We discuss content from the July issue of Safety+Health, including the latest news about musculoskeletal injuries. Also, National Safety Council Principal Consultant Rich Fairfax joins the podcast to discuss what safety pros should know about recent changes to OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard.

Washington – The Environmental Protection Agency has added content and updated other features on ChemView, the agency’s online resource for information about chemicals regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act.

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

Washington – OSHA has updated its National Emphasis Program on amputations to reflect the latest enforcement and injury data, the agency announced on Aug. 13.

Washington — NIOSH has released an updated version of its free Sound Level Meter app, designed to measure noise exposure in the workplace.

According to the announcement, the certification ensures that government entities can trust that Genetec software meets stringent federal security standards to ensure that only authorized individuals are provided access to sensitive data and facilities.

Washington — OSHA has issued a long-awaited proposed rule that would update its regulations on hazard communication to align with the seventh version of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals, the agency announced Feb. 5.

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Washington – OSHA is considering another update to its Hazard Communication Standard, according to the Department of Labor’s latest semiannual regulatory agenda, released Nov. 21.

Washington – OSHA’s Maritime Advisory Committee for Occupational Safety and Health is scheduled to receive an update on the agency’s proposed beryllium rule during a May 3 meeting.

Washington – OSHA has issued a final rule lowering occupational exposure limits for beryllium. The standards apply to general industry, construction and shipyards.

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Sacramento, CA – The California Department of Industrial Relations has issued a new guidance document to help familiarize employers on the state’s updated heat illness prevention rules, which are set to go into effect May 1.

Washington – NIOSH and OSHA recently teamed up to update a heat safety mobile app that uses temperature and humidity to measure heat index values.

Washington — OSHA has updated its internal guidance on communicating with the families of workers killed on the job.

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.

Washington — In an effort to help protect workers from wildfire smoke, the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Forest Service have updated their AirNow Fire and Smoke Map mobile app.

Washington — Employers can help prevent the spread of common respiratory viruses indoors by ensuring proper workplace ventilation and limiting the use of small, shared spaces, the Environmental Protection Agency says.

Washington – Asbestos is one of the first 10 chemicals to be evaluated for potential health and environmental risks under the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, the Environmental Protection Agency announced on Nov. 29.

Research Triangle Park, NC — To help protect workers who engage in mold cleanup and treatment, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences’ Worker Training Program has updated its guidance document.

Washington — The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is asking for comment on proposed enforcement guidance aimed at preventing and addressing worker harassment based on sex, race and other protected traits.

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Washington — Although some employers may incorrectly assume otherwise, people with a hearing disability can be safe and effective workers, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says in a recently updated document.

Schaumburg, IL — The Emergency Nurses Association and the American Organization for Nursing Leadership have updated their Guiding Principles on Mitigating Violence in the Workplace and related toolkit.

Arlington, VA — Recent changes to an American National Standards Institute/International Safety Equipment Association consensus standard are intended to enhance worker and facility protections from dropped objects on jobsites.

Dayton, OH — A new video from NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association explores updates to the American National Standards Institute/American Society of Safety Professionals A10.48-2023 standard covering pre-job planning.

In this white paper, Wesco’s team of safety experts explores the latest changes to the ANSI/ASSP Z359.14-2021 standard document and provides the timely guidance you need to maintain compliance while protecting your workforce.

Tumwater, WA — Process safety management-focused updates to Washington state’s workplace safety rules for petroleum refineries are set to go into effect Dec. 27.

Washington — OSHA has updated its process safety management enforcement policy for the first time in 30 years.

Washington — OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard (1910.1200) will now align with the seventh revision of the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals.

Washington — Updates to Environmental Protection Agency reviews of new chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act will strengthen worker protections, an agency official says.

Washington — OSHA has expanded and updated its inspection guidance for animal processing and slaughtering.

Washington — The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement is reinstating several previously withdrawn provisions of a final rule intended to address gaps in offshore drilling safety identified after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster.

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The refresh features a bold redesign of their 16oz beverage, enhancements to classic fan favorite flavors and an introduction of two new flavors to the lineup.

More than 80% of people in the US aren’t eating enough vegetables, fruit and dairy. And most people consume too much added sugars, saturated fat and sodium. The proposed rule is part of the agency’s ongoing commitment to helping consumers improve nutrition and dietary patterns to help reduce the burden of chronic disease and advance health equity. 

With a market that is expected to reach $10.3 billion by 2027, food and beverage companies need to know the benefits and challenges of implementing AS/RS.

The updated list includes select food ingredients (including food and color additives), food contact substances and contaminants under FDA review.

The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) has launched an updated series of sales-focused courses on its online learning platform, NWFA University (NWFAU). 

In the updated guideline, FSIS strongly encourages the use of third-party certification to substantiate animal-raising or environment-related claims.

A former staple of FOOD ENGINEERING is getting updated as an eNewsletter.

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The post Guidance | Joint targeted area inspection of the multi-agency response to children who are victims of domestic abuse Updated 12 September 2024 was curated by information for practice.

A Portland City Council discussion that could've ended a collaborative agreement, without a backup plan in place, has been scrapped a day after the election. The move would've cost the city more than $40M. by Courtney Vaughn

Update: Nov. 6- This story has been updated to note that this week's Council discussion has been canceled.

A day after an election showing Portland City Commissioners Mingus Mapps and Rene Gonzalez losing their bids for mayor, a plan to revisit an intergovernmental agreement on homelessness between the city and Multnomah County has been canceled. 

An agenda item scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 7 to consider terminating the homeless services agreement was pulled from the agenda Wednesday afternoon, just 26 hours before it was slated to be considered by Council.

The proposal, which came from Commissioners Mapps, Gonzalez, and Dan Ryan, was a divisive move that could've upended the city's collaboration with the county on the most pressing issue impacting the region.

In a joint statement Wednesday, Gonzalez, Ryan and Mapps said pulling the plug on their plans "will allow space for the new City Council, Mayor, and County Commissioners to renegotiate the Homelessness Response Services Intergovernmental Agreement if they choose."

"The Commissioners remain steadfast in their conviction that the City of Portland, Multnomah County, and Metro can build a better system to address homeless services and pave a better path forward," the statement reads.

Three weeks ago, while presiding over a Council meeting in Mayor Ted Wheeler’s absence, Commissioner Gonzalez directed the city attorney to draft up a contract termination ordinance that would dissolve the intergovernmental agreement (IGA) dictating homelessness response and collaboration. He got a nod of support from Mapps and Ryan. 

The trio then introduced a proposal to formally end the contract between the governing agencies, citing “insufficient progress” to meet key milestones and deadlines. A contract termination proposal on Thursday’s agenda suggests the current arrangement lacks the right framework and governance structures to tackle the homelessness crisis “with the urgency, collaboration, and effectiveness required.”

Gonzalez, Ryan, and Mapps pitched the proposal as an orderly wind-down to make way for an improved agreement. But one day after an election showing Gonzalez and Mapps losing their bids for mayor, the proposal was abandoned.

The proposal drew swift backlash from the mayor and Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson. Following Portland’s Oct. 16 Council meeting, Vega Pederson issued a statement admonishing Gonzalez, Ryan, and Mapps. 

The majority of City Council says they don't want to work with the County to end homelessness.

Its clear these officials - candidates desperately vying for your vote this month - have their eyes on their own future and not our collective one.

Disappointing. pic.twitter.com/sZwkoQBiF2

— Jessica Vega Pederson (@jvegapederson) October 17, 2024

Last Friday, when the item officially appeared on a Council agenda, she spoke out again.

“The City Council deciding to end this agreement after just a few months is a short-sighted decision that will harm our community’s future,” Vega Pederson wrote November 1 in a lengthy explanatory statement released by the county. “We don’t need more talking–this community cannot afford it. That will not lead to better outcomes or fewer people on the street, and I do not believe it is a good use of taxpayer resources when we have a collaborative plan we are already putting into action. No single government can [solve] this issue alone. The County is taking action on homelessness every day and that work is best when we work in partnership.”

Vega Pederson previously called the move a “political stunt” by Gonzalez, Ryan, and Mapps just before the election. If the Council voted to end the contract, it wouldn't take effect for 90 days, when a new City Council is in place. 

Margaux Weeke, communications director for Commissioner Ryan, says the commissioner isn't opposed to working with the county under a modified arrangement, but it needs to be substantially different.

“Dan Ryan knows the players. He knows the game," Weeke says. "And he wants to expand the amount of seats at the table and pave a better path forward for homeless services."

The current IGA, which was just renewed in July, essentially lays out a division of labor, funding, and responsibilities between the city and the county with regard to homeless services and shelters. It also identifies goals and milestones for reducing the number of unsheltered people in the county. 

Vega Pederson said the county now spends all of its homeless services funds, and more, while providing clear data and public dashboards. She also noted the homelessness response plan lays out 120 action items, each assigned to a responsible party.

The county has issued data on spending and progress summaries.

If city estimates are accurate, ending the agreement would place a significant financial burden on the city as it heads into a tight fiscal year. Portland and Multnomah County currently share financial responsibility for the region’s homelessness response. 

The city would no longer have to send $32 million in general fund money to Multnomah County, but it would take on more than $40 million in costs to permanently manage the Safe Rest Villages and Temporary Alternative Shelter Sites. 

The roughly $40 million expense doesn’t include costs for wraparound services that the county currently provides at the shelter sites. The city doesn’t know how much it would cost to provide those services, and there is no alternative plan in place for maintaining services and shelter beds if the contract goes away.

Welcome Home Coalition, a nonprofit focused on affordable housing and universal access to housing, warned the termination proposal was dangerous.

“They are presenting this action without a clearly articulated new plan of how the city will serve people experiencing homelessness,” an email sent from the coalition reads. “Backing out of the Intergovernmental Agreement without an understanding of how this would impact service provision will have rippling consequences that will no doubt result in more harm to those in the most need of services.”

In a joint letter released last week, the three commissioners explained their decision to introduce the agenda item, saying the city needs to see a different way of managing services.

“As Portland City Commissioners with years of experience with the Joint Office of Homeless Services, we are resolute that we can no longer afford to maintain the status quo,” the joint letter states. “We are also united in our repeated calls for accountability, efficiency, and improved governance to enhance our homeless services. …And despite our repeated requests for clear and useful data, operational alignment for short-term shelters, and a shared vision for the homeless services system, we have faced significant challenges in implementing these necessary changes.”

Ending the IGA would further deteriorate an already strained relationship between the city and county. Mayor Wheeler previously said the working relationship between both governments had improved over the past year, but recent IGA renewals have been met with reluctance from Mapps, Ryan, and Gonzalez.

NPR's David Greene and Rachel Martin look back at famous theme songs from pop culture, and remember the old Morning Edition theme as the show debuts the updated version of the song.

Starting this autumn, the operating system on the handheld series from DENSO, member of the Toyota Group, will be Android 13.