Risk Management


This photo shows samples of rebar recovered from the collapsed FIU pedestrian bridge before they were sent to the Federal Highway Administration

NTSB Reports Design Errors Made in FIU Pedestrian Bridge

Six people died and eight others were injured when the 174-foot bridge collapsed on March 15, 2018, while it was still under construction.

NRC Special Investigation of Browns Ferry Under Way

A two-person NRC inspection team will identify the circumstances surrounding a Nov. 7 dose rate alarm event, review the licensee's immediate response to the alarm, evaluate their corrective actions and causal analysis, and assess the program for diving, work control, radiological surveys, and movement of highly radioactive material.

NZ Government to Re-Enter Pike River Mine

"I've been considering the re-entry recommendations, risk assessments, and information provided by the Pike River Recovery Agency, along with input from independent advisor Rob Fyfe. The re-entry method I have approved is the simplest and safest plan," Minister Andrew Little said Nov. 14.

Minnesota Workplace Injury Rate Reaches All-Time Low

The survey estimated that in 2017, the state had 72,500 workers with OSHA-recordable nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses, compared to 73,600 cases for 2016.

BLS Reports Private-Industry Recordable Case Rate Declined Slightly in 2017

The 2017 rate of total recordable cases was 2.8 per 100 FTE workers, down from 2.9 the year before.

Duck Boat's Captain Charged

The indictment alleges Kenneth Scott McKee failed to properly assess the nature of the severe weather while the vessel was on the water and operated it in violation of the conditions and limitations specified in the vessel's certificate of inspection. When severe weather arrived at the vessel's location, the indictment says, McKee failed to instruct passengers to don personal flotation devices and also allegedly failed to immediately increase speed and head to the nearest shore.

Eying Natural Disasters, Virginia's Governor Signs Resilience Executive Order

It calls for designating Virginia's secretary of natural resources as the chief resilience officer of the Commonwealth, a review of the vulnerability of Commonwealth-owned buildings, development of a Virginia coastal resilience master plan, a review of pre-disaster mitigation programs, and a review of compliance with flood protection and dam safety laws.

Wrong Equipment Cited in Drowning Investigation

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada's investigation found that the third officer used a rope ladder to read the seaward draft marks in the middle of the vessel. When resting flat against the vessel's hull, this ladder leaves little room for hand and foot holds, making it unsuitable for this task, and the rope ladder was rigged to the guardrail in such a way that there was no safe way to access the ladder from the deck.



Mock-Up Project Lowers Risk for SRS Workers

"The mock-ups used for the liquid waste operations and SWPF tie-in project are an ideal way to test the execution of this important but hazardous scope," DOE-Savannah River Assistant Manager for Waste Disposition Jim Folk said. "Ultimately, it helps to determine the tools and techniques that will be needed to perform the tie-ins while reducing exposure to the workers."

DEA Releases 2018 Drug Threat Assessment

The Drug Enforcement Administration's acting administrator, Uttam Dhillon, said the report underscores the magnitude of the nation's opioid crisis. "This report highlights the necessity of using all the tools at our disposal to fight this epidemic," he said.

NYC Cracking Down on Private Garbage Haulers

During the first three nights of the initiative that began Oct. 28, NYPD inspected 128 garbage hauling trucks, issued 163 moving summonses and 458 criminal summonses, and towed five garbage trucks that were deemed not safe for the road.

Compliance Order Issued After Pipeline Explosion

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection reported that its inspections after the Sept. 10 explosion "discovered violations including unreported landslides, impacts to aquatic resources, construction activities occurring in unpermitted areas, and several sections of the pipeline that required the installation of additional measures to prevent accelerated erosion."

Penn State Medical Center Adds Worker Safety Measures

The new safety measures are intended to help hospital workers distinguish between patients and visitors experiencing health-related stresses and those who are purposely aggressive.

Leading Indicators For Breaking Through Persistent Injuries

Ultimately, applying leading indicators to a high level means first unearthing the alternate universe of "what could have been done better" and then measuring these desired actions.

HHS Opens Health Care Cybersecurity Center

"We know that the majority of the cybersecurity attacks that occurred over the past year could have been prevented with quality and timely information, and the heightened importance of sharing information cannot be stressed enough," said Jeanette Manfra, assistant secretary for Cybersecurity and Communications in DHS.

Recommendations from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board following the Deepwater Horizon blowout and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010 are still open. (U.S. Chemical Safety Board photo)

CSB Adopts Order on Worker Participation in Investigations

The five-page order says investigators-in-charge of any given investigation are to offer a reasonable number of workers and/or their representatives the opportunity to participate in investigative activities.

ASSP Hosts Women's Safety Summit

"By harnessing our collective power, we can lead a deeper global conversation and make a lasting impact for women everywhere," said Abby Ferri, administrator of ASSP's Women in Safety Excellence (WISE) Common Interest Group. "Women make up nearly 50 percent of the global workforce and often experience occupational risks differently than men. However, safety interventions frequently take a one-size-fits-all approach. We must advocate for gender-specific solutions."

Big Recall of Flushing Systems Announced

Flushmate has received 1,446 reports in the United States and seven reports in Canada of the systems bursting, resulting in property damage totaling about $710,000, including 23 injury reports with one requiring foot surgery.

Chemicals, Oil & Gas, Wood Products Companies Addressed by WorkSafeBC Process Safety Initiative

"We are looking at the types of hazards and the risks they pose that are specific to each employer, and how they are managing and controlling those risks," said Gordon Harkness, manager of the Risk Analysis Unit. "We want employers to manage the risks that are created through their processes."

How to Be Prepared for Workplace Violence

Don Moseman, a master instructor for the North Dakota Safety Council, outlined during an NSC 2018 session some of the policies and practices employers should use.

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