|
|
|
|
|
Pedestrians, drivers engage in distracting behavior despite knowing risks: survey
June 17, 2013 – Sixty percent of pedestrians use smartphones while crossing the street, even though most consider the behavior dangerous, according to a survey conducted in April by Liberty Mutual Insurance.
In the survey of 1,004 adults, 55 percent rated texting or emailing while crossing the street "dangerous." Forty percent said the same of running across the street to beat traffic, while one-quarter believe it dangerous to talk on a cell phone or listen to music while crossing the street, a press release from Liberty Mutual states.
However, 51 percent reported they talk on a cell phone, 34 percent listen to music, and 26 percent text or email while crossing the street. More than 40 percent admitted to running across the street to beat traffic.
Risky behavior was not limited to pedestrians. Among drivers, 70 percent admitted to talking on a cell phone while driving and 38 percent said they read or send text messages.
|
|
More than one-third of designated drivers have a drink: study
June 17, 2013 – People who are designated drivers for a night out may not be staying sober, according to a new study from the University of Florida.
As part of the study, researchers surveyed and breath-analyzed more than 1,000 individuals exiting a bar over a period of three months. Nearly 35 percent of designated drivers reported consuming alcohol, and approximately 17 percent of designated driver participants had a blood-alcohol concentration level between 0.02 and 0.049, while 18 percent had a BAC level at or above 0.05, the study abstract states.
Researchers said the findings indicate designated drivers should be taught to abstain from drinking before driving.
The National Transportation Safety Board recently recommended states reduce the BAC limit from the current 0.08 to 0.05 or lower, as impairment at this level "significantly increases" the crash risk.
The study is scheduled to be published in the July issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.
|
|
NTSB: Single-unit trucks should fall under other large truck safety rules
June 17, 2013 – Single-unit trucks should be included in many of the same safety rules as other types of large trucks, according to a report from the National Transportation Safety Board.
Single-unit trucks – large trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 10,000 pounds and all axles attached to a single frame – comprise 3 percent of all registered motor vehicles and 4 percent of motor vehicle miles traveled. However, they cause 9 percent of fatalities among passenger vehicle occupants in multi-vehicle crashes because of differences in structure and bumper height, according to NTSB.
NTSB recommended the following large truck safety rules apply to single-unit trucks:
- Improved rear and side under-ride protection systems
- Enhanced visibility of the truck for other roadway users
- Technologies to compensate for large truck blind spots
- Proposed mandatory electronic stability control installation
NTSB also recommended the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration conduct a study on the benefits of extending stricter licensing requirements to drivers of single-unit trucks.
|
|
NIOSH offers 'straight talk' on nail gun safety
June 17, 2013 – NIOSH recently published an informational comic strip about nail gun safety.
Straight Talk About Nail-Gun Safety depicts workers discussing the dangers associated with nail guns and how to prevent injuries.
When working with nail guns, NIOSH recommends:
- Always wear eye and hearing protection, safety shoes, and a hard hat.
- Use the full sequential trigger when possible.
- Operate the nail gun with your dominant hand and keep your free hand at least 12 inches away from the nailing location.
- Allow space for the nail gun to recoil.
- Do not engage in horseplay when operating a nail gun.
- Carry the nail gun with your finger off the trigger.
- Never remove or disable safety features on the nail gun.
|
|
CSB releases compilation of safety videos
June 17, 2013 – The Chemical Safety Board is offering a free three-disc DVD set featuring 31 safety videos.
The videos were produced as part of CSB incident investigations and feature animated sequences of events leading up to an explosion, fire or chemical release.
The DVD set includes two new videos: Deadly Contract, which depicts a fireworks explosion in Hawaii that killed five workers, and Inherently Safer: The Future of Risk Reduction, which discusses the concept of inherent safety.
|
|
Free Job Instruction Seminar
When Workforce Safety & Insurance (WSI) released its 2012 safety statistics, there was a problem. In five main industry sectors, a majority of the coded claims came from those employed for less than one year. Possible root causes include lack of experience and understanding of the job. In an effort to address the issue, the ND Petroleum Council and Dakota MEP applied for a STEP grant through WSI to promote safety practices through training and education to their membership. A potential solution to the problem is Job Instruction Training.
WSI informed NDPC on September 25 that the grant for $148,800 in training program scholarships had been awarded. There are 480 available scholarships for 2 days of Job Instruction Training. Upcoming Job Instruction workshop dates include June 18-19 in Grand Forks and July 23-24 in Fargo. Application for training will automatically sign you up for one of the available scholarships. Click here to learn more or register.
|
|
Experts offer lawn mower safety tips
June 7, 2013 – With summer approaching, three medical organizations have teamed up to issue tips to help prevent lawn mower injuries.
More than 234,000 people received medical treatment for lawn mower-related injuries in 2012, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery suggest taking the following precautions to help reduce the risk of injury:
- Use a lawn mower with a control that stops the blade if the handle is released.
- Remove stones, toys and other objects from the lawn before mowing to prevent injuries from flying objects.
- Kids should be at least 12 years old before operating a push lawn mower and 16 before operating a riding mower.
- Wear polycarbonate protective eyewear while operating the mower.
- Do not allow children as passengers on riding lawn mowers, and keep them out of the yard while mowing.
- Drive up and down slopes, not across, to prevent mower rollover.
- Use a stick or broom handle – not your hands – to clear debris from the mower.
|
|
Video offers ergo tips for truck drivers
June 7, 2013 – The Workers’ Compensation Board of British Columbia has released a new video highlighting the importance of ergonomic health for truck drivers.
Truck drivers sit for extended periods of time, which can put stress on a person’s lower back and increase the risk of injury. To help reduce the risk of back injury, the video suggests truck drivers:
- Recline the seat back to 90 degrees while still being able to safely reach the wheel and controls.
- Ensure the lower spine has adequate support, using a support device if necessary.
- Adjust mirrors to ensure they can be seen without slouching or twisting.
- Take a break to walk around at least every two hours of continuous sitting.
- Use the steps and keep both hands on the handrails when exiting the vehicle. Jumping out of the cab causes the body to absorb up to 8 times a person’s body weight in force.
|
|
OSHA launches annual heat illness prevention campaign
June 3, 2013 – To help prevent thousands of potential worker heat-related illnesses, OSHA on May 20 launched its third annual Heat Illness Prevention Campaign.
The campaign includes educational resources, a heat index guide to help employers develop a prevention plan, a variety of training resources and a smartphone application.
New to this year's campaign are a bilingual fact sheet, Portuguese wallet cards (.pdf file) and an updated webpage.
OSHA said that with the help of various stakeholders and partnerships, the agency was able to reach out to 4.5 million employers and workers during last year's campaign. This year, outreach will include social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook and worker safety precautions included in National Weather Service heat watches and warnings.
In 2011, 4,420 workers suffered a heat-related illness and 61 workers died, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
|
|
OSHA announces $1.5 million for Harwood grants
May 24, 2013 – OSHA is accepting applications for the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program to help educate workers and employers on workplace hazard recognition and prevention, as well as rights and responsibilities.
Two types of grants – targeted topic training and training and educational materials development – are available, for a total of $1.5 million in funding.
Both are one-year grants intended to address several topics, including fall protection in construction, grain handling operations, ergonomic hazards and workplace violence. The programs are meant to target underserved, low-literacy workers in high-hazard industries, according to an OSHA press release.
Organizations that may apply for the grants include nonprofits, community and faith-based organizations, employer associations, labor unions, joint labor and management associations, and colleges and universities. The grants are not available for state and local governments.
Applications must be submitted by June 13. An instructional video from OSHA is available to assist groups with the application process.
|
|
OSHA to provide training for federal agencies
May 24, 2013 – OSHA has scheduled a three-day training event for federal agency employees who oversee federal worker safety.
The training, scheduled to run July 30 through Aug. 1 at OSHA's Training Institute in Arlington Heights, IL, will consist of half-day seminars on topics such as distracted driving, ergonomics, confined spaces, hearing conservation and fall protection, according to an OSHA press release. The agency said the training is intended to ensure federal workplaces have safety programs in line with their private-sector counterparts.
The deadline to register for training is July 23. Government employees will not be charged to attend the event; private-sector employees and federal government contractors must pay a registration fee.
|
|
Estimated 2012 traffic fatalities up 5.3 percent: study
May 17, 2013 -- An estimated 34,080 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2012, a 5.3 percent increase over the previous year and the first year-to-year increase since 2005, according to a new report (.pdf file) from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Researchers from NHTSA's National Center for Statistics and Analysis compared preliminary data on traffic fatalities in 2012 to the number of fatalities reported in 2011. Among the findings:
- The number of vehicle miles traveled increased about 0.3 percent in 2012, to 9.1 billion miles.
- The fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2012 increased to 1.16, an increase from 2011 (1.10).
- The number of fatalities in 2012 increased the most between January and March, by an estimated 12.6 percent.
NHTSA said it will continue to gather data on crash fatalities from police reports and other sources.
|
|
AFL-CIO Report Ranks North Dakota Worst In
Nation for Deaths on the Job
As published by the Fargo Forum on May 8, 2013
DICKINSON, N.D. – Protect yourself. That’s the best advice Barbara Allen has for workers, especially for those in the Oil Patch.
“There’s been so many accidents that I’m sure could have been avoided with a little safety,” said Allen, who lost her son, Terry Metcalf, to an oil field accident nine months ago. “Instead of depending on the company you work for, you’re just going to have to take care of yourself. Not depend on somebody else to take care of it for you.”
On Tuesday evening, the AFL-CIO released its annual “Death on the Job Report,” ranking North Dakota in last place for worker safety, with a worker fatality rate in 2011 of 12.4 per 100,000 workers. The national rate is 3.5 fatalities per 100,000 workers. There were 44 fatalities in North Dakota in 2011.
Click here to read the full story.
|
|
NHTSA: 135 people killed in school transportation crashes every year
May 10, 2013 -- A total of 1,351 people died in school transportation-related crashes between 2002 and 2011 – a yearly average of 135 fatalities – according to a new report (.pdf file) from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Researchers from NHTSA's National Center for Statistics and Analysis analyzed crash fatality data for occupants of any vehicle used to transport students to and from school or school-related activities, as well as occupants of other vehicles and pedestrians involved in these crashes. According to the report, between 2002 and 2011:
- 41 drivers of school transportation vehicles were killed – an average of four every year.
- 40 percent of the 123 school-aged pedestrians (younger than 19) killed in crashes were 5 to 7 years old.
- 72 percent of people killed in school transportation-related crashes were occupants of other vehicles.
|
|
Stories of Survivors Reinforce Importance of Basic CPR Training
May 6, 2013 - Two recent incidents in Bismarck remind us why knowing basic life support is so important. For most employees, CPR training is a focus for on-the-job safety. But these two miraculous stories demonstrate how this life-saving training is important, not just for employees, but their families too. Kenlee Jeffrey and Brian Carlson are living proof of this - two lives saved because someone close to them was equipped with the knowledge to calmly react in an emergency and perform CPR.
3-Year-Old Saved from Drowning by Mandan Man
On a recent Saturday, the swimming pool at the Comfort Inn and Suites was a popular place, with at least two birthday parties and lots of kids.
For 3-year-old Kenlee Jeffrey, it also was where she nearly died.
Kenlee was with her mother, Hillary Theurer, for a friend’s birthday party. She was playing in the kids’ pool when Theurer turned away briefly. When Theurer turned around, Kenlee was no longer in the kids’ pool.
Click here to read the full Bismarck Tribune story about how on-the-job CPR training saved Kenlee’s life.
Bismarck man survives heart attack during the blizzard
The fact that Brian Carlson is alive defies the odds.
Last month, the 36-year-old Carlson suffered one of the most deadly kinds of heart attacks. During a blizzard.
In the next several hours, he was administered CPR, given at least six shocks from a defibrillator and put into a medically-induced coma so the doctors could cool his body down to prevent brain damage — a process known as therapeutic hypothermia.
Click here to read more on Brian's story and how CPR saved his life. (Story as printed in the Bismarck Tribune.)
To learn more about how you can become certified in First Aid and CPR, click here, or contact Kevin Stewart at 701-223-6372.
|
|
ATA vice chairman calls for shift in law enforcement focus
May 6, 2013 - Traffic law enforcement agencies should shift their priorities away from roadside inspections and instead focus on drivers' unsafe behaviors – the cause of about 9 out of 10 crashes – according to an American Trucking Associations representative.
In an April 23 speech to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, Phil Byrd, ATA vice chairman, discussed traffic law enforcement's use of the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (.pdf file).
Increased emphasis on roadside commercial vehicle inspections and driver credential checks will not be effective in reducing injuries and fatalities, Byrd said. Citing Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration data, he claims that on-road presence and traffic violation interventions, combined with brief inspection activity, is about 3 times more effective than roadside vehicle inspections.
Byrd also called for increased enforcement emphasis on passenger vehicle driver behaviors around CMVs through the ATA "Share the Road" program.
|
|
BLS releases revised workplace fatality figures
April 26, 2013 - In 2011, 4,693 workers died on the job, according to revised numbers (.pdf file) issued April 25 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
BLS reported a preliminary count of 4,609 deaths in September. The revised figure for 2011 is virtually even with the previous year's final figure of 4,690.
The rate of worker deaths per 100,000 full-time workers remained the same from the preliminary report to final report – 3.5. This represents a slight decrease from the 2010 final rate of 3.6.
Changes between the September and April reports were caused by updates to the 2011 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries file that were made after the preliminary results were released, and include identification of new cases and revisions of existing cases.
|
|
2 out of 5 highway contractors experienced work zone crash in past year: survey
April 23, 2013 - Arlington, VA – Thirty-eight percent of highway contractors experienced motor vehicles crashing into their construction work zones in the past year, according to a survey (.pdf file) from the Associated General Contractors of America.
The organization surveyed nearly 800 highway construction firms nationwide in March and April. Among the results:
- 18 percent of crashes resulted in at least one construction worker injury in the past year, while 8 percent resulted in a worker death.
- 46 percent of crashes resulted in at least one vehicle driver or passenger injury, while 14 percent resulted in a driver or passenger death.
- Of the respondents who reported a crash in their work zone, about one-third experienced five or more crashes.
- 70 percent of respondents said improved and timelier safety training for construction workers would help reduce the number of crashes, injuries and fatalities in work zones.
AGC also released survey results for select states.
|
|
Are You Receiving our Email Updates?
The NDSC sends out relevant safety and training information to members and safety advocates, via email, on a regular basis. Some companies’ Internet Service Providers (ISP) block emails from the NDSC’s email service, Constant Contact. If your company is a member of the NDSC, or you have signed up to receive our email updates, but have not been receiving them,
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS TO UNBLOCK INCOMING NDSC EMAILS. If you would like to receive our email updates but are not currently signed up, please sign up today! We offer information including monthly training updates, NDSC Quarterly Newsletters, child and home safety and occasional training updates specific to your area.
To sign up, simply email serenas@ndsc.org and let us know what information you are interested in receiving. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|