As a response to “significant” gaps in the health monitoring of the 3.5 million emergency workers in the United States, The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has released a free software product.The ERHMS Info Manager was developed to implement the Emergency Responder Health Monitoring and Surveillance (ERHMS) framework into emergency responder organizations. “The nation depends on more than 3 million emergency response workers who are trained and prepared to respond to disasters and other emergencies where they often face hazardous conditions,” said NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D in a statement. “ERHMS Info Manager streamlines the important task of response worker health monitoring and surveillance saving organizations time while ensuring the health and safety of emergency responders.”The software platform allows organizations to track and monitor emergency response and recovery worker activities during all phases of emergency response following a natural disaster or other public health emergency.It can be used by anyone involved in the deployment and protection of emergency responders, including: incident command staff, response organization leadership, health, safety and medical personnel and emergency responders, according to NIOSH.“By being able to easily collect, analyze, and report health data, ERHMS Info Manager decreases the time required to identify exposures and signs and symptoms illness throughout an emergency response to ensure workers are not harmed and can respond effectively,” said NIOSH ERHMS Coordinator Jill Shugart, MSPH in a statement. “Data collected before, during, and after a response also helps identify which responders would benefit from medical referral and possible enrollment in a long-term health surveillance program.”ERHMS Info Manager uses CDC’s publically-accessible data management and informatics tool, Epi Info for creating forms, capturing data and analyzing data specific to emergency response situations. The platform allows users to:Create responder profilesRecord response incidents and map incident locationsAssign responders to an incident rosterDesign forms and surveys using custom and pre-built templatesRequest information from responders by using forms and surveysView and analyze forms and survey responses.NIOSH, along with partner federal agencies, developed the ERHMS framework following the collapse of the World Trade Center when the subsequent health problems experienced by responders illustrated an urgent need for improved health monitoring and surveillance of emergency responders.Additional resources as well as the ERHMS Info Manager can be found on NIOSH's website.
The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) has opened up $350,000 in scholarship and grant money for its annual disbursement of financial awards.Students interested in pursuing occupational health and safety careers may apply between Sept. 1 and Dec. 1 for these awards, which were made possible through the organization’s corporate donors as well as the ASSE community.“Our scholarship and grant program has always been a great opportunity for students and professionals to advance their education and careers,” said ASSE Foundation Chair David T. Crowley, CSP, CHMM, STS in a statement. “Our donors have been terrific at supporting the occupational safety and health profession by providing such valuable resources. It’s more proof that safety matters.”Graduate and undergraduate students including full-time, part-time and international students studying in the United States are eligible for awards.Applicants must be enrolled in an occupational safety or related degree program and have a grade point average of 3.0 for undergraduates and 3.5 for graduates. In addition, professional education grants are available to established safety professionals looking to further their careers through certification, college coursework, conference registration, or similar ventures.Applications must be completed online, and candidates complete only a single form to be eligible for all available awards. Winners will be notified in April. Recipients are matched with the criteria set forth by the fund’s donor, according to the ASSE Foundation.Questions can be directed to the ASSE Foundation by emailing [email protected] or calling 847.699.2929.
VPPPA and the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) have agreed to collaborate on a variety of efforts to improve workplace safety throughout the United States.The new partnership will utilize effective prevention strategies and technology as well as encourage students to pursue careers in occupational safety and health.Communications, outreach and development strategies are outlined in the agreement between VPPPA and BCSP. The specified efforts the collaboration will pursue include:The organizations will work together to develop and disseminate information on management systems and best practices for occupational safety and health on the job through print an electronic media including the VPPPA and BCSP websites.Recruiting efforts for students to enter occupational safety and health technical, undergraduate and graduate programs will be strengthened through the alliance, according to the agreement.Competency and competency certifications in the workplace will be supported at all levels of the organization.Both VPPPA and BCSP will participate in conferences, meetings and other key events where worker safety and health and professional development opportunities are addressed.The transfer of occupational health and safety research findings will be promoted and facilitated to safety and health professionals across the United States.In order to maintain a successful partnership, both VPPPA and BSCP plan to meet to share information, review the status of any outreach activities and evaluate results of any programs or efforts, per the agreement.
The National Safety Council estimates that more than 400 people may be fatally injured in car accidents over Labor Day weekend.
Once again, traffic fatality estimates are higher than normal for the upcoming Labor Day weekend which begins Friday at 1 p.m.The National Safety Council (NSC) estimates 421 people may be killed and another 48,400 may be seriously injured in car crashes for the three-day holiday period, which is 11 percent higher than the average number of deaths, 378 for past Labor Day weekends.“Many families will use Labor Day weekend to make their final summer memories before kids return to school,” said Deborah A.P. Hersman, NSC president and CEO in a statement. “We want that last hurrah to be fun, not fatal. When you are on the roads, be alert and drive defensively - making smart decisions could be the difference between a relaxing long weekend and one spent in the emergency room.”The organization's recent State of Safety report states that preventable deaths are at an all-time high, and many fatalities are on the road. In response, the NSC has called for stronger state driving laws and has assigned ratings to states based on existing measures to prevent accidents.States receiving an “A” for road safety have strong laws such as texting bans, primary seat belt laws and sobriety checkpoints in place to help protect drivers passing through. The NSC has identified seven states that received an “A” – Illinois, Louisiana, Washington, D.C., Delaware, Maine, West Virginia and Maryland. Nevada, Florida, Mississippi, Idaho, Wyoming, Arizona, Missouri, South Dakota and Montana received an “F," according to the NSC.Eight safety tips to stay safe this holiday weekend are available in the slideshow. Click through the gallery to see what the NSC recommends.
A Fort Pierre, S.D. company faces $95,064 in penalties after failing to use a trench protective system.On May 23, a 34-year-old First Dakota Enterprises Inc. worker was completely buried when the walls of a 14-foot trench collapsed around him. Other workers were able to free the victim’s head, allowing a emergency response team to work more than 30 minutes to rescue the employee.“Trench collapses are preventable,” said OSHA Area Director Sheila Stanley in Sioux Falls, S.D. in a statement. “It is critical that employers involved in excavation work review their safety procedures to ensure that employees are properly protected and trained. Had it not been for the heroic actions of these co-workers, this dangerous collapse may have ended in tragedy.”Agency investigators discovered the company was not using a trench protective system or conducting regular site inspections. In total, First Dakota Enterprises Inc. was cited for two repeat and one serious safety violations.Trenching standards require protective systems on trenches deeper than 5 feet, and soil and other materials kept at least 2 feet from the edge of a trench, according to OSHA.
An informational meeting regarding the Kirtland Air Force Base Bulk Fuels Facility in Albuquerque, N.M. will be held on Sept. 28 in the city’s African American Performing Arts Center.A major jet fuel leak first discovered in 1999 spilled an estimated 24 million gallons of liquid. Clean up efforts have continued since then, and Albuquerque’s water supply still is in question, according to news reports."We want the public to understand how the Risk Assessment report helps decision-makers to connect the dots and determine the best path forward,” said Kate Lynnes, KAFB Bulk Fuels Facility project senior advisor in a statement. “We plan to provide an overview of the key findings in the report, explain the technical details of the project, and most importantly, engage with the community regarding their questions and concerns."The risk assessment report evaluates potential fuel leak-related threats to all human exposure pathways, including the drinking water supply. The Air Force provided the report to New Mexico Environmental Department (NMED) last month, and it is under active review.Project experts will be on hand to provide technical and regulatory background. Public input will be received and considered, according to NMED.The report supports future decision-making by NMED and the Air Force by assessing any potential fuel leak-related risk to human health and the environment--as the current interim cleanup measures are progressing.The report is now available for community and stakeholder review at www.kirtlandjetfuelremediation.com.
An active shooter situation has developed at a downtown restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina.According to news reports, a disgruntled employee entered the restaurant around 12:17 p.m., shot one worker and took multiple hostages. The Southern-style restaurant has been identified as Virginia’s on King.Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg told the press the situation was not an act of terrorism but an act of workplace violence.The suspect, whom has not been named, was critically wounded and transferred to an area hospital. Police were seen removing a body from the scene. None of the hostages were harmed.
A new, free mobile app released by The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) aims to help workers stay safe while manually lifting objects.The app, called NLE Calc, is based on the Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation (RNLE), an internationally-recognized standard for safe lifting. “NLE Calc is a quick and simple way for a worker to assess their risk for injury before they manually lift an object,” said NIOSH Director John Howard, MD in a statement. “The information workers used to find in a manual is now in their back pocket and can help prevent one of the most common, and costly, work-related injuries.”NIOSH designed the new app to assist workers in manufacturing, healthcare, retail and other industries where lifting is part of the job. NLE Calc determines a score based on the data entered based on a lifting task and provides recommendations to help optimize the task or perform it differently in order to prevent injury.One-third of work-related injuries resulting in missed workdays can be attributed to musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) where lifting is part of the job, according to NIOSH. These injuries cost an estimated $45 to $54 billion annually in lost productivity and treatment.In addition to calculating the lifting index, the app provides users with recommendations, some of which include:Bring the load closer to the body.Avoid twisting while lifting.Raise the load to waist height before lifting.Minimize the distance the load must be lifted.More information about NLE Calc or the topic of ergonomics and musculoskeletal disorders can be found on the NIOSH website.To install the NLE Calc app on your iOS or Android device, visit iTunes or Google Play and search for NLE Calc.
American Heart Association’s adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) courses will be updated in 2019 with the use of new technology.The organization will implement an instrumented directive feedback device in all courses that teach adult CPR skills, effective Jan. 31, 2019 to assist participants with becoming proficient when a cardiac emergency occurs.“The American Heart Association trains more than 22 million people in CPR annually through its course offerings, said Mary Elizabeth Mancini, Ph.D., MSN, American Heart Association volunteer and professor, senior associate dean for education innovation at The University of Texas at Arlington College of Nursing and Health Information in a statement. “Requiring a feedback device further solidifies its global leadership position in resuscitation science and CPR education training,”According to the AHA, the devices provide, real-time, audiovisual and corrective evaluation and instruction on chest compression rate, depth, chest recoil and proper hand placement during CPR training. The organization made the change based on a 2015 study on the benefits of emerging technology such as feedback devices.This technology, which can be implemented into or serve as an accessory to a manikin, helps students master these critical CPR skills and reduces the time between training and demonstration of competence in a training environment.This new requirement impacts the Association’s Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), ACLS for Experienced Providers and Heartsaver adult CPR training courses taught in the United States and internationally. Future goals will be to implement the technology into all courses such as infant and child, not just adult skills classes, Mancini said. “CPR saves lives and ensuring our courses provide the necessary, correctly performed skills gives healthcare providers and others trained in CPR confidence and empowers them to help in doubling survival rates from cardiac arrest by 2020,” she said.Each year, more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside the hospital and over 200,000 occur in a hospital setting. Only 46 percent of people who suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest receive bystander CPR before professional help arrives. CPR, if performed immediately and correctly, can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival, according to the AHA.
More than 60 safety and health hazards were discovered at a Carthage, New York paperboard mill after a complaint spurred an OSHA inspection.Carthage Specialty Paperboard Inc. racked up $357,445 in proposed penalities after agency investigators found workers were exposed to various hazards including lack of inspections as well as machinery without safety guards.“The violations found during this investigation put employees at serious risk of injury or even worse,” said OSHA Area Director Christopher Adams in a statement. “This is a significant number of hazards for a single workplace. Carthage Specialty Paperboard must implement corrective measures to protect their employees’ safety and health.”On Dec. 27, 2016, in response to a complaint alleging unsafe working conditions, OSHA inspectors found than 20 instances of machinery lacking safety guards to prevent amputations.According to the agency, the machinery in the mill did not have safety locks to prevent the accidental start-up of machinery during maintenance, and workers did not receive required training or personal protective equipment (PPE) to work on electrical systems with up to 2,300 volts.In addition, the agency also issued citations for exposing workers to struck-by hazards when the company failed to inspect cranes and hoists. Metal catwalks did not have restraints to help protect employees from falls, some as high as 13 feet.Employees also entered confined spaces without prior atmospheric testing, or means to rescue persons overcome by fumes.As a result of the inspection, 61 total health and safety violations were noted. Carthage Specialty Paperboard Inc. notified OSHA of their intent to contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.