Workers' Compensation: Search results for distracted driving

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Thursday, April 10, 2014

Elite Drivers Provide Tips for Work Zone Awareness Week

Today's post was shared by Trucker Lawyers and comes from www.heraldonline.com

— /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, American Trucking Associations is urging motorists to slow down and pay attention while driving through work zone areas. With National Work Zone Awareness Week 2014 marking the 15th anniversary of this life-saving safety campaign, elite drivers with millions of accident-free miles are educating the public on how to stay safe.

National Work Zone Awareness Week 2014 runs from April 7-11.

America's Road Team Captains, professional truck drivers selected for their impressive driving records and commitment to safety, are sharing their wealth of experience from the road. With four of every five victims in a work zone crash being motorists, these tips can help save lives on our nation's highways.

Work Zone Driving Safety Tips for Motorists:

Expect the Unexpected – Speed limits may be reduced, traffic lanes may be changed, and people may be working on or near the road.
– Speeding is one of the major causes of work zone crashes.
Don't Tailgate – Keep a safe following distance between you and the car ahead.
Keep a Safe Distance from Construction Workers – and equipment.
Pay Attention to Posted Signs – Warning signs are there to help guide you, use them.
Stay Alert and Avoid Distracted Driving – Work zones present extra challenges and obstacles. Motorists need to pay attention to the road and their surroundings.
– Schedule your trip with plenty of extra time. Expect delays and leave early so you...

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Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Textual Despondency

No, this is NOT an April fool's joke. Texting is a major problem and a major distraction from the focus of work. Even if occurring within the scope of employment, it is still a major factor in concentration and is therefore a safety concern. Today's guest post is from David Paolo.

This condition reportedly has been a "world wide health concern" since around 2011 when conditions associated with excessive cell phone usage for texting and other mobile communications activities other than a phone call were starting to be identified.

A couple of weeks ago I was in San Francisco for the California Workers' Compensation Institute's annual meeting.

San Francisco must be the leading city where this "condition" could be studied. I was astounded at how many people walk around that town with their necks bent towards the ground, small devices in hand, paying zero attention to where they are, where they're going, or anyone or anything around them.

The number of people with zero spatial orientation or situational awareness as a result of profound hand-held device distraction was amazing to me.

Even in the elevator of the hotel where normally cellular signals aren't strong, if existent at all, a couple of gentlemen occupied the car as I got on heading to upper floors; they both were completely immersed in their devices. They did not look up, acknowledge my presence in any way or even acknowledge each other.

We got to the seventh floor and, without even a short little glance above the screen in his hand held one fellow starts toward the open doors and says, I presume to the other guy in the elevator, "see you at dinner."

The other guy, likewise, did not take his stare off the screen of his hand held device, thumb busy scrambling...

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Related articles:

Workers' Compensation: Why Texting-While-Driving Bans Don't Work

Nov 03, 2013

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Workers' Compensation: Woman was texting and driving when she ...

Oct 23, 2013

... drive on the roads. While the Federal government has strictly enforced the no texting while driving rule, the states maintain a patchwork of confusing regulations and statutory prohibitions. Today's post is shared from nj.com.

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Workers' Compensation: Do Cities Need Texting Zones?

Oct 01, 2013

Andrew M. Cuomo revealed a plan to put "texting zones" on the New York State Thruway and state highways, where drivers can pull over and respond to text messages. This is, in part, a response to the fact that New York has ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Texting a Message to A Driver Imposes Liability for an Accident

Aug 30, 2013

who is texting from a location remote from the driver of a motor vehicle can be liable to persons injured because the driver was distracted by the text. We hold that the sender of a text message can potentially be liable if an ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

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Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Living with Safety this Thanksgiving

Motor vehicle accidents are among the highest causes of injuries to workers. The suggestions issued by the NJ State Police provide a helpful guidance for a safe Thanksgiving Day Weekend.Today's post is shared from njsp.org.

The weather is getting nasty just in time for the busiest travel holiday of the year. With a little planning and a focus on safety, you can make your Thanksgiving travels the most uneventful of your holiday activities. When gearing up for your trip, prepare for winter even though the calendar still says fall. That means filling your tank, checking your tire pressure and wiper blades, and packing a blanket, snacks & water in case of a breakdown. And to keep your blood pressure in check, just leave early because your trip will take much longer than usual because of traffic and road conditions.

In relation to roadway safety, the 2012 Thanksgiving holiday was no reason to celebrate in New Jersey with eight fatal accidents and 10 deaths over the holiday period. Alcohol or drugs was a factor in six of those fatalities. Four of those killed were pedestrians. These are sobering statistics that we do not want to repeat this year.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re driving five minutes up the road or through several states, the basics of safety remain the same,” said Colonel Rick Fuentes, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “Troopers and other law enforcement officers will have zero tolerance for those who create dangers on the roads.”

Distracted driving and aggressive driving are at the top of the list for causing motor vehicle crashes. Troopers will be using a variety of marked and unmarked vehicles to look for texting drivers, unbelted occupants (especially children), speeders, and of course, intoxicated drivers.

New Jersey’s “Move Over” law is still unheeded by many drivers. This law helps protect roadside emergency workers and vehicles including police, fire, medical services, highway maintenance, tow trucks, and official motorist aid vehicles displaying amber, red, or blue emergency lights. Where possible, drivers are required to move over to create an empty lane next to the emergency vehicle. When safely changing lanes is not possible, drivers must slow down below the posted speed limit prior to passing emergency vehicles. Drivers should also be prepared to stop, if necessary.

Increase your travel safety by using these common sense tips:

Make sure your cell phone is fully charged
Carry a flashlight with new batteries.
Bring bottles of water and snacks such as protein bars.
Insist that all vehicle occupants use seatbelts.
Don’t drive drowsy. The symptoms of driving tired are similar to those of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Make sure you get enough rest. Use service areas to pull over, stretch your legs, or grab a cup of coffee.
Steer clear of “road ragers.” Challenging an aggressive driver for a position is a dangerous way to get to your destination a few seconds sooner.
Use a designated driver. If alcohol figures into your Thanksgiving plans, plan to have one driver stay sober.
Prepare before you drive. Map your route; fill your tank; check your tire pressure, lights and wiper blades. These simple steps may save you more than just time on the highways.

More than 100 additional state troopers will be supplementing the usual patrols. These troopers are looking for specific violations that lead to crashes, including driving while intoxicated, aggressive driving, and using handheld phones/tablets.

The official Thanksgiving driving period begins at 6:00 p.m. on November 27, and runs through 6:00 a.m. on December 2.

Monday, November 4, 2013

Truck driver was looking at phone in deadly crash

Distracted driving continues to be a constant cause of accidents in the workplace. Workers' compensation laws and policies have not been modified to encourage the non-use of cellphones. Federal legislation on the other hand outlaws their use. Today's post is shared from azcentral.com

The semi-truck that crashed into several police and fire vehicles, killing an Arizona Department of Public Safety officer in early May, was “tossing cars around like they were toys,” according to one witness statement.

Officer Tim Huffman, 47, was killed on May 6 while investigating an earlier crash on Interstate 8, about 40 miles east of Yuma. An 18-wheeler driven by Jorge Espinoza, 33, had plowed into Huffman’s patrol car and several other vehicles at about 5 p.m.

Espinoza, who faces 20 felony charges including second-degree murder, was on his cell phone at the time of the collision, according to 600 pages of case files obtained by The Arizona Republic on Friday.

The documents and a video from an in-dash camera revealed that Espinoza was on Facebook looking at pictures of provocatively dressed women at the time of the wreck.

Espinoza, who pleaded not guilty in June, told police he was looking over his shoulder at a passing truck when suddenly he felt the violent jolt from the crash. Espinoza was not injured.

He told police he never saw the multiple DPS and fire department vehicles on the roadway, or an officer frantically waving his arms trying to get his attention before he jumped out of the way.

Click here to read the entire article here.

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Why Texting-While-Driving Bans Don't Work

Today's post was shared by Mother Jones and comes from www.motherjones.com

Lost in the clamor for stricter distracted-driving laws, a study from April 2013 found discouraging patterns in the relationship between texting bans and traffic fatalities.
As one might expect, single occupant vehicle crashes dip noticeably when a state legislature enacts a texting and driving ban. But the change is always short-lived, according to this study, which examined data from every state except Alaska from 2007 through 2010. Within months, the accident rate typically returned to pre-ban levels.
The researchers, Rahi Abouk and Scott Adams of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, attribute this pattern to the "announcement effect," when drivers adjust their behavior to compensate for a perceived law enforcement threat—only to return to old habits when enforcement appears ineffectual. In other words, drivers might dial back their texting when they hear about a ban, but after they succumb to the urge once or twice and get away with it, they determine it's okay and keep doing it.
"It's different than drunk driving," Adams said. Identifying intoxicated drivers is relatively easy, "you can give somebody a breathalyzer, you can have checkpoints." But with texting, "it's really hard [for policemen] to know" if someone's been texting.
No one denies the dangers of texting while driving. In fact, 95 percent of AAA survey (PDF) respondents said texting behind the wheel was a "very" serious threat to their personal safety. But 35 percent of the same...

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Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Do Cities Need Texting Zones?

This post is shared from Nicole Ferraro, Future Cities from www.informationweek.com

This week, New York's governor announced a plan to put "texting zones" on state highways. It got me thinking about whether cities need to do the same.

First, a bit about the news: In an effort to reduce the number of distracted drivers on the roads of New York, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo revealed a plan to put "texting zones" on the New York State Thruway and state highways, where drivers can pull over and respond to text messages.

This is, in part, a response to the fact that New York has seen a 365% increase in tickets issued to distracted drivers between the summers of 2012 and 2013 (In 2013, 16,027 people were pulled over for talking on cellphones, and 5,553 for texting, as compared to 4,284 and 924, respectively, in 2012).

As Cuomo said in a statement, "With this new effort, we are sending a clear message to drivers that there is no excuse to take your hands off the wheel and eyes off the road because your text can wait until the next Texting Zone."

Distracted driving is a huge issue for cities. Indeed, just last week we discussed a social media campaign launched by the Mayor of Houston, Texas, to unite Texan cities against texting while driving. With pedestrian death on the rise in cities across the US, there's an absolute need to curb driver distractions.

However, there's something about Cuomo's plan that bugs me -- mainly that, in a way, it caves to the compulsion drivers have to...

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Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Chart of the Day: Hands-Free Talking Is as Bad as Talking on a Handset. Maybe Even Worse.

Distracted driving doesn't get better by the use of hands free technology. Today's post was shared by Mother Jones and comes from www.motherjones.com

Michael O'Hare points us this morning to a study of cell phone usage in cars that confirms the obvious: it's dangerous. More dangerous than driving drunk, in fact. What's more, as the chart on the right shows, hands-free talking doesn't help. In fact, for certain

tasks it makes things even worse. O'Hare explains what's going on:

To understand the reason, consider driving while (i) listening to the radio as I was (ii) conversing with an adult passenger (iii) transporting a four-year-old (iv) sharing the front seat with a largish dog.
Why are the first two not dangerous, and the last two make you tense up just thinking about them?

The radio is not a person, and you subconsciously know that you may miss something if you attend to something in the road ahead, but also that you won’t insult it if you “listen away”, and it won’t suffer, much less indicate unease. The adult passenger can see out the windshield and also catch very subtle changes in your tone of voice or body language.

If you stop talking to attend to the car braking up ahead, the passenger knows why instantly, and accommodates, and because you know this, you aren’t anxious about interrupting the conversation. The dog and the child, in contrast, are completely unaware of what’s coming up on the road or what you need to pay attention to; the former is happy to jump in your lap if it seems like a good idea at any moment, and the child demands attention on her own schedule and at...

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Sunday, September 1, 2013

A Labor Day Opportunity

Today's post was shared by US Dept. of Labor and comes from www.whitehouse.gov

Health Reform

Ed. note: This is crossposted from Work in Progress, the official blog of the Department of Labor. See the original post here. Learn more about the history of Labor Day, and the history of the U.S. Department of Labor.

Labor Day 2013 is special. This year marks the centennial of the U.S. Department of Labor – 100 years of working for America’s workers. And this past week, our nation reaffirmed the ideals of the 1963 March on Washington. This transformational event,
exactly 50 years ago, was just as much about labor rights as it was about civil rights.
For me, just like so many others then and now, these two movements are inextricably intertwined, their interests converging time and time again, their goals united in creating opportunity for all.
Watch this video on YouTube

For a guy like me who grew up in an immigrant family from Buffalo, the past few days have been pretty heady. At the Lincoln Memorial Wednesday, I couldn’t help but wonder if The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. ever imagined that half a century after he stood on these steps, another African-American man would stand there – as president?

Texting a Message to A Driver Imposes Liability for an Accident

In an unanimous decision a NJ Appellate Court held a texter potentially liable for causing a motor vehicle accident:

"The issue before us is not directly addressed by these
statutes or any case law that has been brought to our attention.
"We must determine as a matter of civil common law whether one
who is texting from a location remote from the driver of a motor
vehicle can be liable to persons injured because the driver was
distracted by the text. We hold that the sender of a text
message can potentially be liable if an accident is caused by
texting, but only if the sender knew or had special reason to
know that the recipient would view the text while driving and
thus be distracted.

"In this appeal, we must also decide whether plaintiffs have
shown sufficient evidence to defeat summary judgment in favor of
the remote texter. We conclude they have not. We affirm the
trial court's order dismissing plaintiffs' complaint against the
sender of the text messages, but we do not adopt the trial
court's reasoning that a remote texter does not have a legal
duty to avoid sending text messages to one who is driving.

"We conclude that a person sending text messages has a
duty not to text someone who is driving if the texter knows, or
has special reason to know, the recipient will view the text
while driving. But we also conclude that plaintiffs have not
presented sufficient evidence to prove that Colonna had such
knowledge when she texted Best immediately before the accident.

LINDA KUBERT AND DAVID
KUBERT,
Plaintiffs-Appellants,
v.
KYLE BEST, SUSAN R. BEST,
EXECUTRIX OF THE ESTATE OF
NICKOLAS J. BEST, DECEASED,
Defendants,
and
SHANNON COLONNA,

Defendant-Respondent.
SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY
APPELLATE DIVISION
DOCKET NO. A-1128-12T4
August 27, 2013

….

Jon L. Gelman of Wayne NJ is the author NJ Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson) and co-author of the national treatise, Modern Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson). For over 4 decades the Law Offices of Jon L Gelman 1.973.696.7900 jon@gelmans.com have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses.

Read more about "texting" and workers' compensation:

Working While Texting: The New Workers Compensation Defense

Jul 31, 2009

New technology encroaching upon the workplace has been both a help and a hindrance. Recent studies add to the growing volumes of data reporting that the use of cell phones while driving provides a significant distraction ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Distracted Driving Workers Compensation Claim Draws Major Public

Feb 11, 2011

A workers compensation claim filed by a state trooper for injuries he sustained while texting and speeding 126 miles per hour that resulting in a fatal accident with oncoming teenagers, a driver and a passenger, has drawn ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

CDC Urges Employers to Prohibit Cell Phone Use While Driving

Apr 29, 2011

CDC urged employers to prohibit texting while driving. A safety initiative by employers will go along way to reducing workers' compensation costs. "What is already known on this topic? Highway transportation crashes are the ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Workers' Compensation: OSHA To Fine Employers for Distracted ...

Apr 18, 2011

Following the policy announced by President Obama in his Executive Order banning texting while driving, OSHA is calling upon all employers to ban texting while driving. It is the intention of OSHA to provide education and ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Mexican Consulate, Labor Dept. Partner On Worker Protection

Today's post was shared by US Dept. of Labor and comes from indianapublicmedia.org

Photo: Sam Klemet/WFYI

Students walk outside the Mexican Consulate in Indianapolis.
The United States Department of Labor is partnering with Mexican Consulates across the country, including in Indiana, to ensure worker protection.

Juan Manuel Solana Morales says some Mexicans who come to the United States to work, often don’t know about all of their rights.

“Sadly, we have detected that when we have new immigrants, they have different laws, different knowledge, different culture,” said Juan Manuel Solana Morales. “And, when they arrive here in the United States, sometimes they don’t understand the kind of rights that they have.”
Morales is the Consul of Mexico in Indianapolis.

Silica: A Long Overdue Proposal

The long awaited "Silica standard" for workers has been proposed by OSHA. This post is shared from Dr. David Michaels, Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health.

Alan White is a 48-year-old foundry worker from Buffalo, N.Y. – he’s in the local steelworkers union, employed at the same foundry where his father also worked. He just became a grandfather. Three years ago, Alan went to a doctor who did a series of tests and told him that he had contracted silicosis, a debilitating lung disease he got from being exposed to silica at his job.

I met Alan last year on a trip he made to Washington to talk about how he got silicosis and the effects of the disease on his life. This is what he told me:

“I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, I eat organic foods, I don’t eat much red meat. Now I know that my lifestyle probably won’t benefit my long-term health because of the devastating effects of silica exposure. As a new grandfather, I probably will not be able to run with my grandchild through the park as I had hoped. Even simple tasks like walking and talking on a cell phone are difficult and my outlook is downhill from here.”

Earlier today, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposed a new rule to protect workers from silica exposure, and we’re reaching out to stakeholders for their help to develop a final rule with effective solutions that will protect workers like Alan.

Healthy lungs vs. silicosis

Crystalline silica kills hundreds of American workers and sickens thousands more each year. These very small silica dust particles are hazardous when workers breathe them in. They can cause silicosis – an incurable and progressive disease. Workers can be exposed to airborne silica dust from cutting, sawing, drilling and crushing concrete, brick, block and other stone products. They also can be exposed during operations that use sand products such as glass manufacturing, sand blasting and −as in Alan’s case −foundry work.

OSHA's Distracted Driving Initiative

Today's post was shared by US Dept. of Labor and comes from www.osha.gov

Welcome to OSHA's Distracted Driving Page!

Check out the agency's new distracted driving business brochure on OSHA's publications page.
View winning student-produced public service announcement, "Texting and Driving," from Oregon OSHA co-sponsored video contest to promote young worker safety and health. Read news release [48 KB PDF, 2 pages].

OSHA partners in conference on distracted driving
OSHA Assistant Secretary David Michaels spoke at the Symposium on Prevention of Occupationally-Related Distracted Driving held April 18, 2011, in Laurel, Md. Distracted driving, including texting while driving and cell phone use, is a major cause of motor vehicle crashes. This symposium brought together a variety of stakeholders interested in reducing work-related driving distractions and generated recommendations for action, including new directions for research. The Johns Hopkins Education and Research Center for Occupational Safety and Health and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in partnership with OSHA, the Department of Transportation and the Johns Hopkins Center for Injury Research and Policy hosted the symposium which included presentations, interactive discussions, opportunities for networking and demonstrations of training materials.

U.S. Department of Labor
Assistant Secretary for
Occupational Safety and Health
Washington, D.C. 20210
October 4, 2010
Dear Employer:
Distracted driving has become an epidemic in the United States, and its often fatal...

[Click here to see the rest of this article]

Monday, August 5, 2013

White House releases executive order on improving chemical facility safety and security

The President signed an Executive Order to improve the safety and security of chemical facilities and reduce the risks of hazardous chemicals to workers and communities. Incidents such as the devastating explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas in April are tragic reminders that the handling and storage of chemicals present serious risks that must be addressed.

Secretary of Labor
Thomas E. Perez

The Executive Order directs Federal agencies to work with stakeholders to improve chemical safety and security through agency programs, private sector initiatives, Federal guidance, standards, and regulations.

New Labor Secretary arrives with commitment to workplace safety and health

Thomas E. Perez, nominated by President Obama as the nation's 26th Secretary of Labor, was sworn in July 23. Previously assistant attorney general for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Justice and secretary of Maryland's Department of Labor,

Transportation Accidents: Data Recorders Will Soon Define Compensability of Accidents

Workers' compensation claims are often defined by whether the accident arose out of and in the course of the employment. New technology in the coming years maybe become critical evidence in determining the casual relationship of transportation accidents as well as whether the employee deviated from the employment at the time of the event.

Event Data Recorder

"....at the center of a growing debate over a little-known but increasingly important piece of equipment buried deep inside a car: the event data recorder, more commonly known as the black box.

"About 96 percent of all new vehicles sold in the United States have the boxes, and in September 2014, if the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has its way, all will have them.

"The boxes have long been used by car companies to assess the performance of their vehicles. But data stored in the devices is increasingly being used to identify safety problems in cars and as evidence in traffic accidents and criminal cases. And the trove of data inside the boxes has raised privacy concerns, including questions about who owns the information, and what it can be used for, even as critics have raised questions about its reliability.

Click here to read the entire article, "A Black Box for Car Crashes" NY Times

How far do you have to go to accommodate a lifting restriction?

Today's post was shared by Lynch Ryan and comes from www.safetynewsalert.com

Due to a workplace injury, an employee had a permanent 20-pound lifting restriction. She applied for a position that required heavy lifting. Did the company have to accept her suggestion on how to accommodate her restriction?

Renee Majors worked at the General Electric (GE) Bloomington, IN, plant. In 2000, she suffered a work-related injury to her right shoulder that left her limited to lifting no more than 20 pounds and precluded her from work above shoulder level with her right arm.

The restrictions were temporary at first, but they were later determined to be permanent.

In 2009, Majors was the senior eligible bidder for a temporary purchased material auditor position under the collective bargaining agreement with GE. An essential function of the position was “intermittent movement of heavy objects.”

Distracted Walkers Are a Workplace Hazard

Over the last 2 days I watched at least a half-a-dozen people walking in the streets with a cellphone in their hands, and totally ignoring all traffic signals and vehicles around them. We are too quick to blame workers for causing all accidents through the use of cellphones. Pedestrians on many occasions ignore all reason and logic, and walk in front of vehicles oblivious to the world.

Read: Distracted Walking: Injuries Soar for Pedestrians on Phones

Cell Phone Use Not Just Dangerous for Drivers, Study Finds

"More than 1,500 pedestrians were estimated to be treated in emergency rooms in 2010 for injuries related to using a cell phone while walking, according to a new nationwide study."

Criminal Charges Urged Against Sedgwick

Injured Workers’ Advocates Seek Criminal Penalties for Death After Insurer’s “Callous Indifference, Reckless Disregard of Care”

"Why is it not criminal when workers’ compensation insurance companies kill patients through delaying and denying medical care?"

Several attorneys from the Central Coast Chapter of the California Applicants’ Attorneys Association (CAAA), whose members represent Californians injured on the job, held a news conference today on the steps of the Ventura County District Attorney Gregg Totten’s (DA) office and called for the DA to file criminal charges against a claims adjuster for Sedgwick Claims Services, and against Sedgwick itself, for their callous indifference to, and reckless disregard for, the health and welfare of Charles Romano, a Ralph’s Grocery Co. worker, which resulted in his death.

“Even after a judge determined Charles’ illness was a result of his work injury, the insurance carrier continued to refuse medical care. Charles soon died,” said Jill Singer, a Ventura workers’ compensation insurance attorney, and Central Coast CAAA Chapter President. “Why is it not criminal when workers’ compensation insurance companies kill patients through delaying and denying medical care?”

Sid Freeman was Charles Romano’s friend, and helped care for him during the final months of his life. “Charles and I were friends for over 27 years. He was like a brother to me. Charles was only in his 40’s when he was injured on the job. He had surgery to repair his injuries and afterwards contracted a highly resistant staph infection that attacked his lungs, kidneys and paralyzed him,” said Freeman. Sedgwick, the insurer, refused to pay for the necessary care for the infection. Ms. McDivitt, the claims adjustor, said the infection was unrelated to Charles’ work injury. This lack of needed care led to a horrific downward spiral in Charles’ health. Sedgwick drove Charles to want to die. He said, ‘I’m tired of having to fight for everything.’ Two weeks later, he died.”

NIOSH Makes Ladder Safety Easier Through an App

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) announces the availability of a new Ladder Safety smart phone application (app). This new app uses visual and audio signals to make it easier for workers using extension ladders to check the angle the ladder is positioned at, as well as access useful tips for using extension ladders safely. The app is available for free download for bothiPhone

and Android

devices.

Falls from ladders are a common source of preventable construction injuries. Misjudging the ladder angle is a significant risk factor for a fall. If the ladder is set too steep it is more likely to fall back or away during use, and if it is set too shallow then the bottom can slide out.

“The ladder safety app is an innovative way to help keep workers safe and a tool to reduce these preventable injuries,” said NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D. “The development of this smart phone app also demonstrates how we are constantly working to make science-based practical information accessible to workers and employers in a way they need and can easily use.”

The app provides feedback to the user on positioning the extension ladder at the optimal angle. It also provides references and a safety guide for extension ladder selection, inspection, accessorizing, and use. It was developed with input from the ANSI A14 committee on Ladder Safety, the American Ladder Institute, and other stakeholders.

NIOSH collaborated with DSFederal on the final development and testing of the app before release. The app is based on a multimodal inclination indicator for ladder positioning that has been recently awarded a US patent. To learn more and download the Ladder Safety app visithttp://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/falls/ and to learn about the campaign to prevent falls in construction go to http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/construction/stopfalls.html. NIOSH is the federal agency that conducts research and makes recommendations for preventing work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths. For more information about our work visithttp://www.cdc.gov/niosh/.

.Related articles

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Apple Is Moving Distracted Driving Into High Gear

Transportation accidents account for a high proportion of work-related fatalities, and Apple's announcement with week of increasing the access of iCar-Technology into the automobile is raising serious concerns among safety lobbyists.

Workers' compensation insurance companies in co-ordination with the US Department of

IOS in the Car
Heavy Integration Announced
at Apple Conference

Transportation (DOT) have made major efforts over the last few years to target distracted driving as a major safety issue to avoid serious accidents and ultimately save lives and reduce insurance costs. The DOT reports, "Distracted driving is a dangerous epidemic on America's roadways. In 2011 alone, over 3,000 people were killed in distracted driving crashes."

As of June 2013, 41 state, the District of Columbia, and Guam ban text messaging for all drivers. Also, 11 states, the District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands, prohibit all drivers from using handheld phones while driving.

OSHA fines two companies $130,500 for trenching hazards at Kearny, NJ, site

Many workers' compensation accidents occur while working in trenches. The employer in NJ is insulated under the exclusivity doctrine from a claim for negligence. An employee's only remedy in many instances is only the NJ Workers' Compensation benefits.

VM Construction Inc., based in Miami, and Concrete Systems Inc., based in Sterling, were cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration for willful and repeat trenching hazards found at a Kearny work site. OSHA's November 2012 investigation was prompted by an imminent danger complaint that alleged workers

English: Logo for the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

operated in an unprotected excavation 8 feet deep.

One willful violation, carrying a $28,000 penalty, was cited against VM Construction Inc. for those workers operating in an unprotected excavation. 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. The construction company was also cited for one serious violation, with a $2,400 penalty, for failing to ensure a competent person inspected the excavation prior to allowing workers to enter. 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.

Concrete Systems Inc., a concrete and masonry contractor, faces $100,100 in penalties for two repeat violations involving workers operating in an unprotected excavation and entering an excavation that was not inspected beforehand by a competent person. A repeat violation is issued when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years. Similar violations were cited in 2008.

Because of the nature of the hazards and the violations cited, Concrete Systems has been placed in OSHA's Severe Violator Enforcement Program, which mandates targeted follow-up inspections to ensure compliance with the law. OSHA's SVEP focuses on recalcitrant employers that endanger workers by committing willful, repeat or failure-to-abate violations. Under the program, OSHA may inspect any of the employer's facilities if it has reasonable grounds to believe there are similar violations.

"Improperly protected trenches can collapse suddenly and with great force," said Kris Hoffman, director of OSHA's Parsippany Area Office. "OSHA implemented a trenching and excavation special emphasis program in the 1980s, so the industry is well aware of the safety regulations for trenching operations."

Detailed information on safeguards for excavation and trenching is available at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/trenchingexcavation/index.html.

The citations can be viewed at http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/ConcreteSystems_772381_0605_13.pdf* and http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/VMConstruction_770662_0605_13.pdf*.

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