Ed Sullivan, chief economist and senior vice president of market intelligence for the Portland Cement Association — which represents America’s cement manufacturers — says that the Federal Reserve’s recent move to lower interest rates, coupled with easing inflation, signals a significant retreat in interest rate levels by the end of next year…all to the benefit of construction activity.

Washington — Labor Secretary Marty Walsh has renewed the two-year charter for the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health, OSHA announced in a notice published in the Sept. 30 Federal Register.

Washington — Labor Secretary Marty Walsh has renewed the two-year charter for the OSHA Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health.

Indianapolis — Members of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials have pledged to work together on a safety action plan aimed at reducing fatal traffic crashes.

Piscataway, NJ — A recent study of volunteer firefighters shows that their bodies have higher levels of “forever chemicals” than those of people in the general public, and the amount of these potentially harmful substances likely rises with time and exposures.

Munich — The International Platinum Group Metals Association has released a guide intended to improve safety for workers who are exposed to platinum group metals.

Washington — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has vacated a 2018 amendment to a 2017 Mine Safety and Health Administration rule that allowed a competent person to inspect the workplace as miners began work rather than prior to a shift – a decision United Mine Workers of America President Cecil Roberts calls “a victory for miners everywhere.”

How is the Environmental Protection Agency prioritizing chemicals for risk evaluation under the amended Toxic Substances Control Act?

Falls Church, VA – Workers may be exposed to a group of synthetic chemicals used in building materials without realizing it, according to a new white paper from the American Industrial Hygiene Association.

Although winterizing your car or truck is an important step to ensure your vehicle’s safety, it is equally important that you are aware of the potential health risks posed by the chemicals used for winterization.

Two 35-year-old workers using floor sanders were killed and two others were seriously burned in a house fire after the lacquer floor sealer they were using ignited.

Working with chemicals and solvents in the workplace can expose workers to a host of health hazards. Being properly trained in how to handle these hazardous materials is vital.

Breathing problems. Itchy skin, rashes and burns. Irritated eyes. For some workers, including maintenance workers, janitors and housekeepers, these symptoms may have a common factor: cleaning products.

The National Safety Council suggests employers relay the following information to employees to help reduce workplace incidents when handling and moving materials.

Washington — Health care workers will be the focus of OSHA’s emergency temporary standard on COVID-19, which will be issued June 10, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh told the House Education and Labor Committee during a June 9 hearing.

The Center for Construction Research and Training (also known as CPWR) is now offering several of its resources in Spanish.

Washington – A recent blog post by NIOSH sheds light on the thought process that goes into choosing the most effective art for safety materials.

Washington – The Chemical Safety Board is including Spanish language translations of some of its safety materials, the independent agency announced Nov. 20.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency on June 14 announced its intent to publish a Federal Register notice establishing the availability of expanded pesticide safety training materials, in accordance with 2015 revisions to the federal Agricultural Worker Protection Standard.

Washington — By publishing the availability of expanded pesticide safety training materials after previously resisting the move, the Environmental Protection Agency will reduce risks of injury and illness among employers, farmworkers, pesticide handlers and their families, the EPA Office of Inspector General asserts in an audit report released Aug. 30.

Sacramento, CA – Reacting to a Chevron refinery fire last year that resulted in thousands of people seeking medical attention after breathing toxic emissions, a California lawmaker has introduced legislation to require abatement of unsafe conditions during any appeals process.

Washington – OSHA failed to follow federal rulemaking requirements when it used a memorandum to announce a revised definition of retail facilities exempt from the Process Safety Management Standard, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has ruled.

Toronto — Handling receipts may boost cashiers’ exposure to bisphenol A and bisphenol S – two chemicals with possible links to cancer and other adverse health effects – results of a recent study from Canadian advocacy group Environmental Defense shows.

Tampa, FL — COVID-19 mortality rates among adults with lower levels of education who worked in the labor, service and retail industries were nearly five times higher than other groups in 2020, results of a new study by the University of South Florida show.

Vancouver, British Columbia — Protecting workers from struck-by injuries related to heavy equipment or vehicles is the goal of new employed-aimed resources from the Workers’ Compensation Board of British Columbia.

Ann Arbor, MI — Most paper receipts at large retailers contain chemicals with possible links to hormone disruption and other adverse health effects, results of a recent study show.

Governor Kim Reynolds of Iowa signed a bill today, June 30, which prohibits alarm companies from having to pay fees associated with false alarms, emergency response to false alarms or permits.

False alarms have long troubled video monitoring stations. With stations in Lafayette and Baton Rouge, La. and Chicago, Ill., Acadian Monitoring Services did better than most in the industry, estimating only two of three alarms received were false.

Interface Security Systems, a managed service provider delivering business security, managed network, UCaaS and business intelligence solutions to distributed enterprises, announced that El Pollo Loco, one of the nation’s fastest growing restaurant chains that specializes in fire grilled chicken, is relying on Interface's managed video verified alarms and intrusion alarm monitoring to reliably detect intrusions and minimize false alarms.

The XTLplus Classic Package includes a 7-inch Touchscreen Keypad, 3 door/window contacts, a motion detector and siren. Additionally, the XTLplus Premium Package also includes a video doorbell.

Washington – NIOSH on April 24 issued a recommended worker exposure limit of 1 microgram per cubic meter of air for carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers.

Washington – NIOSH has scheduled a public meeting on July 31 in Cincinnati to hear comments on a proposed survey about engineered nanomaterials.

Washington – New recommendations issued by NIOSH on Nov. 8 address protecting workers during processes that use engineered nanomaterials.

Geneva, Switzerland — The World Health Organization has released evidence-based guidelines intended to help protect workers from potential health hazards posed by manufactured nanomaterials.

Silver Spring, MD — The Center for Construction Research and Training, also known as CPWR, has released a series of toolbox talks on nanomaterials.

Washington — NIOSH is seeking scientific information regarding the dangers or safety of engineered nanomaterials as the agency explores the development of occupational exposure limits.

Are HazCom-covered businesses permitted to use and distribute chemicals purchased from foreign suppliers?

Companies are racing to implement phone-based credentials to increase security and user convenience. In general, that’s a good thing. However, if you’re thinking they’ll finally solve all of your identity security and credential management issues, think again.  

A home invasion case recently decided by the Court of Appeals in the State of Michigan involved the use of video from a security camera entered into evidence.

Washington – A recently released fact sheet from OSHA is intended to protect longshore workers who handle baggage at cruise ship terminals.

Washington — The COVID-19 pandemic understandably occupied much of a May 11 panel discussion that featured three OSHA experts presenting updates of agency activities, as part of the National Safety Council’s Impact Tracks webinar series.

At ISC West, Booth #20045, Brivo has announced the launch of support for Google Wallet mobile credentials to provide frictionless access with the tap of a phone. 

The latest survey was conducted before the Federal Reserve announced that it would reduce interest rates by a half-point.

Washington — Labor Secretary Marty Walsh is expected to leave the Biden administration to become executive director of the National Hockey League Players’ Association, according to multiple reports.

West Des Moines, IA — Workers are far less likely than CEOs to describe their workplace as empathetic, suggesting that executives “are living very different work experiences than their employees,” a new report contends.

Greenbelt, MD — Every day for the past several years, Brian McQueen has felt the left side of his neck and wondered if his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma will return.

Madrid — Solar ultraviolet radiation and diesel engine exhaust emissions top the list of most frequent exposures that put European workers at risk for cancer, results of a recent survey show.

Gaithersburg, MD — Wear and tear in firefighters’ protective clothing may lead to an increased release of chemicals linked to cancer, according to a new study from the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Washington – Beginning Nov. 1, Department of Transportation safety inspectors must follow new notification procedures when opening packages containing perishable hazardous materials that are deemed unsafe or non-compliant with safety regulations, according to a final rule from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

What considerations should be taken into account when adding electric vehicles to a fleet?