JULY IS FIREWORK SAFETY MONTH!

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimated that 6,400 Americans will injure themselves using fireworks during the Fourth of July Holiday (www.cpsc.gov).  The number of injuries has remained steady for the last 10 years despite ad campaigns and local warnings.   

Burns account for over half of all injuries with hands and eyes being the body parts most affected.  In 2007, 11 deaths were reported, which is the same number as the previous years.

"There are no such things as safe fireworks," said Daniel D. Garrett, Senior Vice President of Prevent Blindness America.  "Although there seems to be a prevailing attitude that because an accident hasn't happened before that fireworks aren’t dangerous, the statistics prove the opposite to be true."

To reduce injuries, CPSC recommends following these fireworks safety tips:

• Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks.
• Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying or using them.
• Avoid buying fireworks that come in brown paper packaging, as this can often be a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays and could pose a danger to consumers.
• Adults should always supervise fireworks activities. Parents often don't realize that there are many injuries from sparklers to children under five. Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees - hot enough to melt some metals.
• Never have any portion of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse.
• Move back a safe distance immediately after lighting.
• Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not fully functioned.
• Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
• Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap.
• Light one item at a time and then move back quickly.
• Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers.
• After fireworks fully complete their functioning, douse the spent device with plenty of water from a bucket or hose before discarding to prevent a trash fire.

For more information on fireworks safety, visit NFPA on the web at www.nfpa.org/fireworks.

WHAT IS ANSI?

American National Standards Institute

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration was created to ensure employers provide a safe and healthful workplace.  OSHA developes standards for all phases of the workplace to protect workers from hazards and workplace injuries.  One of the main roles of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is to set forth rules and regulations for workplace safety and health.  When it comes to establishing specific requirements, OSHA standards will sometimes include a standard from another organization by reference.  One such organization that OSHA standards often turn to is ANSI.  ANSI is the American National Standards Institute.  It is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).  OSHA recognizes ANSI as the provider for standards for Proper Protective Equipment (PPE). 

ANSI has served in its capacity as administrator and coordinator of the United States private sector voluntary standardization system for more than 90 years. Founded in 1918 by five engineering societies and three government agencies, the Institute remains a private, nonprofit membership organization supported by a diverse constituency of private and public sector organizations.

The Institute oversees the creation, promulgation and use of thousands of norms and guidelines that directly impact businesses in nearly every sector - from acoustical devices to construction equipment, from dairy and livestock production to energy distribution, and many more.  ANSI is also actively engaged in accrediting programs that assess conformance to standards – including globally-recognized cross-sector programs such as the ISO 9000 (quality) and ISO 14000 (environmental) management systems.

ANSI facilitates the development of American National Standards (ANS) by accrediting the procedures of standards developing organizations (SDOs). These groups work cooperatively to develop voluntary national consensus standards. Accreditation by ANSI signifies that the procedures used by the standards body, in connection with the development of American National Standards, meet the Institute's essential requirements for openness, balance, consensus and due process.

Although ANSI itself does not develop American National Standards (ANSs), it provides all interested U.S. parties with a neutral venue to come together and work towards common agreements.  The process to create these voluntary standards is guided by the Institute's cardinal principles of consensus, due process and openness and depends heavily upon data gathering and compromises among a diverse range of stakeholders.  Thousands of individuals, companies, government agencies and other organizations such as labor, industrial and consumer groups voluntarily contribute their knowledge, talents and efforts to standards development.

To learn more about ANSI, go to www.ansi.org.

UNDERREPORTING OF WORKPLACE INJURIES

The House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing in June 2008 on the underreporting of workplace injuries and illnesses and issued a well-researched report on the same subject.  There are a number of reasons workplace injuries and illnesses are underreported and this study discusses them. While federal regulators have claimed that workplace injuries are declining, the congressional report found that two out of three work-related illnesses and injuries may be going unreported.  According to an article in the Las Vghas Review Journal, the committee focused on 12 construction deaths in an 18 month period on the Las Vegas Strip, as well as recent deaths in New York City.

According to the report, as much as 69 percent of all injuries and illnesses may never be reported to OSHA.  An Education and Labor Committee staff report released at the end of June reviews the extent of the underreporting problem and offers explanations for it.

Employers have incentives to report faulty data. With fewer injuries and illnesses, employers are less likely to be inspected by OSHA and the more likely to pay lower premiums for workers' compensation.  Better safety records also mean that employers can bid for government contracts and bonuses.

The report compared reports filed with federal regulators with other sources such as police, hospital and workers compensation records.

The full report on underreporting of workplace injuries can be accessed on the web at

http://edlabor.house.gov/publications/20080619WorkplaceInjuriesReport.pdf.

FEET DON’T FAIL ME NOW

(Paraphrased from an article in Industrial Safety & Health News by Kevan Orvitz, MD)

Workers often overlook healthy feet until they experience foot problems.  Many times, foot problems lead to backaches, headaches, knee problems and more.  These problems can translate to lost time, increased insurance & medical costs and decrease productivity. 

Common foot problems at work from the constant pressure of working on hard, unforgiving surfaces, such as cement or tile floors, can lead to a variety of foot problems including:

• Bunions
• Calluses and/or corns
• Ingrown toenails (may also become infected)
• Morton's Neuroma (nerve damage on the ball of the foot)
• Arthritis of the foot and/or ankle
• Complications to diabetes (A diabetic's feet are more prone to damage and take longer to heal.)
• Fallen arches
• Athlete's foot and other bacterial or fungal infections
• Hammertoes
• Heel pain
• Sprains or strains

In addition, constant pressure and shock to the feet, left unchecked, travels up the body and may lead to deterioration of the ankle and/or knee joints as well as a misalignment of the spine, which may cause headaches and other numerous complications.

To relieve fatigue, workers can wear ergonomic anti-fatigue insoles inside their shoes.  These are good for workers who stand or work on hard floors.  They also address foot fatigue problems for those who work outdoors. 

Quality insoles are made of dual-layered memory foam that cushions and absorbs the shock caused from each step hitting the ground.  Memory foam gently compresses then rebounds working with the foot and reduces the effects of the impact.

Professions such as nurses, waiters/waitresses, construction workers, etc. should pay particular attention to this issue due to the nature of their work.  Workers who work in a small area can ask for anti-fatigue mats and if possible, more frequent breaks can be administered.

While there are no OSHA regulations that require employers to address ergonomic hazards, OSHA has numerous recommendations and guidelines for reducing ergonomics related injuries in the workplace.  Many employers have safety and health policies which provide for an assessment, recognition and mitigation of ergonomics-related injuries.  Such policies can also be implemented and enforced through a collective bargaining agreement.

For more information on ergonomics, visit http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/ergonomics/.