Safety

NPR

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OSHA not always holding accountable employers who skimp on safety : NPR

definition is that a trench is any narrow excavation made below the surface of the ground that is deeper than it is wide. They typically are no wider than 15 feet and no deeper than 20 feet and are often dug to install sewer and water lines and other underground utilities at commercial and residential sites. Because of their depth and the myriad ways that different soil types, external vibrations and weather can affect their stability, trenches can collapse without warning, offering little time to escape. One cubic yard of soil can weigh 3,000 pounds, about the weight of a Mini Cooper or other small car. In a collapse, the soil can move rapidly, depending on the depth of the trench and other variables.

NPR

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Why people still fear needles in Halloween candy : NPR

Halloween is one of the most dangerous holidays of the year for kids. It has more child pedestrian deaths than any other day of the year. Kids also get tangled in their costumes and injure themselves. But there's something that isn't a real problem: strangers giving trick-or-treaters apples with razor blades, poisoned candy or drugs.

For decades, Halloween-safety public service announcements and police officers have advised parents to inspect their children's candy before letting them eat it. Generations of kids have been told bad people want to hurt them by tampering with their Halloween candy.

"This is absolutely a legend," said Joel Best, a professor of sociology and criminal justice at the University of Delaware, who has studied contaminated candy since the 1980s. "It's not a particularly great legend ... but it lives on."

"I have data going back to 1958, and I have yet to find a report of a child that's been killed or seriously hurt by a contaminated treat picked up in the course of trick-or-treating," said Best.

Most legends exist because they are so profitable for the politicians, advertisers, television reporters and police departments. If it sells automobiles, gets politicians re-elected and enhances pension benefits, what's not to like?

Bicycles on Interstates Are Safer then City Streets

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🚴If we wanted to save lives of bicyclists, we would ban them from city streets and require that they only ride on Interstate Highway with their 12 foot shoulders and limited access points. Based on crash data it’s much safer to ride a bicycle on the shoulder of a limited access highway than a city street. Cyclist deaths on limited access highways are exceptionally rare in the many states that permit such riding. 🚴

🔢Too often though we let emotions and perception
of safety replace statistical evidence. 🔢

Amid backlash, consumer safety commission chair says he’s not seeking gas stove ban | The Hill

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Amid backlash, consumer safety commission chair says he’s not seeking gas stove ban | The Hill

The chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), a Biden appointee, said on Wednesday that he is not seeking to ban new gas stoves.?

The statement from CPSC Chairman Alexander Hoehn-Saric comes amid significant backlash from both Republicans and some conservative Democrats.?

“I am not looking to ban gas stoves and the CPSC has no proceeding to do so,” said?Hoehn-Saric in a written statement.?

He clarified that the commission is “researching gas emissions in stoves and exploring new ways to address health risks.” He also said it is engaged in “strengthening voluntary safety standards” for the appliances.?

Safe-driving campaigns don’t work nearly as much as we need them to. It’s time to spend the money better.

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Safe-driving campaigns don’t work nearly as much as we need them to. It’s time to spend the money better.

It’s hard to dispute the urgency of protecting American road users; traffic deaths are rising at the fastest rate on record, particularly in urban areas. On a per capita basis, walking, biking, or driving is significantly more dangerous in the United States than in other developed countries. But how helpful are the many, many education campaigns found across the United States? How many lives are they saving?

Thoughtfully designed and implemented, education programs can and do induce safer travel behaviors, especially if they target a specific audience with new and actionable information. But all too often, education campaigns reiterate messages people already know, like the dangers of speeding or texting while driving, or emphasize humor or fear, which generally fails to shift behavior. Worse, they put the ultimate onus for safety on the individual, sapping resources that could go toward more systemic solutions.