The hottest PPE category this year, respiratory protection, can be challenging to navigate. NIOSH’s site has always been a good information source about these products, and the new Respirator Trusted-Source Information Page is even better.
At a large trade show this week and in national radio advertisements, the British OSH agency is urging renovation contractors and workers to be aware of potential asbestos exposures and the possibility of contracting mesothelioma and other deadly illnesses.
The Centers for Disease Control and prevention has created a new Vision Health Initiative Web site with information regarding vision and eye health, projects with diverse stakeholders, journal publications and reports, and vision health-related resources for professionals and consumers.
The Finish Line Inc., an athletic footwear and apparel retailers, recently announced that through its "Sole Destination" program, approximately 92,500 pairs of gently used shoes will be donated to Soles4Souls, a charitable organization that distributes shoes free of charge to people in need throughout the world.
"For the companies, they have to be at this show if they want to be in the market," said Birgit Horn, A+A 2009 director.
Attendees from around the world are filling some of the lavish booths occupied by the largest PPE companies, including the Uvex unit of Sperian Protection, Honeywell Safety Products, MSA, Ansell, and more.
"We are pleased that Catholic Healthcare West is joining with us to set the highest possible hospital safeguards for patients and nurses and creating an innovative model that every hospital in America should follow," said Rose Ann DeMoro, CNA/NNOC executive director.
Citing that nearly 22 million American workers are exposed to hazardous noise on a daily basis and that occupational hearing loss continues to plague industry, the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) has made a request to OHSA to reduce the permissible exposure limit (PEL) for noise exposures.
Instead of focusing on safety (i.e., the avoidance of employee injury), many safety managers are focused on compliance (i.e., the avoidance of regulatory action taken against them). To put it another way, compliance-first is a mindset that asks, "What do I need to do to stay safe in the eyes of the government?" while a safety-first mindset frames the issue more simply: "What do I need to do to stay safe?"
No two ways about it: Masonry is hard work and stressful on the body. Masonry workers have the highest rate of back injuries causing days away from work among all of the construction trades. The rate is more than one and a half times higher than the average rate for all construction workers.
One of the questions most frequently asked is, "What kind of training do I need to be a Competent Person in regard to fall protection?" Although it seems like a straightforward question, the answer can be a little tricky. Many people believe the singular requirement to achieve Competent Person status is completion of a fall protection course, but it's just not that simple.
Seen by some as OSHA's much bigger brother, EPA waded into several big safety issues this fall.
Many companies introduced new products and initiatives at the Oct. 26-28 expo, and while attendance was mediocre, exhibitors generally were upbeat.
A panicked reaction during one unprotected moment cost a worker his livelihood and more.
"Electricity moves--and can kill or injure--at the speed of light. It doesn't give you a second chance," said C. William Freeman III, OSHA's area director in Hartford, Conn.
The declaration clears hospitals to set up alternate sites to house sick patients. It does not speed up vaccine delivery to the states.
Employees not wearing PPE and the employer's failure to develop, implement, or maintain a written hazard communications program for employees working with mortar or cement were among the 11 repeat violations, which, together with five serious violations, have proposed penalties totaling $146,000.
As many as 16,000 registered nurses are expected to walk out Oct. 30 at 39 facilities to protest how management has protected them against H1N1. But the backdrop is contract negotiations now in their seventh month.
The Health and Safety Executive examined what footwear and flooring suppliers offer to end users in sales literature and online. No indication of slip resistance was given for 47 percent of the 1,304 footwear styles surveyed, and another 36 percent claimed to be slip resistant but provided no test data.