Mission-based routes for various occupations play a crucial role in occupational driver safety, with accident causes varying according to specific mission requirements. This study focuses on the development of a system to address driver distraction among law enforcement officers by optimizing the Driver–Vehicle Interface (DVI). Poorly designed DVIs in law enforcement vehicles, often fitted with aftermarket police equipment, can lead to perceptual-motor problems such as obstructed vision, difficulty reaching controls, and operational errors, resulting in driver distraction. To mitigate these issues, we developed a driving simulation platform specifically for law enforcement vehicles. The development process involved the selection and placement of sensors to monitor driver behavior and interaction with equipment. Key criteria for sensor selection included accuracy, reliability, and the ability to integrate seamlessly with existing vehicle systems. Sensor positions were strategically located based on previous ergonomic studies and digital human modeling to ensure comprehensive monitoring without obstructing the driver’s field of view or access to controls. Our system incorporates sensors positioned on the dashboard, steering wheel, and critical control interfaces, providing real-time data on driver interactions with the vehicle equipment. A supervised machine learning-based prediction model was devised to evaluate the driver’s level of distraction. The configured placement and integration of sensors should be further studied to ensure the updated DVI reduces driver distraction and supports safer mission-based driving operations. © 2024 by the authors.

KEY TAKEAWAYS: Injuries related to the use of stationary saws constitute a significant portion of workplace injuries. This article reports the results of a field study on stationary saw use. It discusses current industry and OSHA safety standards for stationary saws; assessment of risks associated with the use of stationary saws at 15 sites; and lessons learned from the comparison of the theory and practice of using stationary saws. The results of the study show that many risk reduction measures are not used in practice, and that some operators believe that the risk of using a guard is higher than not using a guard. The article discusses the implications of these findings to operators and employers.

BACKGROUND: Stationary sawing machinery is often a basic tool in the wood product manufacturing industry and was the source for over 2,500 injury/illness events that resulted in days away from work in 2010. METHODS: We examined 9 years of workers' compensation claims for the state of Ohio in wood product manufacturing with specific attention to saw-related claims. For the study period, 8,547 claims were evaluated; from this group, 716 saw-related cases were examined. RESULTS: The sawmills and wood preservation sub-sector experienced a 71% reduction in average incidence rate and an 87% reduction in average lost-time incidence rate from 2001 to 2009. The top three injury category descriptions for lost-time incidents within saw-related claims were fracture (35.8%), open wounds (29.6%), and amputation (14.8%). CONCLUSIONS: For saw-related injuries, preventing blade contact remains important but securing the work piece to prevent kickback is also important.

SH&E professionals should be aware of recent changes to the ANSI B11.0 and B11.19 standards, and should be aware of select international standards and their differences from B11 standards. ANSI B11.0 was created to include elements of general machine safety and risk assessment information formerly found in a technical report. The standard includes guidelines for the risk assessment process as well as sample risk assessment matrices and references. ANSI B11.19 covers machine guarding performance requirements. Topics which have been added or updated to this standard include: protective safety stops; emergency stops; perimeter guarding; muting; bypass; hold-to-run control; guard interlocking switches; and presence-sensing device initiation.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a commercial rollover protective structure (ROPS) and size-extended ROPS in protecting a 95th percentile male operator during tractor overturns. Six rear upset tests (commercial ROPS) and ten side upset tests (commercial and size-extended ROPS) were conducted. A 95th percentile instrumented male manikin was used in all tests. Head injury criterion (HIC15), 80 g limit on resultant head acceleration, neck injury criterion (Nij), and peak axial force (extension-compression) were employed to evaluate injury potential. In all rear tests, the manikin's head impact with the ground was within the tolerance limits for head/neck injuries. Based on limited trials in the side tests, the study observed a small to moderate chance of neck injuries under the commercial and size-extended ROPS conditions; the injury risk was not statistically significant between these two test conditions. This study identified a risk of non-fatal injuries for large-size operators in side overturns, although the prevention effectiveness of commercial versus size-extended ROPS cannot be determined without further testing. These findings may have implications for future ROPS designs.

The inability of emergency medical service (EMS) workers to remain safely restrained while treating patients in the patient compartment of a moving ambulance has been identified as a key impediment to EMS worker safety in North America. It has been hypothesised that restraint systems designed to provide mobility while offering the ability to lock during an impact or sudden manoeuvre, could greatly enhance worker safety in the back of ambulances. Through a series of 33 sled and crash tests impacting the front, side, and rear of simulated and actual ambulance patient compartments, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health examined the biomechanical and kinematic effects of two-, four- and five-point restraints on 95th percentile male Hybrid III anthropomorphic test devices. Results indicate that the inclusion of restraint systems offering mobility have the potential to improve worker safety under many working conditions in this unique work environment.