Category: Personnel Safety

Prepare Returning Workers for Extreme Summer Heat

With businesses reopening this summer after extended periods because of COVID-19, special attention must be paid to properly retraining workers in safety procedures and how to deal with the extreme heat much of the country has experienced. Mark Lies, partner at Seyfarth Shaw LLP, says the onus is on employers to ensure their workers are […]

NIOSH: Work-Related Deaths in Alaska Remain High After 15 Years

Researchers with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently published their findings that workers in Alaska have a higher risk of dying on the job compared to workers in other states. Work-related deaths in Alaska are three times higher than in the rest of the United States, according to NIOSH-supported research published […]

Fatigue

NIOSH Marks First Anniversary of Fatigue Research Center

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is marking the first anniversary of its Center for Work and Fatigue Research (CWFR). The center pursues NIOSH’s long-standing interest in the workplace health and safety effects of nonstandard work hours, such as long hours and shiftwork.

EHS manager watching for summer safety hazards

Are You Ready to Get Ahead of Summer Safety Hazards?

Summer safety hazards abound. Are you ready to protect your employees during the Atlantic, Eastern Pacific, and Gulf Coast hurricane season? Wildfires? What about excessive heat? Are you ready for an influx of young workers with little previous work experience and no safety training?

Construction worker on hot day, heat stress

Cal/OSHA Issues Reminder of Heat Illness Prevention Rules

On May 29, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) reminded employers they must protect their employees who work outdoors from heat stress under the state’s heat illness prevention regulations. The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for northern California and the Central Valley through 9 p.m. PDT June 1.

OSHA, OSHA regulatory agenda, safety and health concepts

Walking-Working Surfaces, HazCom Clarifications Proposed by OSHA

On May 20, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) proposed changes to its walking-working surfaces standards (29 CFR §§1910.28 and 1910.29) to clarify which handrail and stair rail system requirements apply to new stair rail systems (86 FR 27332). The agency also scheduled an informal hearing to discuss proposed changes to the hazard communication […]

Wet Floor Signs

Ask the Expert: Are There Safety Standards for Wet Floor Signage?

As some workers prepare for a potential return to offices and other facilities in the near future, it’s time for EHS professionals to again consider common facility hazards facing personnel—including slip hazards from wet floors. What are the references, standards, and/or available resources regarding “wet floor” signage? See what EHS Hero® experts had to say.

COVID-19 safety in the workplace

NSC Weighs in on Updated COVID-19 Guidance from CDC

On May 14, the National Safety Council (NSC) expressed cautious support for updated COVID-19 recommendations for fully vaccinated people from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC stated on May 13 that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask or maintain physical distance from others in any indoor or […]

Workplace violence citation court judgment

Workplace Violence Citations Upheld by Federal Judge

A Department of Labor (DOL) administrative law judge, Dennis Phillips, found hospital management companies UHS of Delaware Inc. and Premier Behavioral Health Solutions of Florida Inc. exposed workers to workplace violence and showed bad faith by allowing the destruction of surveillance videos showing instances of workplace violence at a Bradenton, Florida, psychiatric facility. Phillips assessed […]