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Workers engaged in heavy construction are frequently exposed to hand and arm vibration.

Six Degrees of Hand Vibration

Exposure to hand and arm vibration in the workplace can range from severe and debilitating to nuisance level. Fortunately, there are simple solutions to this under-reported, under-regulated problem.

We know that 10 percent of construction workers do not return to work after injury, and workers with a lung disease, MSD, or injury are more likely to retire on disability than workers with the same conditions in less physically demanding work.

The Aging Worker in the U.S. Construction Industry

Reducing the physical demands on all workers in construction is essential.

A combination of education, policy, enforcement, and technology will solve the distracted driving problem, GHSA Chairman Vernon F. Betkey, Jr. says.

Near-Term Solutions for Distracted Driving

Vernon F. Betkey, Jr., chairman of the Governors Highway Safety Association, predicts a combination of education, policy, enforcement, and technology will solve the problem, starting this year.

Dan Jaquez is occupational safety and health manager for public works in Ventura County, California.

We Have a Winner!

Dan Jaquez, occupational safety & health manager for public works in Ventura County, Calif., for the NAVFAC SW Naval Facilities Engineering Command, won a new ExoFit NEX fall harness in the Capital Safety/OH&S essay contest.

Food Safety

Stopping Food Safety Issues Cold at the Loading Dock

The loading dock is usually regarded as the primitive "backroom" of food-handling operations, but it's a crucial part of the supply chain and the food protection chain.

The proposed Michigan ergonomics standard defines "rrgonomic hazards" as conditions where intervention may be necessary to prevent a musculoskeletal disorder.

Michigan's Ergonomics War Set to Resume

With the regulatory impact statement and economic analysis all but done, Michigan OSHA's controversial proposed ergonomics standard could reach the public hearings stage in about 90 days.

Image of a woman wearing ear muffs.

The Silent Hazard

In order to successfully eliminate hearing loss, more needs to be known about its true prevalence in the workforce. NIOSH is spearheading the effort.

The ExoFit NEX, which debuted in late 2009, is an upgrade of the original introduced 10 years before.

Win a Free ExoFit NEX™ Harness!

Just write a short essay (100 words max.) explaining your biggest fall protection challenge and submit it online by Jan. 29 for a chance to win a brand-new ExoFit NEX™ from Capital Safety. No more than one entry per person will be accepted. We'll announce the winner here by Feb. 12. Click here for a link to the entry form in a Q&A with Capital Safety-North American Product Manager Nate Bohmbach.

Achieving conformance with GHS in the United States is expected to be quite cumbersome.

OSHA, GHS, and Your MSDSs and Labels

The clock is ticking. Companies will have three years from promulgation to come into compliance with the final rule and two years to implement training requirements.

The ExoFit NEX, which debuted in late 2009, is an upgrade of the original introduced 10 years before.

Priming the New Product Pump

"We constantly refresh our pool of ideas. Our end users are very vocal about what works and doesn't work."

This DoD photo taken by USMC Cpl. Jason Ingersoll shows the damaged Pentagon minutes after a hijacked airliner struck the building on Sept. 11, 2001.

2000-2009: The Decade in Safety & Health

The H1N1 pandemic was 2009's biggest safety and health story, but OSHA also grabbed the spotlight last year with a blockbuster $87 million fine. For all of the attention paid to tower crane safety, combustible dusts, crumbling infrastructure, and a jobless recovery, the biggest story of 2000-2009 was Sept. 11, 2001.

The morning routine for Baker Concrete Construction Inc. coworkers involves stretch and flex and Mission Task Analysis.

Baker's Recipe for Better Safety

Trust and involvement are vital components of the Incident and Injury Free safety program that has improved results for Baker Concrete Construction Inc.

Emergency responders need fast, accurate analytical results during a hurricane or other major event.

A Tool for Real-Time Analysis

By obtaining rapid information in a visual display, the decision maker can make informed decisions based on accurate, fast analytical results.

An image of an occupant use fire hose and a fire extinguisher.

Occupant Use Fire Hoses Should They Stay or Go

As with any maintenance requirement, the intent of small hose inspection and testing is to ensure that they will reliably operate properly when called upon, which is even more critical for emergency response equipment.

ReviveR VIEW

Shocking Video -- Caught on AED

"We said, if people are going to really survive cardiac arrest, we should design a unit that's built for 10 year olds, or for anybody walking down the street, because time is of the essence and speed to shock is all that matters."

Personalized signs are a way to make a fundamental shift in the safety culture of a facility, Mitch Fein says.

The Personal Touch

"Companies are populating signs, posters, banners, and scoreboards with the children, and the wives, and the husbands within the facility, with a common theme about safety being a family value."

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson laid out new principles for revising the Toxic Substances Control Act in late September.

A New Kid on Our Block

Seen by some as OSHA's much bigger brother, EPA waded into several big safety issues this fall.

A standardized stretching program with ergonomics training helped one manufacturer reduce lost-time injuries significantly.

The Benefits of Stretching

Outcome measures helped to make this manufacturing company's workplace stretching program stick.

The Orange County Convention Center housed the National Safety Congress & Expo in October.

NSC 2009: Headlines and Optimism Return

Many companies introduced new products and initiatives at the Oct. 26-28 expo, and while attendance was mediocre, exhibitors generally were upbeat.

Consistent and often is how to train the employee for long term use of PPE.

The Flinch Factor

A panicked reaction during one unprotected moment cost a worker his livelihood and more.

Spotlight

For March, OH&S puts the spotlight on: