Integrating autonomous vehicle policies into your fleet safety management systems; a restaurant manager dies from a toxic mix of cleaning chemicals and no U.S. mine earns Pattern of Violation status. These were among the top stories featured on ISHN.com this week.
A quick guide to hearing loss prevention regulations
November 15, 2019
Occupational hearing loss is one of the most common work-related illnesses in the United States. Each year, about 22 million U.S. workers are exposed to hazardous noise levels at work. More than 30 million are exposed to chemicals, some of which are harmful to the ear (ototoxic) and hazardous to hearing. In addition to damaging workers’ quality of life, occupational hearing loss carries a high economic price to society.
U.S. aviation fatalities increased in 2018
November 15, 2019
U.S. civil aviation deaths increased from 347 in 2017 to 393 in 2018, according to preliminary statistics released Wednesday by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The year 2018 saw the nation’s first airline passenger fatality since 2009, when a passenger on a Southwest airliner was killed in connection with an engine failure. Most aviation deaths in 2018 took place during general aviation operations, when 381 were killed, compared to 331 the year before.
Add cooking, heating safety to your holiday traditions
November 14, 2019
The winter holiday season is a festive and eventful time, yet statistics show that home fires and electrical incidents increase during this time of year. In the spirit of the season, the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) is reminding homeowners of safety tips and providing free resources to help them prevent household fires and accidents caused by improper cooking and heating practices.
Report finds worker injuries are “routine” at Tesla’s Nevada plant
November 14, 2019
A new report from USA Today on Tesla’s “gargantuan” four-year-old battery factory in Nevada finds that worker injuries at the Gigafactory occur “on a routine basis: at least three a month.” OSHA inspectors were on-site more than 90 times in the facility’s first three years of operation.
A FairWarning Story
Air war: A relentless whistleblower once more girds for battle over aviation safety
November 14, 2019
Robert MacLean, a former federal air marshal, carries a lot of baggage. Twice dismissed by his bosses at the Transportation Security Administration, he has been criticized for being “paranoid” and not being a team player. But you don’t get to be the nation’s most prolific aviation safety whistleblower without having a track record. And today, MacLean says, warning signs of ineffectual air safety regulation are blinking red.
Nailing down nail gun safety
November 14, 2019
They’re powerful, easy to operate and allow workers to perform tasks taster. They’re also a leading cause of injury among residential carpenters. Of the 37,000 emergency room visits each year related to nail gun injuries, 60% are occupationally-related. While puncture wounds to the hands and fingers are the most common, nail guns are also responsible for serious injuries – and even fatalities.
Why your next great hire should be a veteran
November 13, 2019
Are you tired yet of pulling from the same employment pool? If the answer is yes, then you are ready to explore the new world of veteran recruitment. If you think that you’ve tried it, it doesn’t work for you, or there is no one to recruit in your area, then you simply aren’t up to date. Why recruit veterans?
Iowa ag worker dies of burn injuries
November 13, 2019
An employee of an Iowa hog operation has died of his injuries, a month and a half after being burned in a workplace fire. News reports say 38-year-old Jorge Orozco died Saturday at St. Elizabeth Burn Center in Lincoln, Nebraska.
A NIOSH Science Blog post
Preparing your fleet for automated vehicles
Stephanie Pratt PhD Rebecca Olsavsky MS
November 13, 2019
Many of us already drive personal or company vehicles with automated features such as lane departure warning and automatic emergency braking. While automation clearly improves safety, it also presents new issues for safety professionals. Companies need to integrate policies on vehicles with automated features into their current fleet safety management systems.
America Recycles Innovation Fair to look for solutions
November 12, 2019
A “fair” intended to encourage recycling innovations will be held Thursday, November 14, 2019, in Washington, DC. The first-ever America Recycles Innovation Fair, which is open to the public, is aimed at finding solutions to enhance the U.S. recycling infrastructure, creating new markets for recycled materials, and improving education and outreach about recycling, according to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler.
ASSP says injury rate unacceptable, calls for employers to act
November 12, 2019
The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) is calling on employers to take steps to protect America’s workers from injury and illness in response to newly released data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS reported that 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses occurred in private industry in 2018, unchanged from the previous year.
Why did the driver lose control of the tour bus?
November 12, 2019
The bus driver was familiar with the area. No mechanical defects have been discovered in the vehicle. The incident occurred in daylight. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators have so far been unable to determine what caused a tour bus to leave the roadway in Garfield County, Utah on September 20th, during a Los Angeles – to – Salt Lake City run.
CPWR rolls out new nano safety toolbox talks
November 12, 2019
The Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR) has released three new resources to help safely manage the use of nanomaterials. Much thinner than a human hair, engineered and manufactured nanomaterials are increasingly used in construction.
No mines met POV criteria this year
November 11, 2019
For the fifth consecutive year, none of the nation’s more than 13,000 mining operations met the criteria for a Pattern of Violations (POV), according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). The screening period started on September 1, 2018, and ended on August 31, 2019.
Can business intelligence systems predict and avoid workplace injuries?
Kayla MatthewsNovember 11, 2019
Reducing workplace injuries is an ongoing concern for industrial companies. Some enterprises believe business intelligence (BI) systems could help them meet that goal. BI looks at descriptive analytics, which show what happened in the past. Enterprises then may apply predictive analytics to the findings from BI software to determine how to improve safety.
Buffalo Wild Wings manager dies after exposure to toxic cleaning product fumes
13 others hospitalized
November 11, 2019
A Buffalo Wild Wings manager in Massachusetts died recently after being exposed to toxic fumes caused by a noxious combination of chemical cleaning products in the restaurant’s kitchen. At least 13 others were hospitalized, officials say.
How to investigate a worksite incident
November 11, 2019
Investigating a worksite incident— a fatality, injury, illness, or close call— provides employers and workers the opportunity to identify hazards in their operations and shortcomings in their safety and health programs. Most important, it enables employers and workers to identify and implement the corrective actions necessary to prevent future incidents.
