Working in cold conditions can be unpleasant, uncomfortable and even dangerous if proper safety precautions aren’t followed.

A spike in lost-time injuries and illnesses resulting from “environmental cold” suggests a lack of understanding of cold stress and how to avoid related injuries.

Rain can reduce or impair your view of the road, the Nevada Department of Transportation points out. Combined with reduced tire traction on wet roadways, “It’s easy to see that driving in the rain needs to be treated with extra caution.”

Download this guide to learn everything you need to know about the different types of ice cleats and traction aids.

A thorough workplace safety and health plan should include steps to protect workers from cold-related hazards. This is particularly important for workers in the services, transportation, construction and agriculture industries.

You may not know the name for it, but if you drive at night, you’ve probably experienced situational night blindness. It can occur “when you are temporarily blinded by a bright light such as an oncoming car’s headlights,” the Texas Department of Insurance says.

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.

Download this guide from Winter Walking to identify the best traction aids for your organization.

With the holiday season underway, workers may be feeling festive and want to show it in the workplace. Follow these tips to help prevent injuries while decorating.

Protecting workers from frigid outdoor conditions requires awareness, planning and training. We've got seven tips for workers and safety professionals.

In Episode 36, the S+H team dives into the February issue’s feature story on the hazards of working in cold weather. Additionally, Mike Kassman, director of OSHA and disaster response training at CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training, discusses ladder safety.

Working outdoors already involves many hazards. Add cold temperatures during the winter months, and the number of risks grows.

Miners who work in cold temperatures are at risk for cold stress, which may trigger hypothermia, frostbite, and other injuries and illnesses.

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental illness. It can occur when a person experiences something frightening, stressful or overwhelming.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, stress levels among many workers have been through the roof. Studies have shown that between caregiving duties, job responsibilities and more, employees are feeling overwhelmed. And stress has been linked to health conditions such as cardiovascular issues, depression and obesity.

Opioid use disorder is defined by Johns Hopkins Medicine as a medical condition in which you’re unable to abstain from using opioids, and behaviors centered around opioid use that interfere with daily life.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Take time this month – and all year round – to promote awareness of worker well-being.

Alcohol, cannabis, prescription drugs, fatigue and mental distress can all cause impairment in the workplace. “Impairment risks are everyone’s responsibility,” the National Safety Council says.

Experts say employers need to make workers’ mental health as high of a priority as physical health. A big step in that process: confronting the stigma that often accompanies mental health disorders.

Working outdoors in the heat puts you at risk of becoming dehydrated. But what exactly does that mean?

In Episode 44, the S+H team examines the October issue’s feature story on respirable crystalline silica. Also, Suzi Craig, vice president of workplace mental health at Mental Health America, joins the podcast to discuss normalizing conversations and attitudes around mental health in the “Five Questions With …” segment. 

Workers in many industries use disposable earplugs. But are they inserting and wearing them correctly? We’ve got step-by-step instructions, and more.

Carpet layers spend approximately 75 percent of their workday kneeling, according to NIOSH estimates, putting a significant amount of pressure on their knees. Compared with workers who rarely kneel, NIOSH found that carpet layers have high frequencies of bursitis of the knee – fluid buildup requiring knee aspirations, skin infections of the knee and a variety of other knee disorders.

Musculoskeletal disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, muscle strains and lower back injuries affect the muscles, nerves, blood vessels, ligaments and tendons, according to OSHA. But practicing good ergonomics can help prevent workers from acquiring MSDs.

From boxes of paper near the printer to large packages in the mailroom, office settings contain a number of objects – some quite heavy – that require manual lifting. Are you following safe lifting practices?

What’s one way workers can cut their risk of a back injury in half? “Store it off the floor,” the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries says.

Hartford, CT — Thirty-three percent of people working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic are concerned about their mental health, according to the results of a recent survey conducted by health benefits provider Aetna International.

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.

Menlo Park, CA — Thirty-four percent of office employees working remotely during of the COVID-19 pandemic say they might look for another job if directed to return to the office full-time, results of a recent survey show.

Boston — Do you eat lunch with co-workers? The food choices – healthy or unhealthy – of your lunch bunch are very likely to influence your own choices, results of a recent study led by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and the University of Massachusetts Amherst show.

San Francisco — Slightly more than 70% of employers expect their workers to want a hybrid model when their physical workplace reopens, but only 55% plan to offer that option, according to the results of a recent survey.

Lansing, MI — If you rely on caffeine to provide a brain boost after a poor night of sleep, findings of a recent study from researchers at Michigan State University may give you a jolt.

Philadelphia — A vast majority of employees who are returning to the workplace after working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic say they plan to continue practicing elevated hygiene amid concerns over the cleanliness of their offices and being around colleagues again, according to the results of a recent survey commissioned by hygiene and health company Essity.

Barcelona, Spain — Exposure to printer toner, cleaning products and mold circulated in air conditioning systems – along with poor ventilation – can trigger asthma in office workers, results of a recent study out of England suggest.

Ann Arbor, MI — Employers with remote workforces can look at workers’ use of positive or negative emoji – those small images or icons featured in text communications and email – to help gauge if employees are experiencing stress or burnout, researchers at the University of Michigan say.

If you have allergies or asthma, clean your smartphone more often to minimize reaction triggers that may be lurking on the surface, researchers recommend in a recent study.

Demolition work presents multiple hazards. Planning can go a long way in helping prevent worker injury and illness.

MSA’s new G1 SCBA enhanced solutions include a lightweight, low-profile design of the facepiece to reduce stress and fatigue. Other features include ergonomic improvements for better balance, integrated electronic communications, and a central power system for all electronics – designed for low cost of ownership and ease of maintenance.

Click here for more information from MSA, The Safety Company

One way to prevent becoming ill with the influenza virus is to avoid crowded settings and exposure to others who may be infected.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists steps employers can take to help minimize the spread of flu.

Body aches, runny nose, fever, headache and fatigue. These are some of the symptoms of the flu.

If you think you don’t need to worry about the flu, look at the 2017-18 season and think again.

Occupational asthma can develop when a worker breathes in gases, chemical fumes, dust or other work-related substances. According to Mayo Clinic, it also can result from exposure to a substance a worker is sensitive to, triggering an allergic or immunological response.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus – more commonly known as MRSA – is a potentially dangerous type of staph bacteria that can lead to difficult-to-treat infections. MRSA is resistant to certain antibiotics and, although an infection may begin as a skin sore, it can become serious and potentially deadly, NIOSH warns.

As reports of the COVID-19 pandemic dominate the headlines, keeping calm can prove difficult. However, one of the best ways to combat anxiety – and be prepared – is to be informed.

Feeling anxious about going back to the office during the COVID-19 pandemic? It’s important to manage your stress to ensure a healthy return – physically and mentally, experts at Ohio State University say.

A best practice to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other viral respiratory infections is routinely cleaning and disinfecting/sanitizing surfaces, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

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.