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An Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) task force announced a weeklong Suicide Prevention Safety Stand-Down, planned for September 6-10, to raise awareness about the unique challenges construction workers face. A National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) study found that men working in construction have one of the highest suicide rates compared with […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited a Wayland, Massachusetts, contractor and his processor and successor companies with 28 willful, repeat, serious, and other-than-serious safety and health violations following two trenching fatalities. The agency seeks a total of $1,350,884 in penalties. Atlantic Coast Utilities LLC/Advanced Utilities Inc.; its predecessor company Shannon Construction Corp.; their […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on August 10 cited Safeway Inc. with violations of the agency’s lockout/tagout, machine guarding, and other standards at the company’s dairy facility. OSHA proposed penalties totaling $339,379. The agency inspected a Denver milk packaging plant operated by Safeway after a worker lost four fingers while operating a molding […]
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 All those discretion directives have since been withdrawn.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, […]
As part of its Safe + Sound campaign, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) shared a variety of resources aimed at helping businesses put together safety and health programs. According to OSHA’s page devoted to the topic, safety and health programs help businesses do the following: Prevent workplace injuries and illnesses Improve compliance with […]
An Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) COVID-19 emergency temporary standard (ETS) went into effect in early June 2021, and compliance with most of the provisions was required by July 6. The final set of provisions (pertaining to training, ventilation, and barriers) wasn’t mandated until July 21. With some exceptions, the ETS applies to all […]
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), […]
The U.S. Department of Labor encourages the nation’s employers to commit to workplace safety and health and join its Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in observing Safe + Sound Week, Aug. 9-15, 2021. A nationwide event that recognizes the successes of workplace safety and health programs, Safe + Sound Week also offers information and ideas on […]
Back to Basics is a new weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine common workplace hazards that are among the most frequently cited by OSHA. Don’t let all the new, exotic workplace hazards distract you from the basics. The COVID-19 pandemic, historic wildfires […]
Recent federal inspections looking for COVID-19 hazards in the workplace are on the rise in southern states, but have declined in the Northeast and Midwest, according to a Bloomberg Law review of recent Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) data. OSHA conducted more inspections in most southern states, including Texas and Louisiana, from May 1 […]