AIHA Debuts Free Heat Test App

• Environmental health and safety trade group AIHA has launched a free “AIHA Heat Stress Mobile App” for both iOS and Android.
• The tool allows users to input customized information that will factor into their overall heat stress risk assessment, including: Locations; Intensity of workload; Six different options of clothing type; Cloud coverage for measuring the degree of sun exposure; and, Preferred language (English, Spanish, French, or Portuguese).
• The app combines this information with local weather data automatically pulled from the local National Weather Service to calculate the individual’s Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) index.
• The app was developed by heat safety experts from the AIHA’s Thermal Stress Working Group in partnership with East Carolina University.
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Falls, Tripping Cause Most Severe Injuries in Continuing Care Centers 

• Falls and tripping were the causes of most severe injuries suffered by workers in assisted living communities and continuing care retirement communities (CCRC) from 2015 to 2023.
• According to analysis of data from OSHA’s Severe Injury Report dashboard by McKnights Senior Living, in those communities, 103 total severe injuries were reported between 2015 and 2023, with 95 workers hospitalized and eight amputations.
• In those communities, Pennsylvania had the highest number of severe injury reports, with 27, including 25 hospitalizations and two amputations. Florida followed, with 22 severe injuries reports, 21 hospitalizations and one amputation.
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Marine Fleet Center Again Named DoD’s Safest Organization 

• The Marine Corps’ Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) has received the Department of Defense’s (DoD) 2024 Safety and Occupational Health Management System Achievement Award in the organizational category.
• It is the second time in three years for the Cherry Point, North Carolina facility.
• The SOHMS Achievement Awards are presented annually by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel Readiness for exceptional performance of a safety and occupational health management system that aligns with DoD goals and objectives.
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Canada’s WorkSafeBC Issues Whopping $170,000 Fine in Power Line Incident

• WorkSafeBC has fined a British Columbia construction company $167,890 CAD after its tower crane hit adjacent high-voltage lines and caused a power outage to the surrounding area.
• Femo Construction Ltd. was fined after inspectors determined the crane’s zone limiting device was not functioning, its remote control had been left unattended and there were no training records available for the crane’s operators.
• According to the report, the opticrane limiter failed to engage, and its alloy chains hit high-voltage lines, cutting off power to nearby properties.
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