OHS July August 2026 Magazine Cover

July/August 2026

Find these topics and more in the July/August issue:

  • Fall Protection
  • IH Respiratory Protection & Fit Testing
  • PPE
  • Training: HAZCOM
  • Heat Stress
  • Emergency Shower & Eyewash
  • Electrical Safety
  • Rooftop Safety
  • Construction Safety

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Features

A wide horizontal view of two roofers wearing hard hats and safety harnesses

Why Fall Protection Fails: The Hidden Risks of Fragmented Safety Systems

By Thomas Kramer, Kimberly Messer

Compliance alone does not guarantee worker safety. A complete-system approach that integrates hazard assessment, engineering, equipment selection, training, rescue planning and documentation can help organizations close critical gaps and better protect workers at height.


"Eye washing" station

Weekly Eyewash Flushing Alone May Not Prevent Hidden Water Quality Risks

By Herbert Post

Experts warn that routine activation checks may confirm eyewash functionality without addressing hidden contamination risks inside low-use plumbing systems, spray heads, hoses, and internal components.


blurred low key Illuminated factory industry red alert emergency light with copy space for background

The Safety Message That Never Reaches the Worker

By Kevin Turpin

Emergency plans depend on workers receiving timely, accurate information, yet communication gaps continue to undermine response efforts. New technologies are helping facilities deliver critical alerts faster, more clearly, and in multiple languages.


Electrical engineer inspecting transformer surge counters at substation

The Hidden Safety Risk of AI: Losing the Ability to Recover

By Shawn M. Galloway

AI may improve hazard detection and injury prevention, but organizations that rely too heavily on automation could inadvertently weaken the human skills and organizational resilience needed to manage unexpected events.


Engineer Inspecting Rooftop Solar Panels Using Drone and Laptop on Residential House

Rooftop Safety Starts Before the Roof Edge

By David Kopf

Safe access, protected openings, thoughtful traffic patterns, and risk-based hazard assessments can significantly reduce the dangers workers face while performing rooftop inspections and maintenance.


Construction site health and safety sign at entrance

Get Your Dates — and Your Ducks — in a Row

By David Kopf

OSHA’s revised Hazard Communication Standard is entering its next major compliance phase. Now is the time to ensure employees can navigate updated hazard information.


Professional engineer inspecting control panel

Four Ways to Strengthen Electrical Safety in Industrial Facilities

By Shawn Gregg

From arc flash risk assessments to preventive maintenance and worker training, facilities can reduce electrical hazards and improve reliability by treating electrical safety as an ongoing program, not a one-time project.


Tired female engineer in safety gear standing near robotic arm in factory

Building Psychological Safety: How Safety Leaders Can Act During Construction Suicide Prevention Week

By Trisha Calabrese

Construction Suicide Prevention Week highlights practical strategies safety leaders can use to address mental health risks, reduce stigma, improve access to care, and strengthen workforce resilience across jobsites.


Essential personal protective equipment laid out on a workshop table for safety

A Clearer Vision for Eye and Face Protection

By Cam Mackey

The revised ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2025 standard aims to make eye and face protection easier to select, understand, and implement while reinforcing the role of hazard assessment in preventing workplace injuries.


man in full body hazmat suit, respirator mask, gloves, safety glasses goggles protection using cordless orbit sander

Smarter Respiratory Fit Testing Starts with Connected Technology

By Tom Strigel

Water-based particle counters, digital connectivity and fit assurance tools are helping safety professionals streamline compliance, improve data management and strengthen respiratory protection programs year-round.


Hands in construction gloves holding a protective blue mask with two filters on a white background

Beyond the Annual Fit Test: Closing the Gaps in Respiratory Protection

By Bill Marencel

Passing an annual fit test does not guarantee year-round protection. Strong respiratory protection programs combine ongoing worker education, effective recordkeeping and continuous oversight to prevent chronic occupational disease.


Technicians and supervisors are drinking water to cool off from the heat of working in the factory during the summer

Beyond the Water Jug: Integrating Heat Safety into Construction Workflows

By Emory Tischler

With construction workers facing 13 times higher risk of heat-related death, and a hotter-than-normal summer forecast for 2026, safety professionals must prioritize heat stress prevention. Learn to distinguish between heat stress and heat strain, identify early warning signs workers might hide, and implement practical strategies from hydration and acclimatization to shade structures and culture change that protect workers when temperatures rise.


Smiling female construction worker wearing safety vest and ear protection holding a hard hat outdoors

Emerging Risks Are Reshaping Industrial Hearing Protection

By Kim Schultz

Dynamic noise exposures, low-frequency sound, combined hazards, and compliance challenges are forcing organizations to rethink traditional hearing conservation programs and adopt more comprehensive protection strategies.


Worker in protective gloves presses emergency stop button on industrial machinery

The Hidden Cost of One-Glove-Fits-All Safety Programs

By Rodney Taylor

Standardized glove programs may simplify procurement, but they can increase injury risk, reduce worker compliance, and drive up long-term costs. Manufacturers are finding that task-specific hand protection delivers better safety and operational performance.


workmen on a suspended platform or cage

What Safety Professionals Need to Know About Engineered Fall Protection Systems

By Dave Stagon

From retrofitting aging facilities to planning inspections and long-term compliance, engineered fall protection systems require careful design, site evaluation, and lifecycle management to protect workers at height.


Standard construction safety ,helmet, fall protection

The Next Frontier in Fall Protection Is Prediction

By Gary Ng

By combining AI, video analytics, and real-time environmental monitoring, predictive safety systems are giving EHS leaders new tools to identify fall risks before workers are exposed to danger.


Construction worker wearing hard hat

Rethinking Head Protection: Why Type II Helmets Are Gaining Attention on Today’s Jobsites

By Michael Izzo

Traditional hard hats leave workers vulnerable to side impacts and falls, prompting safety managers to adopt advanced Type II head protection with internal liners and integrated chin straps.


Worker slipping on liquid

Prioritizing Minor Near Misses Eliminates Major Workplace Fall Risks

By Gen Handley

Minimizing close calls leaves companies vulnerable to OSHA violations, but shifting to digital safety check-ins captures hazards before injuries happen.


Workers Using AI

How AI Is Closing the Gap in Workplace Injury Analysis

By Adi Choi

AI agents are now merging wearable sensor data with historical incident logs to automate root-cause analysis and transform reactive safety into proactive prevention.


Departments

elder engineer staff worker wrist pain health problem from hard work

Rethinking Safety Leadership for New and Aging Workers

By Robert Pater

Injury trends among new and older workers are forcing safety leaders to rethink long-standing approaches and adopt data-driven strategies to improve training, reduce risk, and strengthen safety culture across the workforce.


Artificial Intelligence