Safety
The Pump Handle
Category archives for Safety
IoM proposes national public health research agenda to prevent gun violence
Posted by The Pump Handle on June 11, 2013 It seems we barely go a week now without news of another violent gun incident. Last week’s shooting rampage in Santa Monica, Calif., has resulted in the deaths of five people. And since the Newtown school shooting last December — in the span of less than six months — thousands of Americans have been killed by guns.
Sequestration and OSHA: Impact so far seems minor, but advocates brace for an uncertain future
Posted by The Pump Handle on June 7, 2013 Every week, the Austin-based Workers Defense Project welcomes standing room-only crowds to its Workers in Action meetings. And once a month, a local OSHA representative would join the meeting, giving some of Texas’ most vulnerable workers the chance to meet face-to-face with the agency. Unfortunately, due to the federal sequester, OSHA has had to indefinitely suspend its participation. It’s a significant loss.
Fallen Houston firefighters raise national death toll to 37, 2013 especially deadly for Texas crews
Posted by Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH of George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services on June 4, 2013 In a typical year, about five firefighters in Texas die in the line of duty. So far in 2013, the death toll is 13. The official count doesn’t include five responders who were killed at West Fertilizer.
Study: Sending nonviolent drug offenders to treatment instead of prison saves money
Posted by The Pump Handle on May 24, 2013 When it comes to nonviolent drug offenses, systems that favor treatment over incarceration not only produce better health outcomes, they save money, too. It’s yet another example of how investing in public health and prevention yields valuable returns on investment.
ATF obstructs safety investigators examining blast at West Fertilizer
Posted by Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH of George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services on May 23, 2013 The federal, State and local authorities investigating the West Fertilizer plant disaster each have different responsibilities and expertise. The ATF is acting like its task is the only one that matters.
Wage theft in South Florida: Nation’s first county with wage theft protections reports on progress and perils
Posted by The Pump Handle on May 14, 2013 Earlier this month, Florida lawmakers wrapped up their latest legislative session. And nearly 500 miles south of Tallahassee in Miami-Dade County, workers’ rights advocates breathed yet another sigh of relief.
Death on the Job report: US workers deserve better protections
Posted by Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH of George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services on May 8, 2013 The AFL-CIO’s “Death on the Job” report shows why U.S. workers deserve much better protections than they are getting.
Study: Banning smoking in subsidized housing could save millions in health care costs
Posted by The Pump Handle on April 26, 2013 Another day, another study that shows investing in public health interventions can make a serious dent in health care spending. A new study has found that banning smoking in all U.S. subsidized housing could yield cost savings of about $521 million every year.
Will Tom Vilsack’s USDA keep its promise to poultry plant workers about their grueling, disabling work?
Posted by Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH of George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services on April 25, 2013 The USDA Secretary tells Congress that his agency still plans to implement a new poultry slaughter inspection system that will allow producers to drastically increase line speeds, while a disturbing new report on poultry workers in Alabama explain the harmful effects of the current working conditions.
Preventing fire fighter deaths, learning from the fallen
Posted by Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH of George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services on April 23, 2013 CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has a special role in the West Fertilizer plant explosion. Its Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program will be investigating the factors that led to the deaths of the 10 volunteer fire fighters.