Home Safety

Dutch railway company, Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), has partnered with G4S to design and deliver training courses for railway staff.

The post Dutch railway staff go through emergency training to increase safety on trains appeared first on SHP – Health and Safety News, Legislation, PPE, CPD and Resources.

On January 30 2020, the Victorian Trades Hall released a new “approved safety standard” on air quality risks for outdoor workers. It is the latest of a series of alerts and guidelines generated by the persistence of bushfire smoke in urban areas of, especially, New South Wales and Victoria. Bushfire smoke is only going to become more frequent in Australia, and its persistence over weeks, requires a coordinated discussion on how Australian workplaces and practices need to change to adapt to the new climate.

This year the birth of Robert Burns and the Lunar New Year fell on the same date, 25^th January. A time for Scots and Asian heritage to be celebrated, a time for reflection and forward planning.

My favourite Robert Burns poem is ‘To a Mouse’, written in 1785 it tells the story of Burns disturbing a mouse nest whilst ploughing a field, a panic stricken mouse, its ruined nest and with winter just around the corner, its world in disarray.

There is a line in the poem, ‘The best laid plans o’mice an’ men gang aft agley’ that resonates within OSH world. That despite our reflection on ‘what works’ and our forward planning, things don’t always go our way… and we need support to bring the best out in ourselves and our organisations.

Every year since 1956, RoSPA has provided the opportunity for people and organisations to ‘tell their story’ and share their successes through the internationally recognised RoSPA Health & Safety Awards. This network extends to 40 countries around the world and working with the people involved in bringing submissions together is the best part of my role! At present, we now have 25 RoSPA Awards Ambassadors, with three active overseas; Stephen Storey in Chennai, Mathew Jackson in the United Arab Emirates, and Ben Legg based in Madrid. All of our Ambassadors act as mentors, and Stephen is delivering an event in Chennai later in March.

However, with almost 2000 entrants and even with the extra day available in 2020, bringing the best out in this global network needed extra pairs of hands. People with an understanding of the RoSPA Awards process and the ability to construct an effective submission reflecting local context and culture. Bringing to life the work of OSH professionals and practitioners and evidencing the value they add not only to their organisations but to society as a whole.

The role of RoSPA Awards Ambassador was created to help ‘us’ be more accessible, provide mentoring opportunities and encourage organisations to tell their OSH story. Our Ambassadors are unique individuals who give their time to help others progress, they are catalysts for change in their own organisations, who recognise the importance of connecting around current and emerging OSH issues. They know what works and what to do when things ‘gang agley’, led by Graham Parker MSc CFIOSH FIIRSM CIWFM, RoSPA Trustee and Past President IOSH.

If you are already part of the RoSPA Awards and would like to benefit from mentoring please get in touch with dthomson@rospa.com.

If you are reading this and want to be part of this elite Awards community drop the awards team at awards@rospa.com or myself kmcdonnell@rospa.com a message and we will be happy to help.

And remember each 10,000 mile journey begins with one step…

Boost the immune system for cold & flu season. Lets consider the following popular supplements, lifestyle tips, and your own recommendations…

Original source: Supplements That Boost Immune System | Do They Really Work?

The Smith & Wesson M&P (Military and Police) product line has a well-deserved reputation for quality and reliability. First introduced in 2005, it has proven to be extremely popular across the LE and Civilian markets. This is a review of the Performance Center Pro Series C.O.R.E. featuring a threaded barrel and tactical (tall) sights. I […]

Sig went to the Altama booth during Shot Show their are two different pairs that have been released. The over the beach assault shoes Altama released the woodland camo with black soles they are currently only available on Altamas website and the reason for that is because it’s some good American made quality! They are […]

The post Altama Multi Cam OTBs with Black and BROWN SOLES! appeared first on Tactical Sh*t.

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US Special Forces in Afghanistan.

The Outdoor Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), released the latest Outdoor Participation Report this week, showing about half the U.S. population participated in outdoor recreation at least once in 2018, including hunting, hiking, camping, fishing, canoeing and biking among many more outdoor activities. Unfortunately, the report highlights an alarming trend that just under half the U.S. population does not participate in outdoor recreation at all.

The report, available here, also highlighted the following troubling trends:

* Less than 20 percent of Americans recreated outside at least once a week.

* Americans went on one billion fewer outdoor outings in 2018 than they did in 2008.

* Kids went on 15 percent fewer annual outings in 2018 than they did in 2012.

Additionally, the report shows a continued gap between the diversity of outdoor participants and the diversity of the U.S. population, specifically where non-Caucasian ethnic groups reported going on far fewer outings in 2018 than they did just five years ago.

Interestingly, there is a strong trend toward close-to-home recreation. The report indicates that of the people who report they participate in outdoor activity, 63 percent report they go outside within 10 miles of their home. Some bright spots from the report showed that female outdoor participation increased by an average of 1.7 percent over the last three years and Hispanic participation in the outdoors was the strongest among ethnic groups.

“We know from study after study that recreating outside, even at minimal levels, greatly benefits an individual’s physical and mental health and also increases academic outcomes and community connections. But unfortunately, the barriers to getting outside are greater for Americans living in cities or in areas with fewer transportation options,” said Lise Aangeenbrug, executive director at Outdoor Foundation. “This is why Outdoor Foundation, along with OIA and other like-minded organizations, is working to reach new populations of Americans who don’t get outdoors often or at all or don’t see themselves in the outdoors and encouraging them to get – and thrive – outside.”

OIA and its member companies have been concerned about the growing trends and gaps in outdoor recreation for some time, and the report confirmed those worries. That is why OIA and Outdoor Foundation have committed to getting all of America outside more often through a two-pronged approach that includes community-based initiatives and local, state and federal policy work.

In 2019, Outdoor Foundation shifted its focus to underserved communities and now provides larger multi-year grants to build lasting change at the community level. Outdoor Foundation Thrive Outside Community grants bring together partners such as The Trust for Public Land, community organizations, environmental organizations, YMCA, Boys & Girls Club and local leaders in Oklahoma City, Atlanta, San Diego and Grand Rapids.

“Currently, 90 cents of every health care dollar is spent on treating people with chronic disease,” said Jeff Bellows, vice president, corporate citizenship + public affairs, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. “We need to attack the root causes of these diseases, for example, by helping people adopt healthier lifestyles to make sure they are giving themselves and their families the best chance at a healthy life. Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) companies have programs around the country that are addressing social determinants of health and are providing people and communities with resources to improve their health and prevent diseases.”

OIA is working with Congress, state and local governments, community leaders and businesses to get people and their communities better access to the outdoors and instill a habit of getting outside regularly. For example, at the federal level, OIA, along with other outdoor groups, is pushing for the full $900 million in funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (HR. 3195/S. 1081). Over 90 percent of LWCF funding is used to increase recreation access to the public. OIA is also pressing Congress to approve the Transit to Trails Act (H.R. 4273/S. 2467) that would support connector transit options in underserved communities to and from public lands. Closer to home, OIA has long supported state and local programs like Colorado’s Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) program, which helps to conserve land and provide increased opportunities for outdoor recreation. The key to GOCO’s success so far has been its ability to balance protection of iconic awe-inspiring lands as well as open spaces within or adjacent to communities so that more people have more options to get outside.

Outdoor Foundation has developed the Outdoor Participation Report for over 10 years. The survey reflects data gathered during the 2018 calendar year and garnered a total of 20,069 online interviews consisting of people ages six and older.

Hikers may want to note that this report continues to show a steady and significant increase in hiking. My book, Ramble On: A History of Hiking, includes a long discussion on the exponential growth rates of hiking since the 1950s as shown in this study, as well as in studies conducted by the U.S. Government through the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission. My book also discusses the ramifications this growth is already having on our parks, trails and wildlife, and what trends government officials are predicting for the future.

Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com

Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Grand Teton National Park