Washington — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration wants input on whether it should require impact guards on the sides of large trucks to prevent vehicles from sliding underneath after crashes.

Washington — The Department of Labor recently announced the new roster of members for its Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health.

Washington — The Department of Labor has appointed six members to the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health and is accepting nominations for two vacancies.

Washington — OSHA is accepting nominations for membership on its Federal Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health.

Washington — OSHA’s Maritime Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health has scheduled a public meeting for Nov. 14.

Washington — OSHA’s National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health has scheduled a meeting for Dec. 12.

Washington — OSHA’s National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health has scheduled a virtual meeting for Sept. 9.

The Charity Retail Association is pushing for better volunteering practices and a renewed focus on reuse

Washington – It is unclear whether the Environmental Protection Agency’s approach to managing toxic chemicals will be successful in ensuring safety, an official from the Government Accountability Office recently told legislators.

Washington – A federal transportation safety advisory committee and a medical review board are scheduled to host a joint public meeting Sept. 9-10 in Alexandria, VA, to discuss several ongoing transportation safety topics.

Washington – The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee has approved Heather MacDougall as the third and final member of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Washington – The Senate on March 12 confirmed Heather MacDougall as the third Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission member.

Washington – Health and safety standards could be weakened in certain cases because small businesses have been left out of the federal rulemaking process, according to a report from the Center for Effective Government.

Washington – In what OSHA is calling a “precedent-setting” decision, a judge has determined that the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission may have the authority to order enterprise-wide abatements of hazards.

Washington — James Sullivan Jr. is the new chair of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Briarcliff Manor, NY — You’re at home with family in the evening when you receive an email notification. It’s from your boss. Do you respond? A new study finds that pressure to check work email from home can negatively affect your health, your relationship with your significant other, and his or her health.

Is your office prepared to deal with workplace violence? If you’re unsure or think it’s unlikely to occur, consider this: “Some 2 million American workers are victims of workplace violence each year,” states OSHA, which adds that “workplace violence can strike anywhere, and no one is immune.”

Washington — Recently released interactive training from the Chemical Safety Board incorporates agency findings from a deadly refinery explosion to form guidelines for managing hazardous chemicals and complying with OSHA’s standard on process safety management.

Third Sector gets the views of the finance and resources director at the energy and fuel poverty charity Changeworks

Washington – How can the federal workers’ compensation system balance the needs of injured workers with the wise use of taxpayer funds? The question was debated during a May 20 hearing convened by the House Workforce Protections Subcommittee.

Honolulu – Injured public employees in Hawaii must complete a return-to-work program before receiving vocational rehabilitation benefits, under a new state law.

Newcastle upon Tyne, England – Increased awareness and targeted interventions may help improve return-to-work outcomes for workers who undergo total knee replacement procedures, according to a recent study from Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust and Newcastle University in England.

Canterbury, England — Many people returning to work after the death of a loved one don’t receive adequate support from their employer, according to a study from Canterbury Christ Church University.

Austin, TX — The percentage of injured workers who returned to work within six months of an injury steadily rose about 5 points in Texas during a recent 11-year period, according to a recent report from the Texas Department of Insurance Division of Workers’ Compensation.

Atlanta — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released guidelines intended to help businesses, as well as schools and mass transit operations, safely reopen amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Washington — Workers’ opinions about returning to the office amid the COVID-19 pandemic vary greatly based on each individual’s situation, but most want their employer to take certain actions to ensure their safety when they do, results of a recent survey show.

New York — Fewer than 3 out of 10 employees who are working remotely amid the COVID-19 pandemic expect to return to their physical workplace by the end of the year, and some groups feel more pressure than others to do so, results of a recent survey suggest.

Itasca, IL — The best path to safer, more collaborative and more productive work environments in the United States involves employers guiding COVID-19 vaccination efforts.

Tumwater, WA — A new toolkit from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries offers employers resources they can use to help injured employees return to work as soon as medically possible, aid worker recovery and prevent long-term disability while reducing the financial burden of workers’ compensation claims.

Louisville, KY – Traffic law enforcement agencies should shift their priorities away from roadside inspections and instead focus on drivers’ unsafe behaviors – the cause of about 9 out of 10 crashes – according to an American Trucking Associations representative.

Washington – Sixty-seven law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty during the first half of 2014 – a 31 percent increase from the same period last year, according to a report from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund released July 22.

Chicago – Law enforcement officers who wear body armor are 76 percent more likely to survive a bullet to the torso than officers who don’t wear the gear, according to a study from the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago.

Washington – An innovative sheriff’s deputy has been named the winner of NIOSH’s Safe-in-Sound Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention Award.

Washington — Fatal motor vehicle crashes among law enforcement officers are on course for their lowest total since the 1980s, according to an analysis by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis.

Washington — Law enforcement officers have a nonfatal injury rate nearly three times higher than the general workforce – with “assaults and violent acts” against them the leading cause – according to a recent NIOSH study.

Washington — At least 155 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty during the first half of the year – a 9.9% increase from the same period in 2020, according to a recently released report from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

Tumwater, WA – A chemical used in car and truck washes can harm workers, according to research from the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.

Washington — The American Hotel and Lodging Association has developed what it calls “enhanced” cleaning guidelines and workplace protocols “to meet the new health and safety challenges and expectations presented by COVID-19.”

Washington — Aimed at protecting restaurant/food and beverage workers from exposure to COVID-19, a new OSHA safety alert lists measures employers should take during the pandemic.

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.

Washington — OSHA is planning to convene a small business panel on Oct. 4 to discuss a potential standard on emergency response, the Small Business Administration has announced.

Durham, NC — Researchers at Duke University have identified a new tool they say can help doctors and public health officials track firefighters’ exposures to cancer-causing chemicals, as well as determine when and where the risks may be greatest.

Philadelphia — Drexel University’s Center for Firefighter Injury Research & Safety Trends has created model organizational policies aimed at addressing stress and violence in fire-based emergency medical services workers.

Emmitsburg, MD — A new training module from the Emergency Responder Safety Institute focuses on the use of personal protective equipment when responding to roadway incidents.

Washington — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s National Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council has scheduled public meetings for Nov. 15-16.

Washington — New online training from the National Volunteer Fire Council is intended to help fire departments better respond to pipeline emergencies.

Washington — OSHA is eyeing January for publication of a proposed update to its standard on emergency response to expand safety and health protections for first responders.

Washington — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s National Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council has scheduled a public meeting for Feb. 7-8.

Washington — OSHA is seeking to “address the full range of hazards currently facing emergency responders” via a recently released proposed rule.

Washington — OSHA has extended until June 21 the comment period on proposed updates to its emergency response standard.