OUR MISSION IS SAFETY AT WORK AT HOME ON THE ROAD
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Colleague Support, Good attitude necessary for successful return to workNorwich, England A positive attitude and supportive co-workers are among the most important factors for a successful return to work for an employee who has been on leave for an injury or illness, according to researchers from the University of East Anglia and Uppsala University. Reviewing 79 studies conducted between 1989 and 2017, the researchers examined the impact of personal and social factors on sustainable return to work after an absence resulting from musculoskeletal disorders or common mental health disorders, including stress, anxiety and depression. A sustained return to work defined in the study as coming back to an original or modified job full or part time for at least three months without reoccurrence of health issues depends on a combination of personal and social factors.
A positive attitude and high self-efficacy were strong personal factors in an employee’s sustained return, as were younger age and higher levels of education. Along ... |
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Court rules injured contract workers entitled to $2.5M in civil damages from employerAn appeals court recently upheld a decision that two contract agricultural employees was entitled to $2.5 million in civil damages from the sugarcane farm where they were working. The farm’s insurers argued that the farm had immunity from the lawsuit, saying the contract workers were its statutory employees so workers’ compensation should be their only route of relief. Alejandro Jorge-Chavelas and Alfredo Moreno-Abarca, Mexican citizens in the United States on work visas, worked for Louisiana-based Harang Sugars as sugarcane planters and were severely injured when a Harang employee drove into the sugarcane cart they were sitting on. While they worked at the Harang farm, the two workers were employed by Lowry Farms Inc., a company that plants sugarcane for other farmers. Harang had a contract with Lowry to plant sugarcane at its farm. For Harang’s claim of immunity to stand, it had to prove Jorge-Chavelas and Moreno-Abarca were its statutory... |
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Hand-washing habits improve when flu season hits, survey showsMenomonee Falls, WI To help fend off viruses, more Americans practice improved hand hygiene washing more frequently, more thoroughly or for a longer duration than they did a decade ago, according to the results of a recent study.For its 10th annual Healthy Hand Washing Survey, Bradley Corp. a manufacturer of commercial restroom and emergency safety products, asked 1,264 U.S. adults about their hand washing habits at work and in public restrooms. When a “significant” virus is going around, 73 percent of participants said they do a better job washing their hands in hopes of avoiding an illness. That’s up from 45 percent in the initial survey, which was conducted in 2009, when the H1N1 virus was a national concern.
Overall, respondents reported washing their hands 87 percent of the time after using a public restroom; reasons cited for not washing included sinks not working or not being clean. Although most respondents acknowledge that washing their... |
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Physician burnout a public health crisisincreased rate of burnout among physicians creating a public health crisis that “urgently demands action,” a recent report from the Harvard Global Health Institute concludes. The report cites existing research illustrating the prevalence of physician burnout. One study referenced, the 2018 Survey of America’s Physicians Practice Patterns and Perspectives, found that 78 percent of respondents experienced feelings of professional burnout, a 4 percent increase from the results of a 2016 survey conducted by the Physicians Foundation. Additionally, the report cites findings from the Mayo Clinic showing that physicians who experience burnout are more likely to reduce their work hours or leave the profession altogether. An estimate from the Department of Health and Human Services indicates that the United States will experience a shortage of 90,000 physicians by 2025. “The growth in poorly designed digital health records and quality metrics... |
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Training Improves Hazard Recognition by Workers
Workers who are trained on the concept of “visual literacy” are able to spot workplace hazards that might go unnoticed, visual literacy are the ability to recognize and understand ideas conveyed through visible actions or images. Trainer wanted to find out if “learning to see” improves the ability to identify hazards in the workplace and keeps people safer on the job. Trainees in a pilot program learned how visual biases can get in the way of our ability to truly see the important parts of a situation. A structured way of looking at and observing work areas begins with taking in the big picture before zooming in to individual details. Put another way: Look at the perimeter of a scene and then move inward. Participants were taught to look for elements of visual literacy, including line, shape, color, texture and space.
Hazards Identified
To test the theory, a Cummins manufacturing plant taught 225 employees to use visual literacy. They... |
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Women more Likely to Encounter Workplace Assault
The number of women who experience workplace violence greatly outweighs men who sustain nonfatal assault injuries reported. Seventy percent of all assault-related injuries that required missed work days involved females. Workplaces should be safe havens for everyone, and these data show us we can do more to protect women in the workplace. As employers examine the biggest risks facing their workforce, we urge them to consider these trends and make sure safety is extending to all employees.
In 2017, 12,820 women sustained assault-related injuries, a 60% increase from 2011. Only 5,530 male workers reported injuries related to workplace violence. Besides assault, other work-related injuries and illnesses that disproportionately impact women include accidental injury by another person (59%), falls on the same level (57%), and ergonomic issues, such as complications from repetitive motion (60%) found. Women working in certain industries experience a... |
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70% of Americans Worry That Sleep Affects Their HealthA OHSAC probability-based survey found 50% of Americans are concerned that their sleep habits impact their physical health, and 70% are worried about the effects on their mental wellbeing. Despite these concerns, only 40% say they "frequently" get enough sleep to feel at their best the next day, and 27% say they "rarely or never" worry about getting good sleep.
The findings are released just as daylight savings time ends – an opportunity for Americans to gain an extra hour of sleep and focus on their health and safety. Research shows that heart attacks and car crashes – both of which are more likely if we are tired – decrease in the days following the time change. On the negative side, a Carnegie Mellon study shows pedestrians are three times more likely to be killed after the time change – presumably because it gets darker earlier.
Take advantage of the extra hour of sleep, reset your body clock and commit to a healthier sleep cycle so you... |
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10 Things Parents May Not Know About Teen Driver SafetyThe biggest threat to teens' safety is the vehicle sitting in their parents' driveways. Yet, many parents remain under-educated about the risks new drivers face. In observance of Driver Safety Training Week Jan. 07-13, 2018 the OSHAC compiled a list of statistics and facts many parents do not – but should – know about teen driver safety:
Car crashes are the number one killer of teens in the U.S.
65 percent of teens cite their parents as having the most influence over their driving habits
Half of all teens will be involved in a car crash before graduating from high school
A teen's crash risk is three times that of more experienced drivers
After years of declines, teen driving crashes and fatalities are on the rise
Just one teen passenger can increase a teen driver's crash risk by 35%
60% of teen driver crashes occur because the teen made a critical error due to inexperience, such as driving too fast for conditions, not scanning for hazards or being... |
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Accidental Injury Cause of Death For The First Time in U.S. HistoryUnintentional, preventable injuries – commonly known as "accidents" – claimed a record high 141,340 lives in 2017 to become the third leading cause of death in the United States for the first time in recorded history, according to OSHAC data analysis. Based on this new data, an American is accidentally injured every second and killed every three minutes by a preventable event – a drug overdose, a motor vehicle crash, a fall, a drowning, a choking incident or another preventable incident.
A total of 12,500 more people died accidentally in 2017 than in 2016 – a 7 percent year-over-year increase. It is the largest single-year percent rise since 1940, and the largest two-year rise (+14.6 percent) since 1943. The unprecedented spike has been fueled by the opioid crisis. Unintentional opioid overdose deaths totaled 25,414 from drugs including prescription opioid pain relievers, heroin, and illicitly-made fentanyl.
OSHAC analysis of the data –... |
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Exhausted Employees Cost American Companies Millions of Dollars AnnuallySleep disorders and sleep deficiency are hidden workplace issues that affect employers across America. New research from the OSHAC reveals that a U.S. employer with 800 workers stands to lose about $9 million each year in absenteeism, diminished productivity and healthcare costs because of exhausted employees, many of whom have undiagnosed and untreated sleep disorders. The costs of fatigue in an average-sized Fortune 300 company climbs to about $50 million annually..
Many of us have been conditioned to just power through our fatigue, but worker health and safety on the job are compromised when we don't get the sleep we need. The calculator demonstrates that doing nothing to address fatigue costs employers a lot more than they think."
According to an OSHAC probability-based survey, 35% of Americans obtain insufficient sleep, jeopardizing safety and impairing their ability to think clearly, make informed decisions and be productive. The survey also found 76% of... |
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Oil Rally Stalls as American Crude Stockpiles Seen RisingOil halted its rally as the market anticipates another increase in U.S. stockpiles.
Futures closed just 3 cents higher as a Bloomberg survey showed crude storage in tanks and terminals across the country likely rose 3 MMbbl last week. The government’s closely watched weekly report on Wednesday is preceded by data from the industry-funded American Petroleum Institute later on Tuesday.
“People are waiting to see: Will storage volumes point toward a tighter fundamental outlook?” said Gene McGillian, a market research manager at Tradition Energy in Stamford, Connecticut. “It does appear as if we need more evidence that the rebalance continues to really ignite a rally again.”
Crude has closed above $60/bbl over the last two weeks as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and allied producers work to tighten global markets through supply cuts. While the U.S. Energy Information Administration sees worldwide supplies accelerating ... |
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Six killed in crane incident at Samsung Heavy shipyardSix people were killed and over 20 injured on Monday after a crane collapsed at Samsung Heavy Industries’ shipyard in Geoje, South Korea, where modules for Total’s Martin Linge topsides are being built.
According to Total’s statement on Monday, the accident happened at 07:45 Norwegian time and no one from the Total project organization was among the dead and injured.
Following the incident, all work at the Samsung yard was closed.
“We know that a crane fell down on the wellbay module for the Martin Linge platform. The cause of the accident is still unknown,” says Leif Harald Halvorsen, Communication Manager at Total E&P Norge.
Total also added that the site was closed and the local authorities and police started their investigations.
The first representatives from the management at Total E&P Norge and the Martin Linge project headed to the site on Monday to give support to the project organization and the main ... |
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Fatal accident during supply ops for Nido PetroleumASX-listed oil and gas company Nido Petroleum has informed there has been a fatal accident in Labuan, Malaysia during supply operations related to the company’s Galoc field in the Palawan Basin offshore Philippines.
Nido’s subsidiary Galoc Production Company (GPC) reported on Monday that the accident had happened on Saturday, April 22, 2017.
A contractor of Malaysia’s Tiger Oilfield Services, a provider of support services to the oil & gas industry, was killed while carrying out support vessel tank cleaning operations. The Malaysian police have been notified of the accident and Nido said it will co-operate fully with any official investigations. Nido added it will also undertake a comprehensive internal investigation.
No further details have been revealed about the accident. Offshore Energy Today has reached out to the Malaysian contractor seeking confirmation and further details about the incident, however, we are yet to receive any... |
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Four people dead as helicopter crashes en route to Chevron Angola platformAt least four people died and two are missing after a helicopter bound for a Chevron offshore platform in Angola crashed, Reuters has reported.
According to the news agency, the helicopter was en route to the Chevron-operated Tombua-Landana platform, offshore Cabinda, Angola, when it crashed.
The California-based oil company told Reuters that five passengers and a pilot were in the helicopter. Search and rescue operation is underway for the two people missing.
Angola’s Angonoticias reports that all the six people have died; two expatriates and four Angolans. The website also says the helicopter went down in bad weather.
In a statement sent to Offshore Energy Today, a Chevron spokesperson said: “A helicopter operated by Heli-Malongo departed the Malongo Terminal, in Cabinda province, Monday, September 26, 2016, at 15:23 and was en-route to the Tombua-Landana offshore facilities.
“The helicopter did not reach its intended ... |
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Hurricane Irma Headed for Florida; Are You Prepared to Survive This Storm?
Hurricane Irma Headed for Florida; Are You Prepared to Survive This Storm?
OSHAC provides tips to stay safe during severe and unpredictable weather.
?The OSHAC encourages everyone in the path of Hurricane Irma to keep informed, heed government warnings and stay safe. Unlike tornadoes and earthquakes, hurricanes can be forecast several days ahead of landfall, giving residents time to take precautions:
Board up windows and secure loose outdoor items like patio furniture
Know where to go in the event of an evacuation and how to get there
Establish an assembly point for family members to meet if separated, and choose one person everyone can contact with their whereabouts and status
Take shelter in a sturdy building; avoid isolated sheds or other small structures, open areas, hilltops, beaches or boats
If you are driving in heavy rain, try to safely exit the road, stay in the vehicle and turn... |
Occupational Safety & Health American Council eliminates preventable deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy.