This health, safety and environment electronic update comes from Chip Dawson and the Rochester Business Alliance as a service to member companies. There are currently 290 names on the list.

Implications of the "Working Retired"...Mark J. Penn, in his fascinating new book Microtrends: the small forces behind tomorrow's big changes discusses a wide variety of statistical trends that are, or will have, great impact on our lives. In examining the rapidly growing number of seniors over 65 (like me) who are continuing to work, he writes: "The commercial implications of the Working Retired have scarcely been imagined. "Senior" product merchants are still largely focused on golf clubs and walkers. How about "octogenomic" office chairs to accommodate arthritis, back pain and knee replacements? More nap facilities for older people who came to work at 7:00 but need a little shut-eye from 2:00 to 2:30? Defibrillators in every workplace hallway? Sodium-free foods in the office cafeteria?"

Naval Safety Center Unveils "Your Safety Minute"...The Naval Safety Center (one of my old Reserve duty stations) has created a series of short, informal video segments designed to keep operational and off-duty risk management at the forefront. The videos focus on seasonal topics such as swimming and boating safety to everyday concerns such as traffic safety.  While they have a clear military orientation, you might find them useful for safety meetings…and you paid for them with your tax dollars. Just three are currently available, but more are in production. You can download the videos by clicking here.

Australian Worker Killed Changing Light Bulb...The lighting circuit had been left on, a common practice, while a broken bulb was to be removed and replaced. With no protective equipment, appropriate tools, lockout/tagout or written work practices...and with a helper in the elevated lift that didn't know how to operate the lift...the 26-year-old made contact with the live element. Australian WorkSafe (the equivalent of OSHA) fine the company $300,000 for multiple violations. There's another message in this case. Even 110-volt power can kill.

OSHA Recordkeeping Questions...We frequently get questions about the recordkeeping process. Here are three recent ones and OSHA's position on them:

1. How do I record a work-related injury occurring outside the United States? You don't. The 2005 OSHA Recordkeeping Handbook, page 24, states "OSHA notes that the recordkeeping regulation does not apply to travel outside the United States because the OSH Act applies only to the confines of the United States (29 U.S.C. Section 652(4)) and not to foreign operations."
2. When does the workday start for a home healthcare aide who goes from home directly to the first case? OSHA considers a commute to be from home (or a home away from home while traveling) to a fixed worksite. Since the home health aide (or any other type of worker going to a random customer location) is going to a variable site each day (and returning from a variable site) in the interest of the employer, injuries enroute are to be considered work-related. Part 1904.5(b)(6) applies here. Essentially, home to a fixed site is a commute; home to a variable site is work.
3. Must we record cases where the employee loses days from work due to an injury but where there is no verification of injury by a physician? It is not unusual for lost time to begin in the days following a work-related injury where the employee has not yet seen a physician. Part 1904.7(b)(3)(iii) states that in the case where a physician recommends return to work but the employee stays home anyway, "you must end the count of days away from work on the date the physician or other licensed health care professional recommends that the employee return to work." For example, if an employee injures his back on a Monday and fails to return to work on Tuesday or Wednesday and you schedule a visit to your HCP for him on Thursday where he is told to return to work, you are obligated to log two days of lost time for Tuesday and Wednesday. In the same way, if the employee voluntarily returns to work on Thursday without seeing a HCP at all, you must still log the two days of lost time.

Booze and Adult Fire Deaths...According to the US Fire Administration, more than 50 percent of adults who die in fires in the United States are under the influence of alcohol at the time.

Fire Extinguisher Training Bombs...SafetyXchange.org reports on a fire-training officer who gruffly barked instructions to the trainees along with advice to pull the extinguisher pin "like a hand grenade." A flustered trainee was having trouble pulling the pin and the instructor yelled "like a hand grenade!!!" With the extra motivation, the trainee yanked the pin and promptly threw the fire extinguisher on the fire.

Computer Program Aids Office Ergonomics...Desk Doctor 1.3 is a program that reminds office personnel of proper ergonomic habits and helps create a personalized exercise routine. For details, click here.

Fatality Prevention Forum...Indiana University of Pennsylvania's Safety Science Department is hosting a two-day workplace fatality prevention forum on Thursday, Nov. 1 and Friday, Nov. 2, in Pittsburgh, PA. Indiana University of Pennsylvania also manages the Pennsylvania State Consultation Program and has an excellent reputation for delivering top-rate programs. The forum will look at workplace methods, culture and leadership. While the expressed focus is on fatality prevention, logic suggests that the program will apply to any type of injury regardless of severity. Some outstanding speakers have been scheduled and with the forum site only four hours from Rochester, it's a great opportunity to get some great help for your safety efforts. For details, click here.   

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Lawrence H. "Chip" Dawson
Dawson Associates
Rochester Business Alliance Coordinating Consultant for HSE
6 Saddle Ridge Trail
Fairport, NY 14450-9584
(585) 425-1639