eLearning News

Monday, July 1, 2013

7 Strategies to Improve Safety for Contingent Workers

Construction workers, farm laborers, warehousing employees and hotel workers are more likely to be employed on a contingent basis in the United States, which may make them vulnerable to occupational hazards. In a new white paper, the Center for Progressive Reform highlights the occupational safety and health concerns faced by contingent workers and shares strategies to improve their working conditions.

The white paper “At the Company’s Mercy: Protecting Contingent Workers from Unsafe Working Conditions,” by CPR member scholars Martha McCluskey, Thomas McGarity, Sidney Shapiro and Senior Policy Analyst Matthew Shudtz, highlights the occupational challenges facing contingent workers in the United States and suggests strategies to improve their working conditions.

“Their shared experience is one of little job security, low wages, minimal opportunities for advancement, and, all too often, hazardous working conditions,” the white paper says of workers whose employment is contingent upon short-term fluctuations in demand for employees. “When hazards lead to work-related injuries, the contingent nature of the employment relationship can exacerbate the negative consequences for the injured worker and society.”

Employers of contingent workers often do not pay for workers’ compensation or health insurance and can simply hire replacements when workers are injured – factors that give these employers little financial incentive to eliminate safety hazards or help injured workers return to work. Additionally, employers sometimes misclassify contingent workers as “independent contractors” in order to claim the workers will pay their own taxes and insurance – a practice that reduces the employer’s expenses while also removing the incentive to create a safe workplace, the paper states.

The white paper includes case studies on contingent workers in four industries: farming, construction, warehousing and hospitality. The construction industry, for example, employs a disproportionate number of contingent workers in the United States. Most of these workers are young men, and many are Hispanic or Latino, performing dangerous jobs that have a high risk for falls, nail-gun injuries, musculoskeletal injuries and more.

7 Ways to Protect Contingent Workers

The CPR white paper offered seven strategies to ensure the contingent work force is protected:

1. Empower workers with a stronger right-to-know. “Well-educated and well-trained workers are the most empowered – they know their rights, they know when they have been wronged, and they know the best way to correct a hazardous work environment,” the report states. “Contingent workers do not get enough education and training.”

2. Empower workers with a right-to-act.“Under current law, workers lack the power to commence legal action on their own accord against an employer that is breaking the law; instead, they must make a formal complaint to OSHA compliance and await the agency’s response …Workers need to be able to wield power that is proportionate to their huge stake in the game. That power should come in the form of an amendment the OSH Act that would create a legal vehicle for enforcing worker rights against employers,” the paper asserts.

3. Strengthen OSHA enforcement. The paper claim that “OSHA could make a significant impact on health and safety in contingent workers’ lives through modifications to existing enforcement policies … In addition, OSHA has the ability to test the new policies for effectiveness by implementing them in discrete geographical areas or selected industries.”

4. Create ergonomics standards. “Since ergonomic hazards pose significant risks in industries and occupations that employ many contingent workers, OSHA should establish regulations to eliminate those hazards,” the paper states. “…OSHA could issue a series of industry-specific ergonomics rules, geared toward particular hazards. Starting with industries that employ a significant number of contingent workers would lead to better protections for millions of workers without coming close to the alleged $4 trillion price tag that prompted the congressional veto of the broader standard in 2001.”

5. Reform voluntary and consultation programs. “As the contingent workforce grows, OSHA has an obligation to revisit existing programs to ensure that they meet the needs of contingent workers,” the paper asserts. “First, OSHA should revise the minimum criteria that companies must meet to be part of the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) … Given the health and safety concerns raised by employer decisions to place contingent workers in new and high-hazard jobs, VPP entry criteria should be revised to require that VPP employers only use contingent workers in low-hazard occupations such as clerical work.”

6. Build a case to close statutory loopholes. “OSHA should also determine if there are data that support closing loopholes in the OSH Act that limit the statute’s applicability to domestic workers and farmworkers on small farms,” the white paper added.

7. Improve foreign-language capabilities. According to the white paper, “the high number of Hispanic workers in the contingent workforce suggests that language barriers can create challenges for education and training … In addition to hiring more bilingual inspectors, OSHA must increase the foreign-language capabilities of staff who develop education and training materials. The agency should establish a goal of making all of these materials available in multiple languages and formats, reflecting not only the spectrum of workers’ native languages, but also differences in culture and literacy.”

“As the contingent worker population grows, the occupational safety and health community will have to adapt,” the paper concluded. “OSHA Compliance Training can lead the way with new rules and better enforcement, but the agency will also need the help of other advocacy organizations, from union-affiliated campaigns to worker centers to faith-based groups. Because the contingent workforce is particularly vulnerable to unfair treatment and poor working conditions, empowering these workers to act will take the support of many advocates.”

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Exploratorium to debut outside fog exhibit

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The Exploratorium reopens on Wednesday in a brand new building on the San Francisco Waterfront. I'll be the Emcee for the opening ceremony that starts at 9 a.m. Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and Mayor Ed Lee will speak, followed by the ringing of a new bronze bell at 9:45. Doors open at 10 a.m. and close at 10 p.m.

ABC7 News is the Exploratorium's official television partner and we've already shown you a lot of the new exhibits planned for inside the building. Now, here's is an exclusive first look at some of what they're planning outside.

The Exploratorium spent its first 44 years at the Palace of Fine Arts, creating a reputation for cutting-edge science and art exhibits.

The new building at Pier 15 offers three times the space and a first for the Exploratorium, a permanent spot for outside exhibits. That space was created out of a giant parking lot on the north side of the building. It's now ready for new life as an outdoor oasis. For the first six months, that life will be filled with fog.

We watched a trial run of a fog sculpture created by Japanese artist Fujiko Nakaya, who's here to oversee the installation. When the work is finished, visitors on the bridge will be engulfed by fog.

"It's art that you can look at and observe, but you can also experience and be in. It's an immersive experience," said Eric Dimond, the assistant outdoor works curator.

And when you step off the bridge, the fog puts on a show. The fog will operate every half hour. When it clears, you'll be able to see artist Chris Bell's creation.

We watched Bell as he moved around in an inflatable boat testing little mirrors that will eventually create a light show with reflected sun on the rafters. Right now there are just a few, but the finished work will have 1,000.

Another exhibit in the works will allow you to dial up your own custom rain storm, adjusting the size, speed and frequency of the drops. This will be an outdoor exhibit, but it's being perfected inside under controlled conditions.

"The prototyping process is a very, very delicate one, where you are finding things out, you are getting excited about certain aspects of playing around with the prototype and then you're constantly thinking, 'How are we going to recreate what's happening for us for the visitor?'" said Shawn Lani, the outdoor works curator.

A musical metal bridge was dreamed up by Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart. He wanted to play music on a model of the Golden Gate Bridge. Exploratorium engineers made it happen.

After weeks of fine-tuning, Hart actually played the model at the anniversary celebration for the real bridge. Now the instrument is being rebuilt in a form that Exploratorium visitors can play.

ABC7 News Exploratorium special:
This Sunday at 6:30 p.m. on ABC7 News, you can get a preview when we present the special: "More to Explore, The Making of the New Exploratorium." ABC7 News anchor Dan Ashley be hosting the half-hour special with an exclusive inside look at San Francisco's newest treasure.

Opening day for the Exploratorium is April 17, 2013.

written and produced by Jennifer Olney

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Academy hatches penguin in Golden Gate Park

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Inside the African penguin exhibit at the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park, there's a new face.

"This is the first chick we've hatched here in the new building at the Steinhart Aquarium," said Academy biologist Erin Jessup.

It has taken academy staff weeks to get him ready for his debut. While he's starting to look like the other penguins in his colony, he was just a puff of soft feathers when we checked in on him a couple weeks ago. Only ABC7 News was there when he got a check-up.

"It looks like the chick is in good body condition, being fed well by the parents. The feather coat looks good, good growth all the way around," said Academy veterinarian Freeland Dunker.

At just 36 days old. This yet-to-be-named male penguin got a clean bill of health.

"The bird passes with flying colors. We're in good shape," said Dunker.

The young penguin is already showing signs of growing up. He is starting to shed his soft down feathers for stiff, adult feathers. Jessup says, "Over the next few weeks, it will continue to grow those feathers."

Jessup has been keeping a close eye on this little guy since he hatched. She will be helping to wean him from his parents. "African penguins, these chicks, do leave their parents on their own," said Jessup.

We checked back in on him when he was 57 days old. His parents Robben and Ty were still feeding him.

"You can see that he still has a little bit of his down, but it's being replaced by his juvenile plumage. Once he's fully feathered, what we call fledged, with his juvenile plumage, he'll be fully water-proofed and fully able to swim." said Jessup.

But that didn't keep Jessup from giving the new penguin a swimming lesson. It's a strange new experience for a bird that'll soon be joining the other penguin on exhibit, diving into the water.

After testing out the water, he's eager to get back to the comfort of mom and dad. Last week, he was showing signs of being a little more independent. With a little help, he's now eating solid food. It's a good sign he'll start eating on his own, it also means he's ready to meet the other penguins in the colony.

Academy biologists are on hand just in case other penguin gang up on this newcomer. He'll be at the bottom of the pecking order. But this little guy is showing signs that he'll be OK. He's a confident swimmer, but a little timid around the colony. But with any luck it won't be long before the new guy has a chick of his own.

"African penguins are endangered in the wild. We want to do our best to have a healthy population. The way to do that is that we track the DNA and recommend and encourage breeding among pairs that are genetically diverse," said Jessup. "So that a hundred years from now, we still have a very healthy population."

So what will his name be? That's up to you. The California Academy of Sciences is holding a contest to name the new penguin. The winner will receive a painting created by the new penguin, with a little artistic direction from academy staff.

Name the Penguin Chick Contest:
The public can enter the Academy's Name the Penguin Chick Contest, which runs April 10 through April 30. Academy staff will select the top three names based on originality and connection to the Academy's mission to explore, explain and sustain life, including the African penguin SSP program. The final three names will be put out to public vote, and the winning name will be announced during a naming ceremony in May.

Visitors outside of the San Francisco Bay Area can view the new chick via the Academy's online Penguin Cam or by downloading the Pocket Penguins mobile app, where live feedings are broadcast daily at 10:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., PT.

Cal Academy Name the Penguin Chick Contest runs April 10 - April 30
Enter a name: Name the Penguin Chick Contest
**If you get a message saying this site is offline, try again on Wednesday. The contest starts on April 10, 2013.

Written and produced by Ken Miguel

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East Bay lab searches for gas alternative

EMERYVILLE, Calif. (KGO) -- Today's higher gas prices can really pinch the monthly budget. But what if there was a cheaper alternative that could be produced on the scale of oil and be better for the environment? That's just what Joint BioEnergy Institute in Emeryville is working on.

Every day, hundreds of thousands of cars crowd Bay Area streets and highways. For every gallon of gas burned, nearly 20 pounds of carbon dioxide is released into the environment. Carbon dioxide is the biggest contributor to global warming.

"Our job here at JBEI is not to produce fuels, but to actually develop the science that companies will then license and turn into fuels," said Jay Keasling, the executive director of the Joint BioEnergy Institute in Emeryville.

JBEI is looking for a greener solution to fossil fuel. It is made up of six partner institutions led by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The group includes the UC campuses at Berkeley and Davis, the Lawrence Livermore and Sandia National Laboratories, and the Carnegie Institution of Science. ABC7 News first told you about the lab shortly after it opened in 2008. It was funded by five year, $134 million grant from Department of Energy and given five years to achieve measurable success.

Blake Simmons has been there since the start. He oversees some of the work at the institute.

"Compared to 2008 we are much closer to seeing these advanced bio fuels come to the marketplace," he said.

Simmons says scientists have found good alternatives to fossil fuels, including ways to maximize the amount of fuel they can get from plants.

"We've certainly developed techniques and we've patented them on how to do that," he said.

The lab has also found cheaper ways to break down green waste into the sugar that will ultimately become fuel.

"We're able to tear apart those plants and extract those sugars more readily. We've got microbes that will synthesize as fuels from those sugars, fuels that can be dropped in to gasoline, diesel or jet fuel," said Keasling.

But how do they make it on the scale of large refineries and make them it affordable?

"That is the one critical bottleneck that we are trying to address at JBEI," added Simmons.

One floor below the lab, scientists are hoping to find answers. They call it the Advance Biofuels Process Demonstration Unit. It is a miniature version of a massive refinery.

"What we do here is exactly what was done 150 years ago for oil," Lab Manager Julio Baez said.

Not only are they looking for ways to better process bio fuels, they are looking closely at the byproducts as well.

"When oil was discovered, we realized there are lot of very valuable compounds in oil that could be fractionated and recover," said Baez.

The processor opened in 2011, and was funded by a $20 million grant from the Department of Energy. While the processor perfects a method for refining bio-fuel scientists upstairs at JBEI are still working to make a more affordable fuel. Currently the lab can produce tank ready fuel for about the same price as a barrel of oil. The big difference? No greenhouse gases.

"There's still a lot of research to be done on making them more affordable and making plants be better bio energy crops but we've made a lot of progress," said Keasling.

The federal government apparently agrees. It has given the lab another five years and $125 million to continue their work.

Written and produced by Ken Miguel

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San Rafael rent control case could impact thousands

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. (KGO) -- Residents of a San Rafael mobile home park won a major victory Monday in a case that could affect hundreds of thousands of California mobile home residents. The multi-million dollar legal battle pits a company controlled by one of the richest men in America against the city of San Rafael and the Contempo Marin mobile home park.

At first glance, you might think life at Contempo Marin looks idyllic. But former resident Jacqui Garcia says that's an illusion. "I get very angry about what's happened to so many people that have had to walk away," she said.

Garcia lived at Contempo Marin for 30 years, in a home protected by rent control.

Former San Rafael City Councilman Greg Brockbank says mobile home parks are "one of our best examples of affordable housing." "It gives us the diversity we need to have a healthy community," he said. "It provides us with people that work in the community, that retire in the community."

But things at Contempo Marin changed 13 years ago when the park owner Equity LifeStyle Properties (ELS) sued to end rent control. Contempo Marin is like most mobile home communities; residents own their houses but rent the land under them. Despite their name, the homes are actually not very mobile.

About 100 California cities and counties have rent control laws to protect to the homeowners. The San Rafael case could affect them all.

Attorney Michael Von Loewenfeldt is representing the city of San Rafael. "Because (mobile home owners) don't own the land under their homes, they are really subject to abuses or potential abuses by the landowner," he said.

In 2008, ELS tried to raise rents from $700-$800 a month to almost $2,000 a month. A judge stopped that, but the legal battle is still going and it's taken an emotional toll on many residents.

ELS is the biggest mobile home park owner in the country. The chairman of the board is Sam Zell, estimated by Forbes to be worth $4 billion. Last month residents of ELS communities in seven states showed up outside a shareholder meeting in Chicago to accuse the company of excessive rent increases.

"Seniors are actually walking into the manager's office and turning in the key to their house and walking away, losing everything," Carla Burr, a mobile home resident from Virginia, said.

Residents at Contempo Marin say that's happening at their park too. They are caught in legal limbo. Five years ago, a federal judge ruled San Rafael's rent control law was unconstitutional. Then, last April the appeals court reversed that decision.

But the president of the homeowners association, Keith Meloney, says it's too soon to celebrate. He told residents, "While there is a time for our victory dance, it is not yet today."

ELS is fighting the court ruling. For now, if any one moves out of their home, rent control on that space goes away and ELS can raise the rent as high as it wants. That's already happened on more than 60 of about 400 spaces at the park.

In court papers filed last week, residents claim ELS is trying to drive them out.

Gordon Atkinson is the attorney for Contempo Marin residents. He feels so strongly about the case he is doing it for free. Atkinson says the court documents include statements from residents who say they are being harassed. "They say that the park owner is not taking care of the park, that conditions are deteriorating, that they are selectively enforcing rules against some homeowners, but not other homeowners," he said.

Residents who want to sell are struggling. Their houses have lost almost all their value because of the uncertainty over future rent. Andrew Perrins has family and health issues and needs to move. Perrins says he bought his house for $160,000. "Just a few years later, due to the legal actions of the owners of the landowner, my house is now worth less than $5,000," he said.

Jacqui Garcia was so desperate to get out, she's selling her home for just $300. "There was no peace of mind anymore," she said. "You lived in constant fear, what are you going to get hit with next?"

In court documents, ELS calls the residents claims of harassment "erroneous assertions."

No one from Equity LifeStyle Properties would not talk on camera. Instead, they sent the following statement:

We filed a petition for rehearing with the full 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals because we believe that the 3-judge panel's opinion was in conflict with U.S. Supreme Court rulings. As discussed in our petition, the trial court found after a full trial that the City's rent control ordinance does not make housing more affordable, a conclusion the 3-judge panel did not dispute. Instead, the ordinance forces new residents to pay more upfront to get into the community than they would have to pay without the ordinance. Our customers are overwhelmingly satisfied with the quality and pricing of the communities and lifestyle we provide. We invest large amounts of money in maintaining and upgrading our communities every year. Last year alone, we invested tens of millions of dollars in property upgrades.

Monday, the federal appeals court refused to re-hear the case -- a major victory for the mobile home owners. However, Equity Lifestyle Properties has 90 days to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

There are an estimated 350,000 mobile homes in communities throughout California.

Written and produced by Jennifer Olney

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Safeguard the potential of the Contingent Workers

We all are aware of the fact that today workers or employees are not safe at their working premises, as they confront a wide range of emerging health and safety issues that requires to be noticed. OSHA has introduced its future direction towards the health and safety of contingent workers. The health section comprise of threats from operating respiratory illness, combined exposure to latest mixture of harmful chemicals, and exposures to radical fine particulates, as well as amphibious and unreal vitreous fibers. Within the safety space, rising problems embody, fall hazards from wireless communications and high-definition television tower construction, noise in construction, and difficulties in reaching the increasing population of mobile employees.

OSHA SAFETY RULES

OSHA provided safety and health support for 1st response, salvage and recovery operations, and hygiene operations in hazard analysis, monitoring, and refinement. Extra activities are already current to boost OSHA’s readiness. This space would require continued attention throughout the look amount. OSHA tenders a good choice of training compliance courses and academic programs to assist broaden employee and leader information on the popularity, avoidance, and interference of safety and health hazards at their workplace. OSHA, in addition to this also tenders training and academic materials that facilitate businesses train their employees and suit the activity Safety and Health Act.
OSHA plays a vital role in supporting contingent workers by polishing off programs designed to save lots of lives, stop injuries and diseases, and shield the health of America’s employees.

These 7 Strategies comprise of:

Emerging leadership qualities and standards for work safety and health,Supervising employment premises and coping with employers and staff,Offering guidance to small businesses,Providing training compliance help, outreach, academics, and different cooperative programs for employers and staff,Providing matching grants to help states in administering consultation comes and approved activity safety and health social control programs, andDeveloping friendly relationships with different agencies and organizations in order to cope with vital safety and health problems.Exercising sturdy, efficient, and honest social control

OSHA additionally supports contingent workers by making certain that its rules effectively address policy problems which they are doing not produce inessential restrictive burden.

OSHA Strategic Management set up, focuses on serious hazards and dangerous workplaces and includes ways that emphasize:

Increasing partnerships and charitable programs

Providing and extending academics and training compliance help.

OSHA MISSION

OSHA’s mission is to delve and make sure work safety and health safety for contingent workers.

OSHA, along side its valued state partners, achieves its mission through varied means that, as well as work social control of applicable laws and rules, inspections, consultation services compliance help, outreach, education, cooperative programs, and supplying of standards and steerage. So as to extend its effectiveness, bureau collaborates with a spread of organizations fascinated by activity safety and health.

About emPower

emPower is a leading provider of comprehensive Healthcare Compliance Solutions through Learning Management System (LMS). Its mission is to provide innovative security solutions to enable compliance with applicable laws and regulations and maximize business performance. empower provides range of courses to manage compliance required by regulatory bodies such as OSHA, HIPAA, Joint commission and Red Flag Rule etc. Apart from this emPower also offers custom demos and tutorials for your website, business process management and software implementation.

Its Learning Management system (LMS) allows students to retrieve all the courses 24/7/365 by accessing the portal. emPower e-learning training program is an interactive mode of learning that guides students to progress at their own pace.

For additional information, please visit
http://www.empowerbpo.com
.

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Retailers using controversial marketing tools

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- When you're shopping, you're being watched. And not just by security. Retailers want to know everything about how you behave in their stores.

When you're shopping, you're being watched. And not just by security. Retailers want to know everything about how you behave in their stores.

And now, two Bay Area companies are working on technologies that will watch you like never before. We have a look at what these new marketing tools could mean for your privacy.

Sometimes a sign is just a sign. But sometimes, it's watching you.

"This sign here, basically has a small camera hidden into the back of the sign," said Mark McGowan.

He's a Product Director for EFI, they're in the printing business. But now, they're getting into the camera business.

"As I look at the sign, as you can see, my face is now circled," McGowan said.

It's called SmartSign. It's an ordinary cardboard sign, with an extraordinary ability to recognize faces. It can tell if you're looking at it, and for how long. And it's remarkably good at telling your age and gender.

When asked why put a camera in the sign, EFI Chief Technology Officer Ghilad Dziesietnik answered, "Well, because that's the best way to attract the immediate reaction of the observer in the sign. It's a one-to-one viewing angle."

He says internet marketers can tell if you click on an ad. But stores often don't know if their displays are effective.

"Are people even looking at the sign?" Dziesietnik asked. "What is the focus they have on the sign? Who are the people that look at the sign?"

SmartSign gives all those answers on a colorful web page from a device so cheap that once they release it in a few months, it could be everywhere.

"We really see the cost getting down to really a couple hundred bucks to actually get one of these on the street," McGowan said.

But retailers don't have to put a camera in a sign to start learning more about their customers. In fact, some are already doing it with the cameras that are in the ceiling.

"A system like this can work using your own existing surveillance camera," 3VR Chief Marketing Officer Joe Boissy said.

San Francisco-based 3VR is mainly a security company. Founded with money from the CIA, they built facial recognition that profiles people by age and gender, and tracks them through the store.

"Understand exactly where they're standing, what are they doing, and where they dwell," Boissy said. "Even though some people might say it's controversial, the way we would like to talk about it is to say, we are a friendly big brother."

3VR has tools aimed at customer service:

"I can ask the system to alert me when the line gets longer than six people because maybe I need to send another staffing member out there," 3VR Field Sales Engineer Diego Simkin said.

It can even tell if customers are happy or upset. And it answers the all-important question about the conversion rate -- how many of the people walked into the store and bought something, because they have cameras connected to the point of sale.

And that's where it gets sticky. Cameras connected to cash registers. Privacy advocates say it could mean that stored image of your face is no longer anonymous.

"It could be linked to their credit card transactions at a register, and then the store just has a wealth of information available on people," said Jennifer Lynch with the Electronic Frontier Foundation. "We don't know what's happening to that data, how long it's being stored for, and who it might be shared with."

The EFF worries it could be used for invasive advertising; or, in the wrong hands, identity theft.

When asked what the solution is here, Lynch replied, "I think that the solution is for retailers to not store as much information."

EFI is taking that suggestion. SmartSign analyzes the video, but never stores it. All marketers see are the numbers.

3VR does keep the video, but says it's not linked to your identity.

"We're not tracking people, we're tracking profiles, things that help retailers and consumers at the same time, save time and money," Boissy said.

Consumer advocate Jon Fox likes that promise, but he's worried.

"I think the problem with that argument is that it relies a lot on us trusting companies," he said.

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