Study Finds Independent Boards Boost Worker Safety

• Companies that changed their board of directors to include independent directors in at least half of the seats saw a 9% reduction in workplace injuries and a 17% reduced likelihood of violating OSHA standards, according to new academic research.
• “Independent directors’ concerns about their labor market reputation drive safety improvements,” the researchers said. 
• “We [found] that transitioning from a non-independent to an independent board significantly improved workplace safety in the operating units of affected firms,” said Lixiong Guo of the University of Mississippi and Zhiyan Wang of Wingate University in “Board Structure and Employee Safety and Health,” released August 24.
• The insight comes more than 20 years after Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange changed their rules to require listed companies to include independent members in at least half their board seats.
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Workers Warned on Helene Clean-up Safety

• OSHA is warning workers involved in the recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene that only those with experience and proper training and are familiar with related equipment should be handling the clean-up.
• “The risk of injuries and fatalities during cleanup can be reduced with knowledge, safe work practices and using proper personal protective equipment. Our safety professionals are ready to assist with questions about reducing hazards in the wake of this catastrophic storm,”  said OSHA Regional Administrator Kurt Petermeyer in Atlanta.
• Law firm Fisher Phillips advises that the greatest threats at most workplaces are presented during the clean-up phase and when restarting businesses. “This is because employees are faced with unusual circumstances and are often performing different tasks than their usual jobs,” according to the firm’s Insights blog. 
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Unique Stressors Contribute to Maritime Worker Alcohol Abuse

• Maritime industry workers face a unique set of stressors that can lead to alcohol abuse, according to David Shapiro, assistant director of programs and partnerships at the Centers for Health, Work & Environment.
• Alcohol misuse at sea requires both regulatory reform and workplace culture shifts, he recently told an audience at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine as part of the Alcohol at Sea Study Committee.
• “Alcohol misuse in the maritime industry is not just a safety issue—it’s a well-being issue. The unique stressors maritime workers face, from isolation to fatigue, increase the risk of substance use,” he said.
• However, adopting recovery friendly policies and a Total Worker Health approach, can address these issues, he said.
• The Center for Health, Work & Environment is an academic center within the Colorado School of Public Health.
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