Washington — Prompted by an “increased domestic supply” of NIOSH-approved respirators, the Food and Drug Administration has revoked its emergency use authorizations for non-NIOSH-approved disposable respirators as well as decontamination and bioburden reduction systems.

Pittsburgh — NIOSH’s National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory has marked Sept. 7-10 as its annual Respiratory Protection Week, an event intended to promote proper respiratory protection practices through the sharing of related research findings and educational tools.

Washington — NIOSH has issued a pair of fact sheets on filtering facepiece respirators, detailing how to tell if an N95 is approved by the agency as well as procedures for fit testing and testing filtration efficiency.

Washington — Knowing how to select, use and maintain NIOSH-approved respirators can help promote proper respiratory protection practices and protect construction workers from unsafe airborne contaminants, according to a new toolbox talk published by the agency and CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training.

Boston — Common types of N95 respirators – widely used by health care professionals providing direct care to patients with COVID-19 – can be safely reprocessed up to 25 times to help augment supplies during future pandemics, results of a recent study by Boston researchers suggest.

Washington — The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine is calling for two separate respiratory protection frameworks – one for workers, and one for the public – amid the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, in a recently published report.

Washington — Officials from OSHA and NIOSH joined stakeholders from industry and labor groups in a series of recent webinars to discuss a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine report calling for separate respiratory protection frameworks for workers and the public.

Washington — NIOSH has selected 20 winning entries for the initial phase of its Respirator Fit Evaluation Challenge.

Washington — NIOSH wants to update its estimate of the number of organizations and workers who use respirators – and evaluate the reasons behind their use.

Washington — NIOSH has chosen nine winners for the second phase of its Respirator Fit Evaluation Challenge.

Boon Edam Inc. has announced the launch of the Boon Edam Security Integrator Certification Program. 

The “Editor’s Choice” and more new products and solutions as described by manufacturers.

What happens when old friends and their former wrestling coach decide to go into business together? If you are NextGen Security, the result is organic growth from $0 to $33 million in just four years; an “out-of-the-box” business model that treats each customer as unique and a culture that feels more like a family than just a place to work.

LVC Companies Inc. (formerly Low Voltage Contractors) began as it would continue — as an entrepreneurial leap of faith brought about by a customer’s need.

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.

They say a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. So perhaps it was fortuitous that the founding partners of Stone Security — all members of the Edmunds family in Salt Lake City — had no background in security integration when they formed the company in 2006. Steve Edmunds, a retired Air Force captain and Delta Airlines pilot, started the business with his sons and son-in-law after a brief foray into residential security, which they quickly discovered wasn’t for them.

This company's focus on transparency, end-to-end customer solutions including networking and cybersecurity, and proactive approach to customer service has earned them this year’s SDM Systems Integrator of the Year distinction.

With an intense focus on people and relationships, the 2023 SDM Systems Integrator of the Year relies on its core principles of professionalism, grit, right, intelligent thought and trusted advisors to propel its success.

The 2024 SDM Systems Integrator of the Year excels at its three top priorities: employee & community connection; a customer approach with cutting-edge technology; and financial success that feeds directly back into the company and the communities it serves.

In this issue, we present expanded coverage of OSHA’s “Top 10” most cited standards for fiscal year 2023. In addition to the overall Top 10, you’ll find lists for willful and serious violations, OSHA regions and – new for us – a list of which industries have the most citations.

Richmond, VA — The Virginia Department of Labor and Industry has issued a hazard alert warning of the potential dangers of unsafe materials handling and storage in the beverage distribution and retail industry.

The technology landscape for smart consumer appliances is undergoing a profound transformation, guided in part by multiple legislative changes set forth by the Biden Administration.

Can I use one attendant to electronically monitor multiple 1910.146 confined space entries?

When it comes to protecting workers in confined spaces, what are some monitoring best practices?

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.

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

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

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?

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

What are the safety benefits of teaching workers to tell stories?

The S+H editorial team interviews OSHA Administrator Doug Parker live at the NSC Safety Congress & Expo in a special episode of the magazine's "On the Safe Side" podcast taped Sept. 19 in San Diego.

In Episode 35, the S+H team dives into the January issue’s feature story on adoption and acceptance of safety technology. Additionally, senior safety consultant and keynote speaker Jack Jackson discusses how safety professionals can use storytelling to spread safety messages.

Greenbelt, MD — A newly published guide is intended to help firefighters talk with their health care provider about the unique health risks they face on the job.

Washington — The Department of Labor’s regulatory agenda for Fall 2021, released Dec. 10, includes a proposed rule that – should OSHA decide to move forward on it – would revoke Arizona’s State Plan status.

Washington — The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs has updated its online hub of information and resources on substance use disorder and recovery.

Lansing, MI – Michigan OSHA has launched a Local Emphasis Program targeting enforcement activities on industries that recently have experienced an increase in injuries and illnesses.

Washington – The national injury and illness rate for private-sector employees decreased in 2015, continuing a more than decade-long trend, according to data released Oct. 27 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Washington – The nonfatal injury and illness rate for private-sector U.S. employees decreased slightly in 2016 – as did the rate of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses requiring days away from work – according to data released Nov. 9 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Washington — The nonfatal injury and illness rate for private-sector U.S. employees continued to decline in 2017, as did the rate of nonfatal injuries and illnesses requiring days away from work, according to annual data released Nov. 8 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Washington — A recent analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data highlights findings from a quarter century (1992-2016) of labor market data.

Washington — The nonfatal injury and illness rate for private-sector U.S. employees remained steady in 2018, halting a trend of consistent decline, while the rate of nonfatal injuries and illnesses requiring days away from work climbed slightly, according to annual data released Nov. 7 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Washington — Nonfatal work-related injuries and illnesses in the U.S private sector, as well as the nonfatal injury and illness rate, decreased slightly in 2020. However, estimated injuries and illnesses that resulted in at least one day of lost work soared by nearly a third amid the COVID-19 pandemic, data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows.

This free app allows industrial hygienists and safety professionals to quickly access answers to frequently asked respiratory questions; check the 3M respirator selection guide; identify 3M facepieces, cartridges and filters; walk through an overview of qualitative fit-testing protocols; and conduct fit tests.

Honeywell has launched new online tools including an interactive fall clearance calculator.

The doseBadge5 Personal Dosimeter now features enhanced wireless technology to allow the instrument to communicate remotely with the doseBadge5 Wand and the dBLink App.

Washington – In an effort to prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders, NIOSH has released a mobile app based on the Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation, an internationally recognized standard for safe manual lifting.

The heart of the BlueBOLT product line is the cloud monitoring and control software, which receives usage and connectivity information from the various BlueBOLT enabled devices.

We are in the midst of the fourth industrial revolution — at a point where we have logged more data in the past two years than in the entire history of mankind.

Evaluating the state of any market is a tricky thing during a pandemic — things are changing daily; new technologies are being explored; the future is unknown; and it’s difficult to look back at the past clearly.

Washington – OSHA compliance officers have a new instruction document that outlines inspection procedures for the agency’s updated Hazard Communication Standard.