Top Features


By June 1, 2016, OSHA expects all employers to be fully compliant with GHS adoption.

American Coatings Association Pushing for TSCA Reform Bills

ACA has supported two bills: the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, S. 697, which passed the U.S. Senate on Dec. 17, 2015, and a House of Representatives bill, H.R. 2576, which passed June 23, 2015, on a 398-1 vote.

"It was quite startling to see" the 2014 increase in the U.S. fatality rate for workers 55 and older, with 1,691 occupational deaths in this group, AFL-CIO Director of Safety and Health Peg Seminario said in April 2016.

Older Workers' Risks Highlighted in AFL-CIO's 2016 Report

Other high-risk work groups cited in the report are oil and gas extraction workers (144 deaths in 2014), health care workers who may face workplace violence hazards (765 occupational fatalities in 2014 were attributed to workplace violence), and Latino workers (804 deaths in 2014 and a fatality rate of 3.7 per 100,000 workers).

ERG2016 Now Available

PHMSA will distribute more than 1.5 million free copies of the guidebook to firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and law enforcement officers nationwide -- the goal is to have one in every public service vehicle across the country.



NFPA 70E-2015 specifically defines ear canal inserts (ear plugs) as the required protection in all arc flash zones.

Oregon OSHA Offering On-Site Consultation During National Stand-Down

Last year's national stand-down reached more than 2.5 million workers and federal OSHA's goal is to reach 5 million workers this year.

HHS Supporting Clinical Study of Zika Virus Blood Screening Test

"BARDA staff has worked closely with our partners at FDA and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health to ensure the continuity and safety of the U.S. blood supply," said Dr. Richard Hatchett, BARDA's acting director. "Today's award to Roche is an important step towards securing the safety of the blood supply in Puerto Rico and in the rest of the United States."

The Public Safety Analytics R&D Roadmap is a report evaluating software, network, and device technologies that could improve public safety response, communications, and operations during the next 20 years. The roadmap will guide planning for public safety communications research, including how to allocate the $300 million NIST is to receive from the 2015 AWS-3 spectrum auction.

Commerce Releases Public Safety Analytics R&D Roadmap

It is a report evaluating software, network, and device technologies that could improve public safety response, communications, and operations during the next 20 years. The roadmap will guide planning for public safety communications research, including how to allocate the $300 million NIST is to receive from the 2015 AWS-3 spectrum auction.

The Toyota Mirai is equipped with a nickel metal hydride hybrid battery, two carbon fiber-reinforced hydrogen tanks with safety shut-off valves, and a hydrogen monitoring system with leak detection sensors. (Toyota photo)

NFPA Alerts Responders to Be Ready for Toyota's Mirai

The new hydrogen fuel car is now available for use on California roads. It and other alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) are challenging for the fire service and emergency responders.

Corvallis, Ore.-based VDOS Global uses aerial robotics and remote sensing to provide oil and gas inspections, environmental research, aerial surveying and other services using for its clients around the world. (VDOS image)

Senate Passes FAA Reauthorization Bill

Leaders of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee said the bill reauthorizing FAA through FY2017 contains provisions to encourage the responsible use of drones. For example, Section 2134 of the bill would prohibit drone users from interfering with emergency response activities and would raise civil penalties to a maximum of $20,000 for violation of the law.

Polaris Industries Inc., of Medina, Minn., has recalled about 133,000 Model Year 2013-2016 RZR 900 and RZR 1000 recreational off-highway vehicles after receiving more than 160 reports of fires associated with them, including one incident where a 15-year-old passenger died from a rollover that resulted in a fire and 19 reports of injuries.

Fire Risk Sparks ROV Recall

Polaris Industries Inc., of Medina, Minn., has recalled about 133,000 Model Year 2013-2016 RZR 900 and RZR 1000 recreational off-highway vehicles after receiving more than 160 reports of fires associated with them, including one incident where a 15-year-old passenger died from a rollover that resulted in a fire and 19 reports of injuries, including first-, second-, and third-degree burns.

Zika virus is transmitted to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito, the mosquitoes that alos spread dengue and chikungunya viruses.

American College of Physicians Calls for Global Climate Action

"The American College of Physicians urges physicians to help combat climate change by advocating for effective climate change adaptation and mitigation policies, helping to advance a low-carbon health care sector, and by educating communities about potential health dangers posed by climate change," said ACP President Dr. Wayne J. Riley

The rule will require employers to notify OSHA of work-related fatalities within eight hours and work-related in-patient hospitalizations, amputations, or an employee

GAO Report Highlights Violence in Health Care Settings

"It is clear to me that OSHA should move forward and develop an enforceable violence prevention standard to help protect our nation's health care workers. Injuries requiring days away from work are financially and emotionally costly for both employers and workers, and these avoidable injuries put pressure on working families to do more with less," said U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., ranking member of the House Committee on Education & the Workforce and one of the members who requested the report.

A 2016 NIOSH report indicates safety in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Island crab fleet has significantly improved since the 1990s, when it was the most hazardous commercial fishery in the United States.

NIOSH Finds Bering Sea/Aleutian Island Crab Fleet's Safety Much Improved

During the 1990s, it was the most hazardous commercial fishery in the United States, with 73 crew members killed on the job.

As the 2016 heat season approaches, Cal/OSHA leaders urged stakeholders April 11 to take precautions and protect outdoor workers against heat-related illnesses, or worse.

Take Heat Precautions, Cal/OSHA Urges

"Employers at outdoor work sites must know the steps to take to prevent heat illness injuries on the job," Cal/OSHA Chief Juliann Sum said. Cal/OSHA conducts inspections at outdoor work sites in industries such as agriculture, landscaping, and construction during heat season.

In 2014, 669 fatalities occurred in highway work zones -- a slight increase over the previous year. While work zone fatalities are about half of what they were 15 years ago, there is still more work to be done, FHWA Deputy Administrator David Kim said.

2016 National Work Zone Awareness Week Under Way

"As spring advances and warm weather allows highway roadwork to resume after the winter, we must remember that the lives of highway workers are often in our hands," FHWA Deputy Administrator David Kim wrote as he urged Americans to travel safely through work zones.

Most at risk are outdoor workers, including agricultural workers, commercial fishermen, construction workers, transportation workers, and first responders, but workers in hot indoor environments such as warehouses and factories are also at risk of heat illnesses.

Report Assesses Climate Change's Impacts on Workers

Most at risk are outdoor workers, including agricultural workers, commercial fishermen, construction workers, transportation workers, and first responders, but workers in hot indoor environments such as warehouses and factories are also at risk of heat illnesses.

"The progress we made in 2015 is good news for miners and the mining industry. It is the result of intensive efforts by MSHA and its stakeholders that have led to mine site compliance improvements, a reduction of chronic violators, historic low levels of respirable coal dust and silica, and a record low number of mining deaths," said Assistant Secretary Joseph A. Main.

2015 Safest Year Yet for U.S. Mining

Preliminary data released by the Mine Safety and Health Administration confirm that 2015 was the safest year in U.S. mining history, both in the number of deaths and mining's fatal and injury rates.

Zika virus is transmitted to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito, the mosquitoes that alos spread dengue and chikungunya viruses.

Administration Designates Emergency Zika Funding

The Obama administration has identified $589 million in funding that will go toward Zika preparedness and response -- mosquito control, lab capacity, developing diagnostics and vaccines, supporting affected expectant mothers and babies, and tracking the spread and effects of Zika infections in humans in the United States, Puerto Rico, other U.S. territories, and abroad.

Featured

Artificial Intelligence

Webinars