Testing Workers Safety Gear

Many industries across the United States require workers to abide by certain safety standards set by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), often including basic safety gear. There are multiple different sets of safety gear that are differentiated based on the line of work employees are undertaking. These standards were developed to prevent serious injury and reduce the risk of any incidents while on an active job site. 

The kind of gear and duration of use is constantly modified to better fit the needs of employees and their environment. OSHA and other committees set out to test the gear to understand how they respond to real world situations, and if they comply with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

Types of Protective Gear

There are many different types of protective safety gear utilized by the general workforce in the United States. The purpose of utilizing safety gear while at work is to minimize workplace injuries, protect employee health, and promote healthy work environments. The most common gear observed in the field include, but are not limited to:

• Gloves

• Respirator

• Helmet

• Hearing protection

• Hard hat

• Goggles

• Eye protection

• Face shield

• Ear plugs

These types of protective wear otherwise known as PPE (personal protective equipment) were continuously developed in response to dangerous work environments where employees are interacting with chemical, radiological, physical, electrical, mechanical, and other unique hazards. The different types of PPE is completely dependent on the type of work being conducted and the risk to the employee. 

All PPE used in a work environment should also be maintained and clean in a reliable fashion to ensure its performance will be effective. All workplaces should have a system in place to source safely designed and constructed equipment that fits the employees comfortably and to encourage their use in the workplace. If the PPE does not fit properly workers are less likely to consistently choose to utilize them, increasing the risk of engaging in dangerous or exposed activities. Like all workplace duties, the use of specific PPE must be trained and there are a multitude of different online and in person resources available. Specific criteria included in the worker training programs requires users to understand wearing PPE:

• When it is necessary to source PPE.

• The type of PPE necessary.

• How to properly wear, remove, and adjust equipment.

• The limitations and effectiveness of certain PPE.

• The proper care, maintenance, lifespan, and disposal procedures for the PPE.

Testing PPE Effectiveness

Many different committees surrounding PPE have developed their own unique tests applicable to types of equipment to assess their usefulness and construction when used in the workplace. All PPE advertised by OSHA pass the ANSI standards, however there are additional tests done to ensure their application is necessary and effective in real world simulations. 

Many of the tests completed by committees are to study the way PPE responds when in motion. These tests are vital because they simulate real world situations when workers are climbing, walking on a site, or in motion in the event of an accident. Plenty of tests are run during the construction process of PPE to ensure their stability and durability in the face of exposure or collision. 

The most important tests that PPE is run through include their effectiveness when under different kinds of stresses. Most employers have working conditions that deal with at least one of these conditions, if not all of them. Some employees undergo working conditions that replicate all five tests on the same job. 

5 General Tests:

1. Ascent

2. Descent

3. Load bearing

4. Load bearing under stress

5. Friction

When ascending PPE needs to protect the worker from overhead dangers like spills, falls, and miscellaneous contusions. On the descent tests, PPE is analyzed in scenarios that replicate falls and rapid downward altitude changes. The descent test is incredibly vital in types of constructive work that involves large amounts of climbing and transporting materials from different levels. The load bearing test seeks to establish the stability of different PPE when a worker or equipment is suspended in place. Labs simulate load bearing under stress by adding swinging or momentum into the PPE test trial. The final test for PPE before deciding its credibility among employers is a friction test, establishing the durability of the equipment when moved between levels at high speeds. The friction test replicates the event of a fall or dropped item on a work site and can be applied to many different forms of PPE. 

Applications for PPE Tests

Many of the tests can be applied to the various PPE used by the industry, and having more than one test is an effective way at determining its durability in a real world environment. These tests not only put workers at ease knowing the equipment they use is in fact safe and effective, but also the employers. Industry leaders want the assurance that the kind of PPE they invest in for their companies is safe, effective, and actually prevents workplace injuries. The other caveat that comes from these tests is changes in the standardizations published by overhead administrations like OSHA and ANSI. If a certain PPE is found to be more or less effective than previously assumed, the standards advertised to employers may have to be entirely modified. These tests also provide clarity into the specific uses individual PPE should be used for, creating more uniform standards and expectations of certain industries. 

Doctor’s Warn Against Using ‘My AI’ for Health Support

Snapchat is among the first of popular social media apps to incorporate emerging artificial intelligence (AI) software directly into user interface. The AI feature acts as a chatbot allowing users to ask questions and communicate for advice, planning trips, recipes, and trivia games. However, as the feature is gradually gaining more popularity and scope with new users, an alarming number of teens have begun to turn to the AI chatbot for mental health support, which doctors caution against. 

Many people have questions on the validity, safety, and scope of artificial intelligence invading day-to-day lives. The technology has observed rapid incorporations into mainstream media, employment tasks, and daily utilization over the last decade. As artificial intelligence continues to develop it also raises questions about its utility and user safety. Doctors are beginning to dissect the full potential of AI and are currently in discussions exploring associated benefits and risks. 

What is Artificial Intelligence?

The basic definition of AI is the scientific engineering of intelligent machines that expands beyond computers' ability to understand to bridge the gap between biological observance and human intelligence. Artificial Intelligence inside human technology has been a topic of interest since the 1950s, and has continued to be refined and implemented over the past 70 years. 

The simplest form of AI seeks to combine robust amounts of data enabling a program to engage in problem solving, without human interference. AI algorithms are created to synthesize datasets using machine and deep learning protocols that output predictions and classifications. 

Deep Learning

• Comprised of neural networks

• Predominantly automated extraction from datasets

• “Scalable machine learning”

• AI determines results between data inputs and outputs

Machine Learning

• Requires human intervention or facilitation to extract entire datasets

• Restricted to smaller datasets

• Human observes determine results between data inputs and outputs

A variety of different applications for AI has been developing incorporating both factors of algorithm learning. Some of the most common systems implementing AI include speech recognition, customer service, computer vision, recommendation engines, and automated stock trading. Many aspects of society are beginning to rely on artificial intelligence features to facilitate daily tasks and communications, gradually invading people’s own personal data and online activities. 

The applications of artificial intelligence are continually expanding and recent developments have spurred many doctors into researching potential uses related to patient care as the technology is already aiding X Rays, digital imaging, and hospital management.

Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

Millions of users across the country are familiar with some form of artificial intelligence in their life, often acting as rollout testers as companies rush to create competitive products for users. The rapid distribution across the internet has made accessing AI tools incredibly easy for average users. These tools are most often being used to develop medical diagnoses, writing assignments, software installation, and so many other tasks. 

Critics of the technology argue large spearheading companies like Microsoft and Google have failed to completely test the safety and validity of the new tools before distributing to the public. Artificial Intelligence has already raised concerns over employment security, privacy violations, misinformation campaigns, and identity theft as even President Biden has advocated for ensuring AI’s safety, and addressing aforementioned risks. Officials agree the technology has the potential to significantly improve lives in medical settings, but only after it can meet new legal responsibility regulations. President Biden and his administration have released an AI Bill of Rights and risk management framework to begin the facilitation of the technology on its pathway to medical utility. 

AI Bill of Rights: To address urgent challenges surrounding artificial intelligence by describing five core protections each American is to be entitled.

1. Safe and Effective Systems

1. Users should be protected from unsafe and ineffective systems. 

2. Algorithmic Discrimination Protections

1. Users should not be subjected to discriminations by algorithms

2. Systems should be used and designed in an equitable manner

3. Data Privacy

1. Users should be protected from abusive data practices by installing protections and agency control governing how data is used and stored. 

4. Notice and Explanation

1. Users must be alerted to the automated system being used and understand its contributions to its uses. 

5. Alternative Options

1. Users must have an opt out option, to be redirected to a person that can consider and remedy problems manually. 

Artificial Intelligence Meets Mental Health

Many doctors agree there are a multitude of uses and potential benefits for supporting mental well being with artificial intelligence, most notably addressing the severe nationwide shortage of active providers. Technological solutions based on AI usage would allow greater accessibility to health professionals by patients, and facilitate ongoing daily treatment plans. Doctor Zachary Grinder, a psychological consultant in California even described how the technology could be used to identify concerning patterns of language and online behavior indicative of underlying mental health conditions. He also described how direct access to mental health communications can normalize the condition and get people connected with appropriate services. 

The caveat to the potential benefits is the interpersonal dependency AI interactions may inadvertently cause in a patient’s life. As the tools continue to advance and expand user applications, some users may begin to rely too heavily on their relationship with the artificial intelligence rather than human connections. Early users to tools released on several media platforms have already described how they tend to use their AI chats when lonely, looking for a ‘quick fix’ to their mental health. 

One of the most significant areas of concern for many doctors is the human-like response style and clinical authority most AI chat bots reply in. This style of dialect can be confusing to younger demographics who may not realize they are not communicating with a person. The clinical authority with which AI provides solutions is also perceived to be accurate by the user, when algorithms operating the AI sometimes fabricate answers. The complications of AI uses reach far beyond mental health vulnerability and the technology is likely to be subjected to many additional regulations as it continues to advance, attempting to limit misinformation and protect users.

OSHA’s Beat the Heat Contest to Further Temperature Hazard Prevention

Every year companies face challenges during the summer related directly to temperature and heat based injuries, with dozens of employees facing death and severe heat related illnesses every year in the United States. Just last year there were almost 2,000 reported injuries and illnesses related to environmental heat. States in the southwestern United States often face average summer temperatures well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, subjecting construction and other outdoor industries to dangerous conditions. 

Employers all over the country have already started preparing for the start of summer, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has developed several educational resources, regulations, and aids to enhance employee safety. Some techniques OSHA has used to help prevent employee related heat injuries while at work include crafting temperature-illness prevention plans, teaching materials, and ensuring workers have access to things like shade and water. This year OSHA has also launched a ‘Beat the Heat’ contest to incentivize and reward industries taking the necessary steps to prevent employee injuries. 

The ‘Beat the Heat’ Contest

The ‘Beat the Heat’ Contest was started by OSHA this year to uncover more resources and further raise awareness of the risks employees and employers will face this summer. For the contest employers will submit any tools and resources they are implementing to contribute to employee education and work safety regarding heat hazards. The purpose of the contents is industry and public awareness related to the dangers of excessive heat exposure, and to motivate all entities to prevent heat illnesses from occurring. 

A panel of OSHA and federal agency workers will form a judgment panel to decide on a winner of the contest. All members of the panel will have some expertise in relevant heat related subject matter and judge based on the how well the submissions:

• Identify heat risk to workers

• Provide informative messages

• Utilize creative communication methods

• Create engagement with employers, employees, and relevant stakeholders to work together forming effective communications concerning the hazardous risks of heat exposure in the workplace. 

• Apply effective communication and message strategies to be accessible and easily understood by all workers, employers, and relevant stakeholders. 

• Consider the geographic significance of the employment industry sector

Award Categories will include:

• Most Innovative

• Most Creative

• Boldest Message

• Best Non-English Submission

• Highlighting Indoor Heat Hazards

• Highlighting Young Workers

The employee industries will have until June 9, 2023 to submit their entries into the contest, and winners will be determined shortly thereafter. 

Heat-Illness Resources and Education

Heat stress is one of the most commonly reported injuries by workers exposed to extreme heat conditions on the job. Heat stress can result in a variety of complications including heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, and heat rashes. High temperatures can also increase the risk of workplace accidents by causing sweaty palms, foggy protective eyewear, and disorientation. Another commonly reported injury is a variety of surface burns from the sun, and from contact with metal surfaces left in direct sunlight. 

Many workers and industries have exposed areas of risk when discussing heat related illnesses and injury. Workers at risk of heat stress include industries that contact the outdoors including hot environments including firefighters, bakeries, farmers, construction workers, miners, boiler room technicians, factory employees, and many others. 

These workers are at a much higher risk when they are overweight, over the age of 65, have heart disease, have high blood pressure, or take medications that may be affected by extreme heat exposure. 

Types of Heat Related Illnesses 

• Heat Stroke

• The most serious heat-related illness that occurs when the body can no longer control its temperature. The body’s temperature will continue to rise until the sweating mechanism fails and the body is unable to cool down, causing permanent disability or death if the person is left untreated. 

• Heat Exhaustion

• The body’s response to excessive loss of water and salt, most likely through excessive sweating. This will most commonly affect the elderly and people with underlying health conditions that are working in hot environments. 

• Rhabdomyolysis

• A medical condition associated with heat stress and prolonged physical exertion in high temperatures. Rhabdo causes the rapid breakdown of and death of muscle releasing large quantities of electrolytes and protein into the bloodstream. This condition can result in irregular heart rhythms, seizures, and kidney damage.

• Heat Syncope

• A fainting episode or unusual dizziness often associated with standing too long or sudden elevation changes of the head above the body. Factors that can exacerbate this condition are dehydration and lack of acclimatization. 

• Heat Cramps

• Usually affect individuals who often sweat profusely during physical exertion or strenuous activity. Sweating depletes the body’s salt and moisture levels creating painful muscle cramps, also an indication of the early stages of heat exhaustion.

• Heat Rash

• A skin irritation caused by excessive sweating during high temperatures and humid conditions. 

All of these conditions should be completely addressed by employer heat prevention plans, and all employees should be fully educated about the risks and early symptom signs related to each heat related illness. 

Heat-Illness Prevention Methods

Planning and supervision are two factors that can significantly reduce heat related illness and injury to employees while at work. Employers should develop a written plan to prevent heat-illnesses from happening so employees have the highest level of safety and awareness.

Prevention Plans should include:

• Who will provide daily oversight?

• How will new workers develop heat tolerance?

• Temporary workers may be more susceptible to heat and require closer supervision.

• Workers returning from leave  (more than two weeks) may be at increased risk.

• How will the employer ensure first aid is adequate and the protocol for summoning medical assistance in situations beyond first-aid is effective?

• How will heat stress be measured?

• How to respond to the National Weather Service’ heat advisories?

• How to determine if the total heat stress is hazardous?

• What training will be provided to workers and supervisors?

Heat conditions can change rapidly and must require day-to-day supervision to ensure all the policies and prevention plans effectively do their job to benefit employees. Supervisory individuals at a work site should be responsible for constantly monitoring and implementing employer heat plans as conditions change throughout the day, and ideally the individual should also be on site where the workers are. 

Train Derailment in Ohio Threatens State’s Environmental Health

A massive ecological disaster is currently underway in East Palestine Ohio after a severe train derailment releases a variety of different chemicals into the environment. Scientists have been able to identify several of these chemicals released from the train cars including vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate, and isobutylene. 

Health officials are on high alert because many of the harmful chemicals have been known to cause a variety of harm to human health including irritation, breathing difficulties, cancer, and eye damage. The alarm continues to rise as the full breadth of the disaster continues to unfold, raising major concerns about the severity of exposure and contamination resulting from the incident. 

After the initial derailment of the 150 car freight train occurred, authorities decided to burn some of the spilled chemicals to avoid any potential explosions. The chemical burning has sparked additional concerns regarding human and environmental health for the greater portion of eastern Ohio, as the contaminants have now been observed entering the local atmosphere and essential resources like waterways and nearby farms.  

5 Toxic Chemicals Identified Around Derailment

Residents of the Palestine Ohio area have been told it is safe to return home after the initial assessments of the impacted area, however questions still remain over the extent of exposure to the region’s resources and additional safety concerns surrounding the chemical burning. Scientists are working to determine the level of exposure to the soil, air, and water. They have already been able to identify at least 5 different contaminants released by the train derailment. 

1. Vinyl Chloride: This compound is a known carcinogen, observable as a colorless flammable gas used to make polyvinyl chloride (PVC) components. PVC is the plastic material used in many different types of packing materials, electronics, medical supplies, and construction products. Extended exposure to vinyl chloride can result in drowsiness, disorientation, extremity numbing, nausea, and eventually cancer. This chemical is also a culprit of severe eye and skin irritation, among many of the initial reports from affecting individuals. Vinyl chloride has also been recorded causing extensive liver damages to those with long term exposure able to seep into soil and pollute groundwater resources. 

2. Butyl acrylate: This colorless liquid chemical is also used to produce various types of plastics, polymers, resins, and material coatings. Butyl acrylate is colorless with a fruity odor causing irritation to the eyes, skin, and respiratory tracts after long exposures. 

3. Isobutylene: A colorless gas utilized in plastic production for packing materials and resins. Exposure to isobutylene causes dizziness and headaches.The shipping company transporting this company reported in an inventory briefing that the cells carrying this chemical had no breaches, although it has still been observed in the scientist’s environmental assessment surveys. 

4. Ethylene glycol: A synthetic compound used in components of paint, ink, hydraulic brake fluid, and antifreeze compounds. Exposure to ethylene glycol has been recorded causing irritation to eyes, skin, and upper respiratory tracts. 

5. Ethylhexyl acrylate: This colorless liquid is used to produce plastics and polymer compounds. Any person exposed can experience irritation to their eyes and skin as well as nausea and sore throats. 

Experts Criticize Disaster Response

Most of the country has been kept in the dark regarding the massive derailment, and many experts are now highly skeptical concerning the actual response from county officials and site surveys. The derailment was overshadowed in the news by sightings of rogue balloons thought to be of Chinese origin over the continental USA, and the superbowl. As more information and public highlighting of the events happening in the Ohio town reach the rest of the country, people are demanding more cohesive explanations regarding how officials are handling the spill. 

So far the conclusions are unsure if officials have done enough to study the effects and potential concerns for immediate and long term impacts the chemical spill could pose to human and environmental health. Evidently there has been a lot of testing and safety discussions since the initial accident, however there has not been any formal reports outlining the comprehensive actions taken to address the contamination concerns and consequences. 

Other expert scientists have also drawn concerns to the potential pollutants that may have been created as a byproduct of the derailment and fire. When some of the identified chemicals are burned they can produce byproducts known as dioxins which are extremely harmful and toxic substances. 

Ohio’s Environmental Protection Agency has stated they will be continuing to monitor and survey the quality of Palestine’s air, soil, and water however they have not identified if they will also be testing for the harmful chemical byproducts adding to further criticism. 

The dioxins are heavy sticky compounds able to settle on people’s properties and tracked inside their homes, creating health hazards after being inhaled or ingested. These toxic compounds by products also do not break down easily and can sometimes persist for decades.

Environmental Damages

Initial estimates have been updated to suggest the freight train derailment is responsible for more than 44,000 animal deaths. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) estimates the deaths account for more than 38,000 minnows, plus more than 5,000 additional species that include fish, amphibians, crayfish, and macroinvertebrates. 

Shortly after the derailment officials declared it unsafe to enter waterways in the area unless prepared with specialized protective gear and equipment. Residents reported hundreds if not thousands of fish washing up on the shores of the rivers and streams further downstream from the incident, although officials have observed fish returning to the initial areas closer to where the incident happened. 

Hazardous trains are also required to be fitted with specialized automatic braking systems that would allow trains to brake faster potentially reducing the extent of damage a derailment can cause. Companies are always looking for ways to add more cars to their trains, inadvertently increasing the risk of derailment.

Dangers of Extreme Heat Faced by Outdoor Workers

Many outdoor workers face a common problem every year: managing summer heat and health complications while on the job. Summer temperatures in southern regions of the United States and other parts of the world are increasing yearly, posing additional risks to these types of employees. However, the risks and complications are not equally imposed, and different types of workers may be at even higher risk, according to experts. 

Three of the hottest cities in the United States where workers are at increased risk include Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. Certain studies have explored the relationship between heat indexes in these southwestern states and work-related injuries, revealing expected trends toward higher temperatures and people getting sick. 

These higher-than-average temperatures often reach more than 88°F during the summer and can cause many health complications. Extended exposure to exorbitant heat can result in dehydration, unconsciousness, heat stroke, and lack of perspiration. Severe heat exposure cases can damage internal organs, disrupting the central nervous system, blood clotting, liver functions, and kidneys.

Due to complications imposed by global warming, summer temperatures continue to increase and expose workers to heat waves, droughts, and higher temperatures. Outdoor workers that face these temperature challenges include industries such as agriculture, construction, maintenance, recreation, and more. Heat-related injuries can keep workers out of a job, sometimes up to 30 days, while healing. The extended recovery times for workers who have experienced heat-related injuries can significantly impact employees and their families. The risks of these work-related injuries impact the lower-class workers at an even higher rate. Researchers also discovered a higher percentage of female workers reported heat-related injuries.

Studies between 2011 and 2018 suggested an increase from 50 to 86 percent of people affected by work-related heat injuries identified as female. The increase in the disproportionate cases of affected female workers may result in more women entering the workforce, specifically into roles within outdoor industries. These results have inspired further research into the hormonal risk component associated with the different heat risks between sexes. Specific biological cycles may place women at higher risks than their male counterparts. 

Another demographic at greater risk of heat-related injuries includes long-standing employees. The same study found that increased work heat complications correlated with increased length of stay at the worker’s company. Employees with five or more years of experience were at a greater risk of work-related heat injuries than employees with less than one year. Experts suggested the increased risk of these long-standing employees may be due to the lack of risk perception or the cumulative tolerance built from chronic heat exposure during their years of service. 

More research is being conducted on the types of employees at the most significant risk and different safety methods these vital outdoor industries can implement to decrease heat-related health implications.