Miners and lung disease: Which states have the worst death rates?

Original article published by Safety+Health

Chicago — Coal miners in Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia may be more than eight times more likely than the general public to die from black lung disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

That’s according to a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago and NIOSH. The researchers reviewed cause-of-death data from the National Death Index on nearly 236,000 coal miners who died between 1979 and 2017 and had participated in either the NIOSH Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program or the Department of Labor’s Federal Black Lung Program.

NIOSH blog post states that although all coal miners have “significantly increased odds of death” from black lung – also known as coal worker’s pneumoconiosis – as well as COPD and lung cancer, another recent study of regulatory dust monitoring data shows that respirable dust containing silica “was significantly higher” in central Appalachia than the rest of the country.

The researchers note that coal miners also face potential exposure to known carcinogens including diesel exhaust, silica, asbestos and radon. Further, the researchers found that progressive massive fibrosis – the most severe form of black lung disease and which is caused by dust inhalation – is more common among younger miners.

“These findings underscore the importance of preventing chronic lower respiratory diseases like COPD caused by respirable coal mine dust and other factors in coal miners,” NIOSH says.

Issued in January, the Department of Labor’s Fall 2022 regulatory agenda includes a long-awaited Mine Safety and Health Administration proposed rule on respirable crystalline silica. The agenda lists April as a target date for publication of the proposed rule.

Responding to the study findings in a press release, United Mine Workers of America President Cecil Roberts urges MSHA to swiftly respond once the proposed rule is introduced.

“Time is of the essence here,” Roberts said. “Every day that goes by without action is another day our nation’s coal miners are exposed to deadly silica dust.”


McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

NIOSH releases software for coal mine rescue assessment

Original article published by Safety+Health
escape-scenarios.jpg
Photo: NIOSH

Washington — A new software training module from NIOSH is intended to assist mine operators, miners and industry stakeholders with emergency decision-making during coal mine rescues.

The module presents seven scenarios based on previous events at underground coal mines. Each includes general information about the mine, as well as maps and background information.

Instructors who guide participants through scenarios can stop during key points to present four potential actions that escaping miners might choose. Participants are asked to assess and rate each option and then compare their responses with feedback from emergency response experts and the factual details of each event.

“Sometimes it is clear what miners should or should not do for safe and effective self-escape,” NIOSH says. “However, there are times when even subject matter experts disagree about specific actions. The emergency decision-making training provides participants a place to practice making decisions when dealing with difficult circumstances.”

Under Title 30 CFR Part 49.50, mine rescue teams must meet these criteria:

  • Be available at all times when miners are underground, staying within one-hour ground travel time from the mine rescue station to the mine
  • Consist of five members and one alternate, except when alternative compliance is permitted
  • Have experience working in underground coal mines
  • Inspect, test and maintain appropriate rescue equipment after receiving it
  • Maintain physical fitness
  • Complete initial training

McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

FACE Report: Machine operator fatally struck by safety block ejected from mechanical power press

Original article published by Safety+Health
16ny064-2.jpg

Photo: NIOSH

Report number: 16NY064
Issued by: New York Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Program
Date of report: Oct. 6, 2021

A worker at a manufacturing facility was fatally injured while operating a 200-ton mechanical press. The worker and another employee were making bus bars, a component of electrical devices, out of raw copper strips. The mechanical press frequently jammed, requiring the worker to place two safety blocks between the ram and bolster and reach into the press to unjam it. The worker would then remove the safety blocks and actuate the machine at a dual-button control panel mounted to a pedestal in front of the long side of the press. The workers had to unjam the press multiple times. The last time they removed the jam, the safety blocks were unintentionally left on the bolster bed. The worker, who was standing in front of the press by the pedestal controller, actuated the press. The two safety blocks were immediately ejected from the press. One struck the worker in the neck and chest, causing severe injuries. A 911 call was made, and another employee tried to help using basic first aid. Emergency responders arrived within minutes, but the worker died at the scene. Cause of death was listed as blunt force injuries to the neck.

To help prevent similar occurrences, employers should:

  • Ensure interlock devices are used in conjunction with safety blocks on mechanical power presses.
  • Ensure the selected safety blocks meet the rated capacity of the specific power presses.
  • Center safety blocks along middle length of press when servicing.
  • Ensure press controls are moved to short ends of press to avoid risk of being struck by ejected materials.
  • Design machine guarding that allows for safe movement around machinery.
  • Implement a maintenance and inspection schedule for mechanical presses.
  • Ensure employees are thoroughly trained on machines they operate.
  • Conduct a job hazard analysis for specific tasks and instruct employees on how to safely work with and troubleshoot machinery issues.
  • Train employees on lockout/tagout procedures.

McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

American Heart Month

Original article published by CDC

American Heart Month Toolkits 2023

Print

February is American Heart Month, a time when all people can focus on their cardiovascular health. This Heart Month the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention is expanding the reach of the Million Hearts® and CDC Foundation’s “Live to the Beat” campaign, which focuses on encouraging and empowering Black adults ages 35 to 54 to take small steps to reduce their risks for cardiovascular disease (CVD).

CVD and CVD mortality are increasing in working-age adults, and Black adults are among those bearing the highest burden of CVD and the related health consequences, particularly in the United States. Black adults in the United States die from heart disease at a rate two times higher than White adults.

We encourage individuals, health care and public health professionals, and our partners to help close the disparities gap.

Using this website’s tools and “Live to the Beat” resources, help your patients, family, and friends learn how to control their blood pressure, manage their cholesterol and blood glucose levels, move more, eat healthier, stress less, work with their health care team, and quit smoking.


Protect your heart! During American Heart Month, follow NIOSH on FacebookInstagramTwitter, and LinkedIn for the latest research and information related to workplace safety and health and your heart.


McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

Don’t Be “Lead” Astray From Safety

Original article published by NIOSH

February 7th is National Periodic Table Day!

 

Photo by ©Getty images

On this day, we pay tribute to the table that helps us understand the properties and characteristics of chemical elements. One particular element, lead, also known as Pb on the periodic table, has been used by humans for thousands of years. Despite its many positive uses, lead continues to be a hazardous exposure in many jobs and industries.

Here are some things to keep in mind about lead exposure:

Your body absorbs lead when you inhale contaminated air at work.
If you eat, drink, or smoke in areas where lead is processed or stored, you could swallow lead dust without knowing.
You can expose anybody who lives or works in your home. If you work with or near lead, you can take home lead dust. Lead dust on your clothes, shoes, or hair is hard to notice.
To keep workers and their families safe, NIOSH provides information and recommendations on the NIOSH lead webpage. The page offers information to reduce lead exposure in the workplace for both workers and employers:

  • Workers: If you work with or near products or materials that contain lead, it can get inside your body. In addition to being exposed at work, taking lead home is a concern. Learn ways workers can protect themselves and their families from lead exposure.
  • Employers: Workplace exposure limits are meant to protect workers from hazardous exposures in the workplace, including lead. Employers must ensure exposure limits are not exceeded. The page offers ways employers can use the hierarchy of controls to keep their workers safe. Read More»

McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

FACE Report: Site superintendent run over by backing dump truck

Original article published by Safety+Health
71_231_2022s_SuperintendentBackedOverSlideshow-1.jpg

Case report: #71-231-2022
Issued by: Washington State Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Program
Date of report: Dec. 5, 2022

A 60-year-old site superintendent working for a housing construction contractor was in charge of directing subcontractors and scheduling dump trucks to haul away debris. Two dump truck drivers employed by a recycling company were emptying dumpsters. While one dumpster was being emptied, a 5-gallon bucket of paint spilled onto the street. The superintendent assigned a subcontractor to get sawdust to absorb the paint and told the drivers he was going to direct vehicles away from it. The drivers entered their trucks to pick up the next dumpster located close to the spilled paint. The driver of the first truck drove out of the alley, turned right and parked on the side of the street near the superintendent. The driver of the second truck then turned left onto the street, checked his mirrors and got a hand signal from the superintendent to begin backing up. As he was backing up, he lost sight of the superintendent and ran over him. It is unknown why the superintendent was in the backing zone, or why the driver could not see him. Although the truck’s backup alarm was working, the truck did not have a backup camera, nor was an observer signaling that it was safe to back up. The truck drivers were not trained on backing up at construction sites.

To help prevent similar occurrences, general contractors at multi-employer jobsites should:

  • Continuously assess the hazards of vehicles to workers on foot and ensure hazards are corrected.
  • Require workers to wear ANSI Class 2 high-visibility garments when exposed to vehicular traffic.

Employers who use dump trucks should:

  • Consider installing pedestrian proximity detection systems on trucks.
  • Train drivers that they must use a signaler or backup camera when backing near workers on foot.
  • Create and enforce policies that drivers maintain visual contact with workers on foot at all times, and that workers on foot stay out of backing zones unless trained and acting as an observer signaling the driver.

McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

Selecting safe vehicles for your employees

Original article published by Safety+Health

If you’re responsible for purchasing or leasing passenger vehicles for worker use, NIOSH says you need to consider two factors to help ensure safety:

  1. How well will the vehicle protect its occupants in the event of a crash?
  2. Which safety features are most effective in preventing a crash?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration assigns occupant protection safety ratings based on combined results from crash tests. NHTSA gives each vehicle one to five stars, evaluating how it performs in crash tests (one star is the lowest rating; five stars is the highest). Those ratings can be found at nhtsa.gov/ratings.

If you’re considering buying or leasing used vehicles, NHTSA provides up-to-date information on vehicle recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Another such resource is CheckToProtect.org, from the National Safety Council.

If you’re going the new vehicle route, your next step should be looking at available automated safety features, also called advanced driver assistance systems. Levels of automation range from zero (no automation) to five (full automation).

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety analyzes crash and injury claims for all years, makes and models of vehicles, comparing vehicles with and without each type of ADAS. In a fact sheet, IIHS summarizes the evidence supporting the benefits of ADAS.

It’s also important that workers using the vehicles understand how automated safety systems work. Forty percent of respondents to a University of Iowa survey said that, at some point, their vehicle had behaved in a way they didn’t understand. This result led to the creation of MyCarDoesWhat.org, in partnership with NSC. This simple, interactive site explains each type of ADAS safety feature, using strategies tailored to fit people of different ages and learning styles.

“The bottom line: Resources are available to help employers and consumers select the safest possible vehicles, and to help drivers understand how automated vehicle safety features work,” NIOSH says.


McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

Washington FACE Program publishes three injury narratives in Spanish

Original article published by Safety+Health
FACE3.jpg

Tumwater, WA — The Washington State Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Program has published three new narratives in Spanish.

FACE narratives summarize work-related incidents and list recommendations and requirements that could have prevented them from occurring. In addition, they provide preliminary information about the incident, similar to OSHA’s Fatal Facts and the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s Fatalgrams.

The narratives:

•           Siding Installer Falls 23 Feet from Pump Jack Scaffold

•           Operator Crushed Between Forklift and Storage Rack

•           Framer Falls 25 Feet from House Roof

An accompanying slideshow for each is available on the WA FACE website, along with a full library of narratives. The narratives are designed to be used as formal or informal educational opportunities so similar incidents can be prevented.


McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

Respirator Fit Evaluation Challenge

Original article published by Safety+Health

NIOSH offering $350K in prize money

Photo: NIOSH

Washington — Do you have an idea for improving fit testing of respirators? NIOSH is offering $350,000 in total prize money as part of its Respirator Fit Evaluation Challenge.

“While OSHA requires annual fit testing for all employees who must wear a respirator, research has shown that small or disadvantaged workplaces may not have the resources to conduct initial and annual respirator fit testing,” NIOSH says. “Additionally, the public now wears tight-fitting respirators, such as N95 filtering facepiece respirators, more than ever for protection from hazards such as infectious diseases, pollution or wildfire smoke without knowing whether they provide adequate protection.”

During the first phase of the challenge, individuals or teams must submit a concept paper of 10 pages or fewer outlining an idea on how to improve fit testing. The submission deadline is May 1. Up to 20 participants or teams will be eligible to win $5,000 each while advancing to Phase 2.

Anyone interested in participating must register on the challenge website. An orientation webinar is slated for Feb. 2, allowing participants to ask questions and get additional information.

“Fit testing is vital to ensure a respirator wearer is receiving the expected level of protection and is wearing a correctly fitting model and size,” Maryann D’Alessandro, director of NIOSH’s National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory, said in the release. “We hope this challenge helps us identify a practical solution that delivers users, whether in a workplace or not, immediate information on a respirator’s fit.

“This challenge provides an opportunity for innovators to develop a solution that can improve the safety and health of everyone who wears a filtering facepiece respirator. NIOSH looks forward to receiving novel ideas to improve respirator fit testing through this challenge.”


McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

OSHA, MSHA receive smaller-than-expected budget increases for FY 2023

Original article published by Safety+Health

Washington — OSHA and the Mine Safety and Health Administration will receive modest budget increases for fiscal year 2023 – far less than the amounts initially proposed by Congress and the White House.

Under the FY 2023 federal appropriations bill signed into law by President Joe Biden on Dec. 29, OSHA is set to receive around $632.3 million for FY 2023 (which ends Sept. 30). That’s an increase of about $20 million, or 3.3%, from FY 2022. The Senate proposed $679.8 million for the agency in its Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill, released in July.

The House announced in June that it had approved $712 million for OSHA. The Biden administration sought $701 million in its budget request, issued in March.

Federal enforcement and state programs will get the bulk of OSHA’s modest budget increase. Those line items are set to go up $7 million each, to $243 million and $120 million, respectively.

MSHA is getting a $4 million (1%) budget increase, to approximately $387.8 million, in FY 2023. The Senate proposed $409.6 million, the House budgeted $403.8 million and the administration sought $423.5 million for the agency. Enforcement will get nearly $1.3 million of that $4 million increase, to almost $265.8 million.

NIOSH is set to receive $362.8 million – an $11 million (3.1%) increase from FY 2022. That’s closer to the congressional bills (a proposed $367.3 million from the Senate and $363.3 million from the House). The administration requested a $6.5 million decrease in NIOSH’s budget, to $345.3 million.

The Chemical Safety Board has a budget of $14.4 million for FY 2023 (a 7.5% increase) – exactly what the Senate and House proposed in their initial bills. The administration requested $14 million for the agency, or a $600,000 increase from FY 2022.


McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.