Risk Profile Improvement
Most American teenagers are told not to text and drive, but the evidence is millions are not listening. In an analysis of a 2011 survey done by the Centers for Disease Control, 46 percent of drivers at age 17 admitted they texted while driving, a number that rose to 52 percent for drivers over 18. Distracted driving – including texting – is now the leading single cause of teenage fatalities.
via Study: Distracted driving deaths underreported – CBS News.
Every year, approximately 30 million people in the United States are occupationally exposed to hazardous noise. Noise-related hearing loss has been listed as one of the most prevalent occupational health concerns in the United States for more than 25 years. Thousands of workers every year suffer from preventable hearing loss due to high workplace noise levels. Since 2004, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that nearly 125,000 workers have suffered significant, permanent hearing loss. In 2009 alone, BLS reported more than 21,000 hearing loss cases.
Here are the more common road hazards:
-Pedestrians: People crossing the street become a hazard when they fail to use pedestrian crosswalks. If it is the pedestrian’s right-of-way, then he or she should not have to yield for an oncoming vehicle.
-Children: Children are curious and can sometimes be left unattended. They may dart into the street for any toys or to chase any objects. Drivers should use extreme caution when driving through child-populated areas.
-Animals: Just like children, these creatures can be curious and unpredictable. Some animals may have the sense to get off the street, but those who do not increase the chance of causing an accident.
-Debris: This can be any loose objects on the street such as: tree branches, tires, bags, boxes, and objects that have fallen off another vehicle.
-Potholes and Uneven Roads: These items may cause damage to an automobile and can lead to a bigger accident involving two or more vehicles.
via Common Road Hazards.
How reporting close calls can prevent future incidents
Button batteries are dangerous to kids, especially toddlers, and cause severe injuries when swallowed.
Did You Know?
A backover incident occurs when a backing vehicle strikes a worker who is standing, walking, or kneeling behind the vehicle. These incidents can be prevented. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 70 workers died from backover incidents in 2011.
Synthetic marijuana, already known to cause a number of serious side effects in users, has now been found to cause kidney damage, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
via Synthetic Marijuana Harms Kidneys of 16 Users, CDC Reports: Scientific American.
The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, the largest accidental marine oil spill in history, was most likely caused by human error, cost cutting and an insufficient safety system.
BP’s head of safety admits human error over oil spill. A pressure test which would have revealed problems in the drill “was incorrectly deemed a success by BP and Transocean rig personnel”, he said. And on three occasions, real-time monitoring data from the rig indicated that pipe pressure had increased, when it should have dropped. These indicators went “unobserved or unrecognized” for about 40 minutes, which “significantly shortened” the workers’ emergency response time.
Make sure prom night is a positive experience you’ll always remember; don’t drink alcohol or use any other substances that will compromise your ability to make good decisions.
via Prom Safety.
Implementing and expanding employer wellness programs may offer our nation the opportunity to not only improve the health of Americans, but also help control health care spending.
The Affordable Care Act creates new incentives and builds on existing wellness program policies to promote employer wellness programs and encourage opportunities to support healthier workplaces. The Departments of Health and Human Services HHS, Labor and the Treasury are jointly releasing proposed rules on wellness programs to reflect the changes to existing wellness provisions made by the Affordable Care Act and to encourage appropriately designed, consumer-protective wellness programs in group health coverage. These proposed rules would be effective for plan years starting on or after January 1, 2014.
via The Affordable Care Act and Wellness Programs | HealthCare.gov.