Washington — The National Sleep Foundation is stressing the importance of being alert and well-rested behind the wheel, as road safety advocates prepare to recognize Drowsy Driving Prevention Week Nov. 3-10.

Silver Spring, MD — As the use of solar energy panels continues to increase, Prevention through Design methods may help keep contractors safe during installation of the panels on small residential buildings, according to a recent report from the Center for Construction Research and Training, also known as CPWR.

Waterloo, Ontario — A Canadian safety group has added three posters – focused on reducing the risk of MSD injuries in the knees, shoulders and lower back – to its musculoskeletal injury prevention resource library.

Itasca, IL — The vast majority of the organizations that took the National Safety Council’s MSD Pledge receive regular feedback from frontline workers about reducing work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

Waterloo, Ontario — The University of Waterloo’s Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders recently released three collections of resources focused on preventing MSDs.

Itasca, IL — Improving methods of tracking musculoskeletal disorders, continuously monitoring and assessing physical risk factors, and sharing best practices can help workplace MSD prevention programs have real impact.

Washington — OSHA will prioritize rulemaking for a standard on preventing workplace violence in health care and social settings, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh testified during a May 17 House subcommittee hearing.

Itasca — New guidance from the National Safety Council is aimed at providing organizations with information and solutions to effectively mitigate and address workplace violence.

Provo, UT — Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) has signed a law allowing employers to petition for and obtain protective orders against anyone who poses a threat.

Washington — The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is asking for comment on proposed enforcement guidance aimed at preventing and addressing worker harassment based on sex, race and other protected traits.

In Episode 46, the S+H team examines the December issue’s feature story on best practices for preventing workplace violence. Also, Atanu Das, owner of MSDS Writer, a consulting company, joins the podcast to discuss Safety Data Sheets in the “Five Questions With …” segment.

Washington — New guidance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is intended to prevent and address worker harassment based on sex, race and other protected traits, outlining when such behavior is against the law.

Albany, NY — Public school districts in New York will be required to develop and implement workplace violence prevention programs, under a new state law set to go into effect Jan 4.

Washington — House Democrats have introduced legislation that would make changes to “how, when and where” hazardous materials are transported by railroads.

New Orleans – NIOSH and the National Hearing Conservation Association have honored two companies for their efforts to prevent work-related noise-induced hearing loss.

Washington — A new poster and infographic from OSHA and the Mine Safety and Health Administration offer best practices to help mine operators and workers mitigate heat-related hazards and prevent heat illness.

Which locations in my building are at highest risk for water leaks, and how can I prevent them?

Reduce your risk of slips, trips and falls by keeping floors clean and clear of clutter, maintaining good lighting both indoors and on outdoor walkways, and more.

This detailed white paper will help you increase the impact of your sexual harassment prevention training.

This white paper features helpful tips from J. J. Keller’s human resources experts, covering important sexual harassment prevention training topics such as the bystander approach, teaching civility, individual state training requirements and more.

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.

Falls continue to plague the construction industry. According to OSHA, falls are the leading cause of death in construction.

Prescription drug abuse is a rising epidemic that can significantly affect the workplace. Symptoms of prescription drug abuse can be hard to spot. However, if you suspect an employee is abusing or addicted to a prescription medication, contact human resources or your employee assistance program.

If reaching, grabbing, clenching, twisting or bending causes pain, you may have a repetitive strain injury.

One serious risk of outdoor work is Lyme disease, which is spread when individuals are bitten by infected ticks. Initial symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, fatigue and skin rash.

Working with metals often requires interaction with certain oils and other synthetic fluids that can be irritating or damaging to the skin. According to the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, a variety of skin problems can develop from exposure to metalworking fluids, the most common of which is dermatitis.

Ticks can carry potentially life-threatening infectious diseases. Most active during warmer months (April-September), they reside mostly in grassy, brushy or wooded areas – putting virtually all outdoor workers in the United States at risk of exposure.

What’s the difference between “hearing conservation” and “hearing loss prevention”?

Toronto — To increase health care workers’ knowledge, awareness and prevention of occupational hand dermatitis, the Center for Research Expertise in Occupational Disease has launched a free e-learning module.

Washington — A companion bill to the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (H.R. 1195), passed by the House in April 2021, has been introduced in the Senate.

Rockville, MD — A new report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality outlines ways that emergency medical service and 911 workers can be exposed to infectious pathogens and offers recommendations for infection prevention and control.

Tallahassee, FL — Legislation in Florida that would strengthen criminal penalties for assault or battery on hospital workers has advanced out of two Senate committees.

Washington — Newly introduced legislation would direct OSHA to issue a standard requiring employers in the health care and social services sector to develop and implement a workplace violence prevention plan.

Denver — Legislation recently introduced in Colorado would require hospitals, freestanding ERs, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and federally qualified health centers to establish a workplace violence prevention committee.

Toronto — The Infrastructure Health and Safety Association has published a guide on reducing the risk of struck-by incidents in the workplace.

Arlington, VA — Recent changes to an American National Standards Institute/International Safety Equipment Association consensus standard are intended to enhance worker and facility protections from dropped objects on jobsites.

Bilbao, Spain — A new video from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work highlights strategies to reduce the risks of heat stress on the job.

Silver Spring, MD — Creating a “culture of care” is among the topics to be discussed during an upcoming webinar on preventing suicide in the construction industry.

Silver Spring, MD — With the construction industry experiencing elevated suicide rates, employers can support workers by “reassuring them that help is available, that mental health is the same as physical health,” an expert on prevention says.

Washington — How can Prevention through Design practices reduce or eliminate some of the construction industry’s most common hazards? A new toolkit from NIOSH is intended as a guide.

How can we optimize employee safety when handling combustible dust?

What are the best methods for avoiding suspension trauma after a fall?

How can slip and fall incidents be prevented while deterring costly liability?

Construction Suicide Prevention Week, an outreach event aimed at addressing a growing issue in the industry, is set for Sept. 9-13.

Washington — Establishing and implementing engineering controls as “preventive safeguards” during a process hazard analysis can help prevent liquid overflow and a possible chemical disaster, the Chemical Safety Board says.

Tumwater, WA — Spurred by separate rollaway incidents in which truck mechanics were killed, Washington state has published a hazard alert.

Portland, ME — The University of Southern Maine, in conjunction with the Maine Small Business Development Center, has launched a series of free online training modules intended to help employers and workers in the retail and food service industries prevent workplace violence.

Washington — A special issue of the journal Seminars in Hearing “shines a light” on NIOSH’s efforts to prevent on-the-job hearing loss.

A slip, trip or fall at work can lead to injuries – and even death. In 2013, injuries from slips, trips and falls resulted in 229,190 cases involving days away from work, and 724 workers died, according to the 2016 edition of the National Safety Council chartbook “Injury Facts.”

The National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction is an annual event. But employers should focus on fall prevention all year.