Washington — Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) is among four lawmakers calling for Secretary of Labor R. Alexander Acosta to address their concerns over OSHA’s responses to a Government Accountability Office report, issued in November, on the health and safety of meat and poultry industry workers.

Washington — Employers in the marijuana industry should provide safeguards to protect workers from repetitive stress injuries, NIOSH states in a recently released Health Hazard Evaluation Program report.

Washington — Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) is urging OSHA to investigate reported workplace safety violations at the Sanderson Farms poultry plant in Bryan, TX.

Baltimore — Hog farm workers who regularly wear facemasks on the job may significantly protect themselves and those in their households from exposure to the antibiotic-resistant bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Tumwater, WA — A new fact sheet from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries is aimed at helping food processing and warehouse employers protect their workers from exposure to COVID-19.

Seattle — The cannabis industry needs federal regulations and guidance on workplace safety, according to University of Washington professor and researcher Christopher Simpson.

Washington — Legislation recently introduced in the House and Senate is aimed at improving working conditions and whistleblower protections in the meat and poultry processing industry.

Durham, NH — U.S. seafood workers were twice as likely to contract COVID-19 as workers in other food industries during the height of the pandemic, results of a recent study indicate.

Washington — Seeking to “best assess” the impact of increased line speeds on worker safety in poultry-processing plants, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service plans to study the effects.

Chicago — OSHA recently launched a launched Local Emphasis Program aimed at protecting food production workers in Illinois and Ohio, who are experiencing “significantly higher” injury rates than other workers in the manufacturing industry.

State College, PA — Workers who play a role in the U.S. food supply chain are at high risk for being hospitalized with severe injuries, results of a recent study show.

Washington — A new Government Accountability Office report recommends OSHA look at “available actions” – including developing a standard on infectious disease – to help protect workers in the meat and poultry processing industries.

Washington — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is advising dairy and poultry facilities to take steps to protect their workers and the public from exposure to bird flu.

Shane McEwen, Blackline Safety, explains how organizations incorporating "connected safety" into their worker safety programs can minimize the risk of hazardous tasks performed in confined spaces.

Atlanta — An elevated risk of death linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among workers in certain industries and occupations highlights the need for better employee health policies and targeted interventions, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency wants to lower emissions of ethylene oxide – a gas that’s used to sterilize medical devices and has been linked to cancer and neurological problems.

London — A group of physicians is calling on health care employers to provide female workers who are exposed to on-the-job radiation with added protections to minimize their risk of breast cancer.

Utrecht, The Netherlands – On-the-job exposure to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields may double men’s risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, according to a new study from researchers in The Netherlands.

Washington – OSHA and the Federal Communications Commission have published a best practices guide intended to reduce injuries among communication tower workers.

Safety+Health looks at some of the common hazards that workers from different types of utilities face on the job.

Watertown, SD — A new video from the National Association of Tower Erectors highlights the proper operation of snow-tracked vehicles when accessing remote tower locations.

Oxnard, CA — Workers in the utilities industry are at an increased risk of serious injuries and fatalities (also called SIFs), according to a recent study from safety consulting firm DEKRA Insight.

Boston — Falls to a lower level were the leading a cause of fatal worker injuries in Massachusetts from 2014 to 2015, representing nearly 17 percent of the state’s workplace fatalities, according to a report released Oct. 16 by the state’s Department of Public Health.

Watertown, SD — A new video from the National Association of Tower Erectors stresses hazard awareness for technicians who work with small cellular antenna towers on new or existing structures.

Watertown, SD — A new video from the National Association of Tower Erectors reinforces the importance of hazard awareness for technicians who work on wireless rooftop sites.

Washington — The Department of the Interior – not OSHA – will oversee workplace safety and health at offshore renewable energy facilities on the Outer Continental Shelf, according to a policy statement published in the Oct. 18 Federal Register.

Watertown, SD — A new video from NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association highlights the importance of hazard and environmental awareness among tower technicians who might encounter birds of prey nesting on communications towers.

Watertown, SD — Proper rescue planning for suspension trauma incidents at tower sites is the focus of a new video from NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association.

Harrisburg, PA — Pennsylvania will explore the possibility of providing OSHA protections to workers in the public sector, Gov. Tom Wolf (D) has announced.

Corvallis, OR — When temperatures rise, so do the rates of traumatic injuries among outdoor workers, according to the results of a recent Oregon State University study.

Dayton, OH — A new video from NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association highlights the efforts of its Safety Equipment Manufacturers Committee to “test equipment the way it’s being used in the field.”

Dayton, OH — Communications tower workers: Always use lanyards with appropriate fall clearance – and never connect the equipment back to itself unless that’s the way the lanyard is designed.

Dayton, OH — Communications tower workers using cable safety sleeves for fall protection must make sure the cable is secured and properly tensioned before starting work.

Storrs, CT — Helping workers stay cool in the heat not only improves their health, it also bolsters productivity, according to the results of a recent study.

Watertown, SD — Communication tower workers should always maintain proper minimum approach distances and use a spotter when working near energized power lines.

Washington — Bipartisan legislation recently introduced in the House would extend OSHA protections to public sector employees.

Watertown, SD — “How am I going to use this rope? What am I protecting against? What characteristics does it need to have?”

Watertown, SD — Not all first aid kits are created equal, communication tower industry expert Brandon Foster emphasizes in a new video from NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association.

What role should frontline employees play in an organization’s safety and health management system efforts?

Are monitoring devices cloud connected? In other words, are they sending data in real-time on the location, state and wellness of employees?

“You don’t need to change who you are or what you believe,” says safety pro turned motivational speaker Richard Hawk.

In Episode 37, the S+H team celebrates the third anniversary of the podcast by diving into the March issue’s feature story on the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. Additionally, Reginald Jackson, a safety and health specialist in OSHA’s Office of General Industry and Agricultural Enforcement, discusses loading dock safety in an expanded “5 Questions With …” interview.

In Episode 52, the S+H team examines content from the June issue, including a feature story with tips on keeping your safety committee fresh and effective. Also, Iowa OSHA Bureau Chief Peggy Peterson joins the podcast to discuss how to keep workers safe in the heat during the “Five Questions With …” segment.

New York – New York state should amend its workers’ compensation regulation to require all private-sector employers to implement workplace safety and loss prevention programs, watchdog group Public Citizen stated in a report released May 6.

Washington – An in-development OSHA workgroup document will address best practices for taking temporary workers into account when creating and implementing injury and illness prevention programs.

To help workers protect themselves from the hazards of mold exposure, Honeywell Safety has published a “Mold Remediation Overview.”

Advocacy group Mental Health America is providing workplace wellness resources as part of National Workplace Wellness Week (April 1-7).

Washington – OSHA has released a new guidance document that focuses on how employers of temporary workers can comply with injury recording requirements.

Washington – NIOSH has released a publication intended to help reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries among grocery store employees and other retail workers.

Longmeadow, MA – More than 1,000 worker deaths have occurred during the first seven months of 2015, according to the U.S. Worker Fatality Database.