15th Newsletter Edition

Good morning! This week we take a look back at the history of workplace safety, compare we are today and take a glimpse at where we might be going. So, if you’re ready let’s dive in to this weeks edition!

THIS WEEK’S TIPS

Tips you’ll find in this weeks edition:

• Ergonomics by Design

• National Data Trends

• Airborne Infection Reduction

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

This Weeks Professional Development Tip

• Why “linguistic similarity” is so often the key to success.

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ERGONOMICS
Ergonomic Safety by Design.

The National Safety Council (NSC) is allocating up to $260,000 through its Research to Solutions (R2S) grant and MSD Solutions Pilot Grant to support innovative safety solutions for preventing work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). This funding, part of the MSD Solutions Lab initiative, brings the total commitment to $535,000. MSDs, including tendinitis and back strains, result from repetitive and forceful exertions. The R2S grant, offering up to $50,000 per project, encourages innovations in MSD prevention across various sectors. The MSD Pilot Grant, up to $20,000 per project, focuses on reducing upper-extremity MSDs through technology trials. Recipients will be announced in May 2024.

OSHA and Ergo

Federal inspectors from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found severe injuries at The Martin-Brower Co. LLC's food services warehouse in Fairfield, with workers experiencing injuries at nearly four times the industry average. The workers, involved in manual material handling lifting tasks, faced risks of musculoskeletal disorders due to hazardous forceful exertions and awkward postures, particularly putting them at risk for low back injuries. OSHA cited the facility for three serious violations and proposed $41,483 in penalties, emphasizing the need to address ergonomic hazards and exposing workers to fire and struck by hazards.

Designing for Ergonomic Safety

The importance of ergonomics in preventing workplace injuries is highlighted by experts in Vancouver. Samantha Shill, corporate health, safety, and environment lead for RAM Consulting Ltd., emphasizes that ergonomics involves designing environments, products, and systems to create comfortable, safe, and efficient interactions between people and their surroundings. Ergonomic injuries, often resulting from heavy lifting, awkward positions, repetitive motions, and equipment vibrations, may not manifest immediately. Modern Niagara Vancouver (MNV), a plumbing and mechanical company, tackled ergonomic concerns at the new St. Paul's Hospital construction site by implementing engineering controls in its fabrication shop, leading to improved safety, reduced strains, and fewer injuries. MNV's initiative earned them a gold award in a 2023 Canadian ergonomics competition, and the company's WorkSafeBC experience rating improved significantly.

WORKPLACE SAFETY
Pennsylvania issues are part of a National Trend.

Pennsylvania is no stranger to workplace and environmental health and safety issues. From the 1892 Homestead Strike to the The Deadly Donora Smog of 1948 and the countless steel and mining injuries and deaths that have occurred over the decades. While working in Pennsylvania is safer today, it is unfortunately not the safest it has been over the years.

In 2022, Pennsylvania witnessed the highest number of workplace deaths in nearly a decade, with 183 fatalities, a significant increase from the 2021 figure. Transportation-related incidents, falls, slips, trips, and exposure to harmful substances were the primary causes. Private sector employees accounted for the majority of victims, while the transportation, warehousing, and construction industries reported the highest fatalities.

These alarming statistics correspond with a nationwide surge in workplace fatalities. In 2022, there was a 5.7% uptick in fatal work injuries compared to the previous year. Government data reveals that a U.S. worker succumbed to a work-related injury every 96 minutes in 2022, a slight increase from the 101-minute interval in 2021. Texas recorded the highest number of incidents with 578 workplace deaths, followed by California, Florida, and New York at 504, 307, and 251 deaths, respectively. Pennsylvania held the seventh position in total fatal workplace injuries, underscoring the imperative for heightened safety measures and preventive strategies. The most impacted demographic groups nationally were Black and Hispanic workers, underscoring the urgency of addressing disparities in workplace safety.

In Pennsylvania, the year 2022 witnessed a concerning rise in workplace fatalities, particularly affecting Black non-Hispanic workers, whose death toll increased by 50%, reaching 27 fatalities compared to 18 in 2021. In contrast, the fatality rate for Hispanic workers in the state decreased significantly, showing a reduction of over 23%, resulting in 16 workplace deaths in 2022. Nationally, transportation incidents remained the leading cause of fatal workplace events, constituting 37.7% of all occupational fatalities. The year 2022 saw 2,066 fatal injuries from transportation incidents in the United States, marking a 4.2% increase from the 1,982 incidents recorded in 2021.

Pennsylvania experienced a substantial surge in transportation-related occupational deaths, rising by 30.5% from 59 deaths in 2021 and increasing by 24% compared to the 62 deaths reported in 2019. The industries most impacted by on-the-job fatalities in the state during 2022 were transportation/warehousing, with 54 victims, and construction, with 28 victims. Specifically within the transportation sector, 41 fatalities occurred in truck transportation, and four were in transit/ground passenger transportation. Other industries also reported fatal workplace incidents in 2022, including education/health services (13 deaths), manufacturing (10 deaths), waste management (seven deaths), retail trade (seven deaths), and repair/maintenance (five deaths).

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NEWS
Your Virtual Water Cooler

• How to Reduce Workplace Violence and Minimize Liability.

• OSHA Finds SK Battery America Inc. Exposed Workers to Hazardous Metals.

• Workplace Stress.

• Potential crushing hazard prompts work boot recall.

• Free white paper: ‘Transform Your Workplace: 8 Key Strategies for Enhanced Safety Leadership.

• The Federal SAVE Act: a beacon of hope for health care worker safety.

• 2024 CEOs Who "Get It".

• Mexican Worker Jesús Pérez Dies in Work Incident at Water Tank in Denton, Texas.

• Airborne infection risk plummets in face of metal nanoparticle spray.

• Why ESG and CSR are under threat.

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