Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations

As Missouri eases into another hot and humid summer, more people are hitting the roads- both for work and for recreation. With additional people on the road, the chances of motor vehicle accidents increase, so the Department would like to take this opportunity to remind drivers that buckling up saves lives.

Transportation incidents, which include highway, non-highway, air, water, and rail fatalities, and also fatalities resulting from being struck by a vehicle, were the leading event or exposure of fatal work injuries in Missouri in 2008 and again in 2009, accounting for 59 of the 142 work-related fatalities in 2009.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that occupants are 45 percent more likely to survive a crash if they are wearing their safety belts correctly. Three out of four people who are ejected from a vehicle during a crash will die as a result. Seat belt usage saves an estimated 9,500 lives each year. Americans spend more than 100 hours a year commuting to and from work, and nearly 30 percent of all travel is work-related.

“Missourians spend hours on the road, driving to and from work, for work, or running errands. Buckling up increases their chances of making it to their destinations safe and sound, and should be an easy decision. Unfortunately, close to 25 percent of Missourians choose not to buckle up, a number we’re hoping to change by raising awareness that buckling up works,” says Department Director Larry Rebman.

Missourians should practice safe transportation habits both on and off the job. Wearing a seat belt not only saves lives, it helps save money. The U.S. spends nearly $18 billion a year in medical, insurance, and overhead costs due to injuries caused by collisions involving passengers and drivers without seatbelts. So when you hop in your car to drive from meeting to meeting, or hit the highway for a vacation road trip, remember to buckle up!

May is an exciting month for many college students, as summer break begins and students make their summer trip plans and go back home to be with familiar faces. But for some this time can be daunting for those college students graduating into a world of unusual employment ups and downs.

However, there is good news on the horizon for 2011 college grads. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), employers are reporting a double-digit increase in their spring hiring projections, indicating that they plan to hire 19.3 percent more graduates than the previous year.

Some occupations on the rise in 2011 include:

• HealthCare
• Technology

In Missouri, the medical and technology fields continue to grow as companies such as IBM move to Missouri, making our state their new home and a new hub to receive college graduate applications.

If you recently walked the stage and earned your degree, visit Missouri Career Source and register online to see what job opportunities await. You can also visit with a representative at your local career center to learn about other employment opportunities.

Summer time is the busiest season for those building and bettering our communities. And for those operating and working on cranes, they should be informed about the latest development regarding workplace safety.

In 2010, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) updated their decades-old standard for the use of cranes and derricks in construction. Technological advances in equipment since the publication of the old rule, issued in 1971, and the significant number of fatalities prompted the Labor Department to update this rule.

The rule went into effect 90 days after August 9, 2010, although certain provisions have delayed effective dates ranging from 1 to 4 years. The text of the rule can be viewed on OSHA’s website, and addresses key hazards related to the use of derricks and cranes on construction worksites. The four main causes of worker death and injury while using cranes and derricks in construction are electrocution, crushed by parts of the equipment, struck by equipment/load, and falls. The new standard is expected to prevent 22 fatalities and 175 non-fatal injuries each year.

This is good news for many Missouri families who have loved ones working in the construction industry. Working around cranes and derricks can be dangerous, and the new requirements help keep these workers safer. Some of these new requirements include a pre-erection inspection of tower crane parts, procedures for working in the vicinity of power lines, and most important, qualification or certification of crane operators.

Diane Lillicrap has been an advocate for this recent update. She lost her 21 year old son, an apprentice operating engineer for a St. Louis construction company, who was killed in a crane accident.

“As technology increases, the awareness and safety have to increase, and the old standard just wasn’t doing it… We’ve seen so many parts of the new standard that if they were in effect and followed when Steven’s accident happened, Steven would still be here. Everyone who goes to work deserves to come home at night,” said Lillicrap. A video featuring Diane as an advocate for these new laws can be viewed on OSHA’s website.

For more information on these new regulations, view OSHA’s fact sheet.