Things you should know

Leading by example helps improve workplace safety: study

The type of leadership used in the workplace may have an effect on injuries and safety climate, suggests a new study from Colorado State University.

Using a survey of 1,167 construction pipe fitters and plumbers, researchers examined the connection between workplace safety and perceptions of leadership. The leadership behavior known as "idealized influence" - when workers admire and emulate their leader's behavior - was found to have the strongest link to safety. Other leadership behaviors associated with a safe workplace were inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration and contingent reward.

The study was published in the February issue of the journal Safety Science.

Fatal falls from roofs high among residential construction roofers

A new NIOSH-funded study on fatalities in the construction industry suggests roofers in residential construction are among those most likely to die in falls from roofs.

The study, "Fatal falls from roofs among U.S. construction workers," finds that "the odds of fatal falls from roofs were higher for roofing and residential construction than any other construction sector."

Other groups with higher rates of fatal falls from roofs included workers younger than 20 years or older than 44 years, racial minorities, Hispanics, and immigrant workers. Workers in southern regions also had a higher rate of fatal falls compared to the construction industry as a whole.

Highest cost drivers for disability plans

Cancer and mental health conditions are the fastest-growing conditions affecting disability insurance costs, while musculoskeletal conditions and cancer are the biggest cost drivers for such plans, according to a report released by Mercer L.L.C.

One in 10 small businesses had employees "Working Under the Influence" last year

One in 10 small businesses had employees show up for work last year while under the influence of at least one controlled substance, a new study by EMPLOYERS® has found.

Small business owners reported that alcohol, marijuana and prescription painkillers were the most common substances employees used.

FDA releases guide on safe use of patient-lifting devices

A free safety guide on patient lifting devices is now available.

The 18-page guide, designed in collaboration with visual language publisher Kwikpoint, features several illustrations on proper technique when using patient lifts while lifting or transferring patients.

Workers who handle receipts may be exposed to BPA: study

Handling receipts may expose cashiers to a chemical that has been linked to reproductive problems, according to a new study from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

In a small study, researchers compared levels of bisphenol A (also known as BPA) among 24 volunteers who handled receipts printed on thermal paper without wearing gloves. After touching receipts for two straight hours, all of the participants were found to have BPA in their system, compared with 83 percent at the start of the study.

Twelve participants provided additional samples while wearing gloves, and researchers found no increase in BPA levels among this group.

Researchers said a larger study is needed to confirm the findings. The study was published in the Feb. 26 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association

Wellness grants available to small companies in Wisconsin

Through Wisconsin's "Healthy Jobs Act," companies with 50 or fewer employees will be able to apply for grants covering up to 30 percent of the costs of starting new wellness programs. To be eligible, companies must not have wellness programs already in place and must provide a health risk assessment, biometric screening and one or more of the additional health management initiatives outlined in the legislation: chronic disease management, weight management, stress management, injury prevention and nutrition education.