With high temperatures expected throughout California, on May 23, the state Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) reminded employers of outdoor workers to be prepared and take the necessary precautions to prevent heat illnesses. California has a state standard requiring that employers develop and implement written heat illness prevention plans, provide fresh water and […]
On episode 112 of EHS On Tap, Margaret Morrissey, the director of occupational safety at Korey Stringer Institute and president of the National Heat Safety Coalition, talks about ongoing efforts to prevent heat illness in the workplace.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regional offices in Boston and Dallas have publicly cautioned employers within the past week to protect workers from the hazards of excessive heat. OSHA’s efforts in the past year to address workplace heat hazards have included a national emphasis program (NEP) of outreach, inspection, and enforcement, as well as […]
The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA) recently announced new permanent workplace safety and health standards for heat and wildfire smoke exposures. Oregon rules for heat illness prevention and agricultural labor housing take effect June 15. The wildfire smoke protection standard takes effect July 1. “As we enter what we expect will be […]
Do you have a strong employee safety training program? While training alone is not enough to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses, it remains a key element of an effective safety and health management program. Research has shown that education and training can increase workers’ knowledge and help guide their actions and behaviors on the job. […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) launched an indoor and outdoor heat-related hazards National Emphasis Program (NEP). Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh unveiled the NEP on April 13 with Vice President Kamala Harris at a public event at the Sheet Metal Workers Local 19 Training Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. OSHA plans to initiate […]
On April 6, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced a pair of stakeholder meetings on the agency’s heat illness prevention activities and whistleblower protections in healthcare (87 Federal Register (FR) 19997, 19997). Both meetings will be held virtually via Zoom. The stakeholder meeting on OSHA’s initiatives to protect workers from heat-related hazards is on […]
Heat safety is a problem that’s likely to play a bigger part than ever in your day-to-day work as time goes on. In the past, comprehensive guidelines for keeping workers safe in the heat have been scarce, leaving many safety managers unsure where to begin. But in 2021, experts at the National Heat Safety Coalition (NHSC) published […]
As the year winds down, we’re taking a look this week at some highlights from 2021. Today, we’re highlighting excerpts from installments of our Ask the Expert column, which was brought to you by the team of industry experts at EHS Hero®. April 23: Are There Safety Statutes on Home Office Ergonomics? Q: I would […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) October 27 issued an advance notice of proposal rulemaking on heat injury and illness prevention in outdoor and indoor work settings—the first step in developing a federal heat stress standard (86 FR 59309). The document contains 114 questions about a potential standard but no proposed regulatory text. The […]