Below is a quick selection of some notable safety-related news headlines for the month of December 2017:
‘Tragic trend’: On-the-job deaths at highest level since 2008, BLS reports (Safety+Health)
A total of 5,190 workers died from on-the-job injuries in 2016 – a 7 percent increase from 2015 and the highest number of fatalities since 5,214 workers died in 2008, according to data released Dec. 19 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Do you need to take a closer look at indoor fall safety? (BIC Magazine)
Refineries and other industrial facilities have many safety precautions to check off their lists, so it’s easy to forget that Fall Protection should be near the very top. In fact, OSHA names falling as one of the most common causes of injuries and fatalities in the workplace. While protection from injury caused by chemicals or fire may be top-of-mind, it’s important to ask: What are the indoor fall protection risks inside your facility? Falls frequently happen inside buildings as well as out, so make sure you don’t overlook the most hazardous areas.
Updated regulatory agenda shows fewer changes for OSHA, unveils ‘3-for-1’ deregulation plan (Safety+Health)
The Department of Labor’s updated regulatory agenda for fall 2017, released Dec. 14, contains fewer changes for OSHA than the previous agenda, published in July.
End of the Year Whirlwind for Labor and OSHA Matters! (Lexology)
The long awaited nominee for Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, Scott Mugno, finally received his Senate Labor Committee hearing on December 5, and passed through without controversy on a party line vote. Unfortunately, hopes are fading that he’ll be in office before the Christmas Congressional break.
Why can’t we see red flags? (ISHN)
Nineteen eighty-nine was a pivotal year in the twentieth century. The Berlin Wall crumbled with startling swiftness. The unification of Germany rapidly followed. Eastern Europe – Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary and Romania – freed themselves from Communism. The Soviet Baltic republics of Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia held massive demonstrations that eventually led to their independence in 1991 and contributed to the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Well-conducted After Action Reviews can improve safety, researchers say (Safety+Health)
After Action Reviews, if conducted well, can improve organizational safety, according to a recent study of firefighters published by researchers from the University of Nebraska, Omaha and the University of North Carolina, Charlotte.