Washington – The Senate confirmed Thomas Perez on July 18 as secretary of labor with a 54-46 vote.

ZING® GHS SDS compliance and training products help companies prepare for the Globally Harmonized System(GHS) that aligns the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard with the new global system for the classification and labeling of chemicals. Products include a complete selection of training stations, binders and signage, and posters – all made with eco-friendly materials.

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DeKalb, IL — Programmers and developers of virtual reality applications should focus on minimizing potential ergonomic hazards for users of this fast-growing technology, say researchers from Northern Illinois and Oregon State universities.

Bilbao, Spain — Employee participation in workplace interventions that target musculoskeletal disorders “strengthens the possibility for identification of the most relevant health problems,” according to a new report from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work.

Itasca, IL — In another effort to help organizations prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders, the National Safety Council’s MSD Solutions Lab conducted its inaugural MSD Pledge: Small Business Summit on Oct. 13.

Tumwater, WA — Preventing sprains and strains on the job is the aim of a new online tool from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries.

CDC: Influenza fatality rates vary widely

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.

Portland, OR — In light of the 29 workplace homicides that have occurred in the state since 2018, the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences has issued a hazard alert.

Protective Industrial Products Inc., a Latham, NY-based personal protective equipment manufacturer, has appointed Curt Holtz president and CEO. In this role, Holtz will oversee the entire PIP Global organization, which includes the company’s commercial business units in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 out of 10 people will experience a seizure in their lifetime.

“When most people think of a seizure, they think of a generalized tonic-clonic seizure, also called a grand mal seizure,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. “In this type of seizure, the person may cry out, fall, shake or jerk, and become unaware of what’s going on around them.”

Knowing which type of respirator to use – and how use it properly – is crucial to protecting chimney sweeps from exposure to airborne hazards, NIOSH says in a fact sheet.

Working with cranes can be very dangerous if time is not taken to carefully inspect equipment and follow safety guidelines.

The scrap metal recycling industry is large, intricate and full of dangerous processing techniques that pose a variety of safety and health hazards to workers, according to OSHA.

Used in the plastics industry, thermoplastic injection molding machines “produce molded plastic parts by converting plastic pellets into molten material, injecting the molten plastic into a mold and cooling the plastic material,” OSHA says. Industries that use these machines include toy, medical device and beverage container manufacturers.

Washington – OSHA is supporting the efforts of the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety in promoting National Farm Safety and Health Week, Sept. 15-21.

Washington – The Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety has announced its opposition to any increases in federal truck size and weight limits due to concerns about alleged flaws in an upcoming government study on the increases.

The HazProof Boot is certified to NFPA 1991 for chemical and hazmat cleanup, emergency response, and domestic preparedness.

Hazards are all around us. Although some are easy to see, many are not. The trick is learning to spot the hidden hazards.

Identifying and correcting hazards in the workplace helps ensure workers safely return home to their families. OSHA, via its Safe + Sound campaign, says employers can do many things to encourage workers to find and fix hazards.

Once you train yourself to spot hazards, you’ll notice them all around you. They may not always be obvious or immediate concerns, but they can still pose a risk to you and your co-workers.

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Washington – OSHA has launched a Regional Emphasis Program on noise hazards targeting select New England manufacturing and food production facilities.

Members of the National Safety Council Consulting Services Group travel across the country – and the world – to visit worksites and conduct safety audits. They share with Safety+Health seven hazards they frequently spot, and offer advice on preventing them.

Built to withstand winter extremes, these freeze-resistant showers keep an internal water temperature above 50° F.

Millions of tons of asphalt are produced and used in the paving and roofing industries every year, the Texas Department of Insurance Division of Workers’ Compensation notes, and more than 500,000 workers are exposed to fumes from asphalt.

National Work Zone Awareness Week is April 11-15. This year’s theme is “Work zones are a sign to slow down.”

Washington – OSHA recently published four letters of interpretation regarding its revised Hazard Communication Standard.

“Some people are not aware that they are dealing with a combustible dust because it might not have caused them any trouble in the past and is a seemingly innocuous material,” one expert says.

Greenbelt, MD — Commercial motor vehicle inspectors across North America conducted 35,764 brake system inspections and identified 4,295 vehicles – or 12% – with out-of-service conditions during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s annual Brake Safety Week, the organization announced recently.

Greenbelt, MD — Commercial motor vehicle inspectors throughout North America will conduct announced and unannounced brake system inspections Aug. 21-27 during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s annual Brake Safety Week.

Greenbelt, MD — Commercial motor vehicle inspectors across North America conducted 38,117 brake system inspections and identified 5,059 vehicles – or 13.3% – with out-of-service conditions during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s annual Brake Safety Week, the organization announced recently.

Washington — OSHA should develop guidance on the process hazard analysis element of its standard on process safety management of highly hazardous chemicals (1910.119), the Chemical Safety Board recommends in a final report on an April 2018 explosion and fire at a Wisconsin refinery.

Washington — Safety scofflaws may face increased citations and penalties under an OSHA policy set to go into effect in March.

Washington — The Mine Safety and Health Administration uncovered hundreds of violations at mines with concerning compliance histories during recent impact inspections.

Washington — OSHA has launched a National Emphasis Program aimed at reducing and preventing falls in all industries.

Greenbelt, MD — Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance inspectors placed 11.3% of the trucks and buses they examined out of service for brake-related violations during a recent, unannounced inspection initiative.

Greenbelt, MD — Commercial motor vehicle inspectors throughout North America will conduct announced and unannounced brake system inspections Aug. 20-26 during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s annual Brake Safety Week.

Greenbelt, MD — The results are in for the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s annual Brake Safety Week.

Falls are the leading cause of nonfatal, unintentional injuries, affecting nearly 8 million individuals in 2005, according to the National Safety Council’s “Injury Facts.” Many of these falls involve ladders. Because a ladder is considered a basic tool, some people may discount the dangerous nature of them.

Building scaffolding for work projects can present numerous serious hazards to employees. According to OSHA, injuries related to scaffolds include falls, tip-overs, being struck by falling equipment, and coming into contact with energized power lines.

Between 2003 and 2013, falls were the leading cause of death in the construction industry, resulting in more than 3,500 fatalities, according to OSHA. During that time, falls from roofs made up roughly 34 percent of the deaths – all of which were preventable.

Falling from height, electrical hazards, inclement weather, equipment failure and structural collapse of towers are some of the hazards that communication tower workers face, according to OSHA. The agency recorded 13 communication tower-related fatalities in 2013, 12 in 2014, three in 2015 and six in 2016.

In recent years, Hazard Communication has been OSHA’s most frequently cited standard in general industry. Where are employers going wrong?

Simply put, “lockout/tagout is a safety procedure used to make sure equipment and machines are properly shut off and not able to start during maintenance or repair work,” the Texas Department of Insurance says. “This is known as controlling hazardous energy.”

Black ice – which can be almost invisible – forms when the air temperature is warmer than pavement, which causes moisture to rapidly freeze and create a thin, transparent layer of ice on the roadway.

How does cold weather negatively impact the skin, and how can I protect my skin in the winter?

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration has released its annual safety alert to call attention to the unique hazards the mining industry faces during the winter months.

Arlington, VA — The Mine Safety and Health Administration has published a series of posters intended to help mine operators mitigate hazards that occur during winter months.