Category: Personnel Safety

OSHA Cites Florida Employer in Heat-Related Death

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited a North Point, Florida-based employer following an employee’s heat-related death in the Apalachicola National Forest. Agency inspectors found that Earthbalance Corp. had exposed workers to hazards related to high ambient heat and failed to adequately train someone to perform first aid and ensure he or she was […]

Are You Ready for Winter’s Hazards?

Are you aware of and prepared for the hazards of winter? State and federal agencies were focused on heat stress after the Pacific Northwest’s heat dome last summer. We also saw renewed action on a federal heat stress standard. However, winter has its own hazards, like frostbite, hypothermia, and trench foot. It also can include […]

Infographic: Cold Stress

As it gets colder outside, it is important to revisit the safety measures that employers can take to make sure that all of their personnel remain safe this winter. Here’s what you need to know to protect your workforce from the dangers of cold stress.

NIOSH Examines Forklift, Struck-By Fatalities

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently released a pair of Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) reports. One report examines the death of a forklift operator crushed by a pallet full of soft drink cans, and the other details a fatal fall from a boom lift while tree trimming. Warehouse incident […]

Back to Basics: Cold Stress

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 dangers of cold stress and how to keep employees safe during winter weather. As it continues to get colder, it is important to revisit the safety measures that employers can […]

Cal/OSHA Changes COVID-19 Isolation Period

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) has revised requirements for employee isolation and quarantine covered in an update to the frequently asked questions (FAQs) on its COVID-19 prevention emergency temporary standards (ETSs). Isolation requirements apply to employees who have tested positive for COVID-19, and quarantine requirements apply to employees who have been […]

New York Issues Safety Committee Proposal

The New York State Department of Labor (NYS DOL) issued a proposed regulation, authorized by the New York Health and Essential Rights Act (NY HERO Act), requiring private sector employers with 10 or more employees to establish joint employee-employer safety committees. The HERO Act, signed into law May 5, 2021, authorized the NYS DOL to […]

Back to Basics: How to Prevent Workplace Violence

Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine how to prevent workplace violence. In an increasingly dangerous world, the need for providing a safe workplace is even more important than in the past, whether that workplace is a healthcare […]

Expanded Cal/OSHA Powers Take Effect

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) began 2022 with new responsibilities and enhanced safety and health enforcement authority. A new state law regarding the use of productivity quotas at warehouse distribution centers requires Cal/OSHA to inform the state’s labor commissioner whenever an employer or a site has an annual employee injury rate […]

Tips to Avoid The Top 10 Most-Cited OSHA Violations

Employee fatalities in the workplace are one of the worst situations employers can encounter while running a business. In just Fiscal Year 2019 alone, over 5,000 workers died on the job, averaging out to more than 100 fatalities per week, or fifteen cases per day. To combat these stark numbers and better protect employees on […]