Today's Safety News

RSS

Presenteeism — defined as “reduced productivity at work due to health conditions” — is increasingly recognized as a contributor to health costs for employers. But more work is needed to develop reliable tools to measure presenteeism and its economic impact, according to a paper in the November Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).

Depression is often referred to as “the blues.” New research suggests it should actually be called “the grays.”

Safety and health management systems remain entirely too rigid and compliance-focused to effectively react to the pace of business.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics yesterday announced that the number of reported nonfatal occupational injury and illness cases that required days away from work to recuperate decreased by nine percent to 1,238,490 cases in 2009 for private industry, state government and local government. Additionally, BLS reported that the total incidence rate decreased by 5 percent to 117 cases per 10,000 full-time workers. BLS also reported that local and state government workers had much higher rates of injuries and illnesses requiring days away from work than workers in private industry. In response, Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health, issued this statement:

OSHA has launched a local emphasis program in Kansas aimed at reducing injuries, illnesses and fatalities in the grain handling industry, according to an agency press release.

As daylight saving time ends this Saturday and clocks are turned back, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration cautions motorists and pedestrians to be more attentive to roadway risks.

Thanksgiving Day is typically marked by fantastic food, family and friends, full stomachs and football — but along with the fun is the reality that cooking fires are three times more likely to occur on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year. Among all the preparations that go into the big day, Underwriters Laboratories (UL), the leading independent product safety organization, is reminding families to "Commit a Minute" to making safety a priority on this holiday, according to a recent press release.

OSHA partnered with construction contractors, the Federal Highway Administration, the state of Georgia and local government organizations to sponsor a safety stand-down hour at local construction sites around Georgia on Tuesday, Nov. 9, according to an agency press release

Many smokers also use smokeless tobacco, according to new data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that covers use of smokeless tobacco in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guam. The data show that the rates of smokers who also use smokeless tobacco, including chew tobacco and snuff, range from 0.9 percent in Puerto Rico to 13.7 percent in Wyoming, a CDC press release states.

OSHA has cited Amtec Corp., a contractor at the U.S. Army's Space & Missile Defense Command, Redstone Arsenal, in Huntsville for safety violations following an explosion that killed two workers, according to an agency press release.