Washington — OSHA has published an overview of its most common COVID-19-related citations – and a reminder of employer requirements.

Chattanooga, TN — Long-term work disability claims for musculoskeletal issues have climbed 40% overall and 62% among men since 2010, and are especially prevalent among workers in occupations that require heavy lifting, repetitive motion or prolonged sitting, a recent analysis from insurance company Unum shows.

Washington — In a push to reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorders, the National Safety Council is calling on employers across all industries to sign a pledge to improve workplace safety, reduce MSD risk and enhance worker well-being.

Washington — NIOSH has extended until Dec. 14 the comment period for a Request for Information on the deployment and use of elastomeric half-mask respirators in health care settings and emergency medical services organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Washington — NIOSH has approved – for both personal protection and source control – the first elastomeric half-mask respirator without an exhalation valve.

What do safety professionals need to know about heatstroke and how to prepare for these emergencies?

Boston — Falls to a lower level were the leading a cause of fatal worker injuries in Massachusetts from 2014 to 2015, representing nearly 17 percent of the state’s workplace fatalities, according to a report released Oct. 16 by the state’s Department of Public Health.

Boston — The rate of opioid-related overdose deaths among Massachusetts workers in 2016 and 2017 rose 83.7% over the previous five-year period, with construction and agricultural occupations experiencing dramatic jumps, according to a recent report from the state’s Department of Public Health.

Elk Grove Village, IL — The American Medical Association, along with more than two dozen other organizations, has issued a list of recommendations to help end the nation’s epidemic of drug-related overdose and death.

Tumwater, WA — Exposure to cannabis dust, fume or smoke can lead to the development of work-related asthma, warns a new hazard alert from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries.

Most statistical data on phishing attacks point to employee/personnel education, said Daniel DeBlasio vice president of sales, BQT Solutions America Inc.

Telaeris‘ XPressEntry handheld badge and biometric readers enhance access control and security management by providing a flexible, mobile solution that goes beyond traditional door readers and addresses specific safety and security challenges.

Washington – Increased awareness and targeted interventions may help protect workers from experiencing hearing loss and/or tinnitus, according to a recent study from NIOSH.

Bethesda, MD – Declining speech-processing abilities in the brain may contribute to hearing loss in older adults, according to a recent study from researchers at the University of Maryland.

Washington – Several final and proposed OSHA rules – including a long-delayed update to the beryllium rule – are expected to be published in the next few months, according to the agency’s spring regulatory agenda, released May 21.

Washington – OSHA has delayed until March 21 the effective date of its final rule intended to protect workers from exposure to beryllium.

Washington – The Department of Labor is proposing to delay until May 20 the effective date of a final rule intended to protect workers from beryllium.

Washington — OSHA is delaying enforcement on all of its beryllium standards until May 11, the agency has announced.

Washington — OSHA is extending to Dec. 12 the compliance date for certain ancillary provisions in its beryllium standard for general industry, the agency has announced.

Washington — Hurricanes and high winds could “significantly impact” the U.S. bulk-power system and lead to the release of hazardous chemicals if facilities lose power, the Chemical Safety Board says.

Working in the hot summer sun can cause more than just discomfort. Serious medical conditions such as dehydration, fainting and heat stroke can send many workers to the hospital – and can even prove fatal in some cases.

Why do individual workers respond to heat so differently?

San Francisco – Ninety percent of on-the-job eye injuries could be avoided if workers wore eye protection, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Dublin — Frontline health care workers treating COVID-19 patients can reduce their risk of developing a facial pressure injury caused by prolonged use of personal protective equipment by using the contents of a specially designed “care bundle,” claim researchers from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

Aurora, CO — Anxiety, depression and fatigue increase women’s risk of getting hurt at work, according to a recent study from the Colorado School of Public Health’s Center for Health, Work and Environment.

Lexington, KY — Fatigue-related crashes among commercial motor vehicle drivers increase the farther the crash site is located from truck stops, rest areas and weigh stations with rest havens, according to a recent study from the University of Kentucky.

Washington — For oil and gas extraction workers, a combination of extended work hours, long commutes and insufficient sleep increases their odds of engaging in risky driving behaviors, according to a recent NIOSH study.

Constructed to be truly non-flammable, the Ultimate Baselayer keeps comfortable heat in during winter conditions and extreme heat out when facing dangerous conditions.

London — Use of wheeled waste collection bins – instead of bags, boxes or baskets – may reduce musculoskeletal injuries and lost worktime among sanitation workers, according to a recent study out of the United Kingdom.

Silver Spring, MD — The rate of nonfatal, work-related musculoskeletal disorders requiring days away from work in the construction industry has continued to decline, while the median DAFW for such injuries remains on the rise, according to a recent report from the Center for Construction Research and Training – also known as CPWR.

Itasca, IL — A new white paper from the National Safety Council details effective interventions to help prevent or reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

Itasca, IL — The National Safety Council has announced two new grant programs to encourage development of safety solutions targeting work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

Itasca, IL — The National Safety Council has awarded $274,000 in grants to nine organizations in an effort to advance new safety technologies aimed at reducing work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

Washington — Legislation recently introduced in the Senate is aimed at ensuring firefighters and other workers are properly trained to respond to emergencies involving electric vehicles.

Washington — Railroads must provide atmosphere-supplying emergency escape breathing apparatus to all rail crew members who spend time in the cab of a train carrying hazardous materials, the Federal Railroad Administration says.

Columbus, OH — Golf cart users, be “FORE!”-warned: The zippy means of transportation – no longer limited to golf courses – carries “considerable risk of injury and morbidity” to drivers and passengers of all ages, especially kids and older adults, say researchers from the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

National Work Zone Awareness Week is April 11-15. This year’s theme is “Work zones are a sign to slow down.”

Denver — Deaths and serious injuries resulting from falls in the construction industry in recent years have prompted OSHA to launch an initiative to inspect worksites across Colorado’s Front Range, Montana and South Dakota on weekends, “when many employers typically do not monitor their jobsites well.”

Menlo Park, CA — Thirty-four percent of employees say they’re more burned out than they were a year ago, according to the results of a recent survey developed by global staffing firm Robert Half.

Ljubljana, Slovenia — Work intensity is the most commonly identified risk factor for daily stress on the job, European researchers have concluded after conducting a research review.

Atlanta – Lead exposure remains an issue for workers, with elevated levels most common in manufacturing, construction, services and mining, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

COVID-19 has changed the way we all work. Some of us never stopped physically going to work, while others have been working remotely since mid-March. No matter where we are, working during a pandemic has added stress to our daily lives.

More than 300. That’s how many known triggers can be found in the workplace that cause or worsen asthma, according to NIOSH. 

Pregnancy increases the risk of heatstroke or heat exhaustion on the job because the body must work harder to cool itself, according to OSHA. Pregnant workers are also more likely to become dehydrated, “a primary contributor to heat-related illness.”

North Kingstown, RI — More than 4 out of 5 health care workers experience headaches associated with the use of personal protective equipment, according to a new report from the Association of Migraine Disorders.

Washington — NIOSH has added all types of uterine cancer to the list of health-related conditions covered by the agency’s World Trade Center Health Program.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency wants feedback as it considers a training program for health care providers on recognizing, treating and reporting pesticide-related illnesses and injuries.

Waltham, MA — The higher outdoor temperatures climb, the more likely it is that a worker will be injured, according to a recent study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute.

How can wearable technology change the way employers implement heat stress monitoring?