Here are the week’s top occupational health and safety stories from www.ISHN.com:

Company to study effectiveness of its workplace wellness programs

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. and the American Heart Association (AHA) are teaming up to conduct a first-of-its-kind research collaboration to study the effectiveness of workplace wellness initiatives offered at KKR and its portfolio companies. The research effort will be based on aggregate data collected from the portfolio companies enrolled in the KKR Wellness Works program.

KKR is a leading global investment firm.

Since its inception, several of KKR’s private equity portfolio companies in the United States have been active participants in developing the KKR Wellness Works Model. Currently, the four participating portfolio companies, which encompass more than 140,000 employees, include…Read more>>

DOT scrutinizes pipeline safety in U.S.

While pipeline failures are relatively rare, over the past few years there’ve been some devastating – and deadly – pipeline failures in the U.S.

With that in mind, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is taking a hard look at the country’s pipeline infrastructure and is reporting the findings to the public in the form of a Pipeline Safety Update.

The update details the actions taken by DOT, the states, communities and pipeline operators, including the passage of the Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty and Job Creation Act of 2011. It also includes an overview of the…Read more>>

Study: LEVs can reduce exposure to welding toxins

A new study from the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR), shows that the use of Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) can significantly reduce exposure to toxins found in welding fumes.

The paper, Local Exhaust Ventilation for the Control of Welding Fumes in the Construction Industry – A Literature Review, was written by Michael Flynn and Pam Susi and published in the Annals of Occupational Hygiene, 2012.

Although existing scientific literature on the effectiveness of LEV to limit worker exposure to contaminants in airborne welding fumes, especially in construction, is extremely limited, Flynn and Susi determined that the proper use of LEV can reduce contaminants like manganese and hexavalent chromium by as much as…Read more>>

Oil, gas industry to hold climate change adaptation workshop

Oil and gas industry representatives will gather in London in early October to learn about issues surrounding climate change.

IPIECA , the global oil and gas industry association for environmental and social issues, is hosting the workshop entitled, Addressing adaptation in the oil and gas industry.

The event will bring together scientists, the insurance community, adaptation consultancy experts and oil and gas companies to explore the issues and gain…Read more>>

Canadian meat bypasses inspections – but is it safe?

Food & Water Watch, along with other members of the Safe Food Coalition, are urging U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to immediately stop a pilot program that eliminates border inspection of meat products from Canada. A letter from the groups was delivered during a stakeholder briefing on the program.

“Canada’s food safety track record is at an all-time low with more than a third of all Canadians getting sick from food-related…” Read more>>

Two fatal mining accidents in U.S. last week

Two U.S. coal miners died in separate accidents in two different states last week, according to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA).

A miner killed last Tuesday at Drummond Mining Company's Shoal Creek Mine in Alabama was identified by the MSHA as Julius Walker III, 28.

Walker died after being pinned against the mine wall by a large piece of equipment as it was being moved. Efforts to resuscitate him using…Read more>>

NTSB Chief: Commercial aviation has gotten safer

Remarks by National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairman Deborah A. P. Hersman to the Aero Club of Washington yesterday:

How great to be joined by so many aviation professionals. And, thank you, Aero Club, for inviting me back - it's hard to believe that I was "right here" three years ago today - two months after being confirmed. At that time, the Colgan crash was weighing heavy on the U.S. aviation community and Air France 447 was lost in the Atlantic.

This afternoon, I'll share the perspective of the nation's independent investigator and safety advocate. I'll highlight improvements in how we - the entire transportation community – are…Read more>>

NIOSH distributes safety guide for small businesses

NIOSH has issued a new Small Business Safety and Health Resource Guide, which is intended to assist small business owners as they seek out training materials, and recommendations for ensuring the safety and health of their workers. The resource guide includes sections on: general information, guides and courses, specific occupations and hazards, regulations, consultation services, and emergency preparedness. It also contains summaries of and links to more than 50 websites produced by commercial, academic, and government organizations.

NIOSH says the guide is intended to help small business owners and managers deal with…Read more>>