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.

April is National Distracted Driving Month

Each day, more than 16 people are killed and more than 1,300 people are injured in crashes involving a distracted driver. Distracted driving is driving while doing another activity that takes your attention away from driving; these activities can increase the chance of a motor vehicle crash.

There are three main types of distraction:

• Visual—taking your eyes off the road;
• Manual—taking your hands off the wheel; and
• Cognitive—taking your mind off what you are doing.

Distracted driving activities include things like using a cell phone, texting, eating, drinking, and talking with passengers. Using in-vehicle technologies (such as navigation systems) and portable communication devices can also be sources of distraction. While any of these distractions can endanger the driver and others, texting while driving is especially dangerous because it combines all three types of distraction.

How big is the problem?

• In 2008, nearly 6,000 people died in crashes involving a distracted driver and more than 500,000 people were injured.
• The proportion of drivers reportedly distracted at the time of a fatal crash has increased from 8 percent in 2004 to 11 percent in 2008.
• When asked whether driving feels safer, less safe, or about the same as it did five years ago, more than 1 in 3 drivers say driving feels less safe today. Distracted driving—cited by 3 out of 10 of these drivers—was the single most common reason given for feeling less safe today.

What are the risk factors?

• Some activities—such as texting—take the driver’s attention away from driving more frequently and for longer periods than other distractions.
• Younger, inexperienced drivers under the age of 20 may be at highest risk because they have the highest proportion of distraction-related fatal crashes.

How can distracted driving be prevented?

• Many states are enacting laws—such as banning texting while driving—or using graduated driver licensing systems for teen drivers to help raise awareness about the dangers of distracted driving and to keep it from occurring.
• On October 1, 2009, President Obama issued an executive order prohibiting federal employees from texting while driving on government business or with government equipment.
• In January 2010, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration enacted an interim ban that prohibits commercial vehicle drivers from texting while behind the wheel. In March 2010, a proposed rule was announced that would make that ban stronger and more durable.
• The Department of Transportation recently launched a national campaign to encourage the public to get involved in ending distracted driving.   Put It Down focuses on the key messages that drivers can’t do two things at once, and everyone has a personal responsibility to pay attention while behind the wheel.

18 states and Washington DC have now passed laws prohibiting drivers of a moving vehicle to text while driving. Yet over 10% of all drivers still continue to text. Many of these drivers are under the age of 29. The University of Utah recently published a study (December 16, 2009) Text Messaging During Simulated Driving, which found that drivers who texting have a much greater chance for an vehicle incident (6 times) than those who use a hand-held cell phone.

Recently I have been speaking at regional and local safety conferences on the topic of driver distraction, You Can Drive Me To Distraction. During these presentations I ask the audience how many people either text or use a cell phone (hand-held or hands free) while they drive. When I ask them to be honest, more than 60% of the people raise their hands.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration defines distraction as:

Distraction is anything that diverts the driver’s attention from the primary tasks of navigating the vehicle and responding to critical events.  To put it another way, a distraction is anything that takes your eyes off the road (visual distraction), your mind off the road (cognitive distraction), or your hands off the wheel (manual distraction).  So when you think about tasks that can be a driving distraction, you can see that they often fit into more than one category: eating is visual and manual, whereas using a navigation system is all three.

Both the National Safety Council and the NHTSA have become very active in awareness programs and getting laws passed which prohibit the used of any electronic device while driving a motor vehicle.  To make the point much clearer click on this link and watch this video (hint; it is a little hard to watch, be prepared).

So, what’s that message here?  Any time you lose focus on driving for only 2 seconds, your reaction time to avoid an incident is the same as if your blood alcohol level is .08 or the DUI limit.  We must stay alert and focused to stay alive and keep others from getting killed or injured.

MOTOR VEHICLE COLLISIONS ARE THE #1 CAUSE OF EMPLOYEE DEATH AND INJURY.

More people have died in 1 year from texting related incidents in the US, than all the service people who have died in the middle east conflict since 2003.

Since statistics prove more than 90 percent of all collisions are a direct result of driver error, and an increasingly large number of people choose to drive distracted, it shouldn’t be surprising that motorists consider unsafe driving a threat to themselves and others who use our roads and highways.
Many drivers frequently use cell phones for personal and business purposes, everyone from soccer moms to company CEOs. There is no question regarding the benefits of being in constant communication.
Realistically we all have to think about the times it’s just not proper to use your cell phone. Operating a motor vehicle is one of those times.  According to the results of a study by Carnegie Mellon University in 2008, talking on the cell phone while driving reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37 percent.
There is enough evidence from agencies such as AAA Traffic Safety Foundation, National Safety Council and the American College of Emergency Physicians that there should be a national ban on cell phone use and text messaging while behind the wheel.
There are only five states along with Washington, D.C., that ban hand-held cell phone use: California, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Washington. Sixteen additional states and D.C. restrict cell phone use by drivers under the age of 18.
An important point to apply here is that the level and danger of the distraction is not lessened by the use of “hands-free.”  Most drivers are unaware of the liability issues related to distracted driving. Insurance companies routinely subpoena driver’s cell phone records when a client is involved in a crash with bodily injury.
Anything that allows you to drive your vehicle in an unsafe manner can result in a charge of careless driving. Remember the law requires us to maintain control of the vehicle at all times.  Let’s transfer that liability over to employers who encourage or allow cell phone use, especially in company vehicles. You better have some good insurance if you do so.

Recently the International Paper Company settled a lawsuit for a reported $5.2 million. The suit alleged that an IP employee was using her company-supplied cell phone when she rear-ended another vehicle. The other driver suffered such severe traumatic injuries she eventually had to have her arm amputated.
Experience indicates the importance of prohibiting cell phone usage while driving through the use of a written policy.  Employers should implement a strong policy forbidding phone calls by all employees while driving a vehicle on company business. It may limit use to hands free calling or completely ban cell phone usage while driving.  Supervisors, for example, will have to understand when the call goes to voice mail or why it might take awhile for the employee to check in.
 

What do these numbers have in common?   41,059…..2.49 million…..230.6 billion?

Ok, your best guess. 

As a DDC-4 instructor I talk about these number in my classes.  The 41,059 are the number of fatalities in the US in 2007 from motor vehicle collisions (about 10 times the number of deaths in the whole Iraq war).  You might guess the next number.  The number of injured from motor vehicle collisions in 2007.  The third number represents the amount of insurance money paid out in 2007.  Finally, a statistic that is hard to print.  Speed is the #1 killer of people ages 1-33 is motor vehicle accidents and the #4 of people over 33.

Do these numbers open your eyes?  They do mine.  We are out there hurting and killing ourselves and others.  Yet this article will probably not change the driving habits of many or any people.  Here are a couple of other questions you might not know the answers to.

1. What is the number 1 cause of traffic collisions?
2. What is the number 1 cause of drive distraction?

Think you got it right?  You might have the first question correct, but I am guessing not the second. 

(more…)

During the past few months the country has focused most of its attention on our economy.   As the economy worsens certain parts of business and manufacturing are affected first.  Training and safety are part of these affected business units because they are considered non-revenue producing areas.   Safety professionals MUST (as OSHA says) be able to show how their department affects the bottom-line revenue for their company/organization.  You need to show the features and benefits of a good safety program and do it now.  If you wait too long it might be too late. 

The first step is to list every part of your safety program’s benefits and what bottom-line it produces.  The most obvious ones are the reduction in worker comp cost, increased productivity, and reduced health care cost.  Another interesting statistic is the average cost of an injury.  It is estimated (National Safety Council) between $20,000 - $25,000.  If your company operates at 5% profit margin you need and additional $625,000 in sales to break even.  This is a lot of sales for many companies.  Reducing incidents saves money that goes to the bottom-line. 

(more…)

When was the last time you took a safety class?  There are a lot of different sources available, with both for-profit companies and the not-for-profit organizations.  Three not-for-profit associations, ASSE (American Society of Safety Engineers),  NSC (National Safety Council) and the Construction Safety Council offer a variety of classes.  But the two sources I want to describe are the OTI (OSHA Training Institute) and the National Safety Education Center.

OTI is OSHA’s own training center in Arlington Heights, IL.  The OTI provides training and education in occupational safety and health for federal and state compliance officers, state consultants, other federal agency personnel, and the private sector.

The OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Center program was initiated as an extension of the OSHA Training Institute, which is the primary training provider of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OTI targets Federal and State compliance officers and State consultation program staff, but also provides training for private sector personnel and Federal personnel from agencies other than OSHA on a space available basis. However, during the 1980s, the number of requests for training from private sector personnel and Federal personnel from agencies other than OSHA increased substantially and the demand eventually exceeded the capacity of the OSHA Training Institute. To date there are 18 training centers with at least one in each OSHA region. 

As an example, the National Safety Education Center in Region V, is a consortium comprised of: Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, Construction Safety Council, Hillside, IL and the National Safety Council, Itasca, IL.  The National Safety Education Center is authorized by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to deliver approved OSHA training courses. Upon completion of any program, your achievement is recognized through:

• Department of Labor Course Completion Certificates
• Outreach Trainer Cards for OSHA Courses 500, 501, 502 and 503
• Availability of Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
• Availability of American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH) Safety and Industrial Health
• Continuing Maintenance (CM) points.

Pick a class and increase your safety knowledge.

The BIG show is almost here.   The National Safety Council’s Congress & Expo is scheduled for October 15, 16, & 17 in Chicago.  This is the largest Safety & Health expo in the world.  There will be about 140 educational sessions, 32 professional development seminars, and over 800 exhibitors.  Many companies send their safety teams to attend the educational seminars and then have their annual safety meeting afterwards.  It is also a great place to network and look for jobs.  My favorite part has always been the people I have met.  Safety and Health professionals from all over the world.  Click here for a link to the keynote speakers. 

If you have the opportunity, come and check it out, you won’t be sorry.

JANUARY 2007        
January 1 - 31 National Radon Action Month National Safety Council Kristin Marstiller
202-293-2270 ext. 469  Radon Fact Sheet
FEBRUARY 2007        
February 1 - 28 American Heart Month American Heart Association   www.americanheart.org 
February 1 - 28 Save Your Vision Month American Academy of Ophthalmology  John Paine
415-561-8525  www.aao.org 
February 11-17 National Child Passenger Safety Week National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Tina Foley
202-366-9550 www.nhtsa.gov 
MARCH 2007        
March 18-24 National Poison Prevention Week U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission  Kim Dulic
301-504-7908  
APRIL 2007        
April 1 - 30 Sports Eye Safety Month American Academy of Ophthalmology  John Paine
415-561-8525  www.aao.org
April 1- 7 National Workzone Awareness Week Federal Highway Administration   www.fhwa.dot.gov
April 2 - 8 National Public Health Week American Public Health Association Lakitia Mayo
202-777-2515  www.apha.org
April 8 World Health Day WHO Regional Office for the Americas 202-974-3156  World-Health-Day
April 22 - 28 National Window Safety Week Window Safety Task Force  Janice Charletta
847-303-5859 x230  Window Safety
April 22 - 28 National Playground Safety Week   Donna Mokricky
800-554-7529  www.uni.edu/playground 
April 28 Workers’ Memorial Day American Federation of Labor - Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)    www.afl-cio.org 
April 30 - May 6 National SAFE Kids Week National SAFE Kids Campaign  Suzanne Morton
202-662-4476 www.safekids.org 
MAY 2007        
May 1 - 31 National Electrical Safety Month National Electrical Safety Foundation  Michael Clendenin
703-841-3296 www.electrical-safety.org 
May 6 - 12  North American Occupational Safety and Health Week (NAOSH) American Society of Safety Engineers Diane Hurns
847-768-3413 www.asse.org 
May 6 Occupational Safety and Health Professionals Day American Society of Safety Engineers Diane Hurns
847-768-3413 www.asse.org 
May 19 - 25 National Safe Boating Week National Safe Boating Council  Virgil Chambers
703-361-4294  www.safeboatingcouncil.org 
May 20 - 26 National Emergency Medical Services Week American College of Emergency Physicians  Denise Fechner
800-798-1822 x326  www.acep.org 
May 21 - 28 Buckle Up America National Highway Traffic Safety Administration   www.nhtsa.dot.gov 
May 21 - June 3 Click It or Ticket Mobilization Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign & National Highway Traffic Safety Administration   www.nhtsa.dot.gov 
JUNE 2007        
June 1 - 30 National Safety Month National Safety Council 630-775-2160  National Safety Month 
AUGUST 2007        
August 1 - 31 Cataract Awareness Month 
 
SEPTEMBER 2007        
September 1 - 30 National Preparedness Month U.S. Department of Homeland Security   
September 16 - 27  National Farm Safety and Health Week  National Safety Council   National Farm Safety and Health Week
OCTOBER 2007        
October 1 - 31 Eye Injury Prevention Month American Academy of Ophthalmology John Paine
415-561-8525 www.aao.org 
October 14 - 20 National Radon Action Week National Safety Council Kristin Marstiller
202-293-2270 ext. 469  Radon Fact Sheet