Falling construction workers in NYC, OSHA’s electronic recordkeeping rule on hold – again – and California moving forward with stringent new refinery safety regulations. These were among the top stories featured on ISHN.com this week.
Florida woman caught faking a workplace injury
A Florida woman has been convicted of workers’ compensation fraud after footage from a surveillance camera showed her trying to fake a workplace injury. Sheyla White, an employee of Cinque Terre Energy Partners in Fort Lauderdale, claimed a sprinkler head from a ceiling emergency sprinkler system fell, bounced off her desk and struck her in the head in 2015.
How to choose a safe used car for your teenage driver
Teenagers are among the riskiest drivers, but they often end up with inexpensive vehicles that don’t offer adequate protection in a crash. If you are considering buying a used car for your young driver, you can get some help from The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), which annually issues a list of recommended used vehicles for teens.
Workers exposed to machine hazards, lead at Ohio steel plant
Automotive steel manufacturer Republic Steel faces $279,578 in proposed penalties OSHA after agency investigators found workers at its Canton plant exposed to machine hazards and lead.
Electronic recordkeeping keeping rule in limbo
OSHA has announced that it is not accepting electronic submissions of injury and illness logs “at this time.” The agency also says it intends to propose extending the July 1, 2017 date by which certain employers are required to submit the information from their completed 2016 Form 300A electronically. The effective date for the new rule was already delayed from January 1, 2017.
AIHA's response to President Trump's FY 2018 budget request
AIHA is greatly concerned with proposed cuts
When President Donald J. Trump released his full budget request for Fiscal Year 2018 he did many in the OEHS community a favor, because he ignited a needed conversation about the real value of worker health and safety to the people of this nation.
Crewmember fatigue causes fatal tugboat sinking
Inadequate manning and the resultant crewmember fatigue caused the March 12, 2016, sinking of the tugboat Specialist in the Hudson River, according to a report released Tuesday by the National Transportation Safety Board.
Is 3D printing safe?
3D printing – in which computer control is used to create a three-dimensional object -- has captured the public’s imagination and been hailed as the beginning of a third industrial revolution. With its cost decreasing and interest in it increasing as an ever-expanding range of applications is explored, it is likely that more and more workers will be involved with it.
How effective are hearing protector fit-test systems?
Some key factors that go into choosing earplugs for workers are: determining the length and intensity of noise exposure they’ll be needed for, training workers in how to use them properly and making sure they fit the individuals who will be using them.
A Confined Space blog post
Chamber of Commerce: Killing unions more important than saving lives
The Chamber of Commerce is nothing if it’s not consistent. Consistently opposed to each and every new protection issued or contemplated by OSHA, consistently challenging every new OSHA initiative in court, consistently (and drastically) overestimating the cost of every proposed OSHA standard, consistently opposed to any action by OSHA that would expand (or even maintain) workers’ rights.
Union: DOL cost-cutting rule threatens black lung treatment
A proposal by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to reduce payments to health care providers for black lung related services will force the providers to stop treating miners affected by the disease, says the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA).
Canadian workers bring safety message to classrooms
Thousands of Canadian high schoolers are learning about safety in the classroom – thanks to a program founded by a grieving father. Rob Ellis formed an organization called My Safe Work after his 18-year-old son David was killed on his second day on the job at an industrial bakery.
Cal/OSHA OKs tough new refinery safety regulation
Rule intended to reduce risk of major incidents
While regulations on the federal level are being repealed or delayed, the rulemaking process is still going strong at the state level – as demonstrated by California’s approval last week of a tough new oil refinery safety regulation.
A DOL Blog post
Mental health at work
As a person with bipolar disorder, mental illness feels like a balancing act. In order to stay healthy, I have to be sure to take my meds, get enough sleep, and stay attuned to my mood. I am always aware of the potential for the symptoms of mania and depression to recur, and must be prepared to manage them.
How emails could help you quit smoking
Smokers who received frequent, tailored emails with quitting tips, motivational messages, and social support had cessation rates rivaling that of the most effective medication available for cessation, according to a new American Cancer Society (ACS) study. The study appears in Tobacco Control.
In one week:
Falls injure 3 workers at 3 NYC construction sites
Last week wasn’t a good one for New York City’s construction industry, which has come under increasing criticism for taking safety shortcuts under pressure from high-end developers eager to capitalize on the city’s building boom.
A Confined Space blog post
Ohio comp bill encourages employers to hire undocumented workers
I’m not sure that was their intention, but what could make hiring undocumented workers more attractive than passing a law that “prohibits undocumented workers from receiving payments if injured on the job?”
