Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
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 reduce risks from noise exposure in the workplace. In nearly every industry, there are workers at risk for work-related hearing loss. It’s among the most common work-related illnesses thanks […]
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) September 16 announced the addition of four new Centers of Excellence for Total Worker Health (TWH). New Centers of Excellence in California, Maryland, North Carolina, and Utah now join the program’s six existing centers in Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, and Oregon. NIOSH’s TWH approach combines […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) September 14 announced its Region 1 office has launched a Regional Emphasis Program (REP) for tree care and landscaping operations. Region 1 consists of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. “We are taking this action to raise awareness and improve worker safety in these industries. […]
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) September 7 released fact sheets covering counterfeit N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) and the institute’s filtration efficiency testing and employer FFR fit testing. Last year, NIOSH and personal protective equipment manufacturers reported a rise in counterfeit FFRs following respirator shortages at the beginning of the COVID-19 […]
Have you provided your employees with the appropriate level of eye and face protection? Eye hazards include chemicals, lasers, objects and particles, and arc welding, which show up across a wide spectrum of industries, and employers are subject to one or another of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards for eye and face […]
How’s your respiratory protection compliance? Last year, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) allowed inspectors to exercise enforcement discretion, especially in enforcing the agency’s annual fit-testing requirement, in response to respirator shortages. All those discretion directives have since been withdrawn. The time is now to check all components of your written respiratory protection program, […]
Heat-related hazards injured 2,061 and killed 884 people in 2019, according to the National Safety Council. As responsible employers recognize and develop policies or plans to reduce risk to employees who must work in hot and humid conditions, more than just heat and humidity need to be considered. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), […]
Heat stress is a major concern for many different workplaces across the U.S. One important way to help workers deal with the heat is acclimatization, which is where the person becomes better able to handle hot conditions after gradual increased exposure to a hot environment. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) offers […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) teamed up with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to revise a workplace safety handbook for small business employers. The Small Business Safety and Health Handbook details how to implement an effective safety and health program, including self-inspection checklists for employers to identify workplace hazards […]
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 […]