Even charities with large reserves expect to be severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Liam Kay reports on the tough calls necessary for facing the future

Norwich, England — A positive attitude and supportive co-workers are among the most important factors for a successful return to work for an employee who has been on leave for an injury or illness, according to researchers from the University of East Anglia and Uppsala University.

Iowa City, IA – Police work is mostly sedentary, with officers likely to be more active on their days off than while working, according to a new study from the University of Iowa.

Indianapolis — Indiana Rep. Randy Frye (R-Greensburg) has introduced state legislation that would create a public safety research fund aimed at understanding and improving the physical health and safety and psychological well-being of first responders.

Washington – Texas and Wyoming earned the lowest possible scores from the American Lung Association when it comes to smoke-free workplaces, the association states in its annual “State of Tobacco Control” report for 2017.

Richmond, British Columbia — WorkSafeBC has published a safety bulletin and blog post intended to help food truck owners and workers avoid hazards associated with propane tanks.

Greenbelt, MD — Following up on their release of a report detailing 11 best practices for minimizing cancer risk among firefighters, the National Volunteer Fire Council and the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ Volunteer and Combination Officers Section have unveiled new posters to highlight each practice.

Washington — A new poster and fact sheet from NIOSH are designed to help educate firefighters about the unique nature of row house fires and how to stay safe when fighting these blazes.

Washington – OSHA has released a bulletin with information on how to protect workers from carbon monoxide explosion hazards related to electric arc furnaces in the steelmaking industry.

Washington — Fires and explosions from flammable atmospheres in confined spaces are the most common causes of hot work-related fatalities among workers, the Chemical Safety Board states in a recently released fact sheet.

Washington – A coalition of industry groups has called for OSHA to withdraw a recent letter of interpretation stating that workers at a non-union workplace may designate someone affiliated with a union as their representative during OSHA “walkaround” inspections.

Silver Spring, MD — Construction firms that employ at least some union workers are more likely to perform safety best practices and undergo OSHA training than those with no union employees, according to the results of a biennial survey commissioned by the Center for Construction Research and Training – also known as CPWR.

Washington — Representatives from two labor unions are bringing attention to resources intended to protect workers in “frontline industries” from exposure to the new coronavirus and are calling on the federal government to provide coordinated guidance.

Washington — NIOSH, together with several partners, has developed a set of best practices to help employers protect temporary workers from injury and illness.

The Safety Sock is a new, easy-to-use accessory that can be attached to your vehicle’s side mirror to increase your safety zone.

The Classic Series Hard Hats line has been expanded to include the C35, an extra-large full-brim model that accommodates slot-mounted accessories.

In combination with the MSA V-Gard Protective Cap, the VoltCap offers maximum protection against arc flash.

Cementex Hundred Series Arc Rated Face Shields have changed from green to gray.

The V2 Shield is designed to protect workers from the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The shield features 91% optical transparency and measures 32 centimeters by 22 centimeters, with a thickness of 0.3 millimeters.

Indianapolis — Indiana Rep. Martin Carbaugh (R-Fort Wayne) has introduced legislation that would dramatically increase maximum fines for on-the-job fatalities.

Austin, TX — Women injured on the job have a better chance of qualifying for workers’ compensation disability payments and receiving higher payouts when a female doctor evaluates their claim, according to a recent study.

Washington — The House has passed legislation that would expand the types of medical professionals who can treat injured employees under the Federal Workers’ Compensation Program.

I know that OSHA references the latest ANSI standards in its regulations about safety signs, but many of the signs I see online and in catalogs don’t use these formats. Why are signs that use the latest ANSI standards better for my workplace?

Washington — A new OSHA fact sheet and sticker are intended to raise awareness of heat illness prevention strategies in the workplace.

Washington — A wallet card, brochure and checklist are recent additions to OSHA’s resources for helping keep workers safe in high temperatures.

Washington – In response to recent worker deaths at demolition sites, OSHA has updated its webpage and safety resources addressing common hazards in the construction demolition industry.

Washington – With the current Ebola outbreak spreading throughout West Africa, OSHA is providing resources to help protect workers from the disease.

Washington – April is National Workplace Violence Prevention Month, and OSHA hopes to raise awareness by releasing updated guidance for health care and social service workers.

Washington – Employers should provide transgender workers with access to restroom facilities based on workers’ gender identity, OSHA stated in a guidance document published June 1.

Cincinnati – Employers whose workers are exposed to diacetyl now can obtain guidance from a new NIOSH document.

Washington – OSHA has released three guidance documents intended to help chemical facilities comply with the agency’s Process Safety Management Standard (1910.119).

Washington — A new fact sheet from OSHA seeks to help shipyard employers evaluate their fire and rescue services.

Washington — More than half of recordable injuries in commercial fishing are preventable with proper housekeeping and sanitary practices, OSHA states in a recently released fact sheet.

An environmentally friendly work surface option for control room consoles, called Marmoleum from Winsted Corporation, is made of natural and sustainable raw materials, which emit no volatile organic compounds and are completely biodegradable.

Honeywell announced a new training and certification program to help integrators become proficient with the company’s Pro-Watch® Integration Kit, a software development kit designed to create smarter buildings that fold security into building management functions.

ASSA ABLOY'S intelligent Power over Ethernet (PoE) and Wi-Fi access control products operate over a facility’s already existing wired and wireless local area network (LAN), to conserve energy consumption, reduce installation costs and provide additional benefits.

Allure Energy Inc., Austin, Texas, introduced its latest product, EverSense 2.0 at CES in Las Vegas.

Rosewater Energy Group introduced its Residential Energy Storage Hub, designed to allow homeowners to take advantage of renewable energy sources and harness all power that comes into their home.

Talk-A-Phone has designed a lightweight aluminum construction emergency phone tower for reduced ecological footprint and one-person installation.

Addressing emerging requirements in the commercial security market, DAQ Electronics, Piscataway, N.J., released EntroWatch, a PoE/PoE+ native BACnet® access control system that enables integration with security and building management.

Alarm.com, Vienna, Va., a provider of interactive security and connected home services, announced its new Energy Monitoring solution that provides consumers with a view of their whole home and individual device energy usage, fully integrated through the Alarm.com website and mobile apps with their security, video and home automation services.

Alarm.com, Vienna, Va., a provider of interactive security and connected home services, announced key enhancements to its Geo-Services offering, including location-based thermostat automation and video recording options.

HAI by Leviton, Melville, N.Y., announced that Yale Real Living™ has been added as a Connectivity Partner, allowing two-way integration with Yale’s ZigBee and Z-Wave wireless door locks.

HAI by Leviton, Melville, N.Y. announced the launch of its KNX Gateway, an interface allowing HAI by Leviton’s Omni and Lumina Ethernet-based controllers to communicate with and control KNX devices through KNX’s standardized network communications BUS protocol.

Arlington, VA — Criteria for the certification of coal mine rescue teams will “remain in effect, without changes,” the Mine Safety and Health Administration announced Sept. 1, after completing a requisite review under the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response (MINER) Act of 2006.

360 State Street, New Haven, Conn. — the state’s greenest and largest residential development — is the first new major residential construction in New Haven in more than 15 years. 

What should be the first steps in an incident investigation?

Washington – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s controversial final rule on its New Poultry Inspection System is set to be published and, in response to public comment, will not increase the maximum speed of processing lines.

Kansas City, MO — OSHA has launched a Regional Emphasis Program addressing hazards stemming from exposure to fertilizer-grade ammonium nitrate and agricultural anhydrous ammonia.

Washington – OSHA failed to follow federal rulemaking requirements when it used a memorandum to announce a revised definition of retail facilities exempt from the Process Safety Management Standard, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has ruled.