Weekly news round-up
The reasons behind the aging workforce, a grisly wood chipper accident and an initiative to encourage young people to choose occupational safety and health careers were among the top stories featured this week on ISHN.com.
Another U.S. city commits to using 100% renewable energy
St. Petersburg, Florida this week became the 20th U.S. city to commit to transitioning to 100 percent renewable energy – and is using oil spill settlement funds to do so. The city council voted unanimously on the change, allocating $250K of BP Oil Spill settlement funds to an “Integrated Sustainability Action Plan” (ISAP), which will chart a roadmap to the complete use of renewable energy in Saint Petersburg.
From NIOSH Research Rounds:
Healthcare workers perceive "cooler" safety climate
As winter approaches and cooler temperatures hit most of the nation, workers unpack coats and boots, and workplaces adjust thermostats. However, one climate that should stay the same year-round, no matter where a workplace is located geographically, is the safety climate. Safety climate—defined as the perception among workers about the value of safety—correlates to improved health and safety in the workplace.
ISHN 50th anniversary: Challenges and Opportunities - thought leader essays
Fifty years ago when Industrial Safety & Hygiene News printed its first issue, worker fatalities, injuries and illnesses were more frequent than now.
A U.S. DOL Blog post:
Why more people ages 55+ are working
It’s a fact: our workforce is aging. By 2024, nearly 1 in 4 people in the labor force are projected to be age 55 or over. This is a big change from 1994, when people ages 55 and older represented only 11.9 percent of the labor force – a share smaller than those held by other age groups: 16-24, 25-34, 35-44 and 45-54. But by 2024, their projected share will be the largest among these age groups.
Wood chipper accident claims worker’s life
Company cited for lack of safety training
A 23-year-old tree service worker died on his first day on the job when he was pulled into a wood chipper because his employer failed to train him in the safe operation of the machine, according to OSHA.
Occupational hazards and climate
Climate-related occupational hazards have historically received little attention. In 2009, NIOSH began work to address this gap and developed a framework to identify climate-related occupational hazards.
Painter falls 18 feet after balcony collapse
A Florida worker suffered neck and back injuries after the balcony he was working on collapsed, sending him 18 feet to the ground.
Promoting careers in occupational safety and health
How to grow the next generation of occupational safety and health (OSH) professionals was the focus of a recent stakeholder meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH) in which the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) was a key participant.
Was fatal NJ train crash caused by sleep apnea?
The lawyer for a New Jersey Transit train engineer that slammed into a station in September says his client suffered from an undiagnosed sleep disorder.
Ohio worker's death highlights grim statistic
Trench collapse fatalities have more than doubled in last year
The death of a worker in a trench collapse in Ohio in June was, unfortunately, far from an isolated incident. The 33-year-old was one of 23 workers killed in 2016 – an alarming increase in trench-related fatalities since 2015. Twelve other workers were injured in trench cave-ins.
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