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National Farm Safety and Health Week set for Sept. 19-25

Peosta, IA — A series of daily webinars is planned for National Farm Safety and Health Week, scheduled to take place Sept. 19-25.




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COVID-19 pandemic: Association asks public to help keep sanitation workers safe

Silver Spring, MD — The Solid Waste Association of North America is asking the public to take simple steps to help protect sanitation workers from exposure to COVID-19. That includes holding off on cleaning projects that generate large amounts of trash.




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COVID-19 pandemic: Sanitation workers association distributing millions of cloth facial coverings

Silver Spring, MD — The Solid Waste Association of North America has submitted to the Department of Health and Human Services orders for more than 2.4 million complimentary cloth facial coverings to be distributed to sanitation and recycling workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.




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Vector Provides Re-Entry Solutions to Help Businesses Post-COVID-19

As multi-site businesses begin re-entry into a new normal stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, Vector Security Networks provides solutions to help ensure the safety, security and wellness of employees, customers and workspaces, while adhering to government regulations and new requirements.




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Distributors Help During COVID-19

The COVID-19 crisis has created both challenges and opportunities for security dealers. Security distributors have stepped up to reinvent training, as well as the equipment purchase process.




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COVID-19 Backwash Cripples Product Supply Lines

Dave Engebretson explains how the coronavirus crisis has affected the supply chain.




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OSHA taking ‘good faith’ into account when issuing citations during COVID-19 pandemic

Washington — “Good-faith efforts” by employers to comply with worker safety regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic should be taken into “strong consideration,” OSHA states in an April 16 memo to area offices and inspectors.




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OSHA COVID-19-related fines: Senators claim penalties ‘inadequate,’ ask Scalia to respond

Washington — Two dozen Democratic senators have taken issue with the dollar amounts OSHA has chosen to levy against employers in its individual COVID-19-related fines.




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OSHA lists most common COVID-19-related violations

Washington — OSHA has published an overview of its most common COVID-19-related citations – and a reminder of employer requirements.




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DOL OIG report on OSHA: More complaints, fewer inspections during COVID-19 pandemic

Washington — OSHA received 15% more complaints during the first nine months of the COVID-19 pandemic than it did during the same period in 2019 – but conducted 50% fewer inspections, according to a Department of Labor Office of Inspector General audit report released March 2.




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COVID-19 pandemic: OSHA issues temporary enforcement guidance for respirators in health care

Washington — In an effort to preserve the supply of N95 filtering facepiece respirators during the COVID-19 pandemic, OSHA has temporarily suspended its requirement for annual respirator fit testing in the health care industry.




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COVID-19 pandemic: Miners union calls for emergency MSHA standard

Triangle, VA — Citing concerns over the adjacent nature of mining work and the growing prevalence of respiratory illness in the industry, the United Mine Workers of America is calling on the Mine Safety and Health Administration to issue an emergency standard to help safeguard mine workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.




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COVID-19 pandemic: New video details qualitative fit testing procedures

Washington — A new video is aimed at helping organizations – particularly those in health care – understand the qualitative fit testing process.




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COVID-19 pandemic: Design tweaks extend shelf life of N95 facemasks, researchers claim

West Lafayette, IN — Researchers from Purdue University have developed new designs for N95 facemasks they say will extend the shelf life of the respiratory protection commonly used by health care workers.




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COVID-19 respiratory protection: OSHA training institute webinar available

Dallas — The OSHA Region 6 Training Institute Education Centers has developed a webinar on the proper implementation of a respiratory protection program during the COVID-19 pandemic.




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COVID-19 pandemic: OSHA issues temporary fit-testing enforcement guidance on PAPRs for high-risk workers

Washington — OSHA has issued temporary enforcement guidelines for fit testing of powered air-purifying respirators for workers at high risk of exposure to COVID-19.




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COVID-19 pandemic: New e-tool designed to help pick the right respiratory protection

Tumwater, WA — A new e-tool from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries is intended to help employers and workers choose the appropriate mask, facial covering or respirator based on the COVID-19 exposure risk level of specific job duties.




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SDM 2019 Systems Integrator of the Year

As one of six distinct security-related divisions of a global powerhouse, this year’s Systems Integrator of the Year draws on the history of not one, but two long-standing companies, along with a deep commitment to its employees and customers, and a strong understanding of technology to distinguish itself from the competition.




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COVID-19 pandemic: Minnesota issues guidance for meatpacking industry

Minneapolis — Recently released guidance from the state of Minnesota details steps employers in the meatpacking industry should take to reduce worker exposure to COVID-19.




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NELP to USDA: Faster poultry-processing line speeds during COVID-19 pandemic ‘irresponsible and reckless’

Washington — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service in April approved 15 poultry processing plants’ requests to increase line speeds 25% – despite reported cases of COVID-19 among workers and at least one fatality related to the ongoing pandemic, according to a new policy brief from the National Employment Law Project.




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COVID-19 pandemic: Washington L&I releases guidance for food processing, warehouse workers

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.




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COVID-19 pandemic: CDC develops toolkit for assessing meat, poultry processing facilities

Washington — A new online toolkit from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is intended to assist safety professionals and health officials in assessing COVID-19 pandemic-related prevention and control measures at meat and poultry processing facilities.




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COVID-19 pandemic: OSHA, CDC and FDA team up on guidance for seafood processing industry

Washington — OSHA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Administration have released joint interim guidance intended to help seafood processing employers reduce COVID-19 exposure among workers, including those at onshore facilities and aboard offshore vessels.




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COVID-19 pandemic: OSHA, FDA create safety and health checklist for food manufacturers

Washington — OSHA and the Food and Drug Administration have teamed up to develop a checklist intended to help food manufacturers protect worker health and practice food safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.




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Community spread of COVID-19 occurred faster in counties with meatpacking facilities: study

Davis, CA — U.S. counties that are home to beef-, pork- and poultry-processing plants experienced accelerated COVID-19 infection rates during the pandemic, according to a recent study led by a researcher at the University at California, Davis.




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Seafood workers faced increased risk of COVID-19 as pandemic peaked: study

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.




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COVID-19 and confined spaces

What best practices can employers follow to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 inside confined spaces?




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A proactive approach to monitoring COVID-19

I’m on my company’s COVID-19 response team, and I’ve been asked to monitor social distancing and contact tracing. How can I take a proactive approach to this so we’re prepared when we have a case onsite?




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Amid COVID-19, NYCOSH releases workplace ventilation, filtration recommendations

New York — Ventilation and air filtration recommendations are part of a new workplace policy guide on reducing COVID-19 transmission, published by the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health, a worker advocacy group.




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COVID-19’s impact on mental health and substance use: tools now in Spanish

Washington — The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences’ Worker Training Program has published Spanish-language versions of its resources on COVID-19’s impact on mental health and substance use.




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COVID-19 pandemic: Database of EPA-approved disinfectants available via app

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency has developed a mobile app that allows users to easily search an online database of more than 400 disinfectant products that can help prevent and reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2 – the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.




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COVID-19 pandemic: Michigan launches exposure notification app

Lansing, MI — In an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, two Michigan agencies have developed a coronavirus exposure notification app.




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CEDIA Expo 2019 Recap: Simplicity & Software Lead the Show

Passion dominates at every CEDIA Expo, including this year’s event in Denver, held September 12-14. No matter if you love all things audio/video and entertainment-focused, or smart home technology with integrated systems and devices that put you in control, participants are eager to see and learn.




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Protect auto service workers from exposure to COVID-19

Employers in the automotive service industry can reduce workers’ risk of exposure to COVID-19. Ensuring workers disinfect keys, key fobs, steering wheels, vehicle controls and all other commonly touched surfaces are among the recommendations listed in guidelines from the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (also known as Cal/OSHA) as well as in a poster recently published by federal OSHA.




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COVID-19 pandemic: CDC issues interim cleaning, disinfection recommendations after exposure

Washington — In light of emerging data on the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released interim environmental cleaning and disinfection recommendations for community facilities with suspected or confirmed cases of the potentially deadly respiratory illness.




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2019 Templeton Prize Winner: Atheism Is Inconsistent With the Scientific Method




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COVID-19 pandemic: Michigan OSHA publishes guidance for office workers

Lansing, MI — Michigan OSHA, along with the state’s Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, has published a 25-page guidance document intended to help employers safely return workers to office settings amid the COVID-19 pandemic.




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Health care accreditation group publishes lessons learned from COVID-19 pandemic

Oakbrook Terrace, IL — In response to the COVID-19 pandemic “pushing health care organizations to their limits and workers beyond physical exhaustion,” accreditation organization The Joint Commission has published a special edition Sentinel Event Alert highlighting adverse events and high-risk conditions.




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COVID-19 pandemic: House Democrats call for stronger guidelines for federal workers

Washington — Federal employees need more comprehensive guidance from the Office of Personnel Management before they return to the workplace amid the COVID-19 pandemic, House Democrats contended during a June 25 virtual hearing convened by the House Government Operations Subcommittee.




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President-elect Joe Biden taps former OSHA head for COVID-19 advisory board

Washington — Former OSHA administrator David Michaels is among three new members named to President-elect Joe Biden’s Transition COVID-19 Advisory Board, Biden’s transition team announced in a Nov. 28 press release.




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COVID-19 pandemic: Washington L&I publishes home office ergo tips

Tumwater, WA — For people working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new fact sheet from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries explains how to set up a safe and efficient home workstation.




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On the Safe Side podcast Episode 19: One-person safety teams and post-pandemic ergonomic concerns

In Episode 19, the S+H editorial team discusses the benefits and challenges of being a one-person safety team. Also: Julia Abate, executive director of The Ergonomics Center at North Carolina State University, answers our questions about ergonomic concerns as more workers return to their physical work locations.




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Amid COVID-19 pandemic, lawmakers urge EPA to extend comment periods

Washington — Claiming the Environmental Protection Agency is “rushing forward” with various regulations while much of the nation is focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, Reps. Bobby Scott (D-VA), Jerry McNerney (D-CA) and Mike Quigley (D-IL) recently sent a letter to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, calling on the agency to extend all comment periods for matters related to public and environmental health at least 45 days past the end of the declared national emergency.




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Trump orders meatpacking plants to remain open amid COVID-19 pandemic

Washington — Two days after OSHA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued voluntary interim guidance aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19 among workers in the meatpacking and poultry-processing industries, President Donald Trump invoked the Defense Production Act of 1950 and declared the facilities “critical infrastructure” in an Executive Order intended to keep meatpacking facilities open.




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Advocacy group offers OSHA 8-point agenda for emergency temporary standard on COVID-19

Washington — The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health is calling on OSHA to enact an emergency temporary standard related to COVID-19 – an action the advocacy group says won’t require OSHA officials to reinvent the wheel.




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Biden says OSHA will issue an emergency temporary standard on COVID-19 vaccination, testing

Washington — OSHA is developing an emergency rule that will require employers with at least 100 workers to “ensure their workforces are fully vaccinated or show a negative test at least once a week,” President Joe Biden announced Sept. 9.




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Salary Survey 2019

The results of Safety+Health's 2019 Salary Survey are in, including data broken out by job title, experience, region and more. How does your salary stack up?




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OSHA’s Top 10 most cited violations for 2019

Safety+Health presents the data on OSHA’s “Top 10” for fiscal year 2019. Also: An exclusive Q&A with Patrick Kapust, deputy director of the agency’s Directorate of Enforcement Programs.




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OSHA temporary enforcement effort targeting health care facilities with COVID-19 patients

Washington — OSHA recently announced the start of a three-month increase of inspections at hospitals and nursing care facilities that treat COVID-19 patients.




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Almost 25% of workers say their employers don’t offer COVID-19 safety training: survey

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.