Aurora Innovation Inc. formed a committee of experts to advise on safety matters and detailed its own safety efforts with an internal self-assessment, as the Silicon Valley-based autonomous-vehicle technology startup tries to boost consumer and regulatory confidence in driverless vehicles.
The Safety Advisory Board will include outside professionals from fields such as aviation safety, insurance, medicine and automotive safety to provide guidance and recommendations, the company announced Thursday. The members include Shailen Bhatt, chief executive officer of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America; Dave Carbaugh, the former chief pilot for flight-operations safety at Boeing Co.; and Jeff Runge, a former administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The board dovetails with Aurora CEO Chris Urmson’s often-repeated goal of delivering the benefits of self-driving technology safely, quickly and broadly. As the company grows in size and rolls out autonomous trucks in Texas, it’s taking steps to bring more people into the fold and detail its safety culture.
“We can save lives while also increasing safety and efficiency on our roads,” Urmson wrote in the introduction to the 55-page Voluntary Safety Self-Assessment report. “But all of these opportunities depend on one concept: trust. Our technology needs to be trustworthy. Our company needs to be trustworthy.”
www.dredgingtoday.com/2021/06/0…
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Council for Dredging and Marine Construction Safety (CDMCS) have inked a strengthened partnership on safety and discussed ways, through shared understanding and commitment, to create and sustain an injury-free workplace and safety-first culture for the men and women of the dredging and marine construction industry.
At this milestone event – which was held yesterday, June 3, in Washington, D.C. – CDMCS’ Executive Director Michael Gerhardt and President Devon Carlock signed the memorandum of understanding alongside Major General William H. Graham, USACE’s Deputy Commanding General for Civil and Emergency Operations. Accompanying MG Graham were Chief of Operations and Regulatory Tom Smith, Chief of Safety Mark Atkins, and other key personnel from USACE HQ.
“Today, the dredging industry and its senior leaders are taking its safety partnership with USACE to the next level,” stated Michael Gerhardt. “Since 2008 we have worked closely with open, honest conversation and uncompromising resolve. This joint understanding formalizes our working relationship for the future, paving the way for new initiatives and a “One Crew One Family” mindset that will improve and sustain a positive safety culture for the entire industry. Safety is our top priority.”
Mr Kweku Ofori Asiamah, Minister for Transport has urged Ghanaians to cultivate a culture of cycling to save the environment and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
He said cycling was a safe and healthy way to travel hence there was a need for Ghanaians to embrace it and protect one another against the damaging impacts of climate change.
Mr Asiamah, in a speech, read on his behalf by Mrs Mabel Sagoe, Acting Chief Director at the Ministry, to commemorate this year’s “World Bicycle Day” in Accra on Thursday, emphasised that bicycle riding was not only good for one’s health but equally good for the environment.
“The use of bicycles can contribute greatly to cleaner air and congestion-free cities whilst providing at the same time, a reliable means of transport,” he said.
The event, held in partnership with Bamboo Bike Initiative was to highlight the benefits of cycling.
All employees at Lavazza Professional, a manufacturer of coffee products (and one of EHS Today’s America’s Safest Companies in 2020), gathered around the cake wondering aloud whose birthday it was. The cake and decorations were unusual, but Jason Hall is not the most traditional safety leader. In fact, he insisted that everyone sing “Happy Birthday,” although they still did not know whose birthday they were celebrating.
It turns out there was no birthday. Instead, Hall, the company’s health, safety, environmental and security manager, told employees that the amount of time it took to sing that song was the exact amount of time they needed to wash their hands to protect themselves against COVID-19.
“At the beginning of the pandemic, there was a lot of misinformation and fear, so I felt the best approach was to provide our workforce a clear, factual presentation of what this virus was and how we have faced other health concerns in the past,” he says. “I tried to add humor to make the information easier to digest.”
This innovative way to deal with a very difficult and frightening health concern goes beyond clever marketing to get buy-in from employees. It demonstrates an empathy for everyone at the company who had to turn on a dime and create almost error-proof methods to stop the virus from spreading.
This topic interested us mainly because of a paper we encountered. It’s a very new peer-reviewed study that has only just been published online. We will use that paper as the framing device for our conversation.
Join us for this interesting and exciting conversation about the capacity index.
Topics:
The belief in required metrics. Low injury rates and what they actually mean. The regulator paradox. The six capacities. Due diligence. The problem with the study’s names for metrics. Measuring activities. Practical takeaways.
Quotes:
“Injury rates aren’t predictive of the future, so using them to manage safety, using them as your guide, doesn’t work.”
“And while I think you could always argue that there are different capacities that you could measure, as well, I don’t think there is anything inherently wrong with the capacities that they have suggested.”
“Basically, what we’re doing is we’re measuring activities and all of those things are about measuring activities. Now, unless you already know for sure that those activities provide the capacity that you’re looking for, then measuring the activity doesn’t tell you anything about capacity.”
Jane Timken expressed dissatisfaction with racial justice education in schools and suggested curricula would be better served by focusing on support careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
As an engineering professor, I can attest that. Timken is misguided in that these issues are inextricably linked. Racism in STEM has manifested in the abuse of minorities as evidenced in the Tuskegee Syphilis Trials, establishment of the HeLa cell line from Henrietta Lacks without informed consent, the Detroit Water crisis, and the large scale buildout of chemical plants in Black and brown communities.
Inattention to diversity has led to seat belt designs that are ineffective for women and children because of their smaller stature and poor safety culture because of the divide between technicians that are often from minority groups and their managers (who are often white and male).
Engineering curricula are evolving to more closely address these deficiencies based on industry demands, where a focus on diversity is already well established.
Timken would do well to consult stakeholders before making offhand comments that do not have basis in fact.
Timken would do well to consult stakeholders before making offhand comments that do not have basis in fact.
Jessica O. Winter, professor, Ohio State University William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b…
EAST Midlands Railway (EMR) bosses stood accused by the RMT union today of “playing fast and loose” with Covid-19 safety over the bank holiday weekend. Serious overcrowding at London’s St Pancras station and on trains across the franchise’s network were cited by the union as evidence that passenger and staff safety are of little concern to the company, as it “repeated the mistakes” the union said were made in December. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “Either through incompetence, or a safety culture coming a distant second to the culture of corporate greed, trains across the network are being reported as over capacity, with zero social distancing.”
www.thetablet.co.uk/blogs/1/1…
What the British Government needs is a slice of Emmental cheese. In fact several slices. Swiss cheese has holes in it, but usually no two slices are the same. What it also needs is a “safety culture”, also sometimes called a “just culture”, as used in the aviation industry worldwide and increasingly in the practice of medicine. This is the right answer to Dominic Cummings. It was invented, incidentally, in Britain. It has doubtless saved many lives.
Something went badly wrong in the initial response of Boris Johnson’s Government at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic more than a year ago. Even the Daily Telegraph, scathing about Cummings’ display before joint House of Commons select committees, could not deny that what went on was a “shambles”.
www.helsinkitimes.fi/lifestyle…
The number of fatal water accidents decreased significantly in 2020. 30 people died in water transport. Most accidents occurred when a rowing boat or small motorboat capsized or tilted. The use of life jackets is one of the most effective ways to prevent drowning deaths in waterborne traffic.
In 2020, there were a total of 2,204 waterborne accidents. 30 people died in waterway accidents, which was 16 less than in the previous year. All fatal water accidents were pleasure boating accidents. Although the majority of deaths occurred in inland waters, overall there were exceptionally few fatal accidents in Finland’s inland waters last year.
Victims who died in waterborne accidents were 28 men and 2 women. Just over half of those who died in waterborne accidents were men over the age of 54.
“We hope there will be a more lasting change in the boating safety culture. The importance of life jackets for safety and human life cannot be overemphasised, and middle-aged men in particular have something to do with it. Show the power of “the watermark”, wear a life jacket and make sure your loved ones do the same! ”Encourages Traficom director Henri Wallenius.
www.foodsafetynews.com/2021/05/i…
Attendees of IFC’s first virtual food safety event have heard how Africa is tackling the issue of safe food domestically.
The 9th International Finance Corporation (IFC) International Food Safety Forum covered domestic and trade issues, as well as food safety culture over two days in May and is still available to watch. IFC is part of the World Bank Group.
In her opening comments, Jumoke Jagun-Dokunmu, IFC’s regional director for Eastern Africa, said discussions will cover the potential for increased investment that can unlock business opportunities while increasing food safety for people across the continent.
“We believe that improved food safety is helping clients meet regional and export market requirements, attract investment, realize cost savings and strengthen their brands. So far, IFC’s food safety advisory program has helped over 200 clients attract $607 million in investment and generate $709 million in new sales,” she said.
www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/2…
laudine El Araybi, the Director of Nursing at Al-Ahli Hospital and the Chairman of the Scientific Planning Committee said, “The seminar of the Medication Safety is offered to all healthcare practitioners. The seminar is designed for clinical providers involved in the medication process and it will help to update the knowledge they have in medication safety including in areas such as the theory behind medication errors, how often they occur, why they occur and how to prevent them.”
Alaine Adea, nursing educator at Al-Ahli Hospital, highlighted the importance of safety culture in improving the safe delivery of care, particularly the high-risk activity of medication administration to all guests.
Sandra, nursing educator at Al-Ahli Hospital said, “Nurses have a unique role and responsibility in medication administration, in that they are frequently the final person to check to see that the medication is correctly prescribed and dispensed before administration. This seminar is a reminder for all healthcare professionals on how we can avoid making medication errors.”
www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/news-mult…
The 55th annual Louis Schwitzer Award was presented Friday, May 21 to Terry Trammell, M.D., for his work on biomedical engineering for INDYCAR driver safety. Trammell’s numerous contributions have advanced motorsports safety and prevented driver injuries. Utilizing a data-driven approach, engineering principles and medical expertise, his efforts have been recognized across multiple motorsports safety organizations throughout the world. “We are proud to once again sponsor the Louis Schwitzer Award – a program that goes beyond honoring the racers behind the wheels and instead highlights the innovation and engineering excellence behind the scenes of this world-class motorsport event,” said Frédéric Lissalde, president and CEO, BorgWarner Inc. “Just like INDYCAR, BorgWarner is committed to maintaining and continuously improving our safety culture, and Dr. Trammell has made some impressive strides in optimizing the vehicle safety for these drivers.” In addition to Trammell’s renowned orthopedic abilities, his undergraduate degree is in chemical engineering with a specialization in biomedical engineering. From the early 1990s he has worked to develop definitive data from racing crashes using the latest technology. From the earliest accident data recorders to later units like the new ADR4, Trammell has been integral to their development. The resulting G-force database has been used to continuously develop improved race car materials and design.
The Short Line Safety Institute (SLSI) has released a 2020 report of safety culture assessment results; Watco has acquired the Geaux Geaux Railroad in Louisiana from Amzak Capital Management.
Among the key takeaways from the SLSI analysis of short line safety culture assessments in 2020: Railroad leadership’s commitment to demonstrating that business objectives are not prioritized over safety has been the No. 1 safety culture strength since 2017; hazardous materials exercises and training continues to be an expressed opportunity area for railroads; and housekeeping, including the proper storage of tools and materials as well as potential OSHA-related issues, is a less prevalent gap/opportunity in 2020 than in previous years.
The report will be used “to create a roadmap for the SLSI in the upcoming year,” Executive Director Tom Murta said. It will help prioritize the development of new programs, resources and tools to address industry needs.
connectedaviationtoday.com/evolving-…
Creating a culture of safety has always been a critical part of developing an efficient and ordered National Air Space (NAS). It is with that mindset that the FAA has developed a Safety Management System (SMS) mandate which provides a framework for a more safe and secure aviation industry. As the NAS becomes more crowded with new entrants, the SMS will need to evolve to meet the FAA’s safety mission. The current SMS mandate was put into place for commercial airline operators by March 2018. However, since safety is vital to every aspect of aviation, it’s also necessary to ensure that other types of operators have SMS in place as well. Still, it’s not quite as simple as applying the SMS for commercial aviation to business – or other types – of operators. During a virtual town hall event hosted by the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), Ed Bolen sat down with FAA Administrator Steve Dickson to discuss the challenges that current SMS poses for business operators. They discussed the crash that killed Kobe Bryant, seven other passengers, and the pilot on January 26, 2020. “The [Island Express Helicopter] appeared to check all the boxes for how an SMS should operate,” Dickson said. The crash painfully illustrated that there is much more to be done to build a safety-first culture in the business aviation industry.
themalaysianreserve.com/2021/05/2…
The government must accompany its full lockdown plan in curbing the spread of the Covid-19 with pivotal measures as Malaysia’s death rate is alarming.
Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang) head of research Akhramsyah Muammar Ubaidah Sanusi said Malaysia’s success in managing Covid-19 should not be measured just by the number of infections per day, but by the country’s cumulative death rate, which last peaked this year at nearly 0.38% on February 19, 2021.
“The government should have implemented a strict MCO at the latest by the end of April 2021, especially then the cabinet ministers were clearly stating the likelihood of another wave of infections.
“The government’s indecisiveness at that critical time compelled Pejuang’s leadership to highlight the urgency for the need for a full lockdown to be implemented despite it being on the eve of Hari Raya Aidil Fitri,” he said in a statement today.
In the grand scheme of things, the government has to establish a safety culture programme for the people to truly adopt the “new normal” rather than just repeatedly urging Malaysians to adhere to the standard operating procedures (SOP), which has been shown to not be as effective, he added.
“Malaysians must be made to understand that the pandemic-free days of the past will likely never return and that our culture must change for us to survive and thrive moving forward,” he said.
www.vanguardngr.com/2021/05/k…
The Kaduna State Government has reassured its commitment to entrenching sustainable road safety culture for the welfare and wellbeing of road users. The Commissioner for Public Works and Infrastructure, Hajiya Balaraba Aliyu, gave the assurance at a joint press conference to commemorate the 2021 United Nations 6th Global Road Safety Week, on Wednesday in Kaduna. Aliyu said the state government had approved the establishment of Kaduna State Advisory Council to serve as a policy-making body on road safety matters in the state. She maintained that the state has always been at the forefront of promoting road safety, and had established the Kaduna State Traffic and Environmental Law Enforcement Agency (KASTLEA) for efficient enforcement of road traffic law.
Read more at: www.vanguardngr.com/2021/05/k…
The energy-absorbing Steel and Foam Energy Reduction (SAFER) Barrier has been protecting race car drivers since it was first installed at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May 2002.
The foam used in the barrier is manufactured by Owens Corning, a company based in Toledo, Ohio, known to consumers for roofing, insulation and composite materials – and, of course, The Pink Panther™ in its marketing campaigns. FOAMULAR® is the brand name of the extruded polystyrene (XPS) foam that Owens Corning produces, and it can be found at local home improvement stores like The Home Depot and Menards.
Owens Corning considers itself a silent partner in the sport’s continual drive to maximize safety. Its FOAMULAR® material is used as a shock absorber to dissipate energy on impact. The more energy dissipated, the better chance injuries can be avoided or lessened. It’s a natural extension to the company’s safety culture, for which Owens Corning has been nationally recognized for its continued commitment to improving safety in the workplace and beyond.
John Budinscak, Owens Corning FOAMULAR® product and program leader, appreciates the company’s role in the sport each time the SAFER Barrier is struck.
Owens Corning“There are a lot of safety elements contributing to the SAFER Barrier’s effectiveness, but I’m thankful every day that we can be part of bettering the sport,” he said. “I watch video clips of what I’ll call ‘those instances’ and marvel at its effectiveness.”
CATHEDRAL CITY, CA – Just a month after the new Agua Caliente Casino Cathedral City opened, a metal gate near the casino’s loading dock collapsed, crushing a 41-year-old construction worker under its 3,000-pound weight.
A U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation that followed the Dec. 7, 2020, tragedy found the project’s contractors – Penta Building Group, No Limit Steel and The Raymond Group – failed to conduct inspections to discover hazards, instruct employees on how to recognize workplace dangers, and install caution signs to warn workers about potential hazards. The three contractors face $64,169 in combined penalties.
“Required oversight and communication related to workplace safety and health could have prevented this tragic loss of life,” said OSHA Area Director Derek Engard in San Diego. “This case is a painful reminder of why employers must make complying with workplace safety standards a priority.”
The Penta Building Group is a general contractor with offices and operations in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Palm Springs and Reno. The Raymond Group provides wall and ceiling construction services in Southern California. No Limit Steel is a contractor based in Los Angeles.
OSHA offers compliance assistance resources for the construction industry and the management of multi-employer construction projects.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to help ensure these conditions for America’s workers by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance.
Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) workers, and the world, are about to find out how aggressive their employer can be in what could be the largest experiment in workplace safety culture ever undertaken.
Amazon announced Monday that WorkingWell, a program that provides employees with physical, mental and nutritional support, among other wellness services, will be rolled out across the entire U.S. operations network by year-end, with the aim of cutting recordable incident rates — an OSHA measurement of worker injury and illness — by 50% by 2025.
The company, which has faced criticism over worker conditions as its size and customer demand have grown, is investing $300 million in safety projects this year, though it did not break out spending on this program specifically as part of that budget.
WorkingWell is not entirely new to Amazon employees, nor is the plan to cut injury rates. It was first piloted in 2019 and has already reached a huge number of workers, 859,000 employees at 350 sites in North America and Europe. In Amazon’s most recent earnings report released in late April, the company indicated it was going to expand the program, though it did not offer full details.
Safety Culture in a Post-COVID-19 Nuclear Sector
The recent pandemic has taken a significant toll on workers in many industries, exacerbating feelings of exhaustion, burnout, and fatigue while creating separation between once-unified teams. Meanwhile, physical distancing guidelines, newly decentralized work arrangements, and shifting consumer demands have created new challenges for industry leaders.
Meanwhile, the nuclear industry in the United States seems to have flourished during this pandemic, maintaining high safety standards while furthering research, development, and innovation initiatives.
Utilizing a teamwork-based approach and a safety culture that encourages dialogue, leaders, regulators, and everyday workers innovated and collaborated in critical ways, reorienting the sector and creating a new normal with incredibly positive results.
Often, these efforts are built upon existing protocols to meet the moment. For example, the nuclear industry prides itself on being a learning sector that openly shares lessons learned and best practices throughout the world. Nuclear has always recognized that pandemics could impact safe operations.
The protracted COVID-19 pandemic is no longer just a disruption to the way we work but has transformed permanently the world of work, Chan Kok Seong, UOB’s group chief risk officer, says in an interview with finews.asia.
The future of work is shaping into a hybrid model that optimizes employee flexibility, autonomy and performance across locations. While much attention has been focused on enabling virtual teams through technology, it is important to balance the risks of remote working with productivity and agility.
A paper recently released by the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Association of Banks in Singapore identified two key categories of risks for financial institutions: operational risks and people and culture risks, which all companies across sectors should note as they digitalize their businesses.
www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your…
A Marine Corps culture that lawmakers called one of mission over safety came under attack during a recent House Armed Services Committee readiness subcommittee hearing looking into failures that led to July 30, 2020, sinking of an amphibious assault vehicle and resulted in the deaths of nine service members.
Though the families were briefed on the roughly 2,000-page investigation, nine months of silence and some of the findings left many families still asking questions. Two parents of killed service members testified. The hearing was called shortly after the Corps released its initial investigation into the AAV accident. “Our safety culture has got to improve,” Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Gary Thomas told lawmakers May 3. “I share your view on making sure we have adequate oversight and we are looking at adding additional safety specialists at the right place to ensure that our exercises are as safe as they possibly can be.”
www.auntminnie.com/index.asp… Burns and colleagues outlined three actions radiology departments can take to ensure safe care transitions:
Focus on individual behaviors. Train staff on potential sources of error (i.e., order requests, report transcriptions, ineffective listening). Use tools like notetaking, repeating information back, checklists, screen-sharing, and virtual consults. Focus on team behaviors. Designate particular handoff times rather than conducting them “on the fly.” “Wet reads and curbside consults are especially vulnerable to communication and accountability errors,” the group noted. Reduce noise in team environments and limit interruptions. Make use of safety checklists for procedures. Develop organizational strength. Automate parts of the handoff protocol, such as reminders, exam orders, and reporting using the electronic health record. Establish a safety culture: “An organizational culture that prioritizes patient safety more closely aligns with provider goals, builds a stronger shared mental model of the role of handoffs in care transitions, and transforms handoffs from isolated communication events into true transfers of professional responsibility,” the group wrote. Improving patient care transitions is crucial on so many levels, and requires cooperation between individuals, teams, and organizations, according to the authors.
www.insurancebusinessmag.com/au/news/b…
The new hub, Better Business Hub, aims to protect Australian fleet, transport operators, and drivers by providing interactive, downloadable, applicable tools and resources to support their day-to-day activities.
With the Federal Government’s $300,000 grant administered by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR), NTI developed “Business of Safety” – its first educational content series on the hub. The insurer also supplemented the content series by its in-kind contribution to match the government’s grant.
NHVR chief executive officer Sal Petroccitto said the Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative had so far allocated $22.8 million through 89 separate grants over the past five years.
“Improving heavy vehicle safety and safety for all drivers is the top priority of the NHVR,” Petroccitto said. “I’m delighted we could support the NTI program to develop content and tools which will assist transport operators effect change and build a robust safety culture.”
www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/a…
It further stated: “The controls listed in the vessel’s risk assessment to mitigate the severity were not being followed at the time of the accident.
“The vessel’s safety management system was incomplete and was not being properly used or maintained on board Olivia Jean.”
Need for wide-ranging changes
A “weak” safety culture across the fleet of fishing vessels owned by Olivia Jean’s managers, TN Enterprises, was also cited.
Recommendations have been made to TN Enterprises, aimed at improving safety management on board its fleet.
These include the “utilisation and full implementation of a fishing safety management system, as recommended by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency”.