 Michigan Repeals Motorcycle Helmet Law Bowing to the idea that helmet laws infringe on rider freedom, the State of Michigan in April made it legal once again to ride a motorcycle without a helmet. According to the NHTSA, helmet user rates will likely drop from 99 percent to 50 percent-and three times as many riders will enter hospitals with traumatic brain injuries.
"Numerous studies have shown the costs to the health care system of unhelmeted motorcyclists are astronomical," said Thomas Esposito, M.D., chief of the Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care and Burns in the Department of Surgery at Loyola University Medical Center. "One overview of states with and without helmet use laws estimates that more than 120 million dollars in medical care and rehabilitation expenses per year were due directly to non-helmet use." The fatality rate per 1,000 for non-helmeted riders is 6.2 percent. For riders who wear helmets, the rate is 1.6 percent.
"Without mandatory legislation, helmet user rate drops from 99 to 50 percent and non-helmeted motorcyclists are three times more likely to suffer a traumatic brain injury in a crash than those wearing a helmet," said Esposito.
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 ASSE Accepts CSHM Certification for Professional Membership
Recognizing the growing importance of skills at the safety and health management level, the American Society of Safety Engineers has added the CSHM designation to the list of certifications that quality one for membership at the professional level within ASSE. For more information on CSHM, visit the Institute for Safety and Health Management by clicking here. |
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 Crew Endurance-Can You Get the Job Done?
Long-time readers of this column will know that shift work and employee fitness are two of my hot buttons. I marvel at how organizations can hope to be best in class when their people are exhausted and dragging from task to task. Having people fit and rested and alert is essential to achieving excellence (or even getting by).
With that background, I offer an excellent resource-The Coast Guard Guide for Managing Crew Endurance Risk Factors. The 111-page document is the creation of the Coast Guard safety and environment office and translates easily to the civilian world. It offers a good look at risks and plenty of suggestions about how to mitigate them. You can download the document by clicking here.
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 Prepare for Summer with the HEAT Mobile App
Temperatures are on the rise, summer is imminent, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has a mobile application designed to keep outdoor workers safe. As part of OSHA's nationwide campaign to prevent heat-related illnesses, the OSHA Heat Safety Tool is available for iPhone and Android platforms and allows workers to view the risk level for outdoor work based on the heat index in their area. Then, with a simple "click," workers and employers are reminded about the protective measures that should be taken, such as drinking enough fluids, scheduling rest breaks, planning for emergencies, gradually increasing the workload for new workers, training on heat illness signs and symptoms, and monitoring each other for signs and symptoms of heat-related illness. Available in English and Spanish, vital safety information is available whenever and wherever so that everyone can take precautions, work productively and beat the heat! To download the app, click here. |
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 Sixty Percent of Nursing Assistants Suffer Work-Related Injuries Annually
Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) working in nursing homes are at significant risk for work-related injuries, but little is known about the frequency and types of their injuries, and how assistive equipment such as patient lifts affects injury rates. The study described in this research report analyzed the prevalence, nature, and predictors of injuries among CNAs working in US nursing homes. Researchers used 2004 data from the National Nursing Assistant Survey and the National Nursing Home Survey. One of their findings was that 60 percent of all CNAs nationally reported a work-related injury in the year prior to the survey. For a copy of the report, click here. |
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California Targets Confined Space Preparedness
According to ISHN magazine, there were seven confined space deaths in California in 2011-all preventable and all due to the lack of a plan or failure to follow a plan. The message for all business in any state is simple. The responsibility to plan for and execute a confined space operations and rescue plan falls to the employer, not the fire department. In most cases of confined space death, the first person in trouble and those who attempt a rescue are employees and the results are sealed long before the community fire department arrives on the scene. If you need help with confined space planning and rescue, get in touch with me at ChipDawson@aol.com. |
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 Obesity Costs Huge!
A report from the Trust for America's Health (www.healthyamericans.org) estimates that if national obesity rates were reduced by five percent, it would lead to more than $29 billion in health care savings in five years. In 20 years, the savings could reach $611.7 billion! Two-thirds of Americans are either obese or overweight and obesity is related to more than 30 illnesses, including type-2 diabetes, heart disease and some forms of cancer.
While there is no question that discussion of obesity in the workplace is a sensitive topic, action on solutions is most often viewed as positive. If employers spend a dollar on wellness programs, studies show they can save $3.27 in medical costs and $2.73 in absenteeism costs. Targeting poor eating and poor physical activity habits saves $1.17 for every dollar spent. Each dollar spent on bike and walking trails saves $3 in medical costs. Consider involving employees in planning in-house meals, exercise programs and other wellness activities. |
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This health, safety and environment electronic update comes from Chip Dawson and the 