
What are the ten steps?
The articled opened with this introduction: "Is your safety program proactive to create safety performance excellence, or is it reactive to simply hold the line on injuries and illnesses? Safety professionals who are trying to achieve excellence through leading measures of performance can take the next step to develop and apply such measures in a systematic way."
What are the ten steps?
- Step 1--Prioritize what is measured.
- Step 2--Determine the hierarchal level of the organization to measure.
- Step 3--Verify controls and identify obstacles to improvement.
- Step 4--Develop a simple list of measures for each activity.
- Step 5--Identify the means of employee engagement.
- Step 6--Develop safety measurement methods and tools.
- Step 7--Develop delivery strategies for measuring performance.
- Step 8--Set performance goals.
- Step 9--Monitor the progress of safety measures.
- Step 10--Adjust and modify safety measures over time.
Labels: workplace safety
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Monday, March 03, 2008
Free Online Tool For Conducting Job Safety Analysis
Agoura Hills, CA - HASP Online announces JSABuilder -- the first free online tool for conducting Job Safety Analysis (JSA).
JSA, also known as Job Hazard Analysis (JHA), is a proven and effective technique of identifying potential job hazards and implementing the controls necessary to eliminate or reduce them. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) recommend that a JSA be done to determine the proper work safety procedures.
The JSA process consists of:
HASP Online is the first commercially available online health and safety plan development and management tool for HAZWOPER sites. HASP Online is a joint venture between EnviroSolve Corporation and Safety Unlimited, Inc.
"Many jobs are performed without the benefit of a job safety analysis, resulting in injuries that should have been easily prevented by a careful analysis and discussion of potential hazards," says EnviroSolve president John Batchelder. Adds Jules Griggs, president of Safety Unlimited, "Our goal is to ensure that anyone assessing job hazards has the best possible tools to easily perform a job safety analysis."
"We feel strongly," says Griggs, "that by sharing this free health and safety planning tool, we're helping safety professionals, managers, supervisors, foremen and task leaders to prevent injuries. We're pleased to be able to give this away as a service to the safety profession."
Additional information about EnviroSolve can be found at http://www.envirosolve.com. Additional information about Safety Unlimited can be found at http://www.safetyunlimited.com.
Information from HASP Online andthe JSABiulder web site.
JSA, also known as Job Hazard Analysis (JHA), is a proven and effective technique of identifying potential job hazards and implementing the controls necessary to eliminate or reduce them. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) recommend that a JSA be done to determine the proper work safety procedures.
The JSA process consists of:
- Breaking the job or task into a sequence of logical steps;
- Identifying the hazards associated with each step;
- Understanding the consequences of these hazards if not properly controlled; and
- Identifying the necessary
- engineering controls (e.g., safety devices, special tools, structures, barriers, or baffling),
- administrative controls (e.g., work or job safety procedures, safety practices, work permits),
- personnel protective equipment (PPE),
- and/or special training (e.g., electrical safety, respiratory safety, lock out/tag out) necessary to eliminate or minimize theses hazards.
HASP Online is the first commercially available online health and safety plan development and management tool for HAZWOPER sites. HASP Online is a joint venture between EnviroSolve Corporation and Safety Unlimited, Inc.
"Many jobs are performed without the benefit of a job safety analysis, resulting in injuries that should have been easily prevented by a careful analysis and discussion of potential hazards," says EnviroSolve president John Batchelder. Adds Jules Griggs, president of Safety Unlimited, "Our goal is to ensure that anyone assessing job hazards has the best possible tools to easily perform a job safety analysis."
"We feel strongly," says Griggs, "that by sharing this free health and safety planning tool, we're helping safety professionals, managers, supervisors, foremen and task leaders to prevent injuries. We're pleased to be able to give this away as a service to the safety profession."
Additional information about EnviroSolve can be found at http://www.envirosolve.com. Additional information about Safety Unlimited can be found at http://www.safetyunlimited.com.
Information from HASP Online andthe JSABiulder web site.
Labels: Industrial Safety, workplace safety
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Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Canadian Company Convicted of Criminal Negligence for Workplace Accident
The National Post in Canada reported today that "A Quebec paving-stone manufacturer is set to appear for a sentencing hearing today after becoming the first company in Canada to be convicted of criminal negligence causing death as the result of a workplace accident."
This case results from the death of laborer Steve L'Ecuyer who was crushed in 2005 as he tried to clear a backlog of stones on a production line. This is the first conviction under the Canadian Federal Criminal Code that was amended in 2004 to make it easier to prosecute employers for health and safety code violations.
You can read the entire article at: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=334374
In other news from Canada, The Lawyers Weekly reports today on a story they've titled "Creative Sentencing Gains Ground For Occupational Safety Violations". It describes a different approach to penalties for workplace safety code violations. The article states:
"Creative sentencing involves replacing the traditional justice system process with an agreement by all parties as to how violators will be dealt with — and how communities will benefit. 'It's an efficient way to do things. Issues get settled quickly,' Dianne Whalen, minister of transportation and works in Newfoundland and Labrador, said in an interview."
Creative sentencing is seen as a way to give back to the community. The article describes the creative sentence given to Crosbie Industrial as the result of an explosion that injured two workers.
"In this case, that agreement called for Crosbie Industrial to pay $10,000, which was divided among the three closest high schools to where the incident occurred and which offer what is called the Workplace Safety course. The amount of funding each school received is proportional to the number of students attending the course."
You can read this article at: http://www.lawyersweekly.ca/index.php?section=article&articleid=628
This case results from the death of laborer Steve L'Ecuyer who was crushed in 2005 as he tried to clear a backlog of stones on a production line. This is the first conviction under the Canadian Federal Criminal Code that was amended in 2004 to make it easier to prosecute employers for health and safety code violations.
You can read the entire article at: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=334374
In other news from Canada, The Lawyers Weekly reports today on a story they've titled "Creative Sentencing Gains Ground For Occupational Safety Violations". It describes a different approach to penalties for workplace safety code violations. The article states:
"Creative sentencing involves replacing the traditional justice system process with an agreement by all parties as to how violators will be dealt with — and how communities will benefit. 'It's an efficient way to do things. Issues get settled quickly,' Dianne Whalen, minister of transportation and works in Newfoundland and Labrador, said in an interview."
Creative sentencing is seen as a way to give back to the community. The article describes the creative sentence given to Crosbie Industrial as the result of an explosion that injured two workers.
"In this case, that agreement called for Crosbie Industrial to pay $10,000, which was divided among the three closest high schools to where the incident occurred and which offer what is called the Workplace Safety course. The amount of funding each school received is proportional to the number of students attending the course."
You can read this article at: http://www.lawyersweekly.ca/index.php?section=article&articleid=628
Labels: Industrial Safety, safety, workplace safety
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Crane Contacts A Power LIne - The Results Shown On Video
The following is a three minute video showing what happens when a crane comes in contact with a power line.
Labels: Construction Safety, safety videos, workplace safety
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Thursday, February 21, 2008
Teamsters Join UFCW in Petition to Prevent Future Sugar Plant Explosion
The following is a press release from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters:
Yesterday the Teamsters Union joined with the United Food and Commercial Workers in calling on the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) to issue an emergency standard on combustible dust following last week’s deadly explosion at a sugar plant in Georgia.
The Teamsters and UFCW filed a petition yesterday with the Labor Department, demanding that OSHA follow the 2006 recommendations of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board.
Six workers were killed last week and dozens of others seriously injured in a preventable workplace accident at Imperial Sugar in Savannah, Georgia. Combustible dust ignited and caused an explosion.
The Teamsters represent nearly 500 members who are employed at eight sugar processing facilities throughout the United States. UFCW also represents hundreds of workers in sugar plants around the country., including the Domino Sugar plant in Baltimore, where members narrowly escaped harm last November after a combustible dust explosion rocked the facility.
OSHA has ignored the 2006 recommendation from the Chemical Safety Board (CSB) to issue a rule that would have prevented these and other combustible dust explosions. That year, the CSB conducted a major study of combustible dust hazards following three worksite dust explosions that killed 14 workers in 2003. The CSB report noted that a quarter of the explosions that occurred between 1980 and 2005 occurred at food industry facilities, including sugar plants.
OSHA’s inaction on this workplace risk follows a pattern of the agency ignoring scientific evidence and its own rule-making guidelines. By law, OSHA was supposed to respond to the CSB’s recommendations within six months.
In 1987, OSHA issued the Grain Dust Standard, which addresses the hazards of combustible grain dust. OSHA could have regulated the explosion hazards posed by combustible dust in American industries beyond grain handling facilities, but at that time, it chose not to, even though the evidence for serious explosion hazard existed then.
The Teamsters and UFCW also call for immediate OSHA inspections of all sugar-producing facilities.
Labels: Industrial Safety, workplace safety
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Thursday, February 14, 2008
Pain Behind Safety Streak
This week's series of articles in the Charlotte Observer is stirring up up a significant reaction on the internet. The articles report on safety and health in the House of Raeford Farms' chicken processing plant. My last post, on Monday, reported on the the first article in this series.
Today's article talks about workers being injured and quickly returned to work so as to avoid recording lost time incidents. The article opens with the a story about Cornelia Vicente:
"Cornelia Vicente was packing chicken tenders at House of Raeford Farms' plant in 2003 when a conveyor belt snagged her hand, snapped her right arm and ripped off the tip of her index finger.
House of Raeford Farms' is certainly getting a lot of bad publicity. How do you avoid bad publicity? Do safety right in the first place. Yes, the media does sometimes report information incorrectly. I've had many media stories done about me and I can't say I remember one of them that got the story 100% right. Knowing how to manage the media is important from a marketing viewpoint, if you want reporting about you to be as accurate as possible. But, if you are not doing safety right in the first place, you deserve to have problems brought into the light.
I'm not willing to make a judgment about House of Raeford Farms' based solely on one newspaper's coverage. If these articles are accurately revealing the situation, House of Raeford needs to stop doing media damage control and get their safety problems straightened out. If the articles are not accurate, they should make employees available to the press who will help reveal the truth.
Today's article talks about workers being injured and quickly returned to work so as to avoid recording lost time incidents. The article opens with the a story about Cornelia Vicente:
"Cornelia Vicente was packing chicken tenders at House of Raeford Farms' plant in 2003 when a conveyor belt snagged her hand, snapped her right arm and ripped off the tip of her index finger.
Maintenance workers struggled to free her, and paramedics rushed her to a hospital.
Hours after surgery, Vicente recalled, a House of Raeford nurse who had come to the hospital gave her some news: She was expected back at the plant early the next day."
You can read today's article at: http://www.charlotte.com/109/story/492672.htmlHouse of Raeford Farms' is certainly getting a lot of bad publicity. How do you avoid bad publicity? Do safety right in the first place. Yes, the media does sometimes report information incorrectly. I've had many media stories done about me and I can't say I remember one of them that got the story 100% right. Knowing how to manage the media is important from a marketing viewpoint, if you want reporting about you to be as accurate as possible. But, if you are not doing safety right in the first place, you deserve to have problems brought into the light.
I'm not willing to make a judgment about House of Raeford Farms' based solely on one newspaper's coverage. If these articles are accurately revealing the situation, House of Raeford needs to stop doing media damage control and get their safety problems straightened out. If the articles are not accurate, they should make employees available to the press who will help reveal the truth.
Labels: safety and the media, workplace safety
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Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Workplace Safety Success for Bexhill High Students
Here's an idea I like. This comes from today's edition of the Bexhill On-The-Sea Observer in the United Kingdom. The articles states:
The workplace safety class is offered as an out-of-hours class. That has not limited its popularity. Since beginning with that first group of six students, a total of 50 students have now complete the course and taken the examine. This not only prepares them to enter the workforce after they graduate high school, it makes them safer workers while in high school.
In the U.S. the CDC reports: "Millions of teens in the United States work. Approximately 2.4 million 16- and 17-year-olds worked in the United States in 2006. Surveys indicate that 80% of teens have worked by the time they finish high school. While few would argue that most work provides numerous benefits for young people, it can also be dangerous. In 2003, an estimated 54,800 work-related injuries and illnesses among youth younger than 18 years of age were treated in hospital emergency departments. Given that only one-third of work-related injuries are seen in emergency departments, it is likely that approximately 160,000 youths sustain work-related injuries and illnesses each year."
"Pupils from Bexhill High School have been among the first in the country to work towards a new British Safety Council qualification in workplace safety."
"A group of six began out-of-hours study last summer to sit the Key Stage 4 entry level award in Workplace Hazard Awareness, an innovative nationally-recognized qualification that provides youngsters with crucial knowledge of the health and safety hazards they may encounter in the workplace. "The workplace safety class is offered as an out-of-hours class. That has not limited its popularity. Since beginning with that first group of six students, a total of 50 students have now complete the course and taken the examine. This not only prepares them to enter the workforce after they graduate high school, it makes them safer workers while in high school.
In the U.S. the CDC reports: "Millions of teens in the United States work. Approximately 2.4 million 16- and 17-year-olds worked in the United States in 2006. Surveys indicate that 80% of teens have worked by the time they finish high school. While few would argue that most work provides numerous benefits for young people, it can also be dangerous. In 2003, an estimated 54,800 work-related injuries and illnesses among youth younger than 18 years of age were treated in hospital emergency departments. Given that only one-third of work-related injuries are seen in emergency departments, it is likely that approximately 160,000 youths sustain work-related injuries and illnesses each year."
Labels: Safety Training, workplace safety
posted by Steve Hudgik |
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Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Daughters' Tribute Moves Judge At Hearing In Worker's Death
Workplace accidents are not just about the workplace. I never want to forget the personal side of safety. Today's edition of the Nova Scotia Chronicle Herald has an article about a court hearing concerning the death of a New Glasgow (Nova Scotia, Canada) city worker in October 2006. The article states:
"A letter covered in colourful handmade hearts sat on a judge's desk Tuesday as punishments were proposed for the Town of New Glasgow in the 2006 death of an employee in a collapsed trench."
"Judge James Campbell listened intently for more than two hours as Crown and defence lawyers discussed fines and other sanctions, but it was the letters from Frederick Michael (Mike) Bonvie's young daughters that really seemed to have an impact on him."
"'It's an incredibly powerful message and a tribute to a dad,' said the judge, adding he'd like to see it on every job site in Nova Scotia as a reminder of workplace safety."
You can read the complete article at: http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/1035015.html
"A letter covered in colourful handmade hearts sat on a judge's desk Tuesday as punishments were proposed for the Town of New Glasgow in the 2006 death of an employee in a collapsed trench."
"Judge James Campbell listened intently for more than two hours as Crown and defence lawyers discussed fines and other sanctions, but it was the letters from Frederick Michael (Mike) Bonvie's young daughters that really seemed to have an impact on him."
"'It's an incredibly powerful message and a tribute to a dad,' said the judge, adding he'd like to see it on every job site in Nova Scotia as a reminder of workplace safety."
You can read the complete article at: http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/1035015.html
Labels: workplace safety
posted by Steve Hudgik |
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