Safety Currents Express

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	IN THIS ISSUE: · Biting The Dust – New Dust Bill · Sinking The Safety Dangers · Scott's Corner · Coastal's Electrical Safety Training Special On Now! · Is Everything Well at Work? · A Wake-Up Call to Shift Workers · Lost Work Days, Lost Profits			May 15, 2008 Volume 6, Number 10

	Biting The Dust Congress passes Dust Bill In light of the explosion that killed 30 employees and injured others in Port Wentworth, GA, the House of Representatives voted 267 – 165 in favor of the Worker Protection Against Combustible Dust Explosion and Fires Act (H.R. 5522). It mandates that OSHA issue rules and regulations to prevent the build-up of combustible industrial dust at work sites, a situation that caused the tragedy in Georgia. The bill is "long overdue," said one of its two co-authors, Rep. George Miller (D – Calif.) and its passage is a step towards worker safety. However, implementing it may not be as easy. Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, Edwin G. Foulke, Jr. pointed out that it requires a "one-size-fits-all standard for as many as 200,000 worksites" all over the country. Moreover, its implementation will cost $1 million in the 2009 fiscal year and $41 between 2009 and 2013. Realizing the validity of these concerns, Miller allowed amendments that would give employers six months, not the originally stipulated 30 days, to set up the required engineering controls. Also, he revised the final standard, which now abides by rulemaking requirements, including business reviews.

	Sinking The Safety Dangers Lake Tahoe incidents highlight importance of water safety Spring is here, summer is around the corner and Lake Tahoe tourists and residents are having a great time or trying to at least, for many of them have already met accidents. Local officials have cited a spate of mishaps in the area. A woman fell into the cold lake water while others incurred head, back and neck injuries. There have also been reports of drowning and distressed swimmers, prompting officials to stress the need for safety. Here are some of the tips that they offered: Always go feet first. Many people dive without knowing the depth of the water. If you're going to swim, be aware that cold lake water can induce fatigue, increasing the chances of drowning. Check boating equipment before heading out. Winter can always wear out any piece of hardware. Keep radios in handy and set the frequency to that of the Coast Guard or local officials. Know where you are; this makes it easier for rescuers to locate you in case of accidents. Always keep or wear a life preserver; it's not just for kids. This is based on the article of Kyle magin, Bonanza Staff Writer. Click here to see the full article.

	SCOTT'S CORNER *Talking Your Way to Safety* Dr. Geller explains the art of conversation and its role in the science of safety. This excerpt features three out of the five types of conversation that he discusses. Powerful Conversations As a safety leader, what part do conversations play in your safety improvement process? The success of any intervention involving people depends on communication. In this article I define five types of safety-related communication, each playing a particular and essential role in safety-related intervention. I heard these conversation labels during a Progressive Business audio conference in 2003 featuring Bob Aquadro and Bob Allbright. I think safety leaders will find it useful to consider how interpersonal conversation varies in these five ways. 1 - Relationship conversation Simply put, these conversations occur whenever you show sincere interest in another person, from their home life to their work challenges. As Dale Carnegie said years ago, "Help people feel important at doing worthwhile work." This is relationship-building. Specific behaviors you find desirable might surface during a relationship-building conversation. If so, certainly acknowledge their occurrence and show appreciation. But your intention is more about developing support and interpersonal trust than influencing behavior. 2 - Possibility Conversation These conversations occur when you share visions with another person. Possibility conversations target any future situation that reflects desired improvement in environment/engineering conditions, your organization's culture, individual behavioral competence, or person states. In his 1977 book, The Art of Leadership Conversation, Kim Krisco recommends we begin coaching conversations with a discussion of a person's past, analogous to the relationship conversation discussed above, then progress to a discussion of future possibilities. 3 - Action Conversation Given a vision or possibility for improvement, this conversation focuses on what an individual or work team could do to move in a desirable direction. The action conversation could define a number of different behaviors, some to continue, others to decrease or eliminate. When these conversations occur in group meetings, individual assignments are often needed. Also, action goals are set according to the SMART acronym (for Specific, Motivational, Achievable, Relevant and Trackable). This goal-setting exercise should include an accountability system for tracking progress toward goal attainment. Taken from Leading People-Based Safety: Enriching Your Culture.			Click here or call 888-201-1150 to learn more about the next evolution in safety... People-Based Safety?. Click here to visit the People-Based Safety™ blog!


	Coastal's Electrical Safety Training Special Going On Now! Stock up and save now! Buy 1 electrical safety program at regular price and get a second for $100! Buy 2 electrical programs at regular price and get two more for $100 each! Hurry - Special ends 5/30/08! Click here to see a complete list of products and to order your FREE 7-day previews to be shipped directly to your facility! Coastal’s Electrical Safety Training Special is going on now. Call 888-574-8531 for details. Order your FREE 7-day previews today!

	Is Everything Well At Work? A study answers in the negative Things may be going bad for wellness programs at work. Research by the Guardian Life Insurance Company of America reveals that "only 35 percent of workers have access" to these programs. Of that number, 50% admit to on-going enrollment. All in all, only 3 out of 10 workers are taking part/took part in any type of wellness scheme. The findings are ironic, since the study also disclosed that 66% of employees and 85% of those enrolled believe that wellness programs are beneficial. Another irony is that at least 80% of employers (small, midsize, and large) profess the value of these programs, but only 57% of the small ones have established any wellness set-up. In any case, the stats aren't encouraging. 50% of those enrolled in some type of program lost motivation after a few years. This increasing lack of interest points to the need for incentives to participate and keep going, at least for 68% of employees. Whatever the numbers, one thing is clear: employers have to do a better job of providing access to wellness programs, raising awareness of such programs and dishing out incentives for participating employees. Click here to see entire article.

	A Wake-Up Call to Shift Workers Altered sleep patterns linked to organ disease Shift workers have much more to lose than normal sleeping hours. A study conducted by researchers from University of Toronto reports that irregular sleep patterns and shift work can lead to organ disease. Biological clocks had always been known to be critical to good health, but prior to the study, there had been "virtually no experimental data demonstrating the casual link between circadian [the body's natural 24-hour sleep-wake cycle that coordinates body temperature and organ-body system functions] dysregulation and organ pathology." The researchers thus wanted to determine the exact nature of the relationship. It has now been confirmed that over time, disrupting circadian clocks can indeed take its toll on even the most healthy people. The study of the University of Toronto researchers was published in the Journal of American Physiology. This article was based on an article in Occupational Health & Safety Online. Click here to view original article.

	The Politics of Safety: The Las Vegas Strip In the complex relations among unions, management, and workers, it is the last who suffers. Despite the presence of powerful Las Vegas-service unions, nine worker deaths in sixteen months, and a troubling pattern of safety violations, construction trade unions are still hesitant to "confront contractors over safety." The unions, however, have insisted on their diligence, saying that they conduct safety meetings and trainings. They have also stated that if job sites were deemed dangerous, they would at once pull out their workers. Even so, some workers believe that union efforts could be more aggressive, which are hampered by contracts with no-strike clauses and prohibitions of so-called secondary boycotts. Moreover, the laxity is caused by unions? efforts to "maintain tight relations" with big national contractors, who have weakened local contractor industry and can jeopardize unions by hiring non-union members. The presence of union staff-turned-contractors (and vice-versa) is a factor as well. Meanwhile, many workers are afraid of losing job opportunities and are thus not pressing for changes. And some who do demand reforms have ended up getting fired. As it is, labor experts and labor movement members are calling for more fundamental revamps. And things indeed may be looking up. Some unions are meeting both with construction companies to discuss safety concerns and with OSHA to lobby for more involvement in the agency's investigation process. Click here to view the entire article in the Las Vegas Sun.

Volume 6, Number 10 | © 2008 Coastal Training Technologies Corp.
500 Studio Drive | Virginia Beach, VA 23452 | 888-574-8531 | www.coastal.com

For FREE online previews visit www.coastal.com. To have your FREE 7-day previews shipped directly to your facility, simply call 888-574-8531 or email sales@coastal.com. Please be sure to give your name, facility name, address and phone number.

Please note: Safety Currents Express is a complimentary bimonthly newsletter updating you on the latest trends, news and information. All issues may be forwarded in their entirety via e-mail. Materials in this issue may only be reprinted with permission.

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