Page 16 - Occupational Health & Safety, April 2017

INDUSTRY UPDATE
erates and also ensure that at all times, at least one crew member aboard each type of response boat is adequately trained on the medical emergencies expected in a marine environment and quali- fied in the use of first aid and trauma equipment carried on board. The report examines the Dec. 3, 2015, sinking of the fishing boat Orin C off Cape Ann, Mass.
The wooden-hulled fishing boat went down while under tow after having to shut down its engine. A wave estimated at 15 feet hit it, parting the tow rope, and the three crew members were forced to don their immersion suits and abandon ship. Two crew members were rescued uninjured, but the captain, age 47, was not breathing when pulled from the water and did not survive.
The report finds that the probable cause of the sinking was the structural failure of the ship’s hull and flooding of the vessel as it was towed in adverse conditions.
The report says NTSB investigators could not find any USCG standard for the contents of first aid and trauma kits carried about the Coast Guard’s response vessels—a 47-foot motor lifeboat was involved in the Orin C rescue—and the board concluded no stan- dard for kit contents on the boats exists.
U.S. Senate Panel Examines Dam Safety Concerns
The U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held a hearing on flood control infrastructure and dam safety on March 1, hearing from officials from the U.S. Army Corps of En- gineers and the California Natural Resources Agency. Large-scale
evacuations prompted by severe erosion to the spillway of Cali- fornia’s Oroville Dam last month have suddenly made this a hot- button infrastructure issue.
The hearing witnesses included Lt. Gen. Todd T. Semonite, commanding general and chief of engineers for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Ron Corbett, mayor of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; John Laird, deputy secretary for external affairs with the California Natural Resources Agency; and Larry A. Larson, director emeritus and senior policy advisor for the Association of State Floodplain Managers Inc.
Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., is the committee’s chairman, and his statement emphasized the importance of maintaining the na- tion’s infrastructure. “As I have stated, infrastructure is critical to our nation’s prosperity,” he said. “It is a priority because it is a driver of our nation’s economy, and it impacts every community. . . . Our last hearing focused on highways and roads, and the needs of ru- ral water systems, all of which are within this committee’s purview. Recent natural weather events in the last month in California and other western states are highlighting the need to focus our atten- tion on our levees and dams, and other structures, that prevent catastrophic flooding in both rural and urban communities.”
He said the Oroville Dam crisis in California raises questions about the readiness of the nation’s flood prevention infrastructure, and that “dams and levees across the country need to be modern- ized and maintained if we are to prevent future disasters. I believe any infrastructure bill that this committee develops should con-
“Boomeranging:” Strategies for Revitalizing an Aging Workforce
Education for Safety Professionals
Sharpen your safety skills with this Advanced Level training course.
April 26, 2017
1 p.m. Eastern • 12 noon Central • 10 a.m. Pacific
Unless leaders make the right adjustments, aging workforces could adversely affect safety receptivity and worsen injury frequency and severity. This webinar will:
• identify mental and physical potential affects of aging on safety, productivity and motivation when left unchecked
• discuss the hidden advantages of aging workforces and how to extend them
• review 3 integrated leadership strategies for “youthifying” your workforce
• discuss 5 specific aspects of aging that can be turned around for greater safety and overall effectiveness
Registrants will receive a Certificate of Completion and can print the presentation slides in their entirety. Register now for this live, 90-minute presentation. Only $99 per attendee!
Presenter Robert Pater has written a monthly column for Occupational Health & Safety magazine for the past 11 years. Additionally, this is his 7th advanced webinar for OH&S Academy. He is Managing Director and Founder of the MoveSMART® system for preventing strains and sprains, slips/trips/falls and hand injuries. Robert has keynoted numerous corporate conferences. His leadership book, Leading From Within, has been published in five languages.
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