The American Society of Safety Engineers' (ASSE) Transportation Practice Specialty (TPS) has developed and made available a special "Call to Action" TransActions newsletter with information aimed at helping prevent roadway fatalities and injuries in support of the annual May 6-12 North American Occupational Safety and Health Week (NAOSH). Worldwide, roadway crashes and fatalities are at an all time high. Transportation incidents continue to be the number one cause of on-the-job deaths each year in the U.S. The 6,159,000 vehicle crashes in 2005 resulted in the deaths of 43,443 people, injured 2.7 million more people and cost the U.S. $230.6 billion. The majority of those killed in crashes were drivers, and of those that died 75 percent were male. According to the U.S. Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS), 6,483 motor vehicle operators involved in fatal crashes had previous records for suspensions, revocations, DUI, speeding and harmful moving convictions. In the special NAOSH Week 2007 TransActions newsletter, ASSE's TPS provides key information on preventing roadway fatalities and injuries. It can be found on the ASSE web site at www.asse.org/naosh07. It also provides statistics and an overview of the problem from a global perspective. ASSE encourages its members to distribute it at work, to download it and forward it to family and friends in support of NAOSH Week, a week focused this year on all modes of transportation safety. The NAOSH TransActions newsletter features articles on handling accident investigations and reconstruction, transportation and food distribution safety, safe vehicle operations, effective driver training programs, New York City's bridges and tunnels, a shop safety checklist, developing a written safety program, and actions transportation companies can take to prepare for a possible avian flu outbreak. TPS Administrator Doug Cook notes the major impact roadway safety has on businesses and believes the information in this newsletter can help. The TransAction authors, TPS members, include a safety engineering and biomechanics field expert, certified safety professionals (CSPs), casualty risk control professionals, loss control specialists, a safety, health and environmental director for a national food company, a forensic engineer, transportation engineering experts and a managing director of corporate safety, health and fire prevention for an international transportation company. Cook has 30 years of experience in transportation operations, sales and safety and is vice president of safety for Covenant Transport. During the annual NAOSH Week ASSE members work to focus the attention of employers, employees, the general public and all partners in occupational safety, health and the environment on the importance of preventing injury and illness in the workplace. On Monday, May 7 the national NAOSH Week kick-off will be held in Washington, D.C., at the U.S. Department of Labor and in the Capitol. Joining ASSE in the national kick-off will be the Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Edwin Foulke Jr., the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE), and several other federal agencies and trade organization officials. Winners and entrants from the fifth annual ASSE Kids' "Safety-on-the-Job" poster contest for members' children aged 5 – 14 will also be recognized. On May 9 ASSE celebrates the second annual Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day noting that every day millions of people go to and return home from work safely due, in part, to the work of occupational safety, health and environmental professionals and the businesses committed to protecting people, property and the environment. To access ASSE "Call to Action" TransActions newsletter, the NAOSH 07 poster and tools please go to www.asse.org/naosh07 or contact ASSE customer service at 847-699-2929 or customerservice@asse.org. Founded in 1911, ASSE is the oldest and largest professional safety society and is committed to protecting people, property and the environment. It's more than 30,000 occupational safety, health and environmental professional members manage, supervise, research and consult on safety, health, transportation and environmental issues in all industries, government, labor and education.
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