Washington — The Department of Transportation intends to seek comment on separate advance notices of proposed rulemaking on the safe operation and integration of drones, including a measure that would allow civilians to operate drones at night and over populated areas without a waiver, Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao announced Jan. 14.

Vienna, VA — Motor vehicle crashes cost U.S. employers up to $47.4 billion annually in direct expenses, according to the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety, which has developed a calculator to help organizations determine their own costs.

Dallas — A recent report from the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ Volunteer and Combination Officers Section and the National Volunteer Fire Council details 11 best practices for minimizing cancer risk among firefighters.

Washington – Workers can now submit whistleblower complaints electronically, OSHA announced Dec. 4.

Washington — OSHA has added two series of FAQs to its State Plan whistleblower information website.

Arlington, VA – Last year, 28 miners died on the job – the lowest total on record, according to preliminary data from the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

The National Training Center (NTC), a prominent source of on-location and virtual classroom training and training materials in the various low-voltage disciplines, is offering a quick flash sale of its renown Low Voltage Library.  

Washington – The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is proposing a pilot program that would allow a limited number of military veterans between 18 and 21 years old to operate a commercial motor vehicle for interstate commerce, according to a notice of proposed rulemaking published in the Aug. 22 Federal Register.

Washington — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is seeking public comment on a proposed pilot program that would allow commercial motor vehicle operators one rest break of up to three consecutive hours but no less than 30 minutes during every 14-hour on-duty period.

Washington — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is asking for comments on petitions seeking to restore California’s and Washington state’s rules on meal and rest breaks for commercial truck and bus drivers.

Boston — The top five costliest injuries in the construction industry in 2018 had a combined price tag of nearly $9 billion, according to the Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index – an annual ranking of serious, nonfatal workplace injuries based on direct workers’ compensation costs involving more than five days away from work.

Rockville, MD — OSHA requirements for mechanical service and mechanical construction on low-slope roofs – and the differences between them – are the topic of a new poster from the Mechanical Contractors Association of America.

Washington — The Federal Railroad Administration has issued a safety advisory to railroads and rail employees regarding a recently identified interface design issue that relates to how Positive Train Control systems interface with locomotive and cab car braking systems.

Washington – A recent survey from the National Waste & Recycling Association revealed that two-thirds of drivers do not slow down around garbage trucks, and almost 4 out of 10 drivers admit they feel tempted to speed past the vehicles.

Durham, NC — In an effort to preserve the supply of N95 filtering facepiece respirators used by health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers at Duke Health say they have successfully tested a decontamination process that allows the masks to be reused safely.

Washington — OSHA is extending its temporary leniency on annual respirator fit testing to all covered employers, not only those in the health care industry.

Washington — In effort to preserve the supply of N95 filtering facepiece respirators during the COVID-19 pandemic, OSHA is permitting the reuse of respirators that undergo certain decontamination processes, according to an April 24 temporary enforcement memo.

Washington — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service will allow poultry-processing plants to increase line speeds if they meet certain criteria, even as critics claim the move will expose workers to injuries and was made without public input.

Washington — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service, in collaboration with OSHA, will allow select pork-processing facilities – on a trial basis – to operate at increased line speeds for up to one year while gathering data that “measures the impact of line speed on workers.”

Utrecht, The Netherlands – On-the-job exposure to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields may double men’s risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, according to a new study from researchers in The Netherlands.

Washington — OSHA is informing certain nuclear industry employees of their whistleblower protections, in a recently issued fact sheet.

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.

Washington – OSHA has released three new resources to help educate employers and workers on safety tips and forthcoming agency requirements.

Genetec Inc. has launched Genetec Cloudlink 110, the latest addition to its line of cloud-managed security appliances.

Washington – The fatal occupational injury rate for 2013 maintains a nearly decade-long decline, according to final data released April 22 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Washington — A total of 4,764 workers died as a result of on-the-job injuries in 2020 – a 10.7% decrease from the year before and the lowest number of fatalities since 4,585 were recorded in 2013, according to Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries data released Dec. 16 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Richmond, British Columbia – Agricultural employers can keep track of confined spaces on their properties with a new mobile application from WorkSafeBC.

Washington – An OSHA interim policy issued May 29 allows limited continued use of hazard communication labels that are not yet in compliance with the revised Hazard Communication Standard released in 2012.

Although OSHA has no standard regarding occupational homicide, it can be a significant risk, especially for workers in what NIOSH deems “high-risk workplaces.” These workplaces include liquor stores, taxicabs, motels, gas stations and jewelry stores.

The eBook provides insights into the challenges faced by traditional ECC consoles and how RGB Spectrum's solutions can improve the way operators interact with their workstations.

Eagle Eye Networks has launched Eagle Eye 911 Camera Sharing, a technology that gives Emergency Communication Center telecommunicators (911 professionals) instant access to security cameras during an emergency.

Washington – OSHA is proposing to dramatically lower its 34-year-old permissible exposure limit for beryllium to one-tenth of its current level, the agency announced Aug. 6.

Little Rock, AR — The Arkansas Department of Transportation, in partnership with the Arkansas State Police, Arkansas Highway Police and other state organizations, has launched a campaign aimed at reducing incidents and fatalities in work zones.

Four out of 5 adults will experience low back pain, data show. What can employers do to help workers?

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.

Rosemont, IL — In light of data showing that about 1 in 4 working adults have low back pain, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is offering tips to strengthen and protect the back.

Grain Valley, MO — The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety and 12 other organizations have sent a letter to lawmakers urging them to oppose two House bills that would allow drivers younger than 21 to operate interstate commercial motor vehicles.

Are you confused about the requirements in OSHA’s new reporting rule? Here’s a handy chart that may help clear things up.

The self-contained 90320 16-Gallon Gravit-Eye Portable Gravity-Flow Unit uses gravity to deliver water through dual-spray heads.

Stockholm – Working in the cold increases the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, according to researchers at the Karolinska Institute.

A snowblower can make clearing paths quicker and easier. But it’s important to operate them safely. Follow these tips from the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.

Aurora, CO — Raise your cup, coffee drinkers! Drinking one or more cups of caffeinated coffee a day may reduce your risk of heart failure, according to the results of a recent review conducted by researchers from the University of Colorado.

Guildford, England — Commuters are more likely to bike to work when the average speed of vehicle traffic along their route is below 20 mph, results of a recent study out of England suggest.

Lansing, MI — Michigan has become the first state to lower permissible blood lead levels – by as much as half – to protect workers, the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently announced.

Arlington, VA — Hospital units that consistently follow standard safety precautions experience nearly 40% fewer needlesticks and other sharps injuries than other units, a new study has found.

You mad? Skip the venting – it’s not the answer to feeling better, results of a recent study suggest.

Cincinnati — Various psychosocial, organizational and physical factors may increase workers’ risk of low back pain, according to a recent study led by NIOSH researchers.

An evolution from the traditional boxed macaroni and cheese, Follow Your Heart SuperMac is an alternative to this mainstream US household staple and is made with organic ingredients including whole vegetables, beans, and cashews to provide a creamy yet dairy-free macaroni and cheese experience.

New research from scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture suggests that there are fewer calories in roasted, unroasted, whole or chopped almonds than previously thought.

Arlington, VA — The Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued a long-anticipated final rule that lowers miners’ permissible exposure limit to respirable crystalline silica.