Safety & Health - September 2019

Qp&reAsidweitnht n&eCwENOS(Cp. 94)

years of

Inside

•  Worker fatigue
•  Succession planning
• S PEAKER SPOTLIGHT:

The safety observation
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Cele ating

years

September 2019  •  Vol. 200, No. 3

Editorial Advisory Board 86

The editors thank the following Features
individuals who provide Safety+Health
with valuable ideas, insight and 78 Rising Stars of Safety, Class of 2019
information.
Suzanne Broussard 86 Waking up to the risks of workplace fatigue
Director of EHS Integration
Fluor Federal Petroleum Co. More than 1 in 10 injuries on the job may be linked
to insufficient sleep, experts say
Salvatore Caccavale, CPEA
Global Safety, Security and Emergency BY SUSAN VARGAS
Response Manager
Air Liquide Advanced Materials 94 ‘You can do the impossible when you
set your mind to it’
Richard F. King
Vice President, Construction & A Q&A with NSC President and CEO Lorraine M. Martin
Procurement
Black & Veatch Construction Inc. BY BARRY BOTTINO

Michael Taubitz 98 Succession planning for safety
Senior Advisor
FDR Safety LLC A solid strategy can help prevent disruption,
lapses in processes and programs
Treasa M. Turnbeaugh
Ph.D., MBA, CSP, ASP, CET, CAE, IOM BY BARRY BOTTINO
CEO
Board of Certified Safety Professionals 104 Large-scale incident safety for first responders

Ather Williams Jr. Emergency management and response have changed since 9/11
On Point Consulting and Coaching
BY BARRY BOTTINO
ONLINE
108 Bonus section: Family Safety & Health
Go to safetyandhealthmagazine.com magazine
for online articles and resources.
Follow and interact with Safety+Health
Go digital magazine on Facebook, Twitter,
LinkedIn and Instagram.
Access Safety+Health
on your iPad, iPhone Safety+Health | September 2019 5
or Android device.

Our Mission: The National Safety
Council eliminates preventable
deaths at work, in homes and
communities, and on the road
through leadership, research,
education and advocacy.

safetyandhealthmagazine.com

Contents

Board of Directors Executive Staff
Andrew O. Johnson Lorraine M. Martin
Chairman President and CEO
Elaine Beitler Nick Smith
Vice Chairman COO
Delegates Kelly Nantel
Elaine Beitler Vice President,
Chair of Delegates Communications
and Advocacy

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Editor’s Note

Fighting fatigue

LOOKING OVER THIS ISSUE OF SAFETY+HEALTH, I can’t link to on-the-job injuries. (See “Waking up to the risks of
help but notice how many of the news briefs in the “In the workplace fatigue,” p. 86.) She speaks with multiple experts
News” and “Industry Beat” sections of the magazine – at about the effects of fatigue on the human body and what
least six, in fact – touch, in some way, on worker fatigue, employers can do to help their employees get more sleep and
sleep or overwork.  change attitudes about the value placed on working long
We’re not specifically seeking out these hours – which, as National Safety Council fatigue expert
studies to cover. Rather, their prevalence Emily Whitcomb tells S+H, has traditionally been admired
among the sources we routinely check for and rewarded in America.
news about research is a sign of how big an
issue the topic has become in the occupa- NSC has made fatigue one of its strategic initiatives. As I
tional safety and health community.  write this, a September launch is scheduled for an employer
Melissa J. Ruminski It’s the reason that, although we published toolkit containing resources – including templates for creat-
ing a policy – aimed at fighting fatigue. Look for an announce-
a feature article on fatigue two years ago, we determined ment at the NSC 2019 Congress & Expo in San Diego, and
earlier this year that it was time to revisit the topic in depth. expect to hear more from the council in the future.
This month, S+H contributor Susan Vargas takes a deeper
look at worker fatigue, which affects every industry, and its The S+H team will continue to keep you informed. Mean-
while, I hope you get some rest.

The opinions expressed in “Editor’s Note” do not necessarily reflect those of the National Safety Council or affiliated local Chapters.

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In the News

OSHA says fatality investigations up,
overall investigations down in FY 2018

Washington — OSHA conducted its highest number of March. A federal hiring freeze during the first year of the
fatality/catastrophe investigations in more than a decade Trump administration, as well as retirements and resigna-
in fiscal year 2018, while overall inspections decreased tions, is partially to blame, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) noted
1.2% from FY 2017, the agency’s latest enforcement sum- during an April 3 congressional appropriations hearing.
mary shows.
The Department of Labor has committed to adding 26
OSHA recorded 941 fatality/catastrophe investigations new full-time equivalent inspectors to the agency for the
in FY 2018, spanning Oct. 1, 2017, to Sept. 30, 2018. That’s a upcoming fiscal year after OSHA hired 76 CSHOs in FY
12.4% increase from its 837 total in FY 2017 and the agen- 2018.
cy’s highest number since 1,043 in FY 2007.
Then-Secretary of Labor R. Alexander Acosta testified
OSHA conducted 32,023 total inspections in FY 2018, a during the April 3 hearing that he expected inspections to
number that has remained relatively stable over the past increase once new CSHOs are up to speed. In his written
three fiscal years. After posting 35,820 total inspections testimony for that hearing, Acosta conceded that it could
in FY 2015, the agency recorded 31,948 and 32,408 over the take one to three years to get the CSHOs working in the
next two fiscal years, respectively. field unsupervised.

Enforcement units in the agency’s Enforcement Weight- The latest enforcement report is available at osha.gov/
ing System, which places values on certain types of inspec- dep/2018_enforcement_summary.html.
tions, also dropped slightly, to 41,796 in FY 2018 from 41,829
in FY 2017.

Meanwhile, the number of OSHA inspectors, also known
as compliance safety and health officers, has dwindled. The
agency had a record-low 875 CSHOs as of Jan. 1, according
to a National Employment Law Project data brief issued in

Coalition of attorneys general regulation would allow EPA to bet- Healey and California Attorney Gen-
sue EPA over asbestos regulation ter “assess the potential hazards and eral Xavier Becerra are listed as lead
San Francisco — Attorneys general of exposure pathways of asbestos” while plaintiffs in the lawsuit. They are joined
10 states and the District of Columbia using the “best available science” in its by attorneys general from Connecticut,
are suing the Environmental Protec- evaluations. Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota,
tion Agency and its administrator, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington and
Andrew Wheeler, over the agency’s “Given EPA’s understanding of asbes- the District of Columbia.
refusal to issue a rule to further regulate tos and reporting, EPA does not believe
asbestos – a known human carcinogen. that the requested reporting require- In April, EPA released a final “signifi-
ments would collect the data the peti- cant new use” rule the agency said is
In a lawsuit filed June 28 in the U.S. tioners believe the agency lacks,” EPA intended to keep manufacturers from
District Court for the Northern District states in its response to the petition. reintroducing “discontinued uses” of
of California, the plaintiffs contend asbestos. The rule, which went into
that EPA’s April 30 denial of their Jan. “Asbestos is a known carcinogen that effect June 24, established a review pro-
31 petition urging the agency to imple- kills tens of thousands of people every cess requiring agency approval for enti-
ment a reporting rule mandating data year,” Massachusetts Attorney Gen- ties seeking to start or resume uses that
on asbestos use and importation is eral Maura Healey said in a July 1 press include – but aren’t limited to – adhe-
“arbitrary, capricious and not in accor- release, “yet the Trump administration sives, sealants, and roof and non-roof
dance” with requirements under the is choosing to ignore the very serious coatings; arc chutes; reinforced plastics;
Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976. health risks it poses for our residents. We roofing felt; and vinyl-asbestos floor tile.
urge the court to order EPA to issue this
The plaintiffs assert that data new rule to help protect workers, families In March, lawmakers reintroduced
provided under possible additional and children from this toxic chemical.” legislation in both the House and

12 Safety+Health | September 2019 safetyandhealthmagazine.com

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In the News

Senate renewing a call for a complete “I called the president this morn- Acosta defended his actions during
federal ban of asbestos, a long-standing ing and I told him that I thought the a July 11 news conference, as well as
effort of Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM). The right thing was to step aside,” Acosta, during a May 2 Senate appropriations
bill is named for Alan Reinstein, who standing next to President Donald hearing.
died from mesothelioma in 2006. Trump, told reporters at the White “The grand jury in the county rec-
Read the lawsuit at sh-m.ag/2Ta4ntw. House. “Cabinet positions are tempo- ommended a single charge that would
rary trusts. It would be selfish for me to have resulted in no jail time,” Acosta
Acosta resigns as secretary stay in this position and continue talk- said during the hearing, “that would
of labor; Pizzella takes on role ing about a case that’s 12 years old.” have resulted in no registration (as a
Washington — Embattled Secre- Scrutiny of the plea deal resurfaced sex offender) at all.”
tary of Labor R. Alexander Acosta when Epstein was arrested July 6 for Before the Epstein controversy
announced his resignation July 12 the sex trafficking of minors. Epstein, renewed, Acosta was reportedly draw-
amid the fallout over his involvement a prominent investment banker, was ing scrutiny from the White House
in financier Jeffrey Epstein’s plea deal convicted of soliciting a 14-year-old about DOL’s slower-than-desired pace
in a 2008 sexual abuse case in Florida. girl for prostitution and sentenced to of deregulation.
Deputy Secretary of Labor Patrick 18 months in the Palm Beach County Still, Acosta had the outward sup-
Pizzella, a longtime Department of Jail in 2008. He served only 13 months. port of the president to the end, with
Labor official who served under Presi- That deal negotiated by Acosta, then a Trump telling reporters on the White
dents Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush federal prosecutor, shut down an ongo- House lawn, “I will say it loud and
and Barack Obama, began leading DOL ing FBI probe, an investigation by the clear: Alex Acosta was a great secre-
on an interim basis on July 19. Miami Herald revealed in November. tary of labor.”

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In the News

A century of showcasing years of James Sullivan Jr., OSHRC’s
safety products and services lone member, named chair
Washington — James Sullivan Jr.
Every month during 2019, Safety+Health will is the new chair of the Occupational
be sharing bits of the magazine’s history from Safety and Health Review Commission.
its first 100 years.
According to the Proceedings of the National Sworn in July 22 after being nomi-
Safety Council 10th annual Safety Congress in nated July 18 by President Donald
1921, the advertising pages of what was then Trump, Sullivan is the only cur-
National Safety News “continue to meet with the rent member of the commission. He
approval of our members, and to serve as a valu- replaces Heather MacDougall, who
able index for information on safety equipment.” resigned from the post in March.

From the 20-page publication that was Cynthia Attwood’s term as OSHRC
printed monthly in 1921 to the 76-page monthly commissioner ended in April. As a
magazine published today, S+H has shown a result of those two departures, the
commitment to keeping readers informed about the latest occupational safety commission does not have the two
and health-related products and services. Today, our 91,000 subscribers can find members required for a quorum and
that information through both our New Products and Product Focus sections of cannot rule on cases.
the magazine, and through our advertisers. We appreciate our advertisers and
the role their products and services play in keeping workers safe. Sullivan was nominated as a com-
missioner in May 2017 and confirmed
three months later. He previously
worked at the law firm Cozen O’Connor,

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In the News Circle 14 on Reader Service Card
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specializing in labor and employment
law, as well as workplace safety and
health. He also was the management
co-chair of the Committee on Occu-
pational Safety and Health Law at the
American Bar Association.

OSHRC, an independent federal
agency created by the Occupational
Safety and Health Act of 1970, rules on
disputes of citations or penalties that
result from OSHA inspections.
DOL OIG unveils online
Recommendation Dashboard
Washington — The Department of
Labor Office of Inspector General has
launched a Recommendation Dash-
board website showing the status of its
235 recommendations for 12 agencies,
including OSHA and the Mine Safety
and Health Administration.

Announced in an Aug. 1 post on the
DOL OIG Twitter account, the dashboard
also features links to audit reports. The
most recent report for OSHA, concern-
ing the agency’s guidance, was issued
March 28.

At press time, OSHA had 17 open rec-
ommendations, while MSHA had 16.

OIG makes recommendations “to
promote effectiveness, efficiency, econ-
omy and integrity of all DOL programs
and operations, including those per-
formed by its contractors and grant-
ees,” the website states.

Access the Recommendation Dash-
board website at oig.dol.gov/recommend
ationdashboard.htm.

– “In the News” continues on p. 22

You could be earning Continuance
of Certification (COC) points from the
Board of Certified Safety Professionals.
BCSP uses Safety+Health editorial
content as part of its Online Recertification
Quiz Program. For more information,
visit quiz.bcsp.org.

safetyandhealthmagazine.com

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In the News

– continued from p. 19 Administration and the National Trans- in December 2019, and February and
portation Safety Board. August 2020, respectively.
Trump to nominate Lemos
to short-staffed Chemical If confirmed by the Senate to a five- NIOSH report details role
Safety Board year term, Lemos would help buoy an of exposure banding in chemical
agency Trump has moved to eliminate. management
Washington — President Donald An Environmental Protection Agency Washington — NIOSH recently pub-
Trump has announced his intention to Office of Inspector General report lished a technical report intended to
nominate Katherine Lemos as a mem- issued May 20 indicated that CSB help safety and health professionals,
ber of the Chemical Safety Board. vacancies and expiring member terms employers, trade associations, labor
were among challenges “that, if not organizations, and state-level pro-
According to a June 13 White House addressed, may impede [CSB’s] ability grams control chemical exposures in
press release, Lemos – who is based to efficiently and effectively achieve its the workplace.
in California – serves as director of mission or meet its goals.”
programs for the aerospace division Access S+H content from your
of Northrop Grumman Corp., a global CSB has operated with only three of computer or smartphone. Visit
security company headquartered in its five board seats filled – and with- safetyandhealthmagazine.com
Falls Church, VA. out a permanent chairperson – since for news, features and more.
Vanessa A. Sutherland resigned from
The release touts Lemos’ “distin- the top post in June 2018. The terms
guished background in system safety, of the sitting board members, includ-
accident investigation, human factors, ing interim Executive Authority Kris-
and advanced technology research and ten Kulinowski, are slated to expire
integration.” Her previous experience
includes roles with the Federal Aviation

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In the News

Many employers not prepared to deal with workers’
marijuana use, recent poll results show

Rochester, NY — Approximately only 62% said the same about recre-
one-third of business owners with ational legalization.
fewer than 500 employees are ill pre-
pared to manage the impact of mari- Among industries, professional ser-
juana use on the workplace, according vices is the most prepared for medical
to the results of a recent poll. use (70%) and the least prepared for
recreational use (58%), while manu-
Paychex, a human capital manage- facturing and retail/wholesale are
ment solutions firm, polled 500 ran- the most prepared for recreational
domly selected business owners with use (64%). In contrast, manufacturing
fewer than 500 employees during a is the least prepared for medical use,
12-day period in February. Owners at 64%.
are slightly more prepared to man-
age medical marijuana use – which is “Marijuana legalization for medi-
legal in 33 states – than recreational cal or recreational use introduces
use, results show. Ten states, as well as new complexities for businesses to
the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico navigate when it comes to workplace
and Guam, have legalized recreational drug enforcement policies,” Paychex
use of the drug. President and CEO Martin Mucci said
in a June 19 press release. “While mar-
Of the respondents, 66% reported ijuana remains illegal at the federal
being “very prepared” or “somewhat level, the legislation in each jurisdic-
prepared” for medicinal use, while tion varies and may require business
owners, especially those operating in
multiple states, to comply in different
capacities.”

Mucci recommends business own-
ers and human resources leaders
work with an advisor to “develop an
appropriate drug policy that works for
them,” based on their state’s legisla-
tion and that of the states where they
do business.

Photo: Bulat Silvia/iStockphoto “The NIOSH Occupational Exposure “The occupational exposure banding BOOTH
Banding Process for Chemical Risk process is not meant to replace quan- #5503
Management,” released in July, details titative occupational exposure limits
a strategy for managing the many (OELs); rather, it is a voluntary approach ®
chemical substances that don’t have an which provides a starting point to
authoritative occupational exposure inform risk management decisions for Circle 19 on Reader Service Card
limit. About 99% of the more than 85,000 controlling chemical substances that
commercially available chemicals in the do not have OELs,” NIOSH states in a See us at the NSC 2019 Congress & Expo, Booth #5503
United States fall under that category. July 10 press release.
NIOSH defines an “authoritative limit”
as one that comes from consensus, gov- The agency also has developed a sup-
ernment or peer-reviewed sources. plemental e-tool to use as an automated
method to band chemical substances.
The strategy relies on banding, or cat-
egorizing chemical substances based “NIOSH has devoted significant
on their toxicity and potential adverse efforts to develop, assess and validate
health outcomes resulting from expo- the occupational exposure banding
sure. Occupational exposure banding strategy with the overall goal of reduc-
also is known as hazard banding or ing safety and health risks for workers,”
health hazard banding. NIOSH Director John Howard said in the
release. “In the absence of formalized

safetyandhealthmagazine.com

In the News

OELs, the exposure banding approach and whether they felt exhausted or of workload and exhaustion, which
serves to identify workplace hazards burned out, as well as their eating and also can be addressed by behavioral
and helps employers implement control exercise habits. therapy.
strategies that keep workers safe on the
job.” Workers who reported heavier work- “We spend so many of our wak-
loads tended to emotionally eat, eat ing hours at work,” Padilla said in the
To download the report, go to sh-m. uncontrollably and have fattier diets. release. “These findings require us to
ag/31nssjl. Check out the e-tool at sh-m. Meanwhile, participants who said they think about how our work affects our
ag/2OJF0jT. felt exhausted did the same – and also health behaviors and self-care.”
exercised less.
Work-related stress, burnout The study was published online May
may contribute to weight gain: “We have so many things coming at 30 in the Journal of Health Psychology.
study us every day, and we only have so much
Athens, GA — If your heavy work- energy,” lead author Heather Padilla, Study explores which
load leaves you feeling exhausted, you faculty member and researcher in the generation of workers is most
may be more likely to engage in some Workplace Health Group at the UGA likely to consider suicide
unhealthy behaviors that can lead to College of Public Health, said in a June Dallas — Millennial workers are more
weight gain, a recent study suggests. 4 press release. “When our energy gets likely to contemplate suicide than any
used up, we don’t have the energy to other age group – including up to five
Researchers from the University of make ideal decisions about what we eat.” times more so than baby boomers –
Georgia conducted an online survey results of a recent analysis indicate.
of 953 full-time adult workers. Partici- Workplace weight loss and weight
pants were asked about their workload management programs, the research- Researchers from Catapult Health, a
ers said, should include an assessment national preventive health care provider,

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In the News Single Gas Maintenance-Free
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“The numbers may seem small,”
Catapult CEO David Michel said in a
May 1 press release, “but if your com-
pany has 5,000 employees, that means
that at any given moment four of them
are probably seriously considering
suicide, and the number is higher if
you employ more younger workers.”

According to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, suicide is the
second leading cause of death among
millennials and the 10th leading cause
of death in the United States.

In addition, workers younger than 30
are significantly more likely to experi-
ence depression than older employees,
the study states.

“It is imperative that employers help
their employees recognize depression
and provide the resources to overcome
it,” Michel said in the release.
Poor sleep patterns raise risks
of metabolic disorders
Bethesda, MD — Irregular sleep pat-
terns do more than just make you tired
at work – they can have long-lasting
adverse effects on your health.

According to a study conducted by
researchers at Boston’s Brigham and
Women’s Hospital, for every hour of
variability in your bedtime and time
asleep, you could face up to a 27%
higher risk of metabolic syndrome,
which the National Institutes of Health
defines as “a group of risk factors that
raises your risk for heart disease and
other health problems, such as  diabe-
tes and stroke.”

For the study, researchers followed
more than 2,000 men and women ages

– “In the News” continues on p. 36

safetyandhealthmagazine.com

In the News

Debate over heat stress bill goes before House subcommittee

Washington — Questions over how adopted their own heat protection they work in excessive heat environ- Photo: House Education and Labor Committee
to protect workers from heat-related standards. ments, no matter where they live.”
illnesses took center stage during a
July 11 hearing convened by the House “Extending those protections to all Republicans on the subcommit-
Workforce Protections Subcommittee. workers should be common sense,” Chu tee expressed concerns about a one-
said in a July 11 press release. “Passage size-fits-all approach to preventing
Much of the discussion focused of this bill will ensure that all workers heat-related illnesses, given the varied
on H.R. 3668, introduced July 10 by benefit from safe conditions whenever climates across the country. They also
Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA). The bill would touted the use of OSHA’s General Duty
direct OSHA to create, within 42 Clause.
months, a final standard that man-
dates workers in high-heat environ- Bryan Little, director of labor
ments – indoors or outdoors – have affairs for the California Farm Bureau
paid breaks in cool spaces, access to Federation, called for a collabora-
water and limited exposure to heat. tive approach between OSHA and
It also would require employers to employers.
educate workers on risk factors and
procedures for responding to symp- “We hope the agency will benefit
toms of heat-related illnesses. from what we learned in California in
the creation and refining of our heat
California, Minnesota, Washing- illness prevention standard,” Little
ton state and the U.S. military have said. “The law will be better if it’s sim-
ple, collaborative and flexible.”

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In the News

STATE NEWS

CONNECTICUT emergencies,” Lamont said in traversing, cutting, punching, within the first 30 days on the
a June 25 press release. shearing and bending. job have the right to dispute
Paid family, medical leave the results of a test. In such
program becomes law Find more information at The agency is encourag- cases, the employee will be
sh-m.ag/2OShels. ing employers to focus on responsible for the cost of
Hartford, CT — machine guarding to help pre- the second test.
Beginning Jan. 1, MINNESOTA vent these injuries.
2022, workers in MNOSHA sounds the NEW HAMPSHIRE
Connecticut will have the alarm as amputation NEVADA Public workers now
option to take up to 12 weeks injuries surpass yearly New law: Job seekers covered under injury-
of paid leave to care for them- average can’t be denied reporting requirements
selves or family members. employment because
Gov. Ned Lamont (D) signed St. Paul, MN — of positive marijuana test Concord, NH —
Public Act No. 19-25 – An Act Responding to a Public-sector work-
Concerning Paid Family and recent spike of Carson City, NV — ers in New Hamp-
Medical Leave – into law June amputation injuries in the Nevada has become shire will receive additional
25. Under the law, workers state, Minnesota OSHA is urg- the first state to pro- workplace safety protections
may take paid leave to: ing employers to assess work- hibit almost all employers from under legislation signed into
• Care for a family member place risks and take corrective denying employment to job law May 20 by Gov. Chris
with a serious health condition actions. candidates who test positive Sununu (R).
• C are for a new child MNOSHA has received for marijuana. H.B. 406, which went into
15 reports of amputation Signed into law June 5 by effect July 14, requires state
Gov. Steve Sisolak (D), A.B. agencies, school districts,
Gov. Ned Lamont (D) signs Public Act No. 19-25 into law June 25. 132 is scheduled to go into municipalities and other public
effect Jan. 1. Nevada voters employers to report workplace
• C are for their own serious injuries – mostly to workers’ approved recreational use of deaths and serious injuries Photo: The Office of Gov. Ned Lamont
health condition hands and fingers – since Oct. marijuana in 2017. to the state’s Department of
1, the Minnesota Department “As our legal cannabis Labor within eight hours and
• S erve as an organ or bone of Labor and Industry states industry continues to flour- 24 hours, respectively. In turn,
marrow donor in June 19 press release. On ish, it’s important to ensure the department must inves-
average, MNOSHA investi- that the door of economic tigate the incidents and then
Workers also may take paid gates 13 such injuries a year. opportunity remains open make recommendations to
leave for qualifying exigency for all Nevadans,” Sisolak help prevent similar incidents
arising out of a family member Amputations are most com- said in a statement, accord- from occurring.
being on active duty. mon when machines, mechani- ing to Newsweek. The legislation, sponsored
cal equipment and power The new law doesn’t apply by Rep. Rebecca McBeath
“Adopting this program tools are unguarded or inad- to job seekers applying to (D-Portsmouth), was spurred
means that workers who need equately guarded, according be firefighters or emergency by the 2016 death of Tom
to take time off for a new baby to MNOSHA. Risk can increase medical technicians, as well Wooten, a worker for the
or recover from illness are when mechanical motions of as for jobs in which workers Northfield (NH) Highway
not punished financially, and machines, tools or equipment “could adversely affect the Department. He died after he
businesses do not risk losing involve rotating, reciprocating, safety of others” or job posi- was trapped between a trac-
good workers during those tions funded by a federal tor and a trailer it was hauling.
grant. Additionally, employ- Public-sector workers in New
ers who require workers to Hampshire aren’t subject to
operate a motor vehicle and oversight and protections from
for which federal or state law federal OSHA, thus a proper
requires the employee to investigation never took place,
submit to drug screening will said Samantha Wooten, the
be considered exempt. late worker’s daughter. “The
Also under the new law, lack of investigation made me
employees who are required feel as though my father’s life
to submit to a drug screening

34 Safety+Health | September 2019 safetyandhealthmagazine.com

In the News

STATE NEWS

Photo: Igor Vershinsky/iStockphoto didn’t mean as much as some- to all hotels in the state with a long way to ensuring their companies that underwent
one in the private sector, where more than 100 guest rooms, safety, security and workplace an inspection or consultation
OSHA would’ve had jurisdic- and covers full- and part-time well-being.” visit from the Washington
tion,” Wooten said during a workers. Employers will be State Department of Labor &
public hearing, according to an required to: According to the Associ- Industries, along with those
Associated Press report. • R eport any incident involv- ated Press, similar legislation is that had no contact with the
under consideration in Florida, agency.
Deputy Labor Commis- ing an alleged crime to law Illinois and Washington state.
sioner Rudy Ogden said during enforcement. Among the non-fixed-site
the hearing that his depart- • Maintain a list of accusa- WASHINGTON industries, inspections by
ment supports the legislation, tions against a guest for five Inspections, consultations Washington DOSH led to a
but cautioned that it can’t years from the date of the continue to drive down compensation claims rate
perform investigations on the first incident. workers’ comp rates: report reduction of 36.7%. For fixed-
same level as federal agencies. • C onduct an internal inves- site industries, DOSH consul-
“The department is trying to tigation to gather informa- Olympia, WA — tations were linked to a 30%
do better relative to safety,” tion on accusations against Workplace safety decline.
he said, according to the AP a guest. inspections and con-
report. “I would note that we • D ecline occupancy to any sultations continue to reduce At workplaces without
are not OSHA. We do not have guest who is convicted of a workers’ compensation claims DOSH activity, non-fixed-site
the funding or the training.” crime brought to the hotel’s rates in Washington, accord- industries saw an average
attention by an employee ing to a recently released increase of 5.8% in the claims
NEW JERSEY pressing a panic device. report by the state’s Safety & rate, while fixed-site indus-
New law mandates • Notify all housekeeping Health Assessment & Research tries experienced an average
panic buttons for hotel and room service workers for Prevention program. decrease of 3.1%.
housekeepers of the location of any guest In a comparison of state data
included on the list. from 2016 and 2017, research- Washington DOSH consul-
Trenton, NJ — Call- ers examined 18,618 accounts tations had an especially big
ing it the first state “No one should ever have to based on five different criteria, impact on small establish-
law of its kind, New work in fear,” Loretta Weinberg including organizations with at ments with fixed sites, with a
Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) (D-Teaneck), the state’s Senate least five full-time employees 58.2% decline in claims rates.
on June 11 signed a bill majority leader, said in a June between fiscal years 2014 and Meanwhile, small establish-
intended to help protect hotel 11 press release. “The isolat- 2017, and those with a single ments with non-fixed sites that
housekeeping and room ser- ing nature of hotel employees business location. underwent DOSH inspections
vice workers against assault servicing private rooms puts The report includes results saw a 44.1% reduction.
and harassment. them in a uniquely vulnerable based on fixed-site and non-
The bill, S.2986, requires position. A panic device to fixed-site industries, along The report notes that the
hotel employers to provide communicate to authorities with smaller organizations with results are comparable to the
a “panic button” device to outside of the room in case of five to 24 full-time employees. state’s long-term data, dating
employees who are assigned harassment and assault will go The researchers also tracked to 1999.
to work in a guest room with- data for industries and
out co-workers present. If the Since then, enforcement
device is activated, an appro- activity has had the largest
priate staff member, such as impact on fixed-site indus-
a manager, security officer tries, with a 12.6% average
or supervisor, must respond claims rate decline. Likewise,
immediately to the worker’s in non-fixed-site industries,
location. Employees who the rate has decreased 8.8%.
believe they are in danger
are allowed to stop working “Enforcement inspections
and leave the area immedi- continue to make substantial
ately to await assistance. contributions to reaching the
Scheduled to go into effect agency’s goal of reducing
in January, the law applies workplace injury and illness
rates in Washington state,”
the report concludes.

Read the report at sh-m.
ag/2OHP6S2.

safetyandhealthmagazine.com Safety+Health | September 2019 35

In the News

– continued from p. 29 lifestyle factors, every one-hour night- Researchers from the University of
to-night difference in the time to bed East Anglia, in collaboration with the
45 to 84 for a median of six years to or the duration of a night’s sleep multi- International Telematic University in
learn about the links between irregu- plies the adverse metabolic effect.” Rome, surveyed more than 1,000 Italian
lar sleep and metabolic abnormalities. workers about their experiences with
Participants wore an actigraph watch Among participants whose sleep bullying at work, health symptoms and
to track sleep schedules, kept a sleep varied more than an hour were smok- counterproductive behavior. The work-
diary, and completed questionnaires ers, African Americans and night shift ers answered questions about their
about sleep habits and other lifestyle workers. The researchers recommend coping strategies, negative emotions
and health factors. maintaining a regular sleep schedule experienced at work and “moral dis-
to help prevent metabolic disorders engagement” – meaning rationalizing
“Many previous studies have shown and improve overall health. one’s own actions and absolving oneself
the link between insufficient sleep and of responsibility for the consequences.
higher risk of obesity, diabetes and The study was published online June
other metabolic disorders,” researcher 5 in the journal Diabetes Care. Two forms of bullying were identi-
Tianyi Huang, an epidemiologist at fied: workplace-related and personal
Brigham and Women’s, said in a June 5 Health issues, negative behavior attacks.
press release. “But we didn’t know much consequences of workplace
about the impact of irregular sleep, bullying, researchers say For the former, bullying affected
high day-to-day variability in sleep Norwich, England — A new study workload (e.g., removing responsibil-
duration and timing. Our research links workplace bullying to health ity) and work processes (e.g., attacks on
shows that, even after considering the problems and negative behaviors someone’s professional status), while
amount of sleep a person gets and other among people who are frequent targets. cases of the latter involved direct (e.g.,

Circle 27 on Reader Service Card

36 Safety+Health | September 2019 safetyandhealthmagazine.com

Circle 28 on Reader Service Card

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In the News

Long workdays may increase stroke risk: study

Photo: bernardbodo/iStockphoto Dallas — Working long shifts can dramatically increase Descatha said the results provide a warning he can share
the risk of stroke, especially when those long schedules with his patients.
stretch over a decade or more, results of a recent study
led by French researchers show. “As a clinician, I will advise them to work more effi-
ciently and plan to follow my own advice,” Descatha
The researchers reviewed data from a French population- said in a June 20 press release from the American Heart
based cohort of nearly 144,000 adults between the ages of Association.
18 and 69 that started in 2012. Of this group, 29.6% reported
working long hours – defined as 10 hours or more a day for at The study was published online July 1 in the journal
least 50 days a year – while 10.1% said they did the same for Stroke.
10 years or more. Overall, 1,224 (0.9%) had suffered a stroke.

Participants who worked long hours had a 29% greater
risk of stroke, and that percentage jumped to 45 for those
who did so for a decade or more. The association showed
no differences between men and women but was stronger
in white-collar workers younger than 50.

Previous research has shown that irregular shifts,
night shifts and job strain are among the most common
contributors to unhealthy work conditions, noted Alexis
Descatha, a physician and researcher at the French
National Institute of Health and Medical Research.

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safetyandhealthmagazine.com Safety+Health | September 2019 39

In the News

physical abuse) and indirect (e.g., exclu- health problems and had more incidents they had a tendency to become mor-
sion and isolation) negative behavior. of misbehavior. Meanwhile, 9.6% identi- ally disengaged and regularly felt over-
fied themselves as being bullied at work whelmed by negative emotions.
Among the participants, 4.4% but not often in their personal lives. This
reported being frequent victims of bul- group presented fewer health problems The researchers also found that some
lying, both at work and in their personal and episodes of misbehavior. However, frequent victims of workplace bullying
lives. This group experienced increased may exhibit a lack of problem-solving
skills and high-avoidance coping strat-
egies. Examples include drinking alco-
hol, experiencing negative emotions
and having high moral disengagement.

“The findings highlight that vic-
timization is associated not only with
health problems, but also with a greater
likelihood of not behaving in line with
the expected social and organizational
norms,” Roberta Fida, lead author and
senior lecturer in work psychology at
UEA, said in a May 17 press release.
“The greater the intensity of bullying
and the more the exposure to different
types of bullying, the higher the likeli-
hood of engaging in counterproductive
workplace behavior.”

Human resources and manage-
ment must consider emotions when
developing intervention policies, the
researchers wrote. “It is essential to also
promote behavioral regulation strate-
gies to reduce moral disengagement, as
well as negative compensating behavior,
such as drinking more alcohol and tak-
ing more risks,” Fida said in the release.

The study was published online May
15 in the journal Personality and Indi-
vidual Differences.

Circle 31 on Reader Service Card CDC: Worker absenteeism
See us at the NSC 2019 Congress & Expo, Booth #2824, 2825 tops four-year high at height
40 Safety+Health | September 2019 of 2017-2018 flu season
Washington — Health-related work-
place absenteeism during the 2017-
2018 flu season peaked at its highest
level in four seasons and surpassed
the epidemic threshold in January and
February, according to a report from
the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.

Using data from NIOSH’s Current
Population Survey, researchers ana-
lyzed the prevalence of health-related
workplace absenteeism among full-
time workers from October 2017 to Sep-
tember 2018.

safetyandhealthmagazine.com

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In the News

The absenteeism rate was 1.7% dur- As emerging technologies gain traction in the workplace,
ing the initial month, then rose steadily NIOSH focuses on safety
to peak at 3% in January – the highest
percentage since January 2013 (3.2%) – Washington — As emerging tech- Discussing one particular con-
before dipping to 2.7% in February. nologies continue to impact the work- cern for workers in the semiconduc-
place, NIOSH is keeping a watchful tor industry, Nicole Neu-Baker, a
Occupational groups most heavily eye on whether these new materials research associate for nanohealth ini-
affected by health-related absentee- and processes will create new on-the- tiatives at the State University of New
ism in January 2018 were installa- job hazards. York Polytechnic Institute, addressed
tion, repair and maintenance (4.3%); chemical mechanical planarization.
farming, fishing and forestry (3.7%); Speaking June 12 during the agen- CMP involves a slurry that polishes a
and service (3.4%). On average, the cy’s Expanding Research Partnerships product to remove surface materials.
most affected workers were male and Series webinar titled “Occupational
between the ages of 45 and 64. Safety and Health Issues of Emerg- During these and other processes,
ing Technologies,” Associate Direc- Neu-Baker said researchers are study-
In addition to getting vaccinated, tor for Nanotechnologies Charles ing potential exposures that could
workers can help prevent the spread of Geraci said technology is creating affect worker health.
flu by: opportunities for work-
•   Staying home when sick. ers – and identifying pos- Additionally, Geraci noted that
•   Covering their mouth when coughing sible skills gaps. A 2018 “sensing technology,” a way for mate-
Deloitte report states that rials to be tested and data to be gath-
and sneezing. 4.6 million manufacturing ered, could benefit workers moving
•   Practicing good hand hygiene. jobs will need to be filled forward.
•   Regularly cleaning touched surfaces. over the next decade. Of
that total, almost 2.7 mil- “If we can send a [signal] every sec-
The study was published online July lion openings will emerge ond of the life cycle of a given product
5 in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality because of retirements, or material through its current physi-
Weekly Report. while nearly 2 million will cal and environmental conditions,”
be added as a result of the Geraci said, “we should also be able
Do you feel empowered to take natural growth of the industry. That to sense those kinds of changes in the
a lunch break? 37% of millennial will leave 2.4 million jobs, according environment around the worker and
workers say ‘no’ to the report’s estimate, likely to be use that in real-time fashion to under-
Philadelphia — Millennials are three vacant because of a skills shortage. stand and protect workers in their
times more likely than baby boomers to health and safety activities.”
feel co-workers would negatively judge “That caught our attention,” Geraci
them for taking a lunch break, accord- said. “It’s not an insignificant number.
ing to the results of a recent survey con- That’s 4.6 million workers either doing
ducted by Tork, a napkin manufacturer new jobs, doing different jobs, or hav-
for the food service industry. ing to be upskilled or reskilled.”

Researchers surveyed 1,600 employ- The pace and breadth of advanced
ees about their lunchtime habits, manufacturing technologies creating
engagement at work, productivity and these jobs isn’t likely to slow.
job satisfaction. They found that 37% of
millennials (workers ages 18-35) said “Because of all of these events, we
they don’t feel empowered to take a wanted to determine the worker safety
lunch break. Among millennial bosses and health burden,” Geraci said.
who were surveyed, 31% said employees
Photo: NIOSH who took a regular lunch break don’t When asked if they looked forward to perceived stigma around leaving the
work as hard as other employees. Only taking a lunch break, 44% of millennials office for lunch,” Don Lewis, president
15% of Generation X bosses agreed. strongly agreed – 16% said they would of professional hygiene at Essity, which
take a pay cut if it meant they could take owns the Tork brand, said in a June 4
Yet millennials, according to the sur- a lunch break every day – along with press release. “That’s not good for busi-
vey results released June 4, were the gen- 36% of Generation X workers. ness if you’re working in an office.”
eration with the greatest desire to enjoy
a lunch break: 62% said they would opt “We understand that today’s employ- “In the News” is written by Associate Edi-
for a longer lunch break, if possible. Only ees – especially millennials – often tors Barry Bottino, Kevin Druley and Alan
46% of baby boomers said the same. find it difficult to take a lunch break Ferguson.
due to workplace demands and even a

safetyandhealthmagazine.com Safety+Health | September 2019 43



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Industry Beat

Spotlight on MANUFACTURING

OIG to look into whether USDA
used flawed safety data to push
for faster pork-processing line speeds

Washington — The U.S. Department of Agriculture Office
of Inspector General is investigating the effectiveness and
integrity of USDA’s procedures to develop and advance a
controversial proposed rule that would remove maximum
line speeds in pork-processing plants, according to a letter
obtained by multiple media outlets.
Responding to concerns posed by Sen. Dick Durbin
(D-IL), USDA Inspector General Phyllis Fong writes in the
letter, dated June 21, that OIG’s intended objective includes
determining whether USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection
Service:
•   Complied with public transparency requirements under
Executive Order 13563.
•   Made information about its preliminary analysis on The current maximum line speed at pork-processing
worker safety clearly accessible to the public during the facilities is 1,106 hogs per hour.
comment period. In December, Debbie Berkowitz, director of workplace
•   Adhered to USDA Data Quality Guidelines in developing health and safety programs at the National Employment
the proposed rule. Law Project, issued a statement questioning the validity of
•   Reached a reasonable determination about the reliability the analysis after obtaining a copy through a Freedom of
of the OSHA injury data used for the proposed rule. Information Act request.
•   Consulted with OSHA and NIOSH about the impact of NELP highlighted a  review  by two experts from Texas
the proposed rule on workplace safety and health. State University showing that USDA compared injury
rates from traditional plants with five HIMP plants, all of
The letter addresses Durbin and 15 fellow members of which were self-nominated for the program and thus likely
Congress. differed from traditional plants in various ways, includ-
In a June 25 tweet quoting Washington Post coverage of ing age, maintenance, OSHA inspection experience and
the letter, Durbin expressed appreciation for OIG’s efforts. worker training.
“Bowing to industry special interests, the USDA relied On June 25, Berkowitz tweeted that USDA’s alleged con-
on sketchy data to justify a dangerous rule change – and duct “fits the pattern of an administration illegally hiding
tried to hide that very same data from the public,” Durbin data that is not supportive of their findings. No transpar-
tweeted. “I’m glad the OIG heeded my request to investi- ency and workers pay the price.”
gate this matter.” USDA’s regulatory agenda for fall 2018, published in the
USDA published the proposed rule in the Feb. 1, 2018,  Nov. 16 Federal Register, states that the agency received
Federal Register. The proposal cites analysis of Bureau of more than 83,500 comments on the proposed rule. Photo: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Labor Statistics data showing that, when compared with “Many of the comments requested that FSIS withdraw
traditional plants, establishments operating under the the proposal to remove limits on line speeds due to the
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point Inspection negative effect on animal welfare and worker safety,” the
Models Project – a 1990s pilot program (known as HIMP) notice states. “These comments will be analyzed and fur-
that allowed lines to run faster than current limits – “dem- ther addressed in the final rule.”
onstrated that they are capable of consistently producing The regulatory agenda listed April 2019 as a target date
safe, wholesome and unadulterated pork products.” for publication of the final rule.

46 Safety+Health | September 2019 safetyandhealthmagazine.com

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Circle 37 on Reader Service Card

Industry Beat

INDUSTRY INDEX “Opioid addiction is our nation’s said in a June 10 press release. “NAHB is
CONSTRUCTION........................ p. 49 leading public health crisis, and it pleased to provide resources and pos-
GOVERNMENT........................... p. 61 affects people across all socioeconomic sible solutions to this issue affecting so
HEALTH CARE............................ p. 61 classes, races, genders and jobs, and many lives.”
MANUFACTURING...................... p. 62 the homebuilding industry is no excep-
MINING, OIL AND GAS............... p. 63 tion,” NAHB Chairman Greg Ugalde Check out the resources at nahb.org/
SERVICES................................... p. 73 opioids.
TRANSPORTATION..................... p. 69
UTILITIES.................................... p. 74 DON’T BECOME
AN OSHA STATISTIC
CONSTRUCTION
Every year lockout/tagout makes the list of OSHA’s most
NAHB offers resources violated standards. Don’t let your company become part
on managing opioid misuse of the statistics!
in residential construction
Washington — In response to the par- MELTRIC’s UL/CSA Switch-Rated plugs and receptacles
ticularly heavy impact the opioid crisis include a built-in lockout/tagout provision for easy OSHA
is having on the construction indus- compliance. Engineered for safety, they also include:
try, the National Association of Home
Builders has introduced several free • An enclosed arc chamber that eliminates
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construction organizations combat the
issue. • A safety shutter that prevents accidental
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A Centers for Disease Control and
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extraction workers in the state are six
times more likely to suffer an opioid- Circle 38 on Reader Service Card
related overdose death than workers in
all other occupations.

Aiming to “stem the tide of the opioid
epidemic’s reach into the homebuilding
industry,” NAHB is offering the following
resources:
•   An executive training package,

including a webinar and other down-
loadable materials, outlining why
industry action is needed.
•   Supervisor training packages
on workplace interventions and
preventing opioid misuse in the
industry.
•   Fact sheets on the risks associated
with taking opioids, and identifying
medical and nonmedical opioids.
•   Resources on non-opioid alternatives
to pain management.
•   A state-by-state guide of locally
available resources.

safetyandhealthmagazine.com Safety+Health | September 2019 49

Industry Beat

Spotlight on HEALTH CARE

Researchers find sleep disorders common among nurses

San Antonio — Nearly 1 in 3 nurses 6.6 hours. The National Sleep Founda- •   27% used medications to help them Photo: AaronAmat/iStockphoto
may suffer from insomnia, while more tion recommends adults sleep seven to sleep.
than 1 in 8 admit to taking medications nine hours a night.
to help them stay awake, according to a •   4.5% said they experience excessive
recent study. Other findings: daytime sleepiness.
•   31% of nurses reported symptoms “Nurses are at an increased risk for
Researchers from the University
of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center of shift work disorder, a condition circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders
conducted an online survey of 1,165 caused by working night or rotating such as shift work disorder,” Francis
nurses at a tertiary care center, which shifts during the hours when people Christian, lead author and second-year
is a type of facility that provides spe- normally sleep. fellow at the OU Health Sciences Cen-
cialized medical care. They found ter, said in a June 7 press release. “Rec-
that 31% of participants experienced ognition needs to take place so that
symptoms of chronic insomnia, while we can screen appropriately and make
13% said they used medications to stay scheduling modifications to help alle-
awake. viate the burden of shift work disorder
among nurses.”
Additionally, 49% said they averaged
less than seven hours of sleep a night, The study was published online
with the overall average registering at April 12 in the journal Sleep.

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50 Safety+Health | September 2019 safetyandhealthmagazine.com