WorldWide Drilling Resource

57 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® OCTOBER 2013 Justin, Melvin, & Bill for Danlin Industries. 2013 And the winner is... Just taking a break! Aaron at Volvo Rents. Stan for Atkins. Alexis & Matt with Demand Safety. Candie & Brent for Lone Star Security & Safety Services. Ron representing Southern Glove, Inc. Workplace Fatalities on a Downward Trend ~ More Can be Done Adapted from Information by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Preliminary statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries indicate a reduction in the number of fatal workplace injuries for 2012. In 2012, 4383 workers died from work-related injuries, nearly 300 fewer than the final count in 2011 of 4383. In response, Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez issued the following statement: “I am greatly encouraged by the re- duction in workplace fatalities, even in a growing economy. It is a testament to the hard work of employers, unions, health and safety professionals, and the Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration [OSHA] and Mine Safety and HealthAdministration [MSHA]. Through collaborative education and out- reach efforts, and effective law enforce- ment, these numbers indicate that we are absolutely moving in the right direc- tion; but to me these aren’t just numbers and data. They are fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, who will never come home again.” Job gains in the oil and gas and construction sectors have increased the potential for fatal workplace injuries, which is why OSHAand MSHA have introduced a number of outreach and educational initiatives, including a campaign to pre- vent falls in construction and the National Voluntary Stand Down of U.S. Onshore Oil and Gas Exploration and Production, cosponsored by oil and gas industry em- ployers planned for November 14, 2013. The stand down is a commitment to conduct safety training and jobsite in- spections at worksites. No, companies aren’t expected to stop all work for the entire day, but they are being asked to stop all work for 30-60 minutes to dis- cuss safety and health issues. Stopping to talk about safety issues brings it to the forefront of everyone's mind and it’s important to communicate your company's safety message to all work- ers. Employers need to take job hazards seriously and live up to their obligation to send workers home safe every day. The Labor Department is dedicated to preventing work-related deaths and they are committed to working with em- ployers to make sure these fatality num- bers go down even further. Does your company handle safety gear? (850) 547-0102