NIOSH addresses prevention of overdose deaths in the workplace
Opioid misuse and overdose deaths are a public health crisis affecting the nation, including workplaces. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has unveiled a new resource for employers and workers dealing with the opioid crisis. The new factsheet, “Using Naloxone to Reverse Opioid Overdose in the Workplace: Information for Employers and Workers,” is a resource for workplaces considering implementing a naloxone program.
Naloxone is a drug that can reverse many of the life-threatening effects of overdoses from opioids. This factsheet provides a series of steps for employers to consider when deciding if their workplace should establish a naloxone program, making the overdose reversal medication available in the event of an overdose.
For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/niosh or call (800) CDC-INFO [232-4636].
Workers in construction, manufacturing more at risk for fatigue
A National Safety Council survey report found 69 percent of employees — many of whom work in safety-critical industries — are tired at work, increasing the risk of injuries and incidents on the job. The report, “Fatigue in Safety-Critical Industries: Impact, Risks and Recommendations,” highlights findings from the construction, manufacturing, transportation and utilities sectors — all high-risk industries that tend to use shift work, which commonly leads to fatigue.
The surveys also exposed a gap between how employees and employers view the risks and consequences of being tired at work. Ninety percent of employers feel the impact of fatigue on their organizations, including observing safety incidents involving tired employees and declines in productivity. However, just 72 percent of workers view being tired as a safety issue.
For more information, visit www.nsc.org/fatiguesurvey or call (800) 621-7615.
OSHA launches program to target high injury, illness rates
OSHA is initiating the Site-Specific Targeting 2016 (SST-16) Program using injury and illness information electronically submitted by employers for calendar year (CY) 2016. The program will target high injury rate establishments in both the manufacturing and nonmanufacturing sectors for inspection. Under this program, the agency will perform inspections of employers the agency believes should have provided 300A data but did not for the CY 2016 injury and illness data collection. For CY 2016, OSHA required employers to electronically submit Form 300A data by Dec. 15, 2017. The CY 2017 deadline was July 1, 2018; however, employers may still provide this information to the database.
Going forward, establishments with 250 or more employees that are currently required to keep OSHA injury and illness records, and establishments with 20-249 employees that are classified in specific industries with historically high rates of occupational injuries and illnesses, will be required to provide this information each year by March 2.
For more information, visit www.osha.gov or call (800) 321-6742 [OSHA].
U.S. GHG emissions decrease during Trump’s first year in office
The EPA released 2017 greenhouse gas (GHG) data collected under the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP), showing overall decreases across sectors, with total reported U.S. GHG emissions decreasing by 2.7 percent from 2016 to 2017.
Reported emissions from large power plants also declined 4.5 percent since 2016 and 19.7 percent since 2011.
This is the seventh year of full data collection for most sectors under the program, and more than 8,000 large facilities reported 2017 GHG emissions to EPA.
For more information, visit www.epa.gov/ghgreporting.
NAM joins EPA Smart Sectors to commit to sustainability
The U.S. EPA recently welcomed the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) as a new partner of the Smart Sectors program.
NAM and EPA’s Smart Sectors program will work together to support NAM’s Sustainability in Manufacturing campaign, in which manufacturers commit to three pillars of sustainability: environmental protection, economic performance and the social well-being of the employees, communities, customers and consumers they serve. Smart Sectors works to improve environmental outcomes by engaging in meaningful collaboration with trade groups representing 13 industry sectors. Partnering with NAM and its Sustainability in Manufacturing Campaign will allow Smart Sectors to gain a better understanding of the broader manufacturing sector. This partnership will also encourage information sharing across the two organizations and facilitate communication between EPA and the manufacturing sector.
For more information, visit www.epa.gov/smartsectors or www.nam.org.