Harrisburg, PA — A new Pennsylvania law says state highway construction and maintenance vehicles can display flashing/revolving fluorescent green lights to help protect roadway workers and drivers during inclement weather.

Washington — Now open for trucking industry stakeholders: a survey on the most critical issues facing the industry.

San Jose, CA — Bolstering mindfulness and emotional intelligence in the transportation industry “will help foster a felt sense of psychological safety among employees, empowering them to perform their roles effectively, efficiently and safely,” a research institute says in a new report.

Orlando, FL — The National Safety Council, during the 2024 NSC Safety Congress & Expo, honored 14 professional drivers who have helped make roads and communities safer.

Washington — Truck drivers who spend time waiting for cargo to be loaded or unloaded at customer facilities – known as “detention time” – are more likely to travel at higher speeds than drivers who aren’t detained.

Sacramento, CA — For the second time, legislation that would prohibit autonomous trucks weighing 10,000 pounds or more from operating on California roadways awaits the signature of Gov. Gavin Newsom (D).

Greenbelt, MD — The results of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s 37th annual International Roadcheck are in.

Washington — The Federal Transit Administration is requiring urban transit agencies “to conduct a safety risk assessment; identify safety risk mitigations or strategies; and provide information to FTA on how it is assessing, mitigating and monitoring the safety risk associated with assaults on transit workers.”

Sacramento, CA — California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has vetoed – for the second time in two years – legislation that would have prohibited driverless autonomous trucks weighing 10,000 pounds or more from operating on state roadways.

Washington — Musculoskeletal disorders are overwhelmingly the No. 1 cause of injuries among warehousing and “last-mile delivery” workers, according to a Government Accountability Office report released Oct. 8.

College Station, TX — Workers who drive at night, take note: Vehicle-wildlife collisions may be almost 50% more likely to occur during a full moon, results of a recent study suggest.

Washington — The Department of Transportation is accepting comment on a proposed rule that would allow the use of electronic forms and signatures for drug and alcohol testing.

Washington — Night or shift workers who don’t get sufficient rest may be unfit to reliably gauge their own fatigue level because of a diminished ability to detect “when their performance is declining.”

Which workers are more at risk of drowsy driving? According to the National Sleep Foundation, it’s shift workers, people who work long hours, long-haul truck drivers, and business workers who spend many hours on the road each day or might be jet-lagged.

Washington — Photos, graphics and statistics are included in an illustrated digest recently released by the National Transportation Safety Board detailing the 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, OH.

Greenbelt, MD — The results of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s annual Brake Safety Week are in.

Stronger helmet laws could have prevented more than 22,000 motorcycle deaths over the past 4.5 decades, a recent study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows.

Washington — Spurred by two separate fatal incidents this year, the Federal Railroad Administration is re-emphasizing the importance of rules and procedures to protect workers who operate or work near roadway maintenance machines.

Washington — A new Federal Transit Administration final rule establishes mandatory minimum safety standards for rail transit employees who work on or near tracks.

Nashville, TN — A lack of safe places for truck drivers to stop and rest continues to trouble the transportation industry, with the issue coming in near the top of the American Transportation Research Institute’s annual list of top trucking industry concerns.

London — A new guide from the Society of Occupational Medicine addresses the health of “at work driving populations” and reducing road traffic incidents.

Tumwater, WA — Washington state has begun the development process for a rule to address work-related musculoskeletal disorders among airline ground crews.

Washington — Although oral fluid drug testing is a federally approved alternative for truck drivers and other transportation workers in safety-sensitive positions, a key hurdle stands in the way.

Is OSHA coordinating with the National Labor Relations Board? House Republicans wants to know. Learn more about this story in this week’s OSHA Roundup.

What’s in President Obama’s final budget, and how is the philosophical fight over OSHA compliance assistance and enforcement faring? Find out in this week’s OSHA Roundup.

Improved cell phone data reception is the result of employees who work on new cell towers. But their lives are in danger. Learn what solutions were discussed by industry stakeholders during a recent workshop.

Are some models too thin to work safely in the fashion industry? California seems to think so. Find out what the state’s legislators have proposed.

Occasionally, someone says something I find noteworthy. In today’s post, the Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Commission doesn’t mince words regarding a controversial workers’ comp law.

OSHA is working on guidelines to help employers. Find out more about them in this week’s OSHA Roundup.

Congress questions whether OSHA is ignoring lawmakers in its enforcement stance on hazardous chemicals, and floats the idea of letting some violators of certain safety and health rules off the hook. Find out the details of these stories and more in this week’s OSHA Roundup.

Only two weeks after OSHA published its final rule on silica, industry groups are appealing to a court for a review of the new standard. Find out why in this week’s OSHA Roundup.

Should OSHA have a rule that addresses workplace violence in the health care industry? Some congressmen think so. Learn about this story and more in this week’s OSHA Roundup.

Salem, OR — Oregon OSHA is inviting all employers in the state to take part in its 16th annual “Safety Break for Oregon” to help raise awareness and promote “the value of keeping people safe and healthy” on the job.

Annapolis, MD — Maryland Del. Cheryl D. Glenn (D-Baltimore) has reintroduced legislation that would require contractors seeking to work on certain state projects to submit safety plans and would direct the state to ensure the plans are being followed.

Washington – The Environmental Protection Agency’s recent final rule banning methylene chloride for consumer use has advocacy groups and lawmakers concerned that continued commercial use of the hazardous chemical leaves workers at risk.

Iowa City, IA — A NIOSH-funded study of farm machinery found that the machine operators experienced whole-body vibration at levels that reached the European Union’s “action level” for exposure limit within two hours of operation on nearly 30 percent of the equipment tested.

Eighty-two firefighters died while on duty in 2018, six fewer than the previous year, according to an annual report recently released by the U.S. Fire Administration.

Washington — Chemical Safety Board interim Executive Authority Kristen Kulinowski said she will “do everything in my power to maintain as many of the functions of the CSB as are permissible by law” as the agency comes closer to operating with just one of its five board seats filled – hers.

Watertown, SD — A new video from the National Association of Tower Erectors highlights the importance of properly inspecting and using safety climb systems installed on communication towers.

Portland, ME — The University of Southern Maine, in conjunction with the Maine Small Business Development Center, has launched a series of free online training modules intended to help employers and workers in the retail and food service industries prevent workplace violence.

Houston — The American Bureau of Shipping – a maritime and offshore facility classification organization – along with researchers from Lamar University and insurance group the American Club is calling on the maritime industry to adopt more comprehensive standards for injury and near-miss reporting after a recent analysis of industrywide data.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency, in accordance with the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, is seeking comment on proposed significant new use rules for six chemical substances that are subject to agency premanufacture notices.

The texturizer, first available in the United States, helps manufacturers create affordable processed and imitation cheeses that boast improved shred, melt and stretch in dairy and non-dairy applications.

GELITA will use this year’s Food Ingredients Europe (FiE) to showcase various benefits of its novel “Fast Forward Process” and “Particle Engineering” processes, which utilize gelatine and collagen peptides. These new advances are part of the company’s SMART TECHNOLOGY portfolio.

ReadiCream® ND is a non-dairy, PHO- and allergen-free product that—when hydrated—is designed to be 1:1 replacement for liquid heavy cream or other dairy products. Although replacing real dairy, ReadiCream® ND provides an authentic fresh dairy taste and excellent mouthfeel resulting in no loss of quality in finished product.

By manufacturing local to the source, Ingredion is able to manage the entire supply chain, from farm to customer, enabling the company to provide its customers with a consistent, reliable supply with unparalleled traceability.

GRINDSTED® NG 100 is a next-generation, non-GMO emulsifier that is highly functional and cost effective. Its primary function is starch complexing, which results in improved crumb softness in yeast-raised baked goods.

DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences announced the global launch of its DuPont™ YO-MIX® PRIME cultures series. These innovative cultures set a new industry standard for yogurt manufacturers around the world. 

Ingredion Incorporated has introduced TICALOID® Acacia MAX in the U.S. and Canada. The ingredient is a high-performance emulsifier that solves many of the common limitations of traditional acacia. 

An exceptional emulsifier, Leprino Nutrition Native Micellar Casein Concentrate (MCC) offers food and beverage manufacturers a clean label replacement for sodium caseinate that also tastes better and has a more efficient cost-in-use.