As 2007 drew to a close, Occupational Hazards asked a panel of industry leaders to make some predictions about the future of workplace safety. Laura Walter reports:
The discussion revealed a variety of emerging trends that could impact the practice of safety in the future. Some were familiar themes, such as globalization, the aging workforce, nanotechnology and OSHAâs role in worker safety. Other predictions were a bit less expected, including the possibility that human resource departments might play a big role in workplace safety culture, the greening movement can attract young talent to the field or product branding may protect workers from injury.
You can read the full writeup here. In other news:
Northwest Herald (Illinois): Several employees of the Rohm and Haas facility in Spring House, Pennsylvania have died of brain cancer, and their case is strikingly similar to that of McCullom Lake, Illinois residents.
Associated Press: The deadly Sago Mine explosion two years ago prompted Congress to pass legislation strengthening mine safety standards, but many of those standards have yet to be implemented.
CNN: Safety advocates have gone to court in an effort to block a new Transportation Department rule that increases the amount of time truckers can drive without a break from 10 hours 11.
McClatchy: Veterans returning Iraq and Afghanistan with debilitating mental ailments face wide variation in disability payments from the government, depending on where they live.
amNY.com: After two firefighters died in a burning building, FDNY members designed a new personal safety device â and yesterday an FDNY veteran used it successfully to escape after being trapped in the fourth floor of a burning Brooklyn building.