Fall Prevention Legislation Introduced in Congress
A bill that addresses the growing public health problem of falls and
fall-related injuries among older adults has been introduced by
Representatives Ralph M. Hall (R-TX) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ) in
the U.S. House of Representatives.
H.R. 5608, the “Keeping Seniors Safe from Falls Act of 2006” focuses
on preventing the 12,900 senior deaths and 1.8 million senior
emergency room visits that occur each year.
H.R. 5608 will create a national public education and awareness
campaign for older adults and their families, and provide for
professional education for health care providers about how to
prevent
falls in their older adult patients. It will expand research and
provide demonstration projects to develop better ways to prevent
falls and to improve the treatment and rehabilitation of older falls
victims.
The legislation also requires an evaluation of the effect of falls
on Medicare and Medicaid, to look at potentially reducing costs by
expanding coverage to include fall-related services.
“As someone with first-hand experience of the short and long term
damage that falls cause the elderly, I’m pleased to introduce this
bill to develop strategies that will prevent and treat falls among
older Americans,” said Rep. Hall.
Rep. Pallone agrees. “Most people don’t realize the significant
impact elderly falls have on our society. In reality, these type of
accidents are the leading cause of injury deaths among senior
citizens and
add billions to our nation’s health care costs,” he said. “The type
of education on elderly falls provided through this bill will help
inform family members, health professionals and others about how to
reduce
these avoidable and frequently disabling injuries.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
falls are the leading cause of death among seniors and more than
one-third of adults 65 years and older fall each year. Alarmingly
those rates are increasing, and among those who fall, 20 to 30
percent suffer moderate to
severe injuries such as hip fractures and head traumas that reduce
mobility and independence, and increase the risk of premature death.
The bill incorporates recommendations from ‘Falls Free: Promoting a
National Falls Prevention Action Plan,’ a comprehensive plan of 36
strategies that address the challenges and barriers related to a
national falls prevention initiative. The national action plan was
developed by Falls Free Coalition members and released in March 2005
at the American Society on Aging and NCOA annual conference.
Download the ‘Falls Free: Promoting a National Falls Prevention
Action Plan’ at
www.healthyagingprograms.org.
Businesses Want Input on Findings Used by OSHA
Business groups want to curb the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration’s use of findings made by health organizations that
don’t get industry input.
They support legislation introduced by Rep. Charles Norwood, R-Ga.,
which would prohibit OSHA from relying on this kind of information
when the agency issues workplace safety standards or
guidance documents.
The legislation was prompted by OSHA’s use of chemical exposure
limits recommended by the American Conference of Governmental
Industrial Hygienists.
OSHA requires businesses that use hazardous chemicals to provide
this information to their customers and employees. The problem,
Norwood says, is that these chemical thresholds are developed
“behind closed doors without public input and without transparency.”
“This is unacceptable, and it is high time that Congress step in to
force a change,” he says.
At a hearing Norwood held on his bill, the Brick Industry
Association noted industrial hygienists have lowered the threshold
for quartz exposure twice in the past six years despite studies that
showed the risk of silicosis is low for brick workers.
Each time the recommended exposure limit is lowered, brick companies
have to notify their customers, which “can and does cause
unnecessary apprehension about the use of our products,”BIA told the
Orlando Business Journal Vice President Joseph S. Casper.
He says it’s fundamentally wrong for OSHA to impose this burden
without giving the industry any means of being able to involve
itself through any meaningful input or administrative recourse.
OSHA Administrator Edwin Foulke says the agency doesn’t enforce
these threshold levels — they’re for informational purposes only.
For more information, see
www.edworkforce.house.gov.
Chao Signs Deal to Expand Drug-Free Workplace Alliance
U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao was joined last month by
leaders from five labor unions and five contractor associations at
the new headquarters of the U.S. Census Bureau for a signing
ceremony to expand the existing multi-union Drug-Free Workplace
Alliance.
Established in October 2004, the Drug-Free Workplace Alliance is the
Dept. of Labor’s first-ever cooperative agreement focusing
exclusively on improving worker safety in the construction industry
through drug-free workplace programs.
“Workers benefit when unions and management combine forces to
improve workplace safety, and that’s what this Drug-Free Workplace
Alliance is all about,” said Secretary Chao. “Unions,
employers, and associations who have joined in this alliance are
committed to preventing on-the-job drug or alcohol use and making
safety a core value at the worksite.”
“The new members of the alliance will more than double the number of
workers covered by the alliance to over 2.4 million workers,” said
Secretary Chao. “This is the first time that employers have joined
the alliance and that is a great step forward in advancing worker
safety.”
The alliance agreement highlights the secretary’s commitment to
working cooperatively with unions and contractor associations on the
shared goals of protecting worker safety and health. Since its
inception, founding members of the alliance have facilitated the
delivery of the drug-free workplace message to many individuals
working in or with the construction industry. In addition,
participation in
the alliance has helped build trust and cooperation between
government, industry and labor.
For more information on the Dept. of Labor’s Working Partners for an
Alcohol and Drug-Free Workplace, go to
www.dol.gov/workingpartners/.
DuPont Sees Firm Demand for Safety and Protection Products
Improved pricing and higher volumes offset much of the impact of
higher raw material costs for DuPont, which saw first quarter sales
and profits decline, though its safety and protection division
benefited from demand that remains firm.
On a whole, the company posted a first quarter profit of $817
million, or 88 cents a share, on sales of $7.66 billion, compared to
profits of $967 million, or 96 cents, $7.83 billion in the year ago
quarter.
Pretax operating income (PTOI) for the Safety & Protection business
was $269 million, versus $231 million in the prior year, largely as
a result of sales growth in aramids, nonwovens and solid surfaces.
The company said the PTOI margins increased moderately as a result
of effective manufacturing operations and fixed costs leverage.
The segments first quarter sales of $1.4 billion reflected
double-digit growth before currency impacts with prices increasing 5
percent despite negative currency impact, more than offset higher
raw materials costs. Volumes grew in almost all businesses, and
demand remained firm across major markets such as personal
protection, construction and industrial.
Worldwide sales volumes were up 2 percent on a comparable-business
basis, largely driven by growth in Asia Pacific and Latin America.
“We knew it would be a difficult operating environment in the first
quarter, and I am very encouraged by the better than expected
performance of our company,” said Charles O. Holliday, Jr., DuPont
chairman and CEO.
ASSE Joins Liberty Mutual on Work-Related MSDs
The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) Foundation Research
Committee and the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety will
fund two extensive studies aimed at helping prevent
work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
MSDs and the exposure to physical factors at work has been a key
concern for businesses worldwide.
The term musculoskeletal disorders refer to conditions that involve
the nerves, tendons, muscles, and supporting structures of the body
and how they are affected by repetitive motion.
The currently funded studies are part of the Liberty Mutual Safety
Research Fellowship Program developed to enhance workplace safety
through research and to provide occupational safety and health
professionals with an opportunity to advance their knowledge. Two
scholars, Waldemar Karwowski Ph.D., DCs, d.h.c., PE, CPE, and Nicole
Gravina, have been selected for this program.
Results of their research will be published in ASSE’s Professional
Safety Journal.
The Liberty Mutual Safety Research Fellowship program promotes
research in occupational safety, expands upon current safety
practices, and creates the groundwork for fellows in applied safety
research.
Researchers spend the summer at the Liberty Mutual Research
Institute for Safety in Hopkinton, MA, where they have access to a
state-of-the-art facility and resources to complete their research.
Applicants for the Liberty Mutual Safety Research Fellowship program
must be U.S. citizens and possess a Ph.D. or be working towards a
Master’s or Ph.D. degree. ASSE members and applicants enrolled in an
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accredited
safety program are given special consideration. Applications and
guidelines for next year’s fellowships will be available at
www.asse.org/foundat.htm
as of October 1, 2006.
CH2M HILL Signs World Safety Declaration
CH2M HILL, an engineering, construction, and operations firm,
emphasized its strong commitment to safety by signing the World
Safety Declaration on June 28, 2006.
The company joined other industry leaders including DuPont, British
Petroleum, General Electric and CEMEX.
The Declaration was envisioned by DuPont as a visible commitment by
industry professionals to improve safety in the workplace throughout
the world. It calls for participating companies to “affect
real-world change to achieve an attainable goal of increased safety
and injury reduction.”
It also includes the following:
* Agreement that every individual has the right to a safe workplace;
* Affirmation that industry will affect real-world changes to reduce
injuries;
* Promotion of collaboration between companies; and
* Pledge to report challenges, progress and successes at the XVIII
World Congress on Safety and Health at Work in 2008.
“CH2M HILL is committed to being a global leader in safety and is
proud to join with other industry leaders to improve health and
safety worldwide,” said Ralph Peterson, CH2M HILL CEO.
The World Safety Declaration was originally signed by 15 companies
during the XVII World Congress on Safety and Health at Work on Sept.
20, 2005. Peterson signed the Declaration during a company
celebration for National Safety Month. |
