An OSHA regulation gets finalized – after dropping a controversial requirement; workplace violence claims four employees of a Florida bank and oil pipeline explosions kill dozens in Nigeria and Mexico. These were among the top stories featured on ISHN.com this week.
OSHA eliminates key provision in recordkeeping rule
January 25, 2019
Companies with 250 or more employees will not be required to electronically submit information from OSHA Form 300 (Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses) and OSHA Form 301, under the final rule issued yesterday by OSHA. That Obama-era provision was eliminated after an unusually speedy review of the rule by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.
From Europe: A warning about the impact of technology on jobs, the environment
January 24, 2019
Advances in technology - such as artificial intelligence, automation and robotics – that are transforming workplaces should cause governments to act to put the digital transformation onto a sustainable footing, according to a coalition of labor groups. The warnings about the effect of technology on jobs and working conditions comes as the ILO’s Global Commission on the Future of work launches a major interim report, Working for a Brighter Future, examining the impact of digitalisation on the labour market.
Florida bank shooting victims included employees
January 24, 2019
Four of the five people killed when a gunman opened fire in a Florida bank yesterday were employees of the bank, according to news sources. The fifth victim killed in the shooting at SunTrust Bank branch in Sebring was a customer. One of those killed had only been a SunTrust employee for a few weeks.
Most Americans not confident about first aid skills
January 24, 2019
A device and a simple technique that can save lives in the event of a health emergency are not within the skill sets of many Americans, according to a new poll commissioned by Cintas Corporation. The survey found that: 63 percent of Americans are not confident that they know how to operate an automated external defibrillator (AED).
Millions affected by flu this season
January 24, 2019
According to new data released by CDC, so far during the 2018-2019 season between about 6 and 7 million people have been sick with flu, up to half of those people have sought medical care for their illness, and between 69,000 and 84,000 people have been hospitalized from flu. This is the first time these estimates— which cover the period from October 1, 2018 through January 5, 2019— are being provided during the flu season.
Rural health care system improves worker safety, saves money
January 24, 2019
A health care system serving several communities in Kansas is enjoying sharply lower workers compensation premiums after reaching out to the Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL), Safety Assistance and Consultation Program, for help accessing and improving its workplace safety policies and procedures. Community HealthCare System (CHCS) focuses on serving rural citizens.
Nurses who administer chemo don't always wear PPE
January 23, 2019
Female nurses who administer antineoplastic drugs – medications used to treat cancer – don’t always wear protective clothing, according to a new NIOSH study published online in the American Journal of Nursing, accompanied by a video abstract. This is one of the first studies to explore the use of antineoplastic drugs and personal protective equipment among non-pregnant and pregnant female nurses.
NC worker buried in excavation collapse
January 23, 2019
One worker died and two others were injured Tuesday in Raleigh, North Carolina when they were buried in a collapse at an excavated area. News sources say the accident occurred at 11:15 a.m. at a worksite where affordable housing is under construction.
Partnerships expand OSHA’s safety reach
January 23, 2019
OSHA is using alliances formed recently with both private and public sector organizations across the U.S. to get out in front of potential safety issues and focus on injury prevention rather than enforcement. In Erie, Pennsylvania, OSHA and Turner Construction have formed a strategic partnership to promote workplace safety during the construction of a 200,000 square-foot, seven-floor hospital building.
Worker in meat processing plant burned by anhydrous ammonia
January 23, 2019
OSHA has cited Noah’s Ark Processors LLC — based in Hastings, Nebraska — for process safety management violations after an employee suffered severe burns caused by exposure to anhydrous ammonia, a gas used as an industrial refrigerant. The beef processing plant faces penalties of $182,926 for 16 serious safety violations.
DOT announces new drone initiatives
January 22, 2019
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Elaine L. Chao last week announced proposed new rules and a pilot project to allow unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), or drones, to fly overnight and over people without waivers under certain conditions and to further integrate drones safely into the national airspace system.
New resources for safety professionals on workplace injury trends, winter & agricultural safety
January 22, 2019
The National Safety Council has posted an online version of the Injury Facts reference book for safety statistics. The free resource features a section on workplace safety that includes work-related injury and fatality trends, and how to benchmark an organization's injury and illness incidence rates with national averages.
Report: Meat & poultry recalls up by 83%
January 22, 2019
A new report says that “systemic failures” in the U.S. food safety system have led to a sharp increase in recalls of contaminated foods since 2013. How Safe is Our Food?, from U.S. Public Interest Research Groups’ (PIRG) Education Fund, found that many types of food recalls have increased since the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) in 2011.
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HURRY! Deadline is FEB. 8, 2019
January 22, 2019
The increasingly competitive marketplace of products related to occupational safety and health offers up a continuing cornucopia of goods and services, emerging technology and ways to address emerging risks. How do you make your company’s products stand out from the rest of the pack?
WHO: Air pollution causes 7 million premature deaths a year
January 22, 2019
A World Health Organization (WHO) report, published late last year, highlighted the latest scientific evidence linking exposure to air pollution to adverse health effects in children. It wrote that although air pollution is widely recognized as a major health threat causing about 7 million premature deaths worldwide each year, the critical aspect that it is affecting children in uniquely damaging ways is often overlooked.
Pipeline explosion in Mexico kills 85
January 21, 2019
A week after a similar incident killed people in Nigeria, a pipeline explosion in Mexico has claimed 85 lives, and injured 58, with dozens more still missing. According to news sources, the disaster occurred as people filled containers with gasoline from a pipeline that was illegally punctured. Fuel theft is widespread in Mexico, causing pipelines to be shutdown repeatedly for the repair of punctures.
NY workers displaced by opioid crisis get fed help
January 21, 2019
Workers in New York State who’ve been affected by the impact of the opioid crisis are getting some help from the U.S. Department of Labor, in the form of funding for disaster relief jobs and employment services. The Dislocated Worker Grant (DWG) award to the New York State Department of Labor will assist eligible individuals in New York counties impacted by the health and economic effects of widespread opioid use, addiction, and overdose.
Hospitals lax on respiratory protection
January 21, 2019
Evidence from NIOSH surveillance studies indicates gaps in hospitals’ respiratory protection programmatic operations and healthcare workers’ (HCWs) marginal compliance with respiratory protection recommended practices.
Injury & illness tracking rule approved - but what's in it?
January 21, 2019
Despite being shut down during the partial federal government shutdown, the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) last week approved OSHA’s final Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses rule. What are the details? The public doesn’t know and will not know until the rule can be published in the Federal Register, which is closed for business during the shutdown.
Recent workplace safety violations across the U.S.A.
January 21, 2019
Kansas drywall contractor cited following fatal forklift incident. Midwest Drywall Company, Inc., faces $77,604 in penalties after a worker was fatally crushed by part of a forklift. OSHA inspectors determined that the company failed to properly secure a suspended and supported load, and ensure that workers were kept clear of it.
