There’s a lot going on in the world, and it can be hard to stay on top of everything. So, here’s five things you need to know that you might have missed this week.
1. December a High Risk Time for Workers
The New Zealand Institute of Safety Management released figures this week that show December is a dangerous time for workers. The research suggests as workers become less focused and distracted in the lead up to the break, danger increases. Accidents are 30 per cent more likely at this time of the year due to fatigue, Greg Dearsly from NZISM told the New Zealand Herald.
2. More Food Recalls in the United States
Hot on the heels of salmonella and e.coli concerns over romaine lettuce and beef across the United States, the USDA announced this week that Jimmy Dean HEAT ’n SERVE Original SAUSAGE LINKS Made with Pork & Turkey” with a Use By date of Jan. 31, 19, were contaminated and should be thrown away. The sausages, distributed in Tennessee, became the focus of a recall after five complaints of metal found in them by consumers.
3. Panel Backs Move to Arm Teachers
A state panel created to improve safety in Florida schools says a controversial law allowing "guardians" to bring guns into halls of learning doesn't go far enough. They say teachers should be armed and trained to better protect students.
“You’ve got to have somebody there who can swiftly and effectively neutralize the threat, and that means killing the killer. The only way you are going to do that is if you have a good guy with a gun who can take that action,” Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtier, who chairs the panel, said, according to Fox News 35.
4. Australia's Biggest Telco Trialling Driver-Assist Tech
Telecommunications giant Telstra announced a trial of new communication technology in cars in the southern state of Victoria. "Telstra and Lexus Australia will trial connected vehicle safety systems including emergency braking alerts, in-vehicle speed limit compliance warnings, right-turn assist for vulnerable road users and warnings when surrounding vehicles are likely to violate a red light," the company explained in a press release. The hope is that the technology will help reduce accidents and road hazards.
5. E.U. Curbs Harmful Emissions to Protect Workers
The European Union voted to protect an estimated 3.6 million workers from harmful levels of diesel engine exhaust emissions.
According to the EU Reporter, the new provisions set exposure limit values (the maximum amount of substance allowed in workplace air) and skin notations (the possibility of significantly absorbing the substance through the skin) for eight additional carcinogens (including DEEE). The new rules should further lower the risk for workers of getting cancer, which remains the primary cause of work-related deaths across the EU.
