FY08 State Agency Injury/Illness Report

I recently sent the FY08 State of Wisconsin Risk Management Benchmarking Report to campus safety managers on our 4YrEHS mail list. The report consists of an executive summary followed by 20 plus pages of charts, tables and graphs on state agency employee injuries, illness, and claim costs.

Previous fiscal year versions of this report are available through the Wisconsin Document Depository Program. Select the Advanced Search feature, and search for the words:

risk management benchmarking accidents

That will bring up six years of reports.

Risk-Based Performace Standards Guidance: Notice of Availability and Request for Comments

The Department of Homeland Security invites interested persons to contribute suggestions and comments on the draft document entitled “Risk-Based Performance Standards Guidance” (RBPS Guidance) by submitting written data, views, or arguments.
Comments that will provide the most assistance to the Department will explain the reason for any recommended changes to the RBPS Guidance and include data, information, or authority that supports such recommended changes.
Please identify the proposed changes by page and line number, and/or by Figure or Table number.
Read the Draft Risk-Based Performance Standards Guidance (PDF, 178 pages - 853 KB)

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College/university incidence rate for 2007

The 2007 Bureau of Labor Statistics on Incidence rates - detailed industry level is now available. Our industry sector -- Colleges, universities, and professional schools (NAICS code 6113) -- posted a total recordable case incidence rate of 2.6. The incidence rate for cases with days away from work, job transfer, or restriction (DART rate) is 1.0.

Most recent calendar year incidence rates for colleges, universities, and professional schools:

2007 -- 2.6
2006 -- 2.5
2005 -- 2.7
2004 -- 2.8

Fire safety pages around the system

As we come to the close of the fall fire drill season, I recently pointed you to the new River Falls web page on fire drill results. Thought that I'd also mention a sampling of the fire safety internet links from other UW campuses. If I missed one that you think needs to be shared, let me know and I'll post it.

Madison has several fire safety links in the sidebar of their general safety page.

Milwaukee has a wealth of both general and campus-specific fire safety links on their page.

Green Bay has a fire safety self-inspection checklist that campus staff could use to evaluate their own work surroundings.

Parkside has pages on their evacuation procedures and a description of safe havens.

Stevens Point has building and res life safety guide links under the Emergency section of their EH&S website.

Stout has links to their procedures and training slides for "How to Report a Fire/ Fire Training."

Superior has a concise page on their emergency procedures, including a link to a tri-fold brochure on fire evacuation (pdf).

Whitewater has links to their fire drill procedures and fire safety policy.

Eau Claire and La Crosse mention their evacuation procedures in their emergency response plans.

Sticky Tape Produces X-Rays

from nature.com...

I thought this was interesting. I'm not sure how they'll regulate it. Probably $150.00/roll/year :)

http://www.nature.com/nature/videoarchive/x-rays/

UW-Oshkosh Emergency Procedures Guide

The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh has developed a new manual to ensure that the campus community knows what to do during various emergency situations.

The Emergency Procedures Guide, a spiral-bound, easy-reference handbook, provides step-by-step instructions on what one should to do when faced with potential emergencies such as bomb threat, chemical or hazardous waste spill, disturbance, fire, medical emergency, severe weather, active shooter and suspicious letter or package.

UW Oshkosh always has had emergency procedures in place; the manual serves as a helpful resource on the individual level, according to Vice Chancellor for Student Services Petra Roter.

“The Emergency Procedures Guide is a way of making sure that everyone knows what that plan is,” Roter said.

The guide will be distributed at the start of the fall semester to all University employees and will be on display in classrooms, administrative offices and residence halls.

A multichannel communications tool, the guide also will be available online for quick reference at www.uwosh.edu/emergency.

EPA to 'Reset' TSCA Inventory

As part of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Chemical Assessment and Management Program (ChAMP), EPA announced its intent to update the current Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Inventory of industrial chemicals by "resetting" it to more accurately reflect the chemicals in commerce. EPA also plans to develop a program to challenge the U.S. chemical industry to provide health and safety information on inorganic high-production volume chemicals.

[See press release] [See ChAMP website]

To fulfill its part of the SPP commitment, the United States will, by 2012, complete screening-level hazard and risk characterizations and initiate action, as appropriate, on more than 6,750* chemicals produced above 25,000 pounds per year. The U.S. commitment to complete assessments and initiate needed action on these chemicals will apply the results of EPA’s work on High-Production Volume (HPV) chemicals - those chemicals produced or imported in the United States in quanties of 1 million pounds or more per year - and extend its efforts to moderate production volume (MPV) chemicals - those produced or imported in quantities above 25,000 and less than 1 million pounds per year.

As an initial effort under ChAMP, EPA began, in 2007, posting screening-level hazard characterizations and expanded this effort in 2008 by posting risk-based prioritizations (RBPs). The RBPs summarize basic hazard and exposure information on HPV chemicals, identify potential risks, note scientific issues and uncertainties, and indicate the initial priority being assigned by the Agency for potential future appropriate action.