It takes clear, regular communication to drive the employee engagement required to build and maintain an effective safety culture at any organization. This is especially true as we continue to adjust to the “new normal” during the COVID-19 pandemic, with organizations of all shapes and sizes operating on a wide spectrum of models, from having […]
Even before a great many of us were working remotely, connectivity has been and will always be a key component of successful safety programs and healthy safety cultures. Open communication, engagement from employees and management, and effective change management all depend on connectivity, and technology can help facilitate all of these factors on which effective […]
While the world reels over the coronavirus pandemic, an inner battle is also underway. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that anxiety and depression have increased significantly during April and June of 2020 compared with the same time period last year.
On August 31, AIHA (formerly the American Industrial Hygiene Association) released guidance documents and a white paper for employers trying to control workplace infections during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
AIHA (formerly the American Industrial Hygiene Association) launched a new website—https://www.workerhealthsafety.org/first-responders—with occupational health resources about the long-term health risks faced by emergency responders. The website includes a case study of training to prepare first responders for rail emergencies and a directory of industrial hygienists and occupational and environmental health and safety (OEHS) professionals.
Many of us spend hours at our workstations every day, and with many of us working from home because of COVID-19, the ergonomic issues have come home with us. Bad habits and incorrect posture can lead to neck and back pain or sore wrists and fingers. Proper ergonomics can help you and your employees stay […]
Oregon has proposed an emergency temporary standard for workplace coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission. While there is no federal workplace safety and health standard for coronavirus exposures, California has an airborne transmissible disease standard for certain workplaces, and Virginia approved an emergency temporary standard for COVID-19 in July.
On August 19, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the release of a checklist for food manufacturers that are continuing, resuming, or reevaluating operations during the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The checklist covers ensuring safe workplaces, investigating exposures and testing for coronavirus infections, and configuring […]
On August 14, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and North American Meat Institute (Meat Institute) announced an alliance agreement to provide guidance, information, and access to training resources for protecting workers in the meatpacking and processing industry from exposures to the coronavirus.
A large number of noise-exposed workers within the services industry sector—the largest sector in U.S. industry—have an elevated risk of hearing loss, according to new research from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The study of hearing loss in workers across a wide variety of service industries was recently published in the […]