Today's post is shared from nytimes.com
Travelers lined up Friday to reschedule flights at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport after the region's air traffic control was sabotaged. More flights are resuming Saturday, but hundreds were also canceled.
The number of canceled flights in and out of Chicago crept toward 800 Saturday afternoon, as workers tried to restore one of the nation's busiest air traffic control systems. The system was crippled Friday, officials say, after a disgruntled employee set a fire in a federal radar center. (We updated the number of cancellations at 5 p.m. ET).
As we reported Friday, nearly 2,000 flights were canceled or delayed at Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports, throwing travelers' plans into chaos and disrupting flights that use the area as a hub. Today, flight-tracking websites show a few steady streams of air traffic in and out of Chicago — but the volume doesn't approach the area's normal swarm of activity.
Officials say the disruption was caused by a fire that forced the evacuation of a nearby federal air traffic control center and the declaration of a rare "ATC Zero" status — "shorthand for the inability to safely provide air traffic control," reports Air Transport World.
New details emerged late Friday about the suspect in the case, Brian Howard, 36, after the FBI filed a preliminary criminal complaint in federal court. It accuses Howard of sending a note to a relative Friday morning in which he bid them farewell and said he was taking down...
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Sunday, September 28, 2014
Saturday, September 27, 2014
A Comparison Of Hospital Administrative Costs In Eight Nations: US Costs Exceed All Others By Far
A few studies have noted the outsize administrative costs of US hospitals, but no research has compared these costs across multiple nations with various types of health care systems. We assembled a team of international health policy experts to conduct just such a challenging analysis of hospital administrative costs across eight nations: Canada, England, Scotland, Wales, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States. We found that administrative costs accounted for 25.3 percent of total US hospital expenditures—a percentage that is increasing. Next highest were the Netherlands (19.8 percent) and England (15.5 percent), both of which are transitioning to market-oriented payment systems. Scotland and Canada, whose single-payer systems pay hospitals global operating budgets, with separate grants for capital, had the lowest administrative costs. Costs were intermediate in France and Germany (which bill per patient but pay separately for capital projects) and in Wales. Reducing US per capita spending for hospital administration to Scottish or Canadian levels would have saved more than $150 billion in 2011. This study suggests that the reduction of US administrative costs would best be accomplished through the use of a simpler and less market-oriented payment scheme.
doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2013.1327Health Aff September 2014 vol. 33no. 9 1586-1594
doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2013.1327Health Aff September 2014 vol. 33no. 9 1586-1594
Shift work: Marketing medication for symptoms instead of addressing the hazard
“Shift work refers to work that takes place outside of traditional 9-to-5 daytime hours. If you work nights or rotating shifts, you are a shift worker. Many people who work shifts are at risk for developing shift work disorder (SWD) and may experience excessive sleepiness (ES) on the job.” So says the website designed to market the drug known as Nuvigil, sold by Cephalon, a subsidiary of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd. Approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2007 to treat narcolepsy and obstructive sleep apnea and the excessive sleepiness that may come with working a night shift, sales of Nuvigil grew by about 20 percent between 2013 and 2014, bringing in $189 million in the first six months of this year. The company’s online advertising suggests that that “1 in 4” of the approximately 15 million Americans who work outside 9 to 5 hours “may have SWD” and that shift workers may include factory workers, security guards, retail workers, fire fighters, doctors, nurses and other hospital workers, hotel and restaurant employees along with accountants, stockbrokers and “other people with corporate jobs.” “The main symptoms of SWD are excessive sleepiness (ES) during a work shift and trouble sleeping (insomnia) during sleeping hours,” says the Nuvigil marketing copy. Curious about both the drug and the number of US workers the company might have in its sights as a potential market, I went to see... |
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OSHA: Wireless Horizon tower collapse results in deaths of 2 cell tower worker
OSHA finds 2 willful, 4 serious safety violations at Blaine, Kansas, work site
Following the death of two workers from the collapse of a cell tower they were dismantling March 25, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Wireless Horizon Inc. for two willful and four serious safety violations. OSHA placed the company in the Severe Violator Enforcement Program* following the incident. So far in 2014, 11 workers have lost their lives nationwide in the communication tower industry; and 13 deaths occurred in 2013.
"Two families have lost their loved ones in a preventable tragedy. No one should ever have to endure that loss. Inspecting and ensuring equipment is in good working order is a common-sense safety procedure that stop injuries and fatalities," said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health. "OSHA expects tower owners and operators, such as Wireless Horizon, to protect their workers on job sites in this hazardous industry by increasing training and implementing all known safety precautions. Our nation's growing need for telecommunications should not cost workers their lives."
The tower technicians, ages 25 and 38, were using a load-lifting gin poleattached to the side of the tower with a wire rope sling. The sling failed, causing the gin pole to fall and bring the tower down with it. One of the employees was above the gin pole near the top of the tower, and the second employee was approximately 20 feet below the pole. Both workers fell to the ground during the collapse. As the tower fell, it also struck an adjacent tower, causing it to crumble as well. One of the employees had been with the company two months, while the other employee had only been working there for five months when the incident occurred. OSHA's inspection found that the equipment the company provided the workers was in poor repair. The company did not use proper engineering plans to ensure the workers were protected against this type of collapse.
OSHA's investigation found that Wireless Horizon failed to inspect the wire rope slings prior to use and provide protection to the slings when rigged over sharp objects. These failures resulted in the issuance of two willful violations. A willful violation is one committed with intentional, knowing or voluntary disregard for the law's requirements, or with plain indifference to worker safety and health.
Wireless Horizon also failed to conduct an engineering survey and develop a rigging plan prior to beginning the demolition process. Additionally, the company did not provide the technicians a load chart for the gin pole in use or operator manuals. OSHA issued four serious citations for these violations. A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
OSHA has proposed penalties of $134,400 for the company, based in St. Peters, Missouri. Wireless Horizon employs approximately 60 workers, including four that were present at the Blaine job site on the date of this fatal incident.
To view current citations, visit http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/WirelessHorizonInc_964654_0919_14.pdf*.
This company has been inspected by OSHA on two previous occasions since 2005, and OSHA issued multiple serious violations both times.
OSHA is collaborating with the National Association of Tower Erectors and other industry stakeholders to ensure that every communication tower employer understands their responsibility to protect workers performing this very dangerous work. OSHA has created a Web page targeting the issues surrounding communication tower work to help employees and employers better understand the risks of tower work and how to prevent injuries and fatalities in this industry.
Wireless Horizon has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply; request an informal conference with OSHA's area director in Wichita, Kansas, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety & Health Review Commission.
"Two families have lost their loved ones in a preventable tragedy. No one should ever have to endure that loss. Inspecting and ensuring equipment is in good working order is a common-sense safety procedure that stop injuries and fatalities," said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health. "OSHA expects tower owners and operators, such as Wireless Horizon, to protect their workers on job sites in this hazardous industry by increasing training and implementing all known safety precautions. Our nation's growing need for telecommunications should not cost workers their lives."
The tower technicians, ages 25 and 38, were using a load-lifting gin poleattached to the side of the tower with a wire rope sling. The sling failed, causing the gin pole to fall and bring the tower down with it. One of the employees was above the gin pole near the top of the tower, and the second employee was approximately 20 feet below the pole. Both workers fell to the ground during the collapse. As the tower fell, it also struck an adjacent tower, causing it to crumble as well. One of the employees had been with the company two months, while the other employee had only been working there for five months when the incident occurred. OSHA's inspection found that the equipment the company provided the workers was in poor repair. The company did not use proper engineering plans to ensure the workers were protected against this type of collapse.
OSHA's investigation found that Wireless Horizon failed to inspect the wire rope slings prior to use and provide protection to the slings when rigged over sharp objects. These failures resulted in the issuance of two willful violations. A willful violation is one committed with intentional, knowing or voluntary disregard for the law's requirements, or with plain indifference to worker safety and health.
Wireless Horizon also failed to conduct an engineering survey and develop a rigging plan prior to beginning the demolition process. Additionally, the company did not provide the technicians a load chart for the gin pole in use or operator manuals. OSHA issued four serious citations for these violations. A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
OSHA has proposed penalties of $134,400 for the company, based in St. Peters, Missouri. Wireless Horizon employs approximately 60 workers, including four that were present at the Blaine job site on the date of this fatal incident.
To view current citations, visit http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/WirelessHorizonInc_964654_0919_14.pdf*.
This company has been inspected by OSHA on two previous occasions since 2005, and OSHA issued multiple serious violations both times.
OSHA is collaborating with the National Association of Tower Erectors and other industry stakeholders to ensure that every communication tower employer understands their responsibility to protect workers performing this very dangerous work. OSHA has created a Web page targeting the issues surrounding communication tower work to help employees and employers better understand the risks of tower work and how to prevent injuries and fatalities in this industry.
Wireless Horizon has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply; request an informal conference with OSHA's area director in Wichita, Kansas, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety & Health Review Commission.
One hospitalized in Port Neches chemical leak
A chemical leak at the Port Neches Huntsman facility resulted in the hospitalization of one employee Thursday morning. The leak occured at about 11:30 a.m. in the shipping and receiving area of the Huntsman plant at 2701 Spur 136, according to Huntsman spokewoman Anne Knisely. The Port Neches Fire Department responded to the scene, but an on-site crew was able to contain the leak in approximately one hour, Knisely said. The employee was treated at the plant and taken to the hospital by ambulance as a precaution. His injuries are not life threatening. Huntsman notified all necessary agencies of the leak including the Texas Commision on Environment Quality, Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. There was no off-site impact and the community was never in any danger, Knisely said. Huntsman has begun an investigation to find out what caused the leak. |
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Study: People who work long hours in low-wage jobs experience higher risk of diabetes
A recent study has uncovered another possible risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes: working long hours in low-paying jobs. In a study published this week in the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, researchers found that people who work more than 55 hours per week performing manual work or other low socioeconomic status jobs face a 30 percent greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes when compared to those working between 35 and 40 hours per week. The association remained even after researchers accounted for risk factors such as smoking, physical activity levels, age, sex and obesity as well as after they excluded shift work, which has already been shown to increase type 2 diabetes risk. The study is the largest so far to examine the link between long working hours and type 2 diabetes. To conduct the study, researchers examined data from 23 studies involving more than 222,000 men and women in the U.S., Europe, Japan and Australia who were followed for an average of more than seven years. While on the surface, researchers found a similar type 2 diabetes risk among those who worked more than 55 hours per week and those working a more standard 35-40 hour week, more in-depth analysis revealed that workers in low socioeconomic jobs did, indeed, face a significantly higher risk. In other words, the association between long work hours and higher type 2 diabetes risk was only apparent among low-income groups. In a related commentary published in the same journal... |
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Income Inequality: The Conseqences on The Economy
"ncome inequality at the county-level is
positively associated with both the fraction of high status cars bought in the county, and
indicators of consumer leverage. These results suggest the signaling motive might feature in
some durable goods consumption choices, as households seek to “get ahead of the Joneses”, and
invest in status consumption goods to signal that they might have advanced in their relative
income position. These findings also suggest that rising inequality might have broader
macroeconomic consequences, including a reduced savings rate and greater household debt."
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