Illness and Injuries


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Illness and Injuries

Injuries and Illnesses: Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Reveals Top Five Causes of Work-Related Death; How to Control the Risks to Your Workers
November 2011
Fatal Occupational Injuries data for 2010, a year in which 302 California workers died on the job. The figures reveal which industries and job tasks were the most deadly for workers last year and which categories of workers (by age, race, and gender) were most likely to die at work. We'll fill you in on the five most common causes of fatal injury and how you can protect your workers from them. . . . more »

Recordkeeping: Design a Safety Incentive Program to Encourage Safety Without Discouraging Honesty
July 2010
In November 2009, the federal Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on the accuracy--or, more precisely, the inaccuracy--of federal OSHA's injury and illness statistics. . . . more »

News Note: Finalized 2007 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) Reveals More Deaths
June 2009
The final count of fatal work injuries in the United States in 2007 was 5,657, up from the preliminary count of 5,488, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics . . . more »

Occupational Disease: Get the Dirt on Valley Fever; Prevent Lung Damage Caused by this Fungal Infection
April 2009
Valley fever last hit the news between 1991 and 1995, when new cases of the disease reached epidemic levels in California's San Joaquin Valley. After that, between 1995 and 2000, infection rates leveled off for a while. . . . more »

Recordkeeping: Observing the Formalities; Avoid Citations by Keeping Your Form 300 Correctly
November 2008
They may seem insignificant, but little things can really add up--like the penalties attached to citations for not keeping your Log 300 forms properly and not providing them to state Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) inspectors in a timely manner. These penalties typically run between $150 and $375, with the possibility of reductions for good faith or financial hardship--but if you're not keeping your Log 300 correctly, you could also be hit with multiple violations of the Division of Labor Statistics and Research recordkeeping rules, contained in Title 8, Section 14300. Take a look at the common mistakes we describe here --and some of the employers that made them--and make sure that you're not letting your recordkeeping nickel and dime you into some significant penalties. . . . more »

Infection Control Checklist
Updated November 2010
Antibiotic-resistant microorganisms are becoming increasingly common. In part, this is due to the misuse and overuse of antibiotics, which tends to breed resistant strains. Another factor is the spread of these organisms from the immunocompromised populations where they first . . . more »

Ergonomics: Lean Manufacturing, Part 1; When More Efficiency Leads to Aching Backs
August 2008
Over the last decade, many manufacturers have embraced "lean manufacturing," a strategy to eliminate wasted time, motion, and storage by streamlining production, altering production processes, and paring back warehousing. These changes often show up in the bottom line at . . . more »

Combustible Dusts: Act Now to Protect Workers from Explosions
August 2008
On Feb. 7, 2008, the city of Savannah, Ga., shook to the blast of an explosion at the Imperial Sugar refinery, which claimed 13 lives. In the four months following that incident, more than 50 additional combustible dust explosions occurred in the United States, including one in the Los Angeles . . . more »

Injury Prevention: Animal Handling; Don't Let the Bear Get You
August 2008
Rocky the grizzly bear was a star. The 5-year-old, 7 1/2-foot-tall grizzly had most recently appeared in the Will Ferrell movie "Semi-Pro." So when Randy Miller and his cousin Stephen Miller, both experienced animal handlers, were working with Rocky and a third trainer at the Predators . . . more »

News Note: CPWR Releases Report, Recommendations for Preventing Crane Deaths, Injuries
August 2008
An average of 22 workers die each year in crane-related incidents, according to a new report on U.S. crane fatalities from the Center for Construction Research and Training (formerly known as the Center to Protect Workers' Rights and still known as CPWR). The report recommends . . . more »

News Note: EPA May Follow California's Lead
August 2008
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has acted on a citizens' petition requesting it to nationally adopt a recently enacted California regulation to control formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products and extend the rule to include composite wood products in . . . more »

News Note: Asthma Admissions Soaring
August 2008
Hospitals are finding that increasing numbers of adults admitted to the hospital for other conditions also have asthma, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Causes of the disease, which include occupational . . . more »

Electrical Safety: Flexible Cords and Cables; Be Inflexible About Safety
July 2008
Sometimes you need an electrical cord that bends a little. Maybe it's because you have to use your power drill or saw in many different locations during the workday. Maybe it's because a piece of machinery . . . more »

Injury Prevention: Not Just in the Trenches; Beware of Unstable Hillside Collapses
July 2008
On June 12, 2007, an employee of Watsonville-based Granite Construction was checking the grade of a hillside when it collapsed, crushing and fatally injuring him. In October 2007, a day laborer . . . more »

Risk Management: Improve Safety by Identifying and Targeting High-Risk Workers
July 2008
Out of your entire workforce, who is most at risk of an occupational injury or illness? Can you name names (that guy on Line B, second shift, who keeps getting written up and will soon be fired)? Or do . . . more »

News Note: Dry Cleaning Industry Resource Now in Korean
July 2008
Federal OSHA has now published its "Reducing Worker Exposure to Perchloroethylene (PERC) in Dry Cleaning" guidance in Korean. The document details health hazards and current regulations; recommends . . . more »

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