Here’s an incredibly powerful tester for coax, Category cables and with one additional device and some Norwegian engineering.

Atlanta – Productive aging is about minimizing losses and maximizing growth. That was the message from James Grosch, NIOSH Center for Productive Aging and Work co-director and research psychologist, during a Sept. 27 webinar, “Productive Aging and Work: Theory, Health Data & Practical Solutions” – part of the NIOSH Total Worker Health webinar series.

Silver Spring, MD — Recognizing the importance of older workers in the construction industry, CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training has developed a series of resources for them.

Washington – OSHA has published a guide intended to help oil refineries comply with the agency’s Process Safety Management Standard (1910.119).

Washington – The Chemical Safety Board has released a video on last year’s ExxonMobil refinery fire, which severely burned four workers in Baton Rouge, LA.

Washington — The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement has issued a proposed rule intended to “reduce certain unnecessary regulatory burdens” that exist under the Production Systems Safety Rule “while correcting errors and clarifying current requirements,” according to a notice published in the Dec. 29 Federal Register.

Washington — The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement has found “noticeable gaps” in safety regarding fired vessels on a few offshore oil and gas platforms in the Gulf of Mexico that “warrant attention to prevent or mitigate uncontrolled releases of hydrocarbons, toxic substances or other materials,” according to an agency safety alert issued Oct. 2.

Washington — OSHA has published COVID-19-related guidance intended to help employers in the oil and gas industry reduce exposure among workers, including personnel in the subindustries and those whose tasks “make up the broader oil and gas industrial sector.”

Washington — The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement has issued a proposed rule that would codify existing agency practice concerning the review and approval of projects proposing to use “new or unusual technology.”

Chicago – A major aircraft manufacturer has joined the effort to keep large quantities of highly flammable lithium-ion batteries out of cargo holds in passenger planes.

Washington – The Federal Aviation Administration has published new guidance aimed at keeping airport workers safe as airplanes are taxied and towed.

How much do you know about heat-related illnesses? Take this quiz to find out.

Gaithersburg, MD — “In many buildings, ventilation is often misunderstood or infrequently assessed,” says the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which has created an online tool designed to help determine indoor air quality.

Chicago — Results of a recent survey show that workers have trouble trusting employers and supervisors who use “therapy speak” but don’t follow it up with helpful actions.

New York — Around 2 out of 5 workers who say they have or have had a toxic boss have sought therapy as a result, results of a recent survey show.

Atlanta – Stronger regulations and early-detection efforts are necessary to prevent and diagnose occupational lung illnesses related to silica exposure, according to a new research review from Emory University and the American Cancer Society.

Washington – OSHA’s current rule on silica is based on obsolete analytical data, and exposure at the current permissible exposure limit results in “significant risks of death” from cancer and other diseases, the agency said during a Jan. 14 webchat that discussed proposed updates to the rule.

Washington – Firefighters who work for federal agencies and contract certain diseases on the job would be ensured federal workers’ compensation coverage under newly introduced bipartisan legislation.

Washington – Firefighting exposures “modestly” increase the risk of death from cancer, according to a NIOSH study.

Boston — A group of researchers from the Boston University schools of medicine and public health has developed what it calls a “fast, accurate and cost-effective approach” to test whether certain chemicals increase people’s cancer risk.

Comprehensive checklist based on ANSI B11.TR1-1993 includes considerations for machine operation, installation and maintenance.

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

Olympia, WA – The Safety & Health Assessment & Research for Prevention Program at the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries has released six industry-specific checklists and summary reports aimed at helping employers identify risk factors that may contribute to work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

Washington — Self-inspection checklists for ergonomics, young workers, workplace violence and infection control have been added to the OSHA/NIOSH Small Business Safety and Health Handbook.

Washington – OSHA has proposed delaying the compliance date for crane operator certification while the agency considers a potential rulemaking that would address concerns about the requirements.

Washington – OSHA is proposing to extend the compliance date for crane operator certification to Nov. 10, 2017, in response to concerns raised during a series of stakeholder meetings.

Washington – OSHA is seeking a one-year delay on crane operator certification requirements scheduled to go into effect in November.

Washington — A new fact sheet from OSHA is intended to help protect workers from hazards associated with shipboard pedestal cranes.

Washington — As part of a settlement agreement, OSHA has issued a proposed rule that would grant exemptions to its Cranes and Derricks in Construction Standard for work on or along railroad tracks.

Houston — When OSHA revised its rules for reporting severe injuries in 2014, agency officials were not sure what to expect, Patrick Kapust, deputy director of OSHA’s Directorate of Enforcement Programs, said Monday during the “OSHA Current Activities Update” Technical Session at the 2018 National Safety Council Congress & Expo.

Fairfax, VA — The National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators has published three employer guides on OSHA’s updated crane operator requirements, a final rule scheduled to go into effect Dec. 10.

Washington — OSHA has issued a temporary enforcement policy for the construction industry after being informed by the Sanford, FL-based Crane Institute Certification that the organization no longer is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency, as required under section 1926.1427(d) of OSHA’s Cranes and Derricks in Construction Standard.

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.

Salem, OR — Oregon OSHA is seeking public comment on proposed rules that would increase worker protections against extreme heat and wildfire smoke, calling them “the strongest such protections in the nation.”

Washington — Citing Arizona’s “pattern of failures to adopt and enforce standards and enforcement policies at least as effective” as those used by OSHA, the agency is proposing to “reconsider and revoke” the final approval of the state’s State Plan for oversight of worker safety and health.

Rosemont, IL — The OSHA region that Bill Donovan oversees will soon be renamed, but what won’t change are the agency’s efforts to promote and protect worker safety and health.

Washington — OSHA has unveiled a new mission statement that “more fully reflects the agency’s purpose and the work we do to serve that purpose.”

Washington – Pipeline operators may be required to notify the National Response Center no later than one hour after an incident involving natural gas and hazardous liquid pipelines, under a recently proposed rule from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

Washington — The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration recently published a set of FAQs on training requirements.

Villejuif, France – Frequent use of workplace disinfectants may increase health care workers’ risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, suggest researchers from France’s National Institute of Health and Medical Research.

Villejuif, France — Frequent use of common cleaning products and disinfectants at work may increase female nurses’ risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by up to 38%, results of a recent study led by researchers from France’s National Institute of Health and Medical Research suggest.

Chicago — Health care workers commonly carry respiratory viruses on their hands, clothing and personal protective equipment after administering care to patients, accentuating the need to practice “complete hand hygiene and use other PPE to prevent dissemination,” results of a recent study suggest.

Ann Arbor, MI — Around 3 out of 4 workers have kept quiet when they’ve had an illness that could infect their co-workers, according to a recent study.

World Wide Security & GC Alarm Inc., ranked No. 73, concurs there was “greater demand for security services and an increase in budgets to accomplish security goals.” The company, which logged a 3.2 percent increase in RMR, notes the best growth areas were video and managed services.

Each of these companies not only improved their 2021 RMR by double digit percentage points over 2020, but also moved several spots up on the SDM 100 ranking as a result. 

Washington — More than 5,300 U.S. Postal Service employees were attacked by dogs while delivering the mail last year, the agency has announced.

Portland, OR — In an effort to prevent worker deaths and injuries stemming from runover and backover incidents, the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences has issued a hazard alert.

Every OSHA investigation presents an opportunity for using what comes to light to help prevent similar incidents. Here are three cases – selected by the agency.

Lowell, MA — Keeping workers safe during a disaster – natural or human-caused – is the goal of a new online course from a NIOSH Total Worker Health Center of Excellence.

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration is offering two online tools intended to help mine operators and workers review violations of safety standards.