In this series, the concept of and need for whistleblowers will be explored along with historical and present-day cases. In this part one, the concept of whistleblowers, OSHA’s language regarding them and types of whistleblower reports are explored.
Every year, AdvisorSmith researches the most dangerous jobs in the United States based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. The list doesn’t usually vary by too much, but there are some statistics worth a second look in the current list, which uses data from 2014-2018.
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) H.R. 2694 passed the U.S. House of Representatives in September by a vote of 329 to 73. At the time of this writing it is uncertain if the Senate, followed by President Trump’s signature, has passed the PWFA into law.
For all the COVID-19 safety guidelines circulating, some hundreds of pages long, basic best practices are straightforward and known by most Americans. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984, recently recounted them in an interview with the Journal of the American Medical Association.
As the U.S. has begun to reopen with the coronavirus continuing to affect the country six months after many shelter-in-place mandates developed, workers across a multitude of industries — from manufacturing plants to agriculture to meat processing — are getting sick.
Beneficial uses of smoke tubes include respirator fit tests and air flow observations and measurements. Users of smoke tubes must be aware, however, of the significant risks if the tool is misused. Proper use of smoke tubes, therefore, is essential.
Who takes the blame when construction projects get behind schedule or over budget? Is it the project manager? The front line worker? The subcontractor? The answer would be no to all three. The likely scapegoat when things goes wrong is usually Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS). And why is this true? It’s because too often the safety of the worker is sacrificed for the sake of speed and production.
: In the last issue, we looked at why normal people make decisions that can be compromised or negatively influenced by rushing, frustration, fatigue and complacency, or, more likely, a combination of these states.
Safety incentives as traditionally deployed (prizes rewarded for no reports of injuries) often do more harm than good. To win rewards, employees might hide injuries and not report them. You’re left with an inaccurate picture of your true safety performance.
RSS
