What do think NETS is?  A tennis game, Part of the NBA, a new reality show?  Not really, NETS stands for Network of Employers for Traffic Safety.  So, have you ever heard of NETS?  Probably not.

Do you have any employees who drive for your business or organization?   Maybe you have some employees who drive to and from work.  NETS is dedicated to improving the health and safety of employees, their families and the community by preventing traffic crashes that occur both on- and off-the-job.  Why should we be so concerned about employees who drive?  Because Motor Vehicle Collisions are the #1 cause of employee/worker death and injury in the US.  Nothing is even close. It is also the most costly injury to any company/organization according to the National Safety Council”s Injury and Facts publication.

The Board members of NETS include:

Abbott

AmeriFleet Transportation

Chubb Group of Insurance Companies

The Coca-Cola Company

Johnson & Johnson

Liberty Mutual Insurance Group

Monsanto

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company

UPS

In just over a month NETS will be sponsoring National Drive Safely Work Week, October 3-7.

Focus 360° – Getting there safely is everyone’s responsibility.

The 2011 campaign is focused on the dangers of distracted driving— but not just from the position of the driver. The new materials also help consider the roles and responsibilities of being a safe passenger, pedestrian and cyclist in preventing distracted driving-related incidents. If you want more information, go to NETS website.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the Department of Labor has developed this elaws Advisor to address the federal requirement to report and record work-related injuries and illnesses. The OSHA Recordkeeping Advisor is intended to help determine:

• Whether an injury or illness (or related event) is work-related
• Whether an event or exposure at home or on travel is work-related
• Whether an exception applies to the injury or illness
• Whether a work-related injury or illness needs to be recorded
• Which provisions of the regulations apply when recording a work-related case

The OSHA Recordkeeping Advisor presents questions and relies on responses to determine the appropriate course of action. The Advisor does not store any information. If the Advisor does not address the circumstances of a particular case, please contact OSHA or obtain expert advice.

“Workers who dig or excavate trench­es are at risk of death if they enter an unprotected trench and the walls col­lapse. However, hazards associated with trench work and excavation are well defined and preventable. The OSHA standard for excavation and trenching, known as 29 CFR* 1926 Subpart P, de­scribes the precautions needed for safe excavation work.

There is no reliable warning when a trench fails. The walls can collapse sud­denly, and workers will not have time to move out of the way. Even though small amounts of dirt may not seem treacherous, a single cubic yard of dirt can weigh more than 3,000 pounds, which can fatally crush or suffocate workers [Deatherage et al. 2004]. Even small, solid pieces of dirt can cause se­rious injuries.”

This is the first few lines from a new Workplace Solutions from NIOSH on Trench Cave-Ins, Preventing Worker Deaths from Trench Cave-ins.

NIOSH has produced many Workplace Solutions brochures available to the business community on a variety of safety topics. Many of these publications are free when ordering them from NIOSH. Our federal government at work.

If your company ships any type of hazardous materials in commerce you will need to be advised of the new final ruling by the US DOT.  As stated below if will make it mandatory that hazardous shipments are properly packaged and labeled under 49 CFR, parts 100-185.   Failure to follow these regulations, can result in significant delay in the shipment of your package.

Federal hazardous materials transport inspectors will be allowed to open, detain, remove, and divert suspicious packages in transit for further investigation, under a final rule published March 2 by the Department of Transportation (76 Fed. Reg. 11,570).

Recently I was working on updating our respiratory program, and training that both the employee and supervisor could easily understand and still meet OSHA 1910.134. How fortunate that on February 12, 2011 the DOL came out with a new training video.

The 33-minute video explains the major components of a respiratory protection program including fit-testing, medical evaluations, training, and maintenance. The video also discusses the difference between respirators and surgical masks, and features a segment on common respiratory hazards found in healthcare settings, including airborne infectious agents that cause diseases such as tuberculosis, pandemic influenza, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), chicken pox, and measles.

Demonstrations also show how respirator use helps protect workers from exposure to airborne chemical hazards such as formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde, which are used commonly in hospital laboratories to preserve tissue samples for medical analysis. These toxic substances can cause eye and nasal irritation, headaches, asthma, and other symptoms. Additionally, formaldehyde is a carcinogen and has been linked to nasal and lung cancer, with possible links to brain cancer and leukemia.

“Employers can’t rely on respirators providing the expected protection if they don’t train their workers on how to use them properly,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels. “This video is an important training tool that teaches proper respirator use and discusses employers’ responsibilities under OSHA’s respiratory protection standard.”

Intended for both employers and employees, the 33-minute video covers the main components of a respiratory protection program, the difference between respirators and surgical masks, and common respiratory hazards in health care settings – including airborne infectious agents that cause diseases such as tuberculosis, according to an OSHA press release.

Each year on average 18,300 Americans are injured, and more than 3,500 die in fires, with children age 14 and under making up 10-15 percent of all fire deaths.  National Burn Awareness Week is traditionally observed the first full week in February, and according to FEMA Regional Administrator Ken Murphy, it’s the perfect calendar observance to focus on preventing fires and protecting children.

“Children under the age of 5 account for fifty-two percent of all child fire deaths, and home fires tend to spike in winter months, placing younger children and toddlers at even greater risk,” said Murphy.  “Many children are unable to escape from fire on their own, and I encourage parents and caregivers to use National Burn Awareness Week as an opportunity to take actions that keep their loved ones, and particularly children, safe from fire and burn hazards.”

Top tips to avoid fire and keep kids safe around the house include:

• Keep children at least 3 feet from hot stoves and cooking appliances. When cooking, use back burners with pot handles turned towards the back of the stove.
• Have fireplace flues and chimneys inspected for leakage and blockage from creosote or debris.
• Open the fireplace damper before lighting a fire and keep it open until the ashes are cool. Store ashes in fire-resistant containers; cover the container with a lid, and dispose of ashes carefully.
• Place space heaters on a floor that is flat and level—Do NOT put space heaters on rugs or carpets. Keep space heaters at least three feet from bedding, drapes, furniture and other flammable materials and place them out of the flow of foot traffic. Keep children and pets away from space heaters.
• Always tuck cords from appliances where children cannot reach them.
• Install smoke alarms on every level in your home, and inside and outside sleeping areas.
• Test smoke alarms each month and replace the batteries at least once a year.

Excellent online resources for fire prevention education materials and protecting children from fire and burns include:http://go.usa.gov/rfF; www.usfa.dhs.gov/kids/; www.safekids.org; . Learn about FEMA’s Children’s Working Group (CWG) at www.fema.gov/about/cwg.shtm.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

If you talk about safety 24/7, here is an article to share with your employees.

U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated average of 380,000 home structure fires per year during 2003-2007.

These fires caused an annual average of

• 2,840 civilian fire deaths,
• 13,160 civilian fire injuries, and
• $6.4 billion in direct damage.
• 92% of all structure fire deaths resulted from home fires.
• On average, eight people died in U.S. home fires every day.

Causes and Circumstances of Home Fires

Details from the U.S. Fire Administration’s National Fire Incident Reporting System show that in 2003-2007:

• Cooking equipment was the leading cause of home structure fires

and home fire injuries.

• Smoking was the leading cause of civilian home fire deaths. Heating

equipment ranked second in home fire deaths overall, but was the

leading cause of fire deaths in one- or two-family homes

Almost all homes have at least one smoke alarm, but almost two-thirds of reported home fire deaths in 2003-2007 resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

Kitchens were the leading area of fire origin.

Ø      41% of home structure fires started in the kitchen. These fires

caused 36% of civilian home fire injuries.

Ø      15% of home fire deaths also resulted from kitchen fires.

Ø      8% of reported home fires started in the bedroom. These fires

caused

Ø      24% of home fire deaths and 21% of home fire injuries.

Ø      4% of home fire deaths started in the living room, family room, or

den.  These fires caused 23% of home fire deaths and 10% of the home

fire injuries.

Ø      Fires confined to chimneys or flues accounted for 6% of all reported

home fires. These fires caused very few casualties

October 4, 2010

Dear Employer:

Distracted driving has become an epidemic in the United States, and its often fatal consequences are a threat to your workers, your business and the public.

Because millions of workers’ jobs require them to spend part or all of their work day driving ― visiting clients and customers, making site visits, or delivering goods and services ― the Departments of Labor (DOL) and Transportation (DOT) are joining forces in a campaign to stop distracted driving and save lives.

Year after year, the leading cause of worker fatalities is motor vehicle crashes. There’s no question that new communications technologies are helping business work smarter and faster. But getting work done faster does not justify the dramatically increased risk of injury and death that comes with texting while driving.

The human toll is tragic. DOT reports that in 2009, more than 5,400 people died in crashes linked to distraction and thousands more were injured. “Texting while driving” has become such a prominent hazard that 30 states now ban text messaging for all drivers.

OSHA is partnering with others across government, industry and the public to bring together important information and tools to attack texting while driving and other distracted driver hazards. We invite you to learn more about combating this problem at www.osha.gov and at DOT’s distracted driving website, www.distraction.gov.

Most employers want to do the right thing and protect their workers, and some have already taken action to prohibit texting while driving. It is your responsibility and legal obligation to create and maintain a safe and healthful workplace, and that would include having a clear, unequivocal and enforced policy against the hazard of texting while driving. Companies are in violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act if, by policy or practice, they require texting while driving, or create incentives that encourage or condone it, or they structure work so that texting is a practical necessity for workers to carry out their job.

To combat the threat of distracted driving, we are prepared to act quickly. When OSHA receives a credible complaint that an employer requires texting while driving or who organizes work so that texting is a practical necessity, we will investigate and where necessary issue citations and penalties to end this practice.

I invite you to join us in observing “Drive Safely Work Week,” October 4-8. During this week and throughout the year, let’s work together to prevent workers from being injured and killed on the road.

David Michaels, PhD, MPH

Recently the American Heart Association introduced 2 major changes in the way CPR is being taught and being done.

Hands Only

Hands-only CPR is a technique that involves simply using chest compressions on an individual who has suffered sudden cardiac arrest .  The technique involves no mouth to mouth contact and is best used in emergencies outside of hospitals where a bystander has seen another person suddenly collapse. The important part to remember here is you should see the person collapse.

If you see a person collapse and they are not breathing put one hand over the other and begin pumping on the chest just below the nipples. Pump at a rate of about 100 beats per minute.  You do not have to be certified, to perform Hand Only CPR.

Traditional CPR Change

The other big change is to traditional CPR steps. There will be a switch in the process of how to do CPR. For many years the steps have been ABC. Open Airway, give 2 Breaths and then 30 Compression of the chest.

Now the order will be giving compressions first then the breathing. Getting the blood circulating is much more important then taking the time to open the airway and give the breaths.

If you are certified in CPR the change will not be hard to make.

If you are not certified, this is a great opportunity to take a class, and have the knowledge that some day you might be able to SAVE-A-LIFE.

U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated average of 380,000 home structure fires per year during 2003-2007.

These fires caused an annual average of

• 2,840 civilian fire deaths,
• 13,160 civilian fire injuries, and
• $6.4 billion in direct damage.

• 92% of all structure fire deaths resulted from home fires.

• On average, eight people died in U.S. home fires every day.

Causes and Circumstances of Home Fires

Details from the U.S. Fire Administration’s National Fire Incident Reporting System show that in 2003-2007:

• Cooking equipment was the leading cause of home structure fires and home fire injuries.
• Smoking was the leading cause of civilian home fire deaths. Heating equipment ranked second in home fire deaths overall, but was the leading cause of fire deaths in one- or two-family homes

Almost all homes have at least one smoke alarm, but almost two-thirds of reported home fire deaths in 2003-2007 resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

Kitchens were the leading area of fire origin.

• 41% of home structure fires started in the kitchen.  These fires caused 36% of civilian home fire injuries

15% of home fire deaths also resulted from kitchen fires.

• 8% of reported home fires started in the bedroom.  These fires caused 24% of home fire deaths and 21% of home fire injuries.
• 4% of home fire deaths started in the living room, family room, or den.  These fires caused 23% of home fire deaths and 10% of the home  fire injuries.
• Fires confined to chimneys or flues accounted for 6% of all reported home fires. These fires caused very few casualties.