Sacramento, CA – Almost 1 million people in California have work-related asthma, according to a new surveillance report from the California Department of Public Health.

San Francisco — The California Department of Industrial Relations’ Division of Workers’ Compensation has suspended 178 medical providers from its workers’ comp system during the first eight months of the year.

Anhydrous ammonia – used in manufacturing, refrigeration and agriculture – is a pungent, colorless and toxic gas or liquid that, when concentrated, is corrosive to human tissue upon contact, according to NIOSH.

Detroit – Night-shift workers who experience insomnia but report low levels of sleepiness have higher levels of cognitive impairment than those with insomnia who say they experience “excessive” sleepiness, according to a recent study from the Sleep Disorders and Research Center at Henry Ford Hospital.

Kansas City, MO — OSHA has launched a Regional Emphasis Program addressing hazards stemming from exposure to fertilizer-grade ammonium nitrate and agricultural anhydrous ammonia.

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.

Richmond, CA – Agencies tasked with overseeing refinery safety in California need better coordination and stronger regulation, concludes a new report from the state’s Interagency Working Group on Refinery Safety.

Washington – California should strengthen its process safety management regulations for refineries, the Chemical Safety Board stated in a final report on a fire at a Chevron refinery in 2012.

Sacramento, CA – California could become the first state to require professional cosmetics manufacturers to list ingredients – including hazardous chemicals – on their product labels.

Sacramento, CA — California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Sept. 22 signed into law a bill intended to further protect the health and safety of warehouse workers.

Silver Spring, MD — Awareness of nanotechnology or nanoparticles in the construction industry remains relatively low among contractors, union leaders and apprenticeship program staff, according to the results of a recent survey conducted by the Center for Construction Research and Training – also known as CPWR.

Falls Church, VA – Virginia will become the first state in the nation to codify the Voluntary Protection Programs so that it becomes a permanent fixture of the state's workplace safety program, once recently approved legislation is enacted July 1.

From large storage capacity network video recorders (NVRs) with high capacity RAID backup recording to video security cameras with built-in audio, Hikvision technology meets these stringent compliance mandates at competitive price points.

Offering Black Friday and holiday season shopping deals aren’t just for the retail industry. Security dealers can get in on the action too. 

How the “millennial generation” is changing the way you should market.

Sacramento, CA – The California Department of Industrial Relations and the California Environmental Protection Agency have approved final regulations intended to improve hazard prevention and management at the state’s 15 oil refineries.

Washington — The House Steering Committee has selected Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) to serve as chair of the renamed Education and the Workforce Committee for the 118th Congress.

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.

Sacramento, CA — Additional revisions to California’s emergency temporary standards on COVID-19 have been adopted by the state’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board, to include the California Department of Public Health’s latest recommendations for reducing the spread of the disease.

Sacramento, CA — A new initiative spearheaded by a California Department of Industrial Relations task force is aimed at ensuring employers on publicly funded construction sites are following labor laws and providing workers’ compensation insurance.

Oakland, CA — Two fact sheets, along with an updated FAQ document, from the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health highlight the latest revisions to the state’s emergency temporary standards on COVID-19 – adopted April 21 by the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board.

Sacramento, CA — In an effort to “enhance commercial vehicle safety” and “create consistency between state and federal regulations,” the California Highway Patrol is proposing the state adopt regulations requiring the use of electronic logging devices for commercial motor vehicle carriers involved in intrastate operations.

Sacramento, CA — California’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board has voted to adopt non-emergency COVID-19 prevention regulations.

Washington – Adults with occupational asthma face a higher risk of developing pneumococcal disease, but only 54 percent of them are vaccinated to help ward off an infection, according to a new study from NIOSH.

Richmond, CA – California needs to change the way it regulates refineries and adopt a system aimed at reducing risk to the lowest possible level, concludes a new report from the Chemical Safety Board.

Sacramento, CA — Workers involved in setting up, tearing down and operating live events at public entertainment venues will now be required to receive specified occupational safety training and certification, under a new California law.

Washington — Three days after the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration determined that hazardous materials transporters do not have to comply with California’s rest and meal break requirements, the American Trucking Associations filed a petition asking the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to pre-empt the requirements for all commercial motor vehicle drivers.

Washington — A group of 19 congressional Democrats is urging, “in the strongest possible terms,” the Department of Transportation to deny a recent American Trucking Associations petition on California’s meal and rest break rules for commercial truck drivers.

Washington — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Dec. 21 granted a petition to pre-empt California’s meal and rest break rules for commercial motor vehicle drivers, stating that the rules are incompatible with current federal hours-of-service regulations and cause “a disruption in interstate commerce.”

Washington — Enhancing California’s workplace heat standard could better protect workers in the state and guide current federal rulemaking on heat stress prevention, a new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council suggests.

Santa Ana, CA — California law permits prosecutors to seek civil penalties against employers facing accusations of workplace safety violations under the California Occupational Safety and Health Act, the state’s Supreme Court has ruled.

Sacramento, CA — An emergency regulation in California intended to protect outdoor workers from potentially dangerous wildfire smoke was enacted July 30 by the state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, also known as Cal/OSHA.

Sacramento, CA — A California Senate committee recently approved legislation that calls for a study on gender-based monetary disparities in state workers’ compensation benefits.

Sacramento, CA — The California Assembly has approved legislation that would require fast-food chains and their franchisees to share responsibility for complying with worker safety laws and regulations.

Sacramento, CA — Most workplaces in California must now adopt a number of worker safety measures when indoor temperatures hit specific levels.

Richmond, VA — The Virginia Department of Labor and Industry has issued a hazard alert warning of the potential dangers of unsafe materials handling and storage in the beverage distribution and retail industry.

Harrisburg, PA — Pennsylvania will explore the possibility of providing OSHA protections to workers in the public sector, Gov. Tom Wolf (D) has announced.

Working with ammonia requires caution. The flammable, colorless gas has the potential to explode if heated, warns the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety. It’s also extremely toxic.

The agreement eliminates the need for additional Requests for Proposals (RFPs), allowing public bodies to bypass lengthy procurement processes and acquire essential equipment faster and more cost-effectively. 

Washington — Two federal safety agencies are urging owners of certain “nurse” tanks used to transport anhydrous ammonia to check the tanks for potential “catastrophic failure.”

Blacksburg, VA — The Virginia Tech Helmet Lab is planning to venture outside of sports and recreation to create ratings for safety helmets.

MS Fire Protection is said to provide a valuable launch point for Pye-Barker’s fire sprinkler operations in the Golden State’s Central Valley region.

This detector measures ultra-high ammonia concentrations – from 10,000 to 1 million ppm (saturated) – and provides extreme accuracy, excellent repeatability and an operating life measured in decades.

This NH3 long-life ammonia sensor works optimally regardless of how much it has been exposed to ammonia. It’s ideal in environments where ammonia could be present 24/7 – including refrigeration facilities, fertilizer manufacturing and livestock farms.

Sacramento, CA — The California Senate has approved legislation aimed at preventing workplace violence, particularly by banning employer policies that direct non-security personnel to confront shoplifters.

Sacramento, CA — Employers in California will be required to establish, implement and maintain a workplace violence prevention program, under a new state law.

Sacramento, CA — The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is applauding the advancement of legislation that would prohibit autonomous trucks from operating on California roadways without human drivers.

Sacramento, CA — The California Legislature has approved a bill that would require employers in the state to have a workplace violence prevention plan.

Sacramento, CA — California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has vetoed legislation that would have banned autonomous trucks weighing 10,000-plus pounds from operating on the state’s roadways without a person on board.

Sacramento, CA — Naloxone hydrochloride or another Food and Drug Administration-approved opioid-reversal medication must be included in all workplace first aid kits in California no later than Dec. 1, 2028.