Category: Personnel Safety

Back to Basics: The Risks of Exposure to Nanotechnology

Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine the risks of nanotechnology exposure to workers and the guidance the federal government has provided on the topic. Workers have been exposed to engineered nanomaterials for more than two decades. According […]

Infographic: PPE Enforcement Procedures

OSHA provides PPE enforcement guidance (CPL 02-01-050) that outlines its interpretations of its general industry PPE standards (29 Code of Federal Regulations Part 1910, Subpart I) and procedures for enforcing them. Here’s what you need to know about PPE enforcement procedures.

Trader Joe’s Faces $217K OSHA Fine

Grocery store Trader Joe’s is facing a $216,902 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fine for safety violations at its Greenwood Village, Colorado, location, the agency announced April 10. OSHA cited Trader Joe’s for a lack of adequate safety training for forklift operators and failing to inspect forklifts at the Greenwood Village facility. The chain […]

OSHA Cites, Fines EV Battery Maker Again

After workers at a Commerce, Georgia, electric vehicle battery manufacturing facility suffered potentially permanent respiratory damage in a lithium battery fire, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited SK Battery America Inc. a second time in less than a year and seeks $77,200 in new penalties, the agency announced April 8. Following the fire, […]

The Cost of Complacency in Your Fall Protection Program—And How to Avoid It

Slips, trips, and falls continue to be one of the leading causes of occupational injuries and deaths. In a 2022 report published by the National Safety Council (NSC), approximately 20% of the 4,530,000 occupational injuries that required medical attention were falls. Since 2009, the number of fatal falls has only increased each year, with an […]

OSHA Enforcement Roundup Q1 2024

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) continues to carry out inspections and issue citations to employers that expose workers to hazardous conditions. We’ve summarized some of the key enforcement cases from the past few months for a look at where OSHA is focusing its efforts. ‘Severe violator’ cited again for machine hazards An Alabama […]

ASSP Takes Anti-Child Labor Position

On April 2, the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) announced a formal position opposing “exploitative” child labor. The professional association and consensus standards-setting group called for establishing legislation and regulation to prohibit exploitative child labor practices and adding specific language to global standards that facilitates prevention and steps occupational safety and health professionals should […]

Modular Home Manufacturer Facing $272K OSHA Fine

The Austin, Texas-based subsidiary of one of the nation’s largest producers of manufactured and modular homes faces $272,479 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines for more than two dozen serious violations, the agency announced April 3. The agency cited Palm Harbor Homes, a subsidiary of Cavco Industries, Inc., with 25 serious and two […]

Back to Basics: OSHA’s PPE Requirements

Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine OSHA’s requirements for personal protective equipment. When engineering controls, administrative controls, and work practices aren’t enough to protect your employees from exposures to a safety or health hazard, you have to provide […]

Infographic: Opioid Overdose Policy

Workplace overdose deaths have greatly increased over the last decade, with overdoses accounting for nearly 10% of all workplace fatalities in the United States, according to the National Safety Council. Here’s what you need to include in a workplace opioid overdose policy.