Weekly news round-up
Bus driver hours of service, slip resistant shoes and workers comp and regulations governing onshore oil drilling all made it into the news this week on ISHN.com.
From the NIOSH Director’s desk
The human face of artificial intelligence
June 14, 2019
The term artificial intelligence, usually referred to as AI, first came into use in the 1956, when computer scientists began to predict that machines had the potential to be programmed to “think” and learn from experience, just like human beings. It was in the 2010s that AI became more of a reality, thanks to the availability of practically unlimited storage capacity on computers, along with faster, cheaper processing power, and a flood of big data.
Captain, deckhand go down with the ship due to pilot’s inexperience
June 14, 2019
The sinking of a towboat in the Lower Mississippi River near New Orleans last March that killed two mariners is being blamed on the towboat company, in a new report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). A Marine Accident Brief issued by the agency said the company’s decision to ignore its own pre-employment hiring procedures led to an inadequately vetted pilot on board the Natalie Jean, a towing vessel on which he did not have previous experience.
Democrats, Republicans agree on something:
Rural access to health care a big concern among Americans
June 13, 2019
A vast majority of Americans, both Democrats and Republicans, consider access to health care in rural communities an important issue, according to a new poll released by the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) and the American Heart Association (AHA). At the same time, people in rural communities say they have difficulty getting quality health care due to a lack of available facilities, a shortage of doctors and other factors.
Slip-resistant shoes reduce slip injury workers’ comp claims
June 13, 2019
Food services operations where workers received free highly slip-resistant shoes showed a large reduction in workers’ compensation claims for slip injuries compared to food service operations where workers did not receive the shoes, according to research published in the Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health.
The gig economy and its growing impact on the American workforce
June 13, 2019
According to recent figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 16.5 million people in the US have ‘alternative work arrangements’, and in 2017 they also reported that around 55 million participate in the gig economy; estimated to be 43% of the US workforce by 2020. The gig economy is broadly defined as ‘alternative work arrangements’ – ranging from independent contractors to those who work as freelancers or with online companies such as Uber.
Lack of onshore drilling regs a factor in fatal gas well blowout
June 12, 2019
The US Chemical Safety Board’s (CSB) investigation into an Oklahoma blowout that killed five workers blames the incident on a lack of regulations governing onshore drilling safety as well as shortcomings in safety management systems and industry standards utilized by the industry. The CSB’s final investigation report into the Pryor Trust gas well explosion in Pittsburgh County calls on regulators, industry groups, the state of Oklahoma and companies to address such gaps.
California, feds battle over bus driver meal, rest breaks
June 12, 2019
In a state v. federal fight regarding worker protections, California and the bus industry are butting heads over hours of service (HOS) regulations. The latest salvo was fired this week, when California Attorney General Xavier Becerra urged the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to deny a petition by the American Bus Association (ABA) that claims California labor protections for bus drivers are preempted by federal law.
A FairWarning Story
Golf, pesticides and a father’s death
June 12, 2019
Harold Nisker can be seen on a 1980s home video, golf club in hand, at a course back-dropped by the Rocky Mountains in Banff, Alberta. “I think the greens are very bad. And I can’t putt,” he says to the camera. “Other than that I’m having a great time.” Maybe partly an artifact of faded film, and maybe partly due to differences in turf management, the Banff greens and fairways do appear dimmer than the crayon green seen on the April broadcast of the Masters Tournament.
Society Fellows identified by new FASSP designation
June 11, 2019
The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) has introduced the FASSP designation for Society Fellows. Used after an individual’s name, FASSP is a recognizable way to identify recipients of the Society’s highest honor. The announcement was made by ASSP President Rixio Medina, CSP, CPP, FASSP, during Sunday night’s Past Presidents and Fellows Reception at the Safety 2019 Professional Development Conference and Exhibition.
Meet the AIHA 2019-20 Board of Directors
June 11, 2019
The American Industrial Hygiene Association® (AIHA®) inducted its new Board of Directors during its annual business meeting at the American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition (AIHce EXP) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 23. The Board of Directors for 2019-20 includes the following officers:
Canada to ban plastic bags, straws
June 11, 2019
Canada will follow the European Union in banning some single-use plastics like straws, bags and cutlery, according to an announcement yesterday by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. A statement by the government accompanying the announcement notes that without such a prohibition, Canadians will throw away an estimated $8.3 billion worth of plastic materials each year by 2030. Less than 10 percent of the plastic used in Canada gets recycled.
It's National Forklift Safety Day
June 11, 2019
It’s National Forklift Safety Day, designated as such by The Industrial Truck Association (ITA), which uses it as an opportunity for the industry to educate customers, policymakers, and government officials about the safe use of forklifts and the importance of proper operator training.
Safety 2019:
What is microlearning?
June 11, 2019
During a flash session Monday on the expo floor at Safety 2019, Don Leonard of the MARCOM Group discussed microlearning and how it can be used for training, using mobile devices, how it can improve productivity and how to involve employees in content creation. Microlearning can be described at three- to five-minute online courses that are video-based with a test and are aimed at smartphone users.
Safety 2019:
An update on Total Worker Health
June 10, 2019
Total Worker Health is an area of emerging importance for safety professionals in which ASSP has designated a task force. When done right, the benefits to business and to employees include lower risk, collaborative employee-employer engagements and fewer injuries, ASSP says. In short, TWH can lead to a more sustainable workforce.
Young carnival worker suffers life-changing injury
June 10, 2019
With the summer festival and fair season barely underway, a young worker in Michigan suffered an injury so serious on Saturday that he had to have a leg amputated. News sources say the 22-year-old was critically injured at the Curwood Festival in Owosso, a small community 94 miles northwest of Detroit.
Workplace violence, bloodborne pathogen exposure at psych hospital
June 10, 2019
Employees at a psychiatric hospital in Colorado were exposed to workplace violence and bloodborne pathogens, according to OSHA investigators, who fined their employer $32,392. OSHA inspected Centennial Peaks Hospital in Louisville, an acute psychiatric treatment facility owned by UHS of Centennial Peaks LLC, after a complaint of workplace violence was lodged with the agency in December 2018.
ASSP changes name of Seminarfest to Safety Focus
June 10, 2019
One year after adopting a new organization name as part of a larger rebranding strategy, the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) has introduced a new name – Safety Focus – for its annual immersive, week-long education event. The announcement was made Monday by ASSP President Rixio Medina, CSP, CPP, at the Safety 2019 Professional Development Conference and Exhibition. “We are aligning all of our events to the new brand,” Medina said.
High winds may have caused fatal Dallas crane collapse
June 10, 2019
Authorities are trying to determine if severe weather was the cause of a construction crane collapse yesterday in Dallas that killed one person and injured six. Severe storms with strong winds were moving through the area at the time of the incident in the city’s downtown. The crane plunged through four floors of an apartment building and onto a parking garage, causing some of the garage’s floors to collapse and burying vehicles in the rubble.
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