Washington – A new resource from the Environmental Protection Agency aims to help regulators and the public learn more about pesticide exposure incidents among agricultural workers.

Washington – United Farm Workers and several community health groups have petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency to immediately suspend widespread use of chlorpyrifos, a neurotoxic pesticide already acknowledged to pose poisoning risks to workers.

Olympia, WA — Pesticide spray tanks are considered confined spaces if they’re big enough to enter (through a manhole cover or access port) and occupy, and require a permit for full or partial entry, emphasizes a new hazard alert from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries’ Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

Albany, NY — Attorneys general from New York, California and Maryland have filed a lawsuit challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to indefinitely delay a requirement for employers to provide enhanced training intended to protect farmworkers, pesticide handlers and their families from exposure to pesticides.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency on June 14 announced its intent to publish a Federal Register notice establishing the availability of expanded pesticide safety training materials, in accordance with 2015 revisions to the federal Agricultural Worker Protection Standard.

Washington — By publishing the availability of expanded pesticide safety training materials after previously resisting the move, the Environmental Protection Agency will reduce risks of injury and illness among employers, farmworkers, pesticide handlers and their families, the EPA Office of Inspector General asserts in an audit report released Aug. 30.

What’s the difference between an incidental release and a hazardous substance release that requires an emergency response?

Rave Collaborate addresses needs unmet by traditional incident management solutions with an intuitive tool to coordinate preparedness and response for both planned activities and unplanned emergencies. 

Harrisburg, PA — A new website launched by the Emergency Responder Safety Institute will help track struck-by incidents involving first responders on the nation’s roadways.

In a memo sent Oct. 11 to regional administrators and state designees, the agency outlines examples of acceptable drug testing, and states that incentive programs that withhold prizes because of an injury are compliant “as long as the employer has implemented precautions to ensure that employees feel free to report an injury or illness.”

Construction sites are busy and full of potential dangers. One of these dangers is struck-by incidents. In 2013, more than 17,100 construction workers were injured – and 84 workers died – in struck-by incidents, according to the 2016 edition of the chartbook “Injury Facts,” produced by the National Safety Council.

Washington – The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration should better track the incidence rate of spills from cargo tank truck “wetlines” – the series of pipes used to load and unload liquids – to help identify risks, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office.

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.

Arlington, VA — In response to more than 500 incidents on longwalls in underground coal mines over the past decade, the Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued a safety alert.

Arlington, VA — The Mine Safety and Health Administration is seeking input on technologies that may help reduce incidents involving mobile equipment at surface mines, as well as belt conveyors at surface and underground mines, according to a Request for Information published in the June 26 Federal Register.

Atlanta — Suicide prevention strategies for workers are needed to help mitigate rising workplace suicide rates, a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests.

Can I use the personal protective equipment tables in NFPA 70E, or should I have an incident energy analysis performed?

Will you please describe a typical arc flash accident that you would be called on to investigate? If possible, please include the root cause of the accident, the type of equipment involved, the tools used by the employee and the resultant injury.

In the years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, training and preparation for police, fire and emergency medical services professionals has taken on heightened importance,

Washington — Fully operational Positive Train Control technology “would have intervened” to stop a fatal Amtrak passenger train derailment in which crew members were inadequately trained and tested on various aspects of a new route, the National Transportation Safety Board has concluded after its investigation into the December 2017 incident in DuPont, WA.

Washington — In response to a recent fatal derailment at a Texas train yard, the Federal Railroad Administration has issued a safety advisory on the use of portable derails.

Washington — In an effort to provide “more confidence and certainty” about risks and exposures related to occupational pesticide seed treatment, the Environmental Protection Agency has developed a calculator and released updated worker exposure data.

London — Workers exposed to pesticides may face a higher risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, results of a recent study led by British researchers suggest.

New York — The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has halted until at least Aug. 22 an Environmental Protection Agency final rule that revises the pesticide application exclusion zone requirement in the agency’s standard on agricultural worker protection.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency is requesting public comment on a proposed rule that would retain various pesticide application exclusion zone requirements amended but not implemented as part of a previous agency final rule currently under a court-ordered stay.

West Lafayette, IN — At least 83 incidents involving confined spaces in the agriculture industry were documented last year – up 41%, according to an annual report recently released by Purdue University.

Washington — Workplaces can play an important role in suicide prevention, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say in a recent study.

Washington — Assessment of a pesticide’s potential to drift from areas of application and expose people will now happen earlier in the chemical review process, the Environmental Protection Agency says.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency is seeking feedback on updated occupational exposure assessments for three seed treatment pesticides to which exposure may cause negative health effects.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency has released a draft of its revised respirator descriptions for pesticide labels and is seeking public comment.

Washington – In response to a stakeholder’s request, NIOSH has extended the comment period on a Request for Information on peracetic acid, according to a notice published in the June 1 Federal Register.

In Episode 30, the S+H editorial team dives into the August issue’s feature story on effective incident investigations, and discusses the legal issues surrounding impairment in the workplace.

Although OSHA has no standard regarding occupational homicide, it can be a significant risk, especially for workers in what NIOSH deems “high-risk workplaces.” These workplaces include liquor stores, taxicabs, motels, gas stations and jewelry stores.

Ideal candidates are organizations already serving the security marketplace, including security consultants, investigators, and product vendors.

This integration enables users to move seamlessly from incident response to investigation from within a single interface.

The partnership enables the companies to offer an embedded, end-to-end solution that allows GSOC operators monitoring disparate sites to generate a security response through RSPNDR with the click of a button.

Learn how Stone Security integrated a suicide prevention tech system for the Denver Preforming Arts Complex.

This white paper provides a comprehensive overview of global workplace incident trends, focusing on the top three biases leading to such incidents.

This white paper uses a recent real-world occupational fatality investigation to help you transform the way you conduct workplace incident investigations.

A serious injury or fatality event is an incident or near miss that has the potential to, or does, result in a fatal or life-altering injury or illness. By identifying SIFs, organizations can focus injury prevention initiatives where they matter most.

Columbus, OH — One out of five teachers who experiences physical or verbal violence on the job does not report it to school administrators, according to a study led by researchers at Ohio State University.

Washington — OSHA will not eliminate all the ancillary provisions in its beryllium standards for shipyards and construction, but will propose other changes in the future, according to a final rule published in the Sept. 30 Federal Register.

Morgantown, WV – Workplace suicides are on the rise, and workers in protective services – such as firefighters and police officers – have the highest rate, according to recent research from NIOSH.

Little Rock, AR — The Arkansas Department of Transportation, in partnership with the Arkansas State Police, Arkansas Highway Police and other state organizations, has launched a campaign aimed at reducing incidents and fatalities in work zones.

Washington — The Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of 2022 requires pesticide manufacturers to translate safety and health information on product labels into Spanish. New and updated resources from the Environmental Protection Agency are intended to help.

The Acid Storage Cabinet is specifically designed for the storage of corrosive chemicals.

PIG Pesticide Safety Cabinets feature fully MIG-welded 14- and 18-gauge steel construction to survive decades of continuous industrial use.

Detroit — Workers in construction and manufacturing may experience a “significantly higher incidence” of carpal tunnel syndrome compared with office workers, results of a recent study by researchers from the Henry Ford Health System show.

A choking incident can occur anywhere – including the weekly staff meeting or at someone’s desk. If you saw a co-worker choking, would you be ready to help?

Forklift trucks are powerful equipment, and employees can be seriously injured if safe operating procedures are not followed.