WHO NEEDS SAFETY GLASSES?

It wasn’t staged, and the photos are real. It was really nothing more then a routine maintenance job when, in an instant, that thing that is always talked about in a safety meeting happened. (From a construction site in Charleston Heights, South Carolina.)

”One of our mechanics was wearing these glasses while attempting to remove teeth from a track hoe bucket. While using a hammer and chisel to remove pins, the point of the chisel splintered and a piece struck the right lens. He would have suffered a serious injury had he not been wearing the glasses at the time. These are good pictures to reinforce the use of eye protection”.

Embedded shrapnel is a piece of chisel that broke loose when struck by a hammer.

Sago Mine Hearing Scheduled

The explosion that resulted in the deaths of 12 West Virginia coal miners spurred a Congressional hearing on mine safety"In Congress, there are tough questions to be asked of the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA)," Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia said. "Is enforcement of coal mining regulations tough enough? Are the regulations on the books today current enough to handle the challenges posed by 21st century coal mining? Are mine hazards being minimized? These and other issues demand scrutiny, and the miners' families deserve the answers."

Byrd said he has worked with Republican Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania and Democratic Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa to arrange the mine safety hearing. Federal and state mining officials, as well as representatives of labor, business and academia with expertise in mine safety, will be invited to testify at the hearing, Byrd said.

"The investigation at the Upshur County mine will tell us what caused that deadly explosion," Byrd said. "But one conclusion is already evident: It's time for the decisions affecting America's miners to be made with their best interests at heart. That should be the legacy of the Sago miners." Twelve miners died and one was critically injured after a Jan. 2 blast at the Sago Mine in Upshur County, W.Va. MSHA, along with state mine safety officials, is investigating the cause of the explosion.

Study: 15 Percent of U.S. Work Force Under the Influence of Alcohol

On-the-job alcohol use and impairment affects about 19.2 million people – roughly one in six U.S. workers – according to a recent study. The study, conducted by the University of Buffalo Research Institute on Addictions, estimates that 2.3 million workers (1.8 percent of the work force) have consumed alcohol at least once before coming to work and 8.9 million workers (7.1 percent of the work force) have drank alcohol at least once during the workday. Most workers who drink during the workday do so during lunch breaks, though some drink while working or during other breaks, according to the study.

The study also estimates that 2.1 million workers (1.7 percent of the work force) have worked under the influence of alcohol and 11.6 million workers (9.2 percent of the work force) have worked with a hangover. Nonetheless, the study, funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, suggests that most workplace alcohol use and impairment does not occur frequently.

Among those employees who report drinking before work, 71 percent reported doing so less than monthly, 25 percent monthly and only 4 percent weekly. For those who drank during the workday, 62 percent did so less than monthly, 24 percent monthly and 14 percent weekly. Researchers obtained the information about workplace alcohol use and impairment by telephone interviews with 2,805 employed adults residing in the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia. The sample of participants was designed to reflect the demographic composition of the adult civilian U.S. work force from ages 18 to 65.

Interviews were conducted from January 2002 to June 2003. Those interviewed were asked how often during the previous year they drank alcohol within 2 hours of reporting to work, drank during the workday, worked under the influence or worked with a hangover. This is the first study of workplace alcohol use to utilize a representative probability sample of the U.S. work force, according to the Research Institute on Addictions.

Workplace Alcohol Use More Prevalent Among Men

The study found that workplace alcohol use and impairment was more prevalent among men compared to women. Also, working under the influence of alcohol or with a hangover was more prevalent among younger workers compared to older workers and among unmarried workers compared to married workers.

Among the broad occupation groups showing the highest rates of workplace alcohol use and impairment were the management occupations, sales occupations, arts/entertainment/sports/media occupations, food preparation and serving occupations and building and grounds maintenance occupations.

Workers on the evening shift and night shift and those working a nonstandard shift involving irregular or flexible work hours were more likely to report drinking before coming to work compared to workers on a regular day shift. Those working a nonstandard shift also were more likely to use alcohol during the workday and report being at work under the influence of alcohol. Prior to this study, very little data existed on the prevalence, frequency and distribution of alcohol use and impairment at the workplace.

Study Aims to Help Stakeholders Formulate Policy

A primary goal of the study was to inform managers, policymakers and researchers so that all stakeholders have a better understanding of the extent of alcohol use and impairment in the workplace when formulating policy and exploring causes and outcomes.

"Of all psychoactive substances with the potential to impair cognitive and behavioral performance, alcohol is the most widely used and misused substance in the general population and in the workforce," said Michael Frone, Ph.D., principal investigator on the study. Frone is a research associate professor in the University of Buffalo Department of Psychology. "The misuse of alcohol by employed adults is an important social policy issue with the potential to undermine employee productivity and safety."

Spreading the Message: A Safe Workplace is Good Business

Businesses with excellent health and safety programs are more productive and profitable, Ontario Ministry of Labour Parliamentary Assistant Kevin Flynn told the Oakville (Ontario) Chamber of Commerce Jan 6, kicking off a province-wide tour to deliver the message to small- and medium-size businesses.

"Businesses can improve their bottom line while making a difference in their communities. Good health and safety is a good business practice and makes good business sense," Flynn said. "The [Prime Minister Dalton] McGuinty government is reaching out to businesses to let them know how they can improve their profitability by improving their health and safety programs." The government of Ontario has set an ambitious goal of reducing workplace injuries by 20 percent by 2008. That translates to 60,000 fewer injuries a year. The ultimate goal is to eliminate all workplace injuries and deaths.

The government has made a commitment to hire 200 additional inspectors to improve workplace health and safety. Already, 131 of these 200 inspectors are trained and on the job, according to the Ministry of Labour. Hiring of the remaining 69 is currently underway. "Workplace injuries take a tremendous toll on workers, their families and their communities," Labour Minister Steve Peters said. "In addition, these injuries cost businesses billions of dollars in lost productivity and hurt the economy as a whole."

OSHA Alliance to Aid Small Businesses, General Industry

OSHA recently formed an alliance with the Center for Business and Public Policy at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business to focus on safety issues important to general industry and small businesses. "Education is one of the cornerstones of safety and health," said Jonathan L. Snare, who remains acting assistant secretary of Labor for OSHA. "This alliance offers a unique opportunity to work directly with the business leaders of tomorrow and establish a foundation of knowledge on the value of effective safety and health programs."

John W. Mayo is the center's executive director. "Our alliance will promote both OSHA's interest in assuring a healthy and safe workplace, as well as the center's interests in understanding the business and economic drivers behind a safe and healthy workplace," he said. "This partnership of academic and government resources will create new insights and improve policymaking beyond what either of us could do alone." The alliance document signing took place Friday during CBPP's safety and health symposium, "Engaging Tomorrow's Leaders in Safety and Health: The Case Study Approach."

NIOSH Releases New Pocket Guide To Chemical Hazards

A new edition of the popular NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards has been released, consolidating NIOSH and OSHA information materials into an easy-to-use resource document for workers, employers and occupational health professionals. The NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards is available from the National Technical Information Service in two formats.

The NIOSH Pocket Guide provides a quick, convenient source of information on general industrial hygiene practices. Key information is presented in tabular form for 677 chemicals or substance groupings commonly found in the work environment. Each entry in the Pocket Guide includes chemical structure or formula, identification code, synonym, exposure limit, chemical and physical properties, incompatibilities and reactivities, measurement method, respirator selection, signs and symptoms of exposure, and procedures for emergency treatment.

The NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards and Other Databases 2005 (on CD-ROM) contains the full text of the Pocket Guide in a searchable format. The major advantage of accessing the files on the CD-ROM is that an Internet connection is not needed, but the software applications required for the CD are the same as those commonly used for Internet access. An added feature of the CD is that it also contains the following additional databases:

• Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health Concentrations (IDLHs)

• International Chemical Safety Cards (WHO/IPCS/ILO)

• NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods (NMAM)

• OSHA Sampling & Analytical Methods

• Recommendations for Chemical Protective Clothing

• Specific Medical Tests Published for OSHA-Regulated Substances

• Toxicologic Review of Selected Chemicals

• 2004 Emergency Response Guidebook

• Chemicals Cited by ICSC and NPG - MDL RTECS

The spiral-bound 5 1/4" x 7 1/2" NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards, 2005 Edition is available for $29; quote order number PB2005-108099KTK. The NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards and Other Databases 2005 (on CD-ROM) is available for $79; quote order number PB2005-500163KTK. To order call NTIS at (800) 553-6847 or (703) 605-6000. A $5 handling fee is added to the total of each order, no additional charge for shipping. Most major credit cards accepted. Fax orders to (703) 605-6900. Order online at http://www.ntis.gov/products/bestsellers/nioshguide.asp.

(Excerpts from Occupational Hazards & Occupational Health & Safety)