Despite progress made over the past several decades in reducing the number of occupational deaths, an average of 12 workers are still killed on the job every day, Mary Vogel, executive director with the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, said during the press conference.

The National COSH recently reported that broader use of hazard prevention strategies and threats of stiffer consequences for workplace safety violations will help reduce the number of annual worker deaths, a group of safety advocates stated during an April 23 press conference in Longmeadow, MA.

Criminal prosecution of employers for workplace violations is extremely rare. Vogel said that although increasing prosecutions would not eliminate all workplace fatalities, the strategy should be used "when appropriate."

Hazard prevention strategies based on the Hierarchy of Controls are another effective method for ending workplace deaths, according to Peter Dooley, senior consultant with National COSH. During the press conference, Dooley listed several recent workplace fatalities he claims could have been prevented with such strategies.

National COSH also announced the release of its annual report, "Not an Accident: Preventable Deaths, 2015." The report includes case studies of recent worker deaths, prevention strategies and National COSH's policy platform.

It was released in advance of Workers Memorial Day, which will take place April 28. On that day, National COSH plans to release a database detailing the circumstances of 1,500 worker deaths.

Article Source – National Safety Council News Alert

St. George Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief Chad Roberson has been accepted into the third year of the Fire Service Executive Development Institute, the International Association of Fire Chiefs announced.

Roberson competed with new fire chiefs and chief officers from across the country to become a member of the 2015 program. Roberson also has been awarded a scholarship to cover the expenses for attending the program, a news release from the St. George Fire Department said.

The Fire Service Executive Development Institute is a yearlong leadership development program created and implemented by the IAFC to provide new and aspiring fire chiefs with the tools needed to have successful and productive tenures, the release said.

The institute will meet in May for its first six-day session, in addition to two other sessions six months apart. The group will communicate between sessions using an online community.

Roberson has 27 years of experience and rose through the ranks of the St. George Fire Department.

He holds an associate degree in fire science, a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree. He also has completed the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program and, in 2011, was awarded professional accreditation as a certified fire officer, the release said.

In addition to being assistant fire chief, Roberson serves as the technical rescue coordinator for the department.

He is a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs and serves on its Emergency Management Committee. In addition, Roberson is an executive board member of the Louisiana Fire Chiefs Association, the Louisiana Fire Chiefs Foundation and the Louisiana Municipal Association. He served for six years as an executive board member of the States Urban Search & Rescue Alliance.

Roberson is married and the father of two elementary school-aged sons. He is a volunteer coach at his sons’ school, St. Jude, and the YMCA. He is also a member of the St. Jude Catholic Church Men’s Club and a member of the St. Jude Church Fair Core Committee.

The Motorola Solutions Foundation has provided the IAFC with a grant to fund the program.

Story from The Advocate

Photo provided by Eldon Ledoux -- The International Association of Fire Chiefs announced that Assistant Fire Chief Chad Roberson, of the St. George Fire Department, has been accepted into the third year of the Fire Service Executive Development Institute.

The National Volunteer Fire Council has released six new videos on the proper use and maintenance of personal protective equipment for firefighters.

The short videos, available on both NVFC's YouTube channel and its equipment resources webpage, cover the following topics: The importance of PPE during overhaul, PPE cleaning guidelines, Guidance on replacing PPE, Protective clothing and equipment standards, Securing grants for PPE and New PPE regulatory standards. 

One of our awesome customers had a great safety idea, and we wanted to share it with you…a Roco Safer Way banner. Of course, if you’ve ever been a Roco student, you’ve heard it many times…”there’s a safe way and a safer way!” Now you can win a FREE Roco Safety Banner (4-ft x 2-ft) for your workplace.

During a plant turnaround, this customer used the Roco Safer Way banner to keep safety at the forefront – while maybe also offering a subtle reminder for everyone to be grateful for their on-site emergency responders! It is our hope that these banners will encourage someone to think (or re-think) a situation and make it even safer!

Register now to win a Roco Safety banner and remind your personnel of the safer way!

More than $15,000 in fire rescue equipment was donated to a local volunteer fire department in Washington, WV through the Firehouse Subs Foundation.

The equipment for the Washington Bottom department is for confined areas such as off-road, industrial and water-related accidents. And the department's members are already trained to use it.

"It's nice to know we have the people with the knowledge, the skills, and now, the equipment to use the equipment properly," said Fire Chief K.C. Lindner. "We have the folks who have spent the many hours training and perfecting it. Now, we have the equipment to use."

 

Picture above: Roco Student, Ryan Goldsmith demonstrating the rope rescue equipment.

Money for the donations comes from the purchase of Firehouse's used pickle barrels by its customers.

The chain has been providing equipment to first responders for nearly a decade.

Story source: http://www.thenewscenter.tv/news/headlines/Fighting-Fire-With-Firehouse-283402671.html