Catesby Holmes
Catesby Holmes's Latest Posts
Is grain handling the most dangerous job in the country?
Deep-sea fishing, backwoods logging, and farming are among the top five most dangerous occupations in the United States, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The hazards for loggers and fisherman are obvious (big waves, chainsaws), but…farmers? What’s the issue there? The answer has a lot to do with a seemingly innocuous agricultural product: […]
Is OSHA really saving lives? It depends on who you ask
Ever heard the phrase, “correlation does not imply causation”? It’s a favorite of statisticians, who bristle at people’s tendency to draw errant conclusions about data because they conflate the two terms. Here’s one particularly offensive, oft-misconstrued example of that mistake: crime rates are higher in African American communities than in white or Latino populations. Does […]
Can Workplace Safety Affect Customer Satisfaction?
Yes, it can: that’s the finding of a new study by the National Safety Council (NSC). The report, which was published in the Journal of Safety Research, studied the connection between customer satisfaction and the safety climate at a Midwestern electricity utility. The findings suggested a “significant correlation” between rates of customer satisfaction and the safety […]
California Refinery Fire Sparks $1M OSHA Fine, Highest Allowed by Calif. Law
Nearly six months after a massive fire at a Chevron oil refinery in Richmond, Calif., the state bureau of the Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) has levied a $963,200 fine against the American corporation. OSHA’s report cites 25 breaches of safety regulations leading to the Aug. 6, 2012, blaze, including such “willful serious” violations […]
