Five Things You Need to Know: 10/17, Wednesday Edition

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1) Australian Ranger Killed by Rogue Crocodile

A ranger out of northern Australia was “taken and killed” by a crocodile last week, writes Brendan Cole of Newsweek. She wasn’t killed while on the job, but other rangers had labeled the specific crocodile as a “problem” animal that had escaped multiple capture attempts. “…The location was so far-flung that it took officers nearly three hours to reach the spot near Gangan, about 130 miles southwest of Yirrkala in the Northern Territory,” per the article. “…Commander Tony Fuller from Northern Command said: ‘The family noticed she was missing and the bucket she was carrying was found nearby. They heard some splashing. She was up to waist deep in water.’” A National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre study was referenced in the article, which “…found that deaths from crocodile attacks have increased in recent years in Australia with 14 people killed by the animals between 2005 and 2014.”

2) Ohio BWC Rep Attributes State Partnerships as One of the Contributors for Safer Workplaces 

Ohio BWC Loss Prevention Supervisor Mark Miles recently took to LimaOhio.com with a letter about the organization’s recent triumphs. The BWC partners with more than 80 organizations across Ohio, emphasizing safety improvement for employees and employers. “…Claims have fallen steadily — approximately 86,000 new claims were allowed in fiscal year 2017, down from 104,000 in 2010. The number of employers using BWC safety services grew by 70 percent since 2010. Since 2011, Ohio employers have taken advantage of BWC’s Safety Intervention Grant Program to purchase more than $77 million in tools and equipment that make their workplaces safer,” per the letter. Employer rebates dating back to 2013 have also demonstrated improvements in workplace safety for the state, writes Miles. “…A $1.5 billion employer rebate this summer followed rebates of $1 billion in 2013, 2014 and 2017. In Allen County alone, those rebates so far have totaled more than $35 million.”

3) WA: All Spokane Police Dept. Rifles to Have Suppressors

Every rifle of the 181 in supply for Spokane police will soon have suppressors, writes Beth Baumann of TownHall.com. “…The move is said to protect the department from workers’ compensation claims and civilian lawsuits,” per the article, referencing the Spokesman-Review. The additions will cost the city approximately $115,000. While some citizens expressed confusion in the need for the suppressors, hearing protection for police officers was cited as the leading reason for the decision.

4) WA: Community Nurses Come Together to Raise Workplace Violence Awareness

“…One in four nurses will be assaulted multiple times throughout their career, said registered nurse Diana Griffin, a clinical nursing instructor at Walla Walla Community College who holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing,” writes Annie Charnley Eveland of The Union-Bulletin. College students came together on Oct. 8 to educate the community of these dangers, including a nurse assault incident that occurred in September. “…In 2015, The Associated Press reported hundreds of employees at Western State Hospital in Lakewood, Wash., the state’s largest psychiatric hospital, suffered concussions, fractures, bruises and cuts during assaults by patients, resulting in millions of dollars in medical costs and thousands of missed days of work,” per the article. An upcoming event, hosted by Kadlec RNs Care for Us, will encourage legislators and medical/community members to have a discussion about workplace violence. It will take place Wednesday at 5 p.m. at the Red Lion Hotel V (Kennewick Columbia Center).   

5) Unwelcomed Guest Slithers Around China Bank

This next story might make you want to check your ceilings. During a staff meeting at the Xin Cheng branch of the Industrial and Commercial Bank (Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region), an unwelcomed guest fell through the ceiling, landing in between two employees, according to ABC.net.au. The “non-venomous” python, weighing about 11 pounds and measuring at a little under 5 feet was caught by a wildlife rescue team. It might have been raised in a home near the bank, per the article. The same branch had another snake incident in 2017. 

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