Weekly news round-up
State-by-state unintentional injury death rates, boating safety tips and reports from Safety 2015 were among the top stories featured this week on ISHN.com.
ASSE Safety 2015 Attendee Choice Awards — winning products announced
From absorbents and apparel to eye, foot, hand, fall protection and more, ASSE Safety 2015 attendees reviewed innovative products and services June 7-9 at ISHN's booth in Dallas's Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. The votes have been counted and the winners are below...
OSHA partners with weather forecasters to keep workers cool
Extreme heat kills dozens of workers every year
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels and National Weather Service Deputy Director Laura Furgione have renewed their agencies’ joint effort to help workers avoid excessive heat – and the health dangers that come with it.
International workplace safety standard moves forward
A new international standard for occupational health and safety got a big vote of confidence this week, taking it another step closer to publication. The latest draft of ISO 45001 got more than 75 percent approval by those involved in its development.
Top 10 states with lowest and highest rates of unintentional injury deaths: the fourth leading killer in the U.S.
When it comes to fatal poisonings, car crashes and falls, where you live could make a difference
The National Safety Council released its annual list of states with the lowest and highest rates of unintentional injury-related deaths[i], which include poisonings – largely from drug overdoses – car crashes and falls. For the second straight year, Maryland has the lowest rate of unintentional injury death, with 26.9 deaths per every 100,000 people – far below the national rate of 40.6. West Virginia has the highest rate for the third time in four years.
EPA takes first steps to address greenhouse gas emissions from aircraft
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to find under the Clean Air Act that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from commercial aircraft contribute to the pollution that causes climate change, endangering the health and welfare of Americans.
A FairWarning story:
Feds want to run flimsy motorcycle helmets off the road
After years of inaction, federal regulators are trying to crack down on the use of cheap novelty helmets linked to thousands of motorcycle crash deaths and injuries in recent years. The novelty helmets do not comply with federal safety standards, and provide little or no protection against head injuries in a crash.
NTSB: Amtrak engineer wasn’t texting at time of crash
As part of its ongoing investigation into the May 12, 2015, derailment of Amtrak Train 188 in Philadelphia, the National Transportation Safety Board said an analysis of the engineer’s cell phone records showed that no calls, texts, or data usage occurred during the time the engineer was operating the train.
Boating safety includes electrical concerns
Boating season is underway, with thousands of people taking to the water for fun and fishing. When it comes to boating-related hazards, sunburns and drowning come to mind, but Electrical Safety Foundation International says boaters should also be mindful of electrical dangers.
Report from Europe
Move to ID endocrine disruptors blocked by EU officials, industry lobbyists
From the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI): Two new reports cast a harsh light on the roles played by chemical industry lobbies and senior European Commission officials in postponing the adoption of criteria to identify endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs).
Report from 2015
How system think can change safety
by Maureen Paraventi
National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Christopher Hart opened his speech at Safety 2015 by thanking the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) for supporting two important initiatives: changing the impaired driving limit from .08 to .05, and banning the use of personal electronic devices while driving.
Report from ASSE
How do you become a safety business partner?
And why should you?
EHS professionals can raise their profiles within their company by transforming themselves into what John McBride calls, safety business partners. “I’m not talking about a title,” said McBride, SPHR, of Consentium Search in Wesley Chapel, Florida. “We’re talking about a role, a level of participation.”
From Safety 2015
A larger – and different -- role for EHS professionals
Can safety practitioners help combat corporate social responsibility? Should they? They can and they should through a new “servant leadership” role, according to Karen E. McDonnell, Ph.D., who is with the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health IOSH in the UK.
From Safety 2015
Understanding and influencing risk tolerance
Why did the worker do that?
Determining why a worker decides to accept risk goes to the heart of behavior-based safety. Dave Fennell, CRSP of ExxonMobil said the brain’s risk assessment process works in three ways; Exposure (hazard recognition), Perception (knowing what impact a risk might have) and Decision (accepting, mitigating or rejection the risk).
Report from Safety 2015
Keeping older workers safe and healthy
The U.S. workforce – like the general population – is aging, and that trend brings with it consequences which affect workplace health and safety in a significant way.
The power of being an invisible
What makes for a rich and meaningful life?
Safety 2015’s Closing General Session speaker will discuss a subject that affects many people personally and professionally. In a session entitled, Success, Fulfillment, and the Power of Being an Invisible, author David Zweig will explore a topic he covers in his book Invisibles: The Power of Anonymous Work in an Age of Relentless Self-Promotion.
Safety 2015 attendees leave the convention center to see safety in action
A number of technical tours that take place during the American Association of Safety Engineers’ Safety 2015 will give participants the opportunity to get a close-up look of real workplaces, and the equipment and procedures that help keep them safe.
Hearing from CEOs at Safety 2015
One of the more popular events at the American Association of Safety Engineers’ annual conference is the Executive Summit panel, which gives attendees a chance to hear how CEOs, presidents and vice presidents from a range of industries view safety.
Sessions, barbeque and a bronze cattle drive: Safety 2015 at a glance
The two-million-square-foot Kay Bailey Convention Center in Dallas, Texas is bustling with activity, with thousands of safety professionals in town for the American Association of Safety Engineers’ Safety 2015 sorting out their schedules and heading to various sessions.
Are you holding yourself back?
Is your mind working for you or against you? That’s one of the questions being posed to attendees of Safety 2015 going on in Dallas, by a speaker who says positive intelligence can help people achieve their peak performance.
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