Safety Updates & News
BWC Safety Update Information - December Winter Holiday Safety The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has a website for fire safety in the winter. Fire safety is an issue especially around winter holidays. Candles, holiday decorations, winter greens and fireplaces all pose a fire risk. The NFPA Winter Holiday website contains data on the fire risks this time of year as well as safety tips, videos and children’s activities all designed to keep you safe during winter. This website from the U.S. Fire Administration contains additional holiday fire safety information. BWC News Grants for Ohio Employers Working with Persons with Developmental Disabilities BWC is now accepting applications for the Employers Working with Persons with Developmental Disabilities (EWPDD) Grant Program. The EWPDD grant can provide up to $20,000 at a match of 5-to-1 to state-fund private or public employer taxing districts that work with children and/or adults with developmental disabilities. The 5-to-1 matching grant can help employers purchase approved equipment/items. If they prefer, employers can apply for a grant of up to $20,000 without a match for nonviolent de-escalation and/or trauma-informed-care training and nonviolent de-escalation and/or trauma-informed-care-training certification. NIOSH/CDC News New Report on Tobacco Use The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) issued the results of new research on tobacco use in a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report released Oct. 27, 2017. While cigarette smoking has declined during the past few decades, use of noncigarette products has increased. Use of tobacco products is highest amongst construction workers, with 34.4 percent using any kind of tobacco and 7.1 percent using two or more products. OSHA News Crane Certification Requirement Deadline Extended The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) extended the employer duty to ensure the competency of crane operators in construction by one year to Nov. 10, 2018. This delays the deadline for crane operator certification for one year as well. Details are found in the Federal Register of Nov. 9, 2017. Beards and Respirators Did you grow a beard or moustache in November for any one of the awareness campaigns raising money for charity? If so, this blog post from NIOSH might help you determine which style to wear to still comply with requirements for tight-fitting respirators at work. The post has a chart of facial hair styles and notes as to which ones are likely to give you an appropriate seal. Pencil thin moustaches are in and mutton chops are out! Fentanyl Safety for First Responders NIOSH and other agencies and organizations issued a poster with safety recommendations for first responders in the event of encountering materials suspected to contain fentanyl. The document contains information to protect first responders from exposure, what to do if exposure occurs and how to recognize the signs of exposure in others. New NIOSH Research Web Page A new web page is now available for information on the NIOSH extramural research and training program. The page includes information on funding opportunities, research and training grants, performance data and reports, news and notices. It also has a new dashboard that shows extramural activity. Other News Employer-Reported Workplace Injury and Illnesses, 2016 The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the numbers for non-fatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2016. The injury rate was 2.9 cases per 100 full-time equivalents (FTEs). This total represents nearly 48,000 fewer cases than in 2015, a reduction of 0.1 cases per FTE. The number of cases fell in construction, manufacturing, wholesale trade, and retail trade; they stayed the same in 14 other industry sectors. You can find the news release along with links to associated charts on the BLS website. Food Safety at Holiday Buffets Keep yourself and your guests safe from foodborne illnesses by following these food preparation, storage and cooking guidelines from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Freight Facts & Figures 2017 The Bureau of Transportation Statistics Freight Facts & Figures 2017 report provides a snapshot of the volume and value of freight flows in the United States along with reports on the physical network, economics and safety, energy and environmental implications. The safety portion of the report is in Chapter 6. It shows the total number of fatalities in the industry has declined 28 percent since 2000 with most of the fatalities involving passenger travel on highways. Risk Management Tool for Farms Farm/Agriculture/Rural Management – Hazard Analysis Tool (FARM-HAT) is an App for mobile iOS devices developed by Penn State Extension to assess risks and provide suggestions for corrective actions for a variety of hazards at farm or ranch operations. 2016 Fatal Motor Vehicle Crashes The October 2017 edition of Traffic Safety Facts Research Note reported on the 2016 statistics for motor vehicle fatalities. There was a 5.6 percent increase over last year’s numbers overall. The largest category increase was in pedestrian deaths, up 9 percent over last year and the highest number since 1990. This increase along with an increase in 2015 lowered a decade-long downward trend by more than one third. Electrocutions and Prevention in Construction The Center for Construction Research and Training, known as CPWR, released its third quarter data report on the topic of electrocution in construction. Overall electrocutions were down between 2003 and 2015. However, 82 construction workers died of electrocution in 2015, which was 61 percent of all work-related electrocution deaths. The report discusses trends, subgroups of deaths and prevention of electrocution. ASSE Standards Guidance Document The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A10 Construction and Demolition Compendium of Standards is a series of 47 standards for the protection of workers on construction and demolition sites. ASSE published a free guidance document to help safety professionals understand these standards and how they relate to one another. Please contact the library@bwc.state.oh.us or 614-466-7388 for more information on any of these items.
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