Have you ever thought of “why am I doing this thankless job of being a Safety Professional”? If so, maybe we are looking at the reasons for being a Safety Professional all wrong. In the Christmas movie titled “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946), the main character George Bailey in a Read more…
On August 30, 2024, OSHA announced the opening of the public comment period for its proposed rule intended to protect millions of workers from the significant health risks of extreme heat and its publication in the Federal Register. OSHA encourages public participation in the rulemaking process as it will help Read more…
OSHA announced May 20, 2024, the final rule on the update the Hazard Communication Standard that includes improving the amount and quality of information on labels and safety data sheets and allow workers and first responders to react more quickly in an emergency. The updates take effect on July 19, Read more…
Industrial environments can be hot and humid, posing a significant threat to worker safety and health. Heat stress, a condition caused by the body’s inability to cool itself effectively, can lead to debilitating and potentially life-threatening illnesses. Therefore, prioritizing heat stress prevention is paramount for any industrial operation. This article Read more…
The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) has published the first national voluntary consensus standard addressing heat stress for workers in construction and demolition operations. Hundreds of thousands of workers frequently face outdoor hazards such as high heat and humidity. ANSI/ASSP A10.50-2024 “Heat Stress Management in Construction and Demolition Operations” Read more…
The U.S. Department of Labor announced changes to Occupational Safety and HealthAdministration (OSHA) civil penalty amounts based on cost-of-living adjustments for 2024. The new OSHA penalty amounts will become effective Jan. 16, 2024. OSHA’s maximum penalties for serious and other-than-serious violations will increase from $15,625 per violation to $16,131 per violation. Read more…
OSHA is expanding the electronic submission requirements for injury and illness data by employers in high-hazard industries which takes effect Jan. 1, 2024, for certain employers with 100 or more employees in designated high-hazard industries. This expanded requirement requires certain employers to submit injury and illness information (Form 300A-Summary of Read more…
As Winter settles in on us we need to be prepared to work safely in the impending cold weather which includes driving in less than perfect conditions created by the cold weather. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2021 there were 395 fatal crashes with an Read more…
Winter weather safety always considers cold stress such as hypothermia and frostbite howeverthere are many other hazards to consider including driving, being stranded, shoveling snow,clearing snow from roofs, power outages, and other similar concerns.OSHA has a webpage dedicated to these types of winter-related hazards titled Winter Weather – Plan, Equip, Read more…
In this last quarter of 2023, many companies are planning for 2024 with budgets, schedules, operational improvements, business goals, and identifying safety objectives, one item to consider is that of the annual training required by OSHA regulations. Now is a good time to plan for training that will be needed Read more…