NIOSH research update

Are face masks safe during pregnancy?

Worldwide, millions of pregnant women wear face coverings at work, including the widely used N95 respirator with filtering face pieces or masks. The N95 respirator restricts normal airflow, so a woman may have to breathe harder while wearing it.

NTSB makes urgent call for direct federal safety oversight of WMATA

Found little improvement in safety since 2009 fatal accident

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued two urgent safety recommendations calling for direct federal safety oversight of Washington’s Metrorail system by the Federal Railroad Administration.

CSB uncovers flaws at DuPont insecticide plant in La Porte, Texas

An ongoing investigation by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) of the November 15, 2014, toxic chemical leak that killed four workers at the E. I. du Pont de Nemours insecticide plant in La Porte, Texas, has uncovered flawed safety procedures, design problems and inadequate planning.

Blankenship trial starts today

Former Massey Energy CEO could get 31 years in prison in Upper Big Branch mine deaths

The former CEO of Massey Energy Co. goes on trial today in U.S. District Court in Charleston, West Virginia in a case that could set a precedent for corporate higher-ups being held accountable for the safety of their workers.

Furniture manufacturing safety specialist named 2015 Professional of the Year by ISHM

Institute for Safety and Health Management (ISHM) announces the 2015 Safety Management Professional of the Year. Stephanie Walsh, ASHM, Safety Specialist for Trendway Corp., a manufacturer of commercial office furniture and architectural products in Holland, Mich., was recognized for her caring, common sense, fun approach to safety improvement.

NIOSH to research chemical exposures and birth defects

To learn whether exposure to potentially hazardous chemicals in the workplace increases the risk of birth defects, NIOSH researchers are partnering with the Centers for Birth Defects Research and Prevention (CBDRP) on one of the largest birth-defects prevention research efforts in the nation.

AHA launches new initiative to reduce heart failure in U.S.

Rita Owens, supported by her daughter Queen Latifah, will share her story

A new report finds heart failure continues to be a significant health, economic and personal burden in the U.S. In response, AHA has launched the Rise Above Heart Failure initiative, with goals to reduce heart failure hospitalizations by 10% and to increase awareness and understanding of HF by 10% by 2020.

AEM, MSHA renew alliance to enhance mine safety

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) recently renewed an alliance whose goal is the safe use and operation of mining equipment.

Aerial lift collapses, worker plummets at railcar facility

OSHA cites GBW Railcar Services for not providing safe platform

fell more than 12 feet to the ground after his aerial lift collapsed. The worker had been standing on an elevated platform to install a canopy on a railcar, but the platform could not support his weight.

From NSC Congress & Expo

Safety culture: Does your brand have value?

Benita Mehta

Terry Mathis, founder and CEO of ProAct Safety, asked for a call to action Monday, saying every safety program needs branding, which creates buy-in. He compared safety programs to sports teams and other visually recognizable brands such as Nike and Coca-Cola, which all have distinct logos.

From NSC Congress & Expo

Roadmap for operational excellence

Benita Mehta

At NSC on Monday, speaker Sam Smolik, SVP America Manufacturing and Refining Operations at LyondellBasell, offered some management advice he has learned over 40 years in the manufacturing business. He said he started at LyondellBasell when the company wasn’t in the best shape, but they have worked really hard to get where they are today.

From NSC Congress & Expo

Quality, safety and productivity

Benita Mehta

Do your employees know the real cost of an injury, asked Rodney Grieve of BRANTA Worldwide. During a Learning Lab Monday at NSC he offered tips on how to defend profits and protect your employees while proving value, gaining cooperation and saving lives. Grieve discussed commonly-used language in the profession and said the words we use connote different behavior, sometimes in a negative light.

Keep your family safe with a working smoke alarm in every bedroom

Install smoke alarms throughout your house or facility. That’s the primary message of the National Fire Prevention Association’s (NFPA) Fire Prevention Week, which takes place Oct. 4-10.

OSHA’s top 10 violations for 2015 announced at NSC Congress & Expo

OSHA has announced the preliminary Top 10 most frequently cited workplace safety violations for fiscal year 2015. Patrick Kapust, deputy director of the agency’s Directorate of Enforcement Programs, presented the Top 10 on the Expo floor as part of the 2015 NSC Congress & Expo, the world’s largest gathering of safety professionals.

Study: More than 20% of union carpenters’ reported injuries involve hands or fingers

A study of work-related injuries involving a hand or fingers among union carpenters in Washington state, 1989 to 2008, found that hand injuries accounted for 21.1% of reported injuries and 9.5% of paid lost-time injuries.

Immersive education to engage workers

Benita Mehta

One of the compelling conversations at NSC Monday was about how to better engage workers and speaker Aaron Walsh, who came up with an initiative called Immersive Education, suggested failure as an option.

One in 10 pregnant women in the United States reports drinking alcohol

One in 10 (10.2 percent) pregnant women in the United States ages 18 to 44 years reports drinking alcohol in the past 30 days. In addition, 3.1 percent of pregnant women report binge drinking – defined as 4 or more alcoholic beverages on one occasion.

New chairman, board members appointed to the NSC Board of Directors

John Surma receives the gavel and welcomes four new board members

The National Safety Council announces that John Surma, retired chairman and CEO of United States Steel Corporation, has been elected chairman of the NSC board of directors. Surma succeeds Jeff Woodbury, vice president of investor relations and secretary of the Exxon Mobil Corporation, and took over as chairman on Sunday, Sept. 27, following the annual board of directors meeting.

Safety culture: Does your brand have value?

Benita Mehta

Terry Mathis, founder and CEO of ProAct Safety, asked for a call to action Monday, saying every safety program needs branding, which creates buy-in. He compared safety programs to sports teams and other visually recognizable brands such as Nike and Coca-Cola, which all have distinct logos.

From NSC Congress & Expo

Roadmap for operational excellence

Benita Mehta

At NSC on Monday, speaker Sam Smolik, SVP America Manufacturing and Refining Operations at LyondellBasell, offered some management advice he has learned over 40 years in the manufacturing business. He said he started at LyondellBasell when the company wasn’t in the best shape, but they have worked really hard to get where they are today.

Cave-in protection failures cited after excavation collapse in Missoula

OSHA cites two construction contractors for nine violations; penalties total more than $151K

A complaint that an employee had been partially buried when an excavation collapsed brought OSHA enforcement officers to a Glennco Excavating, Inc. construction site in Missoula, Montana.

How to prevent power press hand amputations

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicate that about 20,000 amputations occur each year. Between 1,600 and 2,000 (10%) of these amputations have occurred among mechanical power press operators.

Learning Lab Sessions at the NSC

A series of 45-minute “lab sessions” on the NSC expo floor cover these topics: • Risk assessment and your electrical safety program To do a risk assessment, you need to understand what, in your business, might cause harm to people and decide whether you are doing enough to prevent that harm.