A final rule issued by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) updates the current standard on child safety seats to include car seats and boosters for kids weighing more than 65 lb and up to 80 lb. To help evaluate the updated standard, the agency has created a new crash test dummy that will provide insight into how intact restraint systems will remain in the event of a crash.
Referred to as the "10-year-old child" dummy, NHSTA says the new addition "is the best tool currently available for measuring the risk of injury to a child using a higher-weight child restraint system in the event of a vehicle crash." In addition, the agency reports that the new dummy will help provide important information on safety seat requirements that need to remain current with new research and child restraint technologies.
A Blog From the American Society of Safety Engineers
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Preventing Children from Burn and Scald Injuries
Each year about 481 children under the age of 14 die because of unintentional fires or burn-related injuries, says Candice Ahwah Gonzalez of Safe Kids Worldwide in this month’s FEMA Preparedness Call. The most recent data shows that nearly 90,000 children under the age of 14 sustained a nonfatal fire- or burn-related injury. In addition, data shows that scald injuries from a hot liquid are most prevalent for children under the age of 5. Gonzalez offers tips to prevent these kinds of injuries.
- Heat baby bottles in warm water and not in a microwave. Test them before for feeding to a child.
- When children are in the bathtub, watch them closely and test the water for hot spots. - A household with small children should never use tablecloths because they can easily be pulled down.
- Make a 3-ft area around the stove a kid-free zone.
- Cook on the back burners of the stove when possible and turn the pot handles toward the back so they cannot be easily reached by children.
- Keep appliance cords away from counter edges.
- Keep hot food and drinks away from counter edges.
“One of the things to remember is that most burn injuries occur in the home, mainly in the kitchen,” Gonzalez says. “Most of this [advice] seems elementary but these are the things that people are not doing that causes children to be burned.” For more information about preventing burn and scald injuries, click here.
- Heat baby bottles in warm water and not in a microwave. Test them before for feeding to a child.
- When children are in the bathtub, watch them closely and test the water for hot spots. - A household with small children should never use tablecloths because they can easily be pulled down.
- Make a 3-ft area around the stove a kid-free zone.
- Cook on the back burners of the stove when possible and turn the pot handles toward the back so they cannot be easily reached by children.
- Keep appliance cords away from counter edges.
- Keep hot food and drinks away from counter edges.
“One of the things to remember is that most burn injuries occur in the home, mainly in the kitchen,” Gonzalez says. “Most of this [advice] seems elementary but these are the things that people are not doing that causes children to be burned.” For more information about preventing burn and scald injuries, click here.
NASA Updates Tool for Hearing Protection
NASA has announced that its Buy-Quiet Process Roadmap, an online tool for navigating the procurement of low-noise equipment, has been updated over the past several months and is now part of the NASA EARLAB Auditory Demonstration Laboratory website. The tool guides users through a stepwise process that includes project planning, researching the marketplace, selecting an achievable noise emission criterion and developing a specification document. It also includes guidelines for identifying the appropriate government procurement strategy for each purchase based on an assessment of the purchase-specific long-term financial and noise exposure risk. The Roadmap is applicable to both public and private sector organizations, and the downloadable forms and worksheets can be customized to each organization. It can be accessed from the “Buy-Quiet Purchasing” tab in the top navigation menu of the new site. To view a brief tutorial, click here. Other free NASA hearing conservation resources are available as well
Monday, February 20, 2012
Article Contrasts Lab Safety With Aviation
In the article “How to Live with Danger,” writer Beryl Lieff Benderly comments on the state of safety in academic laboratories, focusing on a California criminal case in which a 23-year-old staff research assistant died in a 2008 lab fire. In that case, felony charges were brought against UCLA professor Patrick Harran and the University of California Board of Regents for willfully violating California’s labor code by failing to provide training and protective gear, and failure to correct known unsafe conditions.
Benderly discusses the debate surrounding the case, quoting some who argue that the incident was a “tragedy” but not a crime, as well as the legal definition of the term willful. She contrasts this case with the professionalism of the crew of US Airways flight 1549, whose preparation and training for an emergency saved the lives of 155 passengers. “Can academic science become more like commercial aviation when it comes to safety?” Benderly asks.
You can get involved in the discussion by reading the article, and posting your thoughts in the forum.
Benderly is the author of the “Taken for Granted” column on early career issues for postdocs and researchers. The column appears regularly in Science Careers magazine, from American Association for the Advancement of Science, publisher of Science journal.
Benderly discusses the debate surrounding the case, quoting some who argue that the incident was a “tragedy” but not a crime, as well as the legal definition of the term willful. She contrasts this case with the professionalism of the crew of US Airways flight 1549, whose preparation and training for an emergency saved the lives of 155 passengers. “Can academic science become more like commercial aviation when it comes to safety?” Benderly asks.
You can get involved in the discussion by reading the article, and posting your thoughts in the forum.
Benderly is the author of the “Taken for Granted” column on early career issues for postdocs and researchers. The column appears regularly in Science Careers magazine, from American Association for the Advancement of Science, publisher of Science journal.
Grants to Improve North American Environmental Issues
Out of 500 proposals, 18 projects were chosen by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) as part of a project to address environmental issues throughout North America. CEC's North American Partnership for Environmental Community Action (NAPECA) program will provide $1.3 million in grant money, split between the recipients.
EPA reports the grants will "support community efforts to promote healthy communities and ecosystems, encourage activities that address climate change through the transition to a low carbon economy, and advance innovative projects that could assist in greening the economies of the three countries." Visit the NAPECA website to learn about the projects.
EPA reports the grants will "support community efforts to promote healthy communities and ecosystems, encourage activities that address climate change through the transition to a low carbon economy, and advance innovative projects that could assist in greening the economies of the three countries." Visit the NAPECA website to learn about the projects.