There are a few safety briefs that have crossed my desk recently, so I won’t bother you with a long introduction. We’ll get right to it, because these briefs are varied and impact a number of industries, so y’all better pay attention!

[Image courtesy of Flickr user morebyless via a Creative Commons license]

[Image courtesy of Flickr user morebyless via a Creative Commons license]

Terminally Solar

India has become known worldwide for its commitment to solar power, and a new international airport in India has taken that commitment completely to heart.

The Cochin International Airport, which just opened this past spring in the southern India province of Kerala, is expected to operate solely on solar power created from a 45-acre solar farm. This means lights, hydraulics, computers, mechanical facilities, everything will be powered solely from the sun, from more than 46,000 panels which will reduce carbon emissions by the equivalent of 3 million trees (600 million pounds) over the next quarter-century.

The company that owns the Cochin airport intends to sell its extra energy to the state’s electricity board, and the India government has been developing an initiative to encourage more and more facilities (including airports) to incorporate solar power into their operations. Cochin airport won’t need its arm twisted.

Constructing Ergos

Apparently, working through pain is a badge of honor in the construction industry.

That is one explanation for the lack of ergonomic controls and improvements in construction to help workers be more productive and dealing with less pain that is associated with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) such as back pain, sprains, strains and other issues that seem to be part and parcel of working in construction.

A study published in the Americal Journal of Industrial Medicine revealed that contractors have not addressed improved ergonomics in the induntry mainly because of the increased costs of such equipment and tools, and workers themselves have always known pain and discomfort to be part of the job and many of them work through their aches as long as the pain isn’t debilitating.

Workers are ignorant or apathetic about their rights to be healthy, comfortable and productive, and contractors think the costs of tools and equipment outweighs the future costs of time-loss by workers who get injured enough to stop working. Collaboration will be the key to improving worker health at construction sites. This link directs you to the findings of the study.

Mining for Enforcement

There was a day in August 2015 that was particularly tragic in the mining industry, and that day has re-shaped the commitment to safety by the Mining Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). On that single day alone, three mine workers were killed in unrelated incidents in three different states. That one day accounted for more than 10 percent of the year’s death toll from mining incidents.

That day has led to increased enforcement of rules and regulations regarding mining safety, and MSHA has put forth an initiative to more aggressively sanction violations that directly lead to incidents in the hopes of being a deterrent and to prevent future incidents. You can read more about this here.

No Alternative to Safety

It is one thing to work with traditional gasoline-powered vehicles if you are a first responder. But when working with hybrids, electricutt, liquid natural gas or biodiesel, each different fuel source presents their own challenges for first responders who are an incidents that involve these kinds of vehicles.

The NFPA has introduced a self-paced, free, online training program that educates first responders about how to properly handle emergency situations involving these alt-fuel vehicles. The modules are entirely self-paced and highly interactive, with video, graphics and simulations to drive points home about these vehicles and how to deal with safe rescue and extrication operations of passengers and drivers. Registration is required to take this course.

HazMat Stumps Einstein?

Albert Einstein is seen as a genius, even as he was a school dropout. But apparently, some hazardous-material workers think the the Theory of Relativity is easier to understand than some of the rules and regulations they face in their jobs.

Specifically, more than 135 shipping executives were surveyed about the rules and regulations that cover the transport of hazardous materials by any and all modes available. The survey revealed some frustration, or sarcasm, on the part of the executives, as four in seven said that the transport regulations would be confusing even to Einstein, while nearly three in five said they had difficulty keeping up with all the changes that go on in the industry.

Labelmaster has a blog entry on its website regarding the results of this survey, which you can check out for yourself if you would like to commiserate with your hazmat troubles.