HSE People - Health and Safety Community

There are few families that have impacted the American people as much as the Kennedys. Through politics, activism, fashion, controversy and tragedy, one thing that everyone can agree upon is that this family name will be remembered. The latest tragic end has fallen upon Senator Edward M. Kennedy who died at the age of 77 on August 25th.

Kennedy spent over 3 decades of his life in the U.S. Senate and among his many contributions (over 2,500 bills), one of his passions was creating a safer workplace for American workers.

One of the most well-known rights Kennedy fought to give workers was the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). This act gave all workers the ability to take unpaid leave to care for themselves or family members in case of a medical illness or for maternity leave without fear of termination. Over 60 million Americans have been able to take advantage of this act thanks in part to Ted Kennedy.

Kennedy also worked to provide Americans with the right to paid sick leave by introducing the Healthy Families Act, which would ensure 7 days of paid sick leave to be used for workers’ health maintenance as well as their family members. He also saw the need for the Working Families Flexibility Act in order to allow employees the ability to meet the needs of both family and work through a flexible job arrangement.

He even made a point throughout his career to address the financial discrimination that hits women where it hurts, their wallets. Women currently earn 78 cents to every $1 earned by a man. When the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 was signed by President Obama, Kennedy was a leader in its passing.

Another group Kennedy fought for are those in the mining industry, with his MINER Act legislation passed in 2006. Despite the new law being passed, Kennedy felt more needed to be done and he continued to call for safety investigations across the country concerning these workers.

He also worked tirelessly to pass the Protecting America’s Worker’s Act, which would expand the coverage of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. “Enacting of the Occupational Safety and Health Act in 1970 was a major step in guaranteeing the basic right of workers to be safe on the job.  Since the law was signed, however, we have not substantially amended it to improve worker protections,” said Kennedy.

Although this bill has not yet become law, even after his death it will live on through the efforts of his fellow senators. He will be missed.

Summer is coming to a close and parents are busy getting their children prepared for going back to school. This is usually the time of year where young children are experiencing a mix of emotions ranging between excitement and nervousness, but now it’s their parents that have something to worry about. Experts say that the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu, could make a comeback when kids head back to school.

Here are a list of things that you can do to reduce risk of infection.

1. Do your research.

Learn about the H1N1 virus and what precautions you should be taking yourself. The Center for Disease Control (CDC.gov) is a great resource on the latest information about health threats. You can also take SafetySkills free Flu Symptoms and Prevention Strategies course. This free online course includes vital information about swine flu and how to protect yourself from infection. After taking this course, recommend it to other parents and your children’s daycare or school staff members.

2. Be clean.

It sounds like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised how many people do not perform simple cleansing chores that could save them and their family members from getting sick.

• Use proper cleaning supplies in your kitchen and bathrooms, but don’t over do it with the bleach. That will cause a whole new health problem.
• Take out the trash in a timely fashion. This will prevent insect infestation and mold, plus it’s not the best smell to have in your home.
• Always use anti-bacterial soap and carry anti-bacterial gel (such as Purell) in your purse, car, etc.
• Keep tissues available in every room of your home.
• Make washing hands fun for kids – have them sing their ABC’s while washing to ensure that they have done it long enough, they’ll love it!
• Use anti-bacterial sprays around the house, like Febreeze. It really does help.

3. Ask your child’s teacher and daycare center administrator what they are doing to prevent the spread of infection.

As a parent, I know that I feel guilty enough about leaving my child at her pre-school everyday without needing to worry about if she is going to come home with a dangerous case of the flu. Having a good relationship with your child’s teachers and caregivers is extremely important for many reasons, but especially when it comes to being aware of how they are protecting your child. If you do not feel satisfied with their approach, give them a recommendation of what you would like for them to use or consider moving your child to another daycare or school that fits your criteria.

4. Use common sense.

Obviously if your child is sick, do not send your child to school. This spreads illness and it turns into an endless cycle of misery. If your child appears to have more than just a case of the sniffles, make an appointment with your pediatrician. Remember to keep your house as clean as possible when anyone in the household is sick to reduce the chances of others in the home coming down with it.

If anyone has any helpful tips to give other parents or child caregivers, please leave a comment below. Thanks.

A new recruitment site designed specifically for the oil and gas industries is set to revolutionise traditional employment resources and searching. Aberdeenshire based business Oil and Gas People aims to fundamentally change the oil and gas recruitment process by providing an accurate snap-shot of current vacancies, the workforce and its availability.

Oilandgaspeople.com provides a central point where recruiters can advertise the latest job vacancies and candidates upload their CVs.  The site, which goes live on 7th September 2009, will fast-track and facilitate the process of matching the right person to the right job benefiting the recruiter, the candidate, and the employer. 

Having worked in the Oil and Gas industry for over six years, oilandgaspeople.com developer, Kevin Forbes, used his experience of the sector and his frustrations with existing recruitment methods to devise and deliver a new alternative that aims to save time and money and increase candidate matching success. 

He says: “I found the system of using numerous job sites to search for vacancies fragmented and frustrating.  I would regularly spend hours at a time searching for positions which became even more difficult when I was working offshore or abroad with limited internet access. “I decided to take the issue into my own hands with a website to present my CV and background to potential employers and agencies directly.  As I saw immediate impact I expanded on the idea and Oil and Gas People is the end result.

“The launch of Oil and Gas People  is good news for the industry during the economic downturn – it is a cost effective solution for recruiters at a time when reducing costs is of the utmost importance and it will also help those looking for work as they benefit from an efficient, free recruitment service.”

Oilandgaspeople.com is a cost effective means of advertising for recruiters.  There is up to a 75% cost saving over traditional job sites and if a match is not made, there is no fee to pay. When a new position is advertised, the site automatically matches candidates to the job, referring to the high quality, accurate and current candidate information it holds.  Recruiters then review candidate profiles, shortlist suitable candidates and ascertain who then wishes to be put forward for the job. 

For candidates, using the site is completely free.  They build their own profile on the website and their personal details remain secure, only to be released when they agree to a recruiter recommending them for a position. 

Kevin Forbes is also behind the website www.hsepeople.com which was launched earlier this year, giving health and safety professionals from around the world the opportunity to network and exchange information.

For more information, please contact Kevin Forbes:

Email:  info@oilandgaspeople.com

Web:  www.oilandgaspeople.com