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Oil and gas companies challenge EPA’s revised draft risk evaluation for perchloroethylene

Washington — Concerned about what it views as an agency oversight related to petroleum refining, the American Petroleum Institute is calling on the Environmental Protection Agency to reassess a draft revised final risk evaluation that states perchloroethylene – as a whole chemical substance – poses “unreasonable risk” to workers under certain conditions.




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Special issue of Journal of Safety Research highlights injury research symposium

Itasca, IL — The Journal of Safety Research is offering free access – through February – to a special issue featuring select papers from the National Occupational Injury Research Symposium.




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MSHA intensifies enforcement efforts after 3 miner deaths in 1 day

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration is ramping up enforcement after three miners died in separate incidents on the same day.




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Group issues safety resources for female, gender-nonconforming journalists

New York — In response to growing safety concerns among female and gender-nonconforming journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists has published a collection of resources to help combat work-related physical threats, online harassment and other dangers.




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Researchers to look for link between stunt work and CTE

Athens, OH — “Scientists suspect that about 80% of stunt performers have experienced one or more serious head impacts while working.” That’s why an Ohio University professor is working with researchers at the Boston University Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center to look at the brains of film and TV stunt performers.




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Energized equipment and the Hierarchy of Controls

The NFPA 70E 2018 Hierarchy of Controls places “elimination” at the top of the inverted pyramid. But there are times when working on energized equipment can’t be avoided. What steps can we take to increase worker safety when electrical hazards can’t be fully eliminated?




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Arc flash ratings

How is the arc rating of a fabric determined?




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The aging workforce’s effect on electrical safety

How can the “silver tsunami” lead to an increase in electrical safety?




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Human error often causes arc flash accidents

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.




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Proper arc-rated clothing

I work in a hot environment, and the protective arc-rated clothing required increases discomfort and fatigue. Are there certain choices in arc-rated clothing available that are cooler and more comfortable?




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Arc flash label changes

What does the 2012 edition of the NFPA 70E standard require for arc flash labels?




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Arc flash safety

What are the differences between EBT and ATPV?




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Arc flash boundary

The 2015 edition of the National Fire Protection Association 70E standard presents two methods for selecting the correct personal protective equipment when working inside the arc flash boundary. How do I determine what method to use?




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Arc flash testing

How does arc testing differ from real-life arc flash incidents?




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Proper installation of arc-resistant equipment

How do I navigate the implementation of medium-voltage arc-resistant equipment?




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Understanding and eliminating arc flash

What is the leading cause of arc flash, and what procedural changes can be adopted to eliminate the threat?




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Arc flash protection

What are thermochromic solutions, and how can they help protect workers from arc flash hazards?




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Arc flash harness

The Blue Armor Arc Flash Harness is a durable fall protection harness specifically designed for workers who may be exposed to an electric arc.




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Citing battery explosions and injuries, U.S. Navy bans vaping on ships and aircraft

Fairfax, VA – The U.S. Navy has announced a ban on e-cigarettes and other vaping devices on ships, submarines, aircraft, boats, craft and heavy equipment.




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Federal OSHA and Cal/OSHA reach agreement on enforcement authority

Washington — OSHA and the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health have a new agreement that clarifies which agency has enforcement authority in certain situations.




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Congressman asks for Executive Order delaying ELD mandate for commercial motor vehicles

Washington – Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX) is making another attempt to delay the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s mandate for electronic logging devices in commercial motor vehicles – set to go in effect Dec. 18 – by asking President Donald Trump to sign an Executive Order.




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CVSA reminds truckers: No ‘soft enforcement’ for ELD transition

Washington — Commercial motor vehicle inspectors will not observe a “soft enforcement” grace period for drivers still using automatic onboard recording devices to track their hours of service after Dec. 16, and such drivers will be placed out of service for violating Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance warns in a Dec. 2 press release.




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OSHA releases web resource for hospital workers

Washington – OSHA on Jan. 15 launched a web resource to help prevent injuries among hospital workers.




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New safety resources available to Spanish-speaking workers

Washington – Two agencies have released materials to help educate Spanish-speaking workers about occupational safety.




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OSHA offering free employer resources for National Safety Stand-Down

Washington — To help employers prepare for the fifth annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, set to take place May 7-11, OSHA is offering a number of online resources.




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15th Annual SDM's Top Systems Integrators: Some Halted Spending, Fierce Competition

In the security systems integration business, fewer than 20 firms operate globally or nationally. The majority of integrators are regional and local businesses, which depend on construction and spending




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Special meeting of FRA safety advisory committee set for March 27

Washington — The Federal Railroad Administration has scheduled a special meeting of its Railroad Safety Advisory Committee, to focus on the recent freight train derailment in East Palestine, OH.




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FRA providing funding for rail safety research

Washington — The Federal Railroad Administration is making available $5 million in grants for the creation of a rail research and development Center of Excellence.




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How to Choose the Right Cloud Architecture for Your Customers

Learn about some common configurations of cloud video and questions to ask to determine the best one for your customers’ operations.




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New website offers health and safety resources for farmers and ranchers

Covington, LA — Helping farmers and ranchers navigate occupational risks and providing information on health and safety issues is the goal of the AgriSafe Health Hub, a new website.




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Fungi that can make outdoor workers sick are now nationwide, researchers say

St. Louis — Workers in construction, landscaping, agriculture and other outdoor industries may be at risk of infections caused by soil fungi that historically had been found only in certain regions of the country, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis say.




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National grain safety week set for March 27-31

Washington — OSHA and its Alliance Program partners in the agriculture industry are teaming up to host the seventh annual Stand Up 4 Grain Safety Week.




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Government inspections and fines lead to safer workplaces, researchers claim

Toronto – Government safety and health inspections that result in penalties for non-compliant employers encourage organizations to take action to reduce work-related injuries, according to research from the Institute for Work & Health.




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OSHA expands its Severe Violator Enforcement Program

Washington — In an effort to enhance enforcement of and compliance with workplace safety standards, OSHA has expanded the criteria for placement in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program to include violations of all hazards and agency standards, OSHA announced Sept. 15.




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OSHRC marks anniversary of language-assistance order

Washington — Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission officials say a long-standing Executive Order that provides interpretation and document translation to people with limited English proficiency helps ensure federal services “reach and benefit all intended communities.”




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138 million years? Researchers explore the human cost of MSDs

Melbourne, Australia — Musculoskeletal disorders cost people around the world nearly 140 million years lost to ill-health, disability or early death, results a recent study out of Australia and Iran indicate.




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‘Like dancing with a really bad partner’: Exoskeletons can confuse the brain, researchers say

Columbus, OH — The physical benefits that exoskeletons provide to the musculoskeletal system may be negated by the “mental strain” that results when workers wearing the devices perform tasks that require them to think about their actions, results of a recent study conducted by researchers from Ohio State and Texas A&M universities indicate.




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NIOSH says new research supports OSHA fit-testing requirements

Pittsburgh – The percentage of improperly fitted respirators increases with the length of time between worker fit tests, giving support to the annual fit-testing requirements in OSHA’s Respiratory Protection Standard, according to new research from NIOSH.




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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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Sterilization process allows for safe reuse of N95 respirators, researchers say

Durham, NC — In an effort to preserve the supply of N95 filtering facepiece respirators used by health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers at Duke Health say they have successfully tested a decontamination process that allows the masks to be reused safely.




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OSHA issues two enforcement memos to help combat N95 shortage

Washington — In response to a nationwide shortage of N95 filtering facepiece respirators during the COVID-19 pandemic, OSHA has announced further temporary easing of regulations related to respiratory protection.




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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 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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Kidde Commercial Introduces KESMobile to Optimize Fire & Life Safety Systems Management

This cloud-based service productivity tool provides service providers with enhanced real-time data access, allowing them to optimize the management of individual systems, sites, and site groups with data for informed decision-making and resource optimization.




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Protect workers from wildfire smoke: Washington L&I has resources

Tumwater, WA — The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries is reminding employers about the tools available on its Wildfire Smoke webpage.




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NIOSH regional reports highlight top dangers in commercial fishing industry

Anchorage, AK – Vessel disasters and falls overboard are the primary hazards experienced by workers in commercial fishing – an industry with a fatality rate 29 times higher than the national average – according to a recent NIOSH analysis of four U.S. regions.




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Researcher calls for federal rules, guidelines on workplace safety in cannabis industry

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




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Water pipe repair method not as safe as previously thought, researchers say

West Lafayette, IN – A common procedure used to repair water pipes can release hazardous chemicals into the air and should be re-evaluated for its risks to workers, the public and the environment, according to researchers from Purdue University.




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Water pipe repair: Researchers offer tips for making common method safer

West Lafayette, IN — Researchers at Purdue University have outlined recommendations for enhancing the safety of a popular method for repairing water pipes that may release hazardous chemicals into the air, as part of a recent study on rehabilitating damaged drainage culverts.




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Positive reinforcement done right

Changing traditional approaches can change safety culture for the better, experts say