The Department of Homeland Security Declares 2015 the Year of Drug Related Overdose

"It’s the highest number of drug-related deaths our country has ever seen. In a single year, we’ve lost nearly as many Americans to drug overdose as we lost in battle in World War I. Almost as many as was lost in 12 years in Vietnam.

The Department of Homeland Security recently unveiled that there was an unprecedented number of drug overdoses and drug related deaths in 2015. In 2015, over 52,000 American deaths were due to drug overdose and the CDC ranks opiates which include heroin and painkillers as the primary cause of the carnage.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary John Kelly:

"It’s the highest number of drug-related deaths our country has ever seen. It’s more deaths than the peak of the AIDS epidemic in 1995. In a single year, we’ve lost nearly as many Americans to drug overdose as we lost in battle in World War I. Almost as many as was lost in 12 years in Vietnam.

"And that’s just overdose deaths. That number—as high as it is—says nothing about the long-term health damage to our citizens who survive, to say nothing about the human misery, the families ripped apart, and the extremes of crime and violence inherent in the illegal-drug enterprise.

With the widespread abuse of oxycontin, heroin and other opiates, employers need to be sure that employees are drug free and work-sites are safe for all.  Learn more about onsite medical services and keeping large scale construction projects safe with safesitemedical.com

Safe Site Medical Takes a Look at Global Work Site Safety in New Zealand

As an American safety company that provides on-site medical services to large-scale construction projects in North America, Safe Site Medical believes it is strategically important to carefully review the global landscape for construction news and workplace safety happenings. Safe Site Medical strives to be knowledgeable and up-to-date on not only U.S. workplace safety and OSHA standards but of our global partners standards as well.   In this post, we look at New Zealand and The Health and Safety at Work Act of 2016.

Safeguard Magazine recently released it's survey findings on what New Zealand workers think of The 2016 Health and Safety at Work Act, one year later.

Here are some of the survey results:

• 78% of respondents believe health and safety is taken seriously, a double-digit increase from the 67% who felt the same way last year.
• 72% of respondents agree that in their workplace, risks are discussed with other businesses which share the same site.
• Only 48% of respondents felt confident that the health of workers is taken seriously (compared to 78% who were confident about safety)
• Only 46% felt that organizations view health & safety as an opportunity to improve rather than just to comply with the law.
• Only 47% of respondents were confident that no one would be harmed or made unwell by the activities carried out at their workplace.

To read more about New Zealand's Health and Safety at Work Act of 2016 and the survey visit Scoop.

Be engaged and learn more about how American construction companies are utilizing onsite medical services to reduce OSHA recordables and keep work sites safe with Safe Site Medical.

10th International Conference on Managing Fatigue

The 10th International Conference on Managing Fatigue is being held in San Diego, California this week from March 20 – 23, 2017.  This year's theme is “Managing Fatigue to Improve Safety, Wellness, and Effectiveness.”  The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) states that fatigue is either a probable cause or contributing factor in 20 percent of their major transportation investigations. The NTSB has issued more than 200 safety recommendations to address the problem of fatigue in transportation.

Learn more about the 2017 workplace fatigue conference, keynote speakers and much more here.

To learn how to combat fatigue on construction work-sites and additional on-site medical services that can help keep construction projects safe visit safesitemedical.com.

The Most Common Construction Site Accidents

As you've read in our recent Safe Site Medical blog post titled Fatal Occupational Injuries Rose in 2015 Urging Use of Pre-Emptive On-site Medical Services and Safety Trainings that construction is a very hazardous industry.  Having a rapid on-site medical services team on the job site can help treat injuries quicker and save time and money.

Per the Rybak Firm these are most common construction site accidents:

• Falls: Falls are consistently one of the most common causes of injury at construction sites throughout the United States. Some of the most common places from which workers fall are from scaffolding, ladders, roofs, and cranes.
• Falling Objects: Construction workers are at risk from falling objects, particularly tools or pieces of machinery that are dropped from above. Workers who are struck in the head by falling objects face potentially severe brain and spinal injuries.
• Equipment: Most construction sites utilize heavy machinery to get the job done, which increases the risks that workers will be injured by it. Some of the most common equipment-related injuries are caused by forklifts, dumpsters, and nail guns.
• Backovers and crushed-betweens: Unfortunately, construction workers are at risk from being run over by large trucks backing out of construction sites or being crushed in between large vehicles and walls.
• Fires and explosions: If a construction site contains hazardous materials or exposed wiring (and most of them do), construction workers are at risk of being injured in a fire or an explosion.
• Building or trench collapses: Construction workers who are working in buildings that are being demolished or are under construction are at risk from building collapse. Serious injury can also occur when a trench that’s being built collapses on the workers inside it.
• Respiratory diseases: Construction workers are particularly at risk from a condition known as pneumoconiosis, which is a chronic disease of the lungs that is caused from working for many years in dusty environments.

Is your construction site safe?  Learn more about Safe Site Medical On-site Medical Services for large-scale construction projects.

Safe Site Medical's On-site Medical Services and Workplace Safety Digest

Southern California Worker Deaths on the Rise
Recently released data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the number of on-the-job deaths increased locally, statewide, and nationwide in 2015. 388 workers died on the job in 2015. California, the nation’s largest job market, was second in worker deaths behind Texas. But on a per-worker basis, California was the fifth-safest state to work in. California fatalities were up 44 from 2014, an increase of 13 percent. But 2015 marked the fourth-lowest tally since 2005.
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Emergency Responders to Big Ox Energy in South Sioux For Chemical Exposure
"Like any kind of industrial accident or incident — as the case may be — we certainly will be working with OSHA on this and we'll report as we are required as so on and we'll work cooperatively with them." Kevin Bradley, a spokesman for Big Ox.
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Tighter Beryllium Exposure Limits to Save Worker Lives: OSHA
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s final rule (RIN:1218-AB76) lowers the permissible exposure limit for beryllium to 0.2 micrograms per cubic meter of air over an eight-hour time-weighted average, or 2 micrograms per cubic meter of air over a sampling period of 15 minutes. Employers face new requirements for assessing exposure and will have to minimize worker exposure through respiratory protection, personal protective clothing and equipment, housekeeping, medical surveillance, hazard communication and recordkeeping.

“Outdated exposure limits do not adequately protect workers from beryllium exposure,” - OSHA Director David Michaels
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New York City Pol Submits Legislation to End Practice of Ignoring Some Construction Deaths
State Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal has submitted legislation that would end New York City's practice of ignoring some construction deaths.

The “ridiculous system” of only tracking certain deaths seemed “like government bureaucracy as justification for inaction.”- NY State Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal 
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Workplace Violence Increasingly is Sounding Alarms
AN estimated 1.7 million workers fall victim to non-fatal violence while at work each year, according to US Department of Justice statistics. These are not workplace injuries on an occupational basis, but violence in the form of simple or aggravated assault (which accounts for 95%), robbery, rape, and sexual assault.
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Mid Hudson Concrete Products Fined $15,000 for Workplace Safety Violations
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration began an investigation the day after the accident. Its findings, issued on May 7,  cited six violations it deemed “serious,” resulting in $26,320 in fines being levied against the company. A settlement was reached on June 6 in which the fines were reduced to $15,000. OSHA closed the case on Oct 5.
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National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), Industry Groups File Challenge to OSHA's New Injury and Illness Tracking Rule
Among the many issues with the rule, there are significant concerns associated with OSHA’s requirement of employers to submit detailed injury and illness logs to the Agency for public posting.

"Not only does OSHA not have the authority to do this, it also exposes a business to significant reputational harm, all without demonstrating any evidence that it would effectively reduce workplace injuries and illnesses." - Ed Brady, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)
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Learn more about Safe Site Medical's onsite medical services and safety trainings for construction and building projects at safesitemedical.com.

Photo by NICK UT , THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Construction Boom! Building Reaches 10 1/2 Year High!

According to CNBC, U.S. construction spending rose more than expected in November, reaching its highest level in 10-1/2 years, which could provide a lift to fourth-quarter economic growth. With increased construction activity on your agenda make sure that your employees are safe with on-site medical services by Safe Site Medical.  Read the CNBC construction report here.

Learn more about our onsite medical services for large scale construction projects including:

• Triage of Initial Injuries
• Follow-up Care
• Case Management
• First Aid & CPR Training

For a FREE evaluation & learn how your team may benefit from our on-site services contact us today!

Fatal Occupational Injuries Rose in 2015 Urging Use Of Pre-Emptive On-site Medical Services and Safety Trainings

The U.S. Department of Labor recently released the 2015 National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries.  The government reported that a total of 4,836 fatal workplace injuries occurred in 2015 and it was the highest since a tally of 5,214 fatal injuries in 2008.
Here are some of the top findings in the report:

• The overall rate of fatal work injury for workers in 2015, at 3.38 per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers, was lower than the 2014 rate of 3.43.
• Hispanic or Latino workers incurred 903 fatal injuries in 2015—the most since 937 fatalities in 2007.
• Workers age 65 years and older incurred 650 fatal injuries, the second-largest number for the group since the national census began in 1992, but decreased from the 2014 figure of 684.
• Roadway incident fatalities were up 9 percent from 2014 totals, accounting for over one-quarter of the fatal occupational injuries in 2015.
• Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers recorded 745 fatal injuries, the most of any occupation.
• The 937 fatal work injuries in the private construction industry in 2015 represented the highest total since 975 cases in 2008.
• Fatal injuries in the private oil and gas extraction industries were 38 percent lower in 2015 than 2014. 
• Seventeen percent of decedents were contracted by and performing work for another business or government entity in 2015 rather than for their direct employer at the time of the incident.

Read the full U.S. Department of Labor report here and learn more about Safe Site Medical and how to keep work sites safe by staffing preemptive onsite medical services, offering workplace training courses, offering new hire site orientation and more.