Posted on March 13, 2013 in Farm Accidents

Grain bin accidents are a serious risk for farm workers in Illinois and throughout the country. One of the biggest risks of working with grain bins is how to safely enter the grain bin. While safety harnesses are helpful, they need to be connected to a secure safety line in the grain bin to help prevent accidents and fatalities.

The safety risks associated with grain handling and grain bins are well-known in the farming industry. Unfortunately, grain bin accidents continue to happen because proper safety precautions are not followed or understood by all employers and farm workers.

The Grain Handling Safety Coalition believes they have a solution to grain bin safety hazards. They said they are in the process of developing a safety harness system with an anchor that can reduce the risks and number of injuries and fatalities caused by grain bin accidents.

This new system would help reduce the safety risks of entering and working in a grain bin because the safety harness would be securely attached to an anchor in the bin. This innovation could potentially save hundreds of farm workers every year.

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 Posted on March 06, 2013 in Car Accidents

Vacations are supposed to be full of fun, relaxation and occasionally, some adventure. Unfortunately, not all vacations end well, especially when an accident or injury occurs while on vacation.

There are several types of vacations that are commonly associated with a higher risk of being injured. These types of vacations usually involve more travelling or adventurous activities like hiking, skiing, surfing and other activities that involve adventurous excursions.

Reports show that more adventurous vacations have risks and that accidents usually happen more frequently. The National Ski Areas Association reported that 54 skiers and snowboarders died in accidents on the slopes last year alone. Parasailing, another common activity for vacationers in Florida and California contributed to 70 deaths in the last 30 years in the U.S.

While riskier activities on vacation can put travelers at a higher risk for being injured, the most common type of accident for people on vacation is being in a car accident. Government reports said that roughly 36,200 people were killed in car accidents last year, making driving one of the most dangerous activities for people on vacation.

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 Posted on February 28, 2013 in Car Accidents

Unsafe vehicles can be very dangerous and pose serious risks for everyone on the road. While auto manufacturers are required to report any safety issues or injuries and deaths caused by car accidents or vehicle defects, many times these reports are not done and when they are, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration takes too long to investigate.

The NHTSA reports vehicle defects, injuries and fatalities caused by unsafe vehicles. In addition to the official safety investigations that are reported by the NHTSA and posted on their website, they also do informal investigations to try and keep unsafe vehicles off U.S. roads.

Despite the NHTSA's best intentions, many of these investigations take too long and the public is not informed about problems and safety issues that can contribute to car accidents and fatal injuries. When safety issues are not investigated or reported to the public, it can have a serious impact on car buyers and owners because they may not know that their vehicle may be unsafe and pose a threat on the road.

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 Posted on February 21, 2013 in Car Accidents

Traffic fatalities increased for the first time in the U.S. since 2005. The National Safety Council reported that there was a five percent increase in traffic deaths from 2011, with roughly 36,200 car accident fatalities reported last year.

In addition to the increase in car accident fatalities, the NSC reported that there was also a five percent increase in car accident injuries that required medical care. Car accident fatalities had been declining the last six years so why did traffic fatalities increase last year?

The NSC said that they are very disappointed and concerned that car accident fatalities increased during the last year. Despite newer vehicles becoming safer for drivers and passengers, the NSC said that there are new challenges on the road that have contributed to the increase in fatal car accidents.

One of the main safety concerns for the NSC is the danger of distracted driving and teenagers. Car accidents remain the number one cause of death for teenagers in the U.S. Many safety organizations said that distracted driving behaviors have directly contributed to the increase in serious and fatal car accidents and that more awareness needs to be made about the dangers of distracted driving as well as drowsy driving and drunk driving.

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 Posted on February 14, 2013 in Farm Accidents

Agriculture occupations continue to have one of the highest fatality rates in the nation. In fact, farming jobs have a workplace fatality rate eight times higher than all other work industries combined.

In 2011, 557 agriculture work fatalities and thousands of injuries were reported among farm, forestry and fishing workers. The high risk of fatal farm accidents has been a concern for many working in the agriculture industry. Making matters worse, a majority of agricultural worksites are not regulated by the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

In addition to 85 percent of agriculture workplaces not having OSHA enforcement, they also don't have to report information about non-fatal workplace injuries to federal agencies. This creates a very unsafe environment for farmers because workplaces may not be following OSHA safety regulations and may be putting workers at risk for suffering a serious or fatal injury.

While it is disappointing that farm workers continue to have the highest fatality risk, there may be some good news for future safety programs in the agricultural industry. There is a government program that focuses on agricultural, forestry and fishing (AgFF) safety that started in 1990. The AgFF program currently has nine offices throughout the country that research and educates these industries about injury prevention as well as farm safety for children.

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 Posted on February 07, 2013 in Car Accidents

Obese drivers are more likely to die in car accidents compared to drivers who are not overweight or obese, according to a new study by the Emergency Medicine Journal. Obese drivers are more at risk for being killed in car accidents because passenger vehicles do not protect these passengers as well as normal weight passengers.

The study found that the risk of death increased depending on a person's body-mass index (BMI). People considered morbidly obese were 80 percent more likely to be in a fatal car accident compared to normal weight people.

Researchers said that vehicle design may be one of the main contributing factors in why obese drivers are more likely to die in car accidents. They said that vehicles are designed to protect normal weight passengers but may be ineffective in protecting overweight or obese passengers. The study cited inappropriate vehicle design, bad fitting seat belts and underlying health problems in obese passengers as the main reasons they are involved in more fatal car accidents.

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 Posted on January 31, 2013 in Car Accidents

Illinois will now allow undocumented immigrants to get driver's licenses. The new law creates temporary visitor driver's licenses for these immigrants. The governor said the law will help increase public safety throughout the state as well as promote national immigration reform.

Supporters of the new law say that thousands of immigrants drive and travel on Illinois roads every day. Allowing undocumented immigrants to receive training and their driver's license will make them better drivers, keep Illinois roads safer and even prevent car accidents.

The driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants will have a purple border on the top of the license to identify that they are legally allowed to drive. The temporary visitor driver's license is only available for people who have valid proof of car insurance.

Below is the list of requirements for individuals seeking a temporary driver's license:

• Submit to facial recognition software.

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 Posted on January 16, 2013 in Car Accidents

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration is targeting hybrid and electric vehicles in an attempt to increase pedestrian and bicyclist safety in the U.S. The NHTSA and safety advocates say that many pedestrian and bicycle accidents have been caused by people not hearing hybrid and electric vehicles approaching.

To make hybrid and electric vehicles safer for pedestrians and bicyclists, the NHTSA recently proposed a rule that would require these vehicles to make more noise. The safety organization proposed that hybrid and electric vehicles should be required to meet a minimum sound standard. The vehicles would have to emit a noise loud enough to alert pedestrians and bicyclists near the vehicle to help prevent accidents.

Safety concerns were raised after more pedestrian and bicycle accidents involving hybrid and electric vehicles were reported. To address the safety concerns, the noise requirement was proposed for these vehicles when travelling slower than 18 miles per hour.

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 Posted on January 09, 2013 in Farm Accidents

Farm accidents are still prevalent on American farms despite safety initiatives and precautions to prevent accidents. Tractor accidents are the leading cause of injuries and fatalities for farm workers, according to the National Safety Council.

Why are tractor accidents so common? Many workers are not aware of the hazards when using a tractor and not all farm companies make sure their workers are trained on proper safety practices and precautions to take while working on a tractor.

Farming accidents are all too common and incidents involving tractors are still the biggest hazard for farm workers who use tractors on a daily basis. Anyone who uses a tractor while working on a farm is at risk to be injured by one of the most common dangers posed by tractors.

Workers and employers should be aware of the four most common types of tractor accidents listed below and what safety precautions to take to prevent serious injuries:

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 Posted on January 04, 2013 in Car Accidents

A new study has found a scary statistics: one in 24 adults in the U.S. admitted that they have fallen asleep while driving. Health officials believe that this number could actually be higher because many drivers may nod off for only a few seconds while driving and not know that they did.

According to the study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, four percent of adults said they had fallen asleep or nodded off while driving at least once during the past month. The study was done in 19 states during 2009 and 2010.

The study found that drowsy driving or falling asleep while driving was more common among males, drivers between 25 and 34 and individuals who got less than six hours of sleep on an average night. The study also found that more drivers in Texas admitted to falling asleep behind the wheel.

Roughly three percent of fatal car accidents are attributed to drowsy driving, according to government reports. However, other studies have claimed that up to 33 percent of fatal accidents could be a result of drowsy or sleeping drivers.

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