Staffing is big business and getting bigger by the day. This rapid growth has only fueled confusion around responsibility for safety training.

Cincinnati – NIOSH has released guidance to help protect the hearing of musicians and others in the music industry.

Washington — NIOSH, in conjunction with Wikipedia, has launched a yearlong campaign aimed at improving the free online encyclopedia’s content related to acoustics and the harmful effects of noise.

In the wake of severe injuries – including a death – involving laboratory researchers at U.S. universities, the Chemical Safety Board and the American Chemical Society are exploring the issues of education and training, near-miss reporting, and safety culture in university labs.

Washington — In light of emerging data on the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released interim environmental cleaning and disinfection recommendations for community facilities with suspected or confirmed cases of the potentially deadly respiratory illness.

Washington – OSHA has issued a proposed rule that would roll back certain provisions of its final rule on worker exposure to beryllium in the construction and shipyard industries.

Washington — OSHA will extend the compliance date for its beryllium standard for general industry and change certain ancillary provisions in the final rule, according to a settlement agreement between the agency and four petitioners.

Washington — OSHA will not eliminate all the ancillary provisions in its beryllium standards for shipyards and construction, but will propose other changes in the future, according to a final rule published in the Sept. 30 Federal Register.

This white paper is filled with expert tips on building and maintaining an effective PPE program. Learn about your obligations regarding PPE and empower your employees to protect themselves on the job.

Lansing, MI — Michigan OSHA, along with the state’s Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, has published a 25-page guidance document intended to help employers safely return workers to office settings amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cincinnati — Drawing on the lessons learned from efforts to protect workers from the hazards associated with nanomaterials can help developers of new technologies ensure their safe use, researchers contend.

Written by J. J. Keller’s workplace safety experts, this white paper offers valuable guidance and insights to help establish an effective PPE program at your company. Download a free copy and keep your employees safe!

Oakbrook Terrace, IL — In response to the COVID-19 pandemic “pushing health care organizations to their limits and workers beyond physical exhaustion,” accreditation organization The Joint Commission has published a special edition Sentinel Event Alert highlighting adverse events and high-risk conditions.

Washington — Federal employees need more comprehensive guidance from the Office of Personnel Management before they return to the workplace amid the COVID-19 pandemic, House Democrats contended during a June 25 virtual hearing convened by the House Government Operations Subcommittee.

Washington — Former OSHA administrator David Michaels is among three new members named to President-elect Joe Biden’s Transition COVID-19 Advisory Board, Biden’s transition team announced in a Nov. 28 press release.

Tumwater, WA — For people working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new fact sheet from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries explains how to set up a safe and efficient home workstation.

New York — The average U.S. adult now spends six hours a day sitting – four hours longer than before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic – and they’re feeling more aches and pains because of it, results of a recent survey show.

Washington — Claiming the Environmental Protection Agency is “rushing forward” with various regulations while much of the nation is focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, Reps. Bobby Scott (D-VA), Jerry McNerney (D-CA) and Mike Quigley (D-IL) recently sent a letter to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, calling on the agency to extend all comment periods for matters related to public and environmental health at least 45 days past the end of the declared national emergency.

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.

Washington — Two days after OSHA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued voluntary interim guidance aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19 among workers in the meatpacking and poultry-processing industries, President Donald Trump invoked the Defense Production Act of 1950 and declared the facilities “critical infrastructure” in an Executive Order intended to keep meatpacking facilities open.

Washington — The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health is calling on OSHA to enact an emergency temporary standard related to COVID-19 – an action the advocacy group says won’t require OSHA officials to reinvent the wheel.

Washington — OSHA is developing an emergency rule that will require employers with at least 100 workers to “ensure their workforces are fully vaccinated or show a negative test at least once a week,” President Joe Biden announced Sept. 9.

Washington — OSHA recently announced the start of a three-month increase of inspections at hospitals and nursing care facilities that treat COVID-19 patients.

Washington — OSHA should develop guidance on the process hazard analysis element of its standard on process safety management of highly hazardous chemicals (1910.119), the Chemical Safety Board recommends in a final report on an April 2018 explosion and fire at a Wisconsin refinery.

How can I accurately capture and apply feedback from workers and contractors to improve my organization’s safety culture?

On-the-job training can be helpful for new employees, for those who switch job roles, or when your organization begins using new equipment or methods. However, such training requires special attention, according to the National Safety Council.

Atlanta – With flu season on the horizon, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Foundation is sharing information to help workers protect themselves from the disease.

Washington – Although winter is coming to an end, OSHA is reminding employers and workers to be cautious when removing snow from roofs and other structures.

Washington — Citing the increased circulation of airborne viruses when temperatures drop, “indoor air quality in the workplace during cold weather is especially critical,” OSHA says in a new alert.

Bannockburn, IL — Nearly 1 out of 4 workers don’t receive training on COVID-19 safety guidelines, according to a recent survey commissioned by compliance company Stericycle.

Lansing, MI — Michigan OSHA has launched a state emphasis program focused on protecting workers in office settings, where community spread of COVID-19 is a risk.

Mill Valley, CA — Seventy percent of workers want their employer to require employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before fully reopening the office, according to the results of a recent survey commissioned by job research and review company Glassdoor.

Atlanta — Almost three-quarters of U.S. employees are concerned about workplace safety standards and cleanliness as a protection against COVID-19, according to the results of a recent survey.

Los Angeles — A recent survey of people who worked from home during the COVID-19 pandemic shows that nearly three-quarters experienced new mental health issues, while 65% developed new physical issues.

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.

When a COVID-19 case occurs in the workplace, the local health department may ask an employer for help. Health departments are responsible for leading case investigations, contact tracing and outbreak investigations.

Washington — The U.S. District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on April 4 heard oral arguments on why it should order OSHA to issue a permanent standard on COVID-19 for the health care industry.

Atlanta — Health care workers who were diagnosed with COVID-19 during the first year of the pandemic were more likely to have contracted the illness on the job rather than in household or community settings, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study has concluded.

Durham, NC — The rates of “moral injury” that health care workers experienced during the first year of COVID-19 pandemic was akin to those of U.S. military combat veterans, results of a recent study show.

Washington — Echoing comments made by OSHA administrator Doug Parker during a hearing three weeks earlier, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh said a permanent standard on COVID-19 for the health care industry may be published sometime in the fall.

Washington — Citing data that shows hospitalizations “may increase significantly in the coming weeks,” OSHA has extended its revised National Emphasis Program on COVID-19 until further notice.

New York — Employees in fields with higher workplace injury rates are generally less likely to be covered by employer-provided health insurance plans, results of a recent survey show.

Birmingham, AL — A recent study of health care workers in U.S. ERs shows masks, gloves, gowns and other personal protective equipment were highly effective at shielding them from infection during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Washington — The U.S. District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has ruled it doesn’t have the authority to order OSHA to issue a permanent standard on COVID-19 for the health care industry, denying an emergency petition filed by National Nurses United and other labor groups.

Washington — The National Academy of Medicine has unveiled seven priorities it says will help strengthen the well-being of the health care workforce and “restore the health of the nation.”

Washington — OSHA submitted its permanent standard on COVID-19 for the health care industry to the White House Office of Management and Budget for final review Dec. 7.

Washington — Two lawmakers have reintroduced a bill that would mandate nurse staffing levels in hospitals in an effort to create better working conditions.

Cambridge, MA — The median time from a worker’s injury to “first medical service” was either unchanged or shorter early in the COVID-19 pandemic relative to prior years, a new report shows.

Springfield, IL — Legislation that would require driver’s education courses to feature lessons on worker and driver safety in highway constructions zones is advancing in the Illinois Legislature.