o

Work sneakers

Modeled after classic Reeboks, Harman Work suede leather work sneakers offer wearers an iconic look as well as ample protection.




o

Work boot

Traction Tred Lite boots combine style, safety and performance. They feature a lightweight design, a leather upper equipped with advanced waterproofing technology and nonmetallic safety toe protection.




o

Work boots

Ideal for use in the energy, construction, manufacturing and railroad industries, SuperSole X boots feature a low-density inner sole that provides cushioned comfort. A tough, rubber outsole delivers best-in-class slip resistance and protection against chemicals, heat and abrasion.




o

Insoles

Delivering anti-fatigue, dual-layer comfort, this line of work-cushion and work-support insoles helps provide a reduction in foot, back and joint pain.




o

PHMSA updates civil penalty amounts

Washington – A Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration final rule issued April 17 revises agency regulations to match the maximum and minimum civil penalties for hazardous materials violations established by law in 2012.




o

PHMSA requests input on rail tank car safety enhancements

Washington – The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is requesting public input on a proposal to enhance the safety and durability of rail tank cars used to transport hazardous materials.




o

GAO: PHMSA should better track ‘wetline’ incidents

Washington – The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration should better track the incidence rate of spills from cargo tank truck “wetlines” – the series of pipes used to load and unload liquids – to help identify risks, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office.




o

PHMSA: Pay civil penalties on time or cease hazmat operations

Washington – A Sept. 24 proposed rule from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration would prohibit hazardous materials carriers and associated companies from further operations if they do not pay civil penalties for violations within 90 days.




o

PHMSA updates inspections for perishable hazardous materials

Washington – Beginning Nov. 1, Department of Transportation safety inspectors must follow new notification procedures when opening packages containing perishable hazardous materials that are deemed unsafe or non-compliant with safety regulations, according to a final rule from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.




o

Pipelines safer than rail, roads for oil transport workers: study

Calgary, Alberta – Oil-carrying pipeline workers have a lower injury risk than workers transporting oil on railroads or roadways, according to a new study from public policy think tank Fraser Institute.




o

Oil from Bakken Formation may be extra-flammable, pipeline safety agency says

Washington – Crude oil shipped from the Bakken Formation – located in North Dakota, Montana and nearby Canadian provinces – may be more flammable than “traditional” heavy crude oil, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration warned shippers, sellers and emergency responders in a Jan. 2 safety advisory.




o

Advisory makes recommendations for preventing pipeline leaks

Washington – A new advisory bulletin from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration recounts one of the largest pipeline spills in the past five years and encourages pipeline owners and operators to take new preventive measures against leaks.




o

PHMSA must improve state pipeline safety oversight: audit

Washington – The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration must make improvements to its oversight of state pipeline safety programs, concludes an audit released May 7 by the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General.




o

House OKs pipeline safety amendment

Washington – The House has approved an amendment to fund pipeline safety measures as part of the 2015 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act.




o

PHMSA proposes rule to require faster notification of pipeline incidents

Washington – Pipeline operators may be required to notify the National Response Center no later than one hour after an incident involving natural gas and hazardous liquid pipelines, under a recently proposed rule from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.




o

Nominee to head PHMSA says safety should be ‘constant’

Washington – Marie Therese Dominguez promised to make safety the No. 1 priority as head of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, during her nomination hearing in front of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.




o

PHMSA creates criteria for state excavation damage prevention programs

Washington – The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has established new review criteria for state excavation damage prevention programs, under a final rule published in the July 23 Federal Register.




o

PHMSA, FRA seeking input on different aspects of automated transport

Washington — Developments in automation in the transportation industry have prompted a pair of Requests for Information from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration.




o

National Academies calls for enhanced regulation of liquefied petroleum gas systems

Washington — Federal regulation of small distribution systems for propane and other liquefied petroleum gas should be revised for clarity, efficiency, enforceability and applicability to risk, a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine concludes.




o

PHMSA seeking nominations for new lithium battery safety committee

Washington — The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is accepting nominations for its Lithium Battery Safety Advisory Committee, the agency announced in a notice published in the May 14 Federal Register.




o

Pipeline safety agency releases FAQs on hazmat training

Washington — The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration recently published a set of FAQs on training requirements.




o

CDC: Millions of U.S. workers may have occupational asthma

Atlanta – As many as 2.7 million U.S. workers may have asthma caused or aggravated by workplace conditions, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.




o

NIOSH announces free health screenings for coal miners

Washington – A series of free, confidential health screenings will be available for coal miners as part of the NIOSH Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program.




o

Exploring occupational asthma

A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that as many as 2.7 million U.S. workers may have asthma caused or aggravated by workplace conditions. And federal statistics show that about 11 million workers are exposed to at least one of several agents associated with occupational asthma.




o

Use of disinfectants raises risk of COPD among nurses: study

Villejuif, France – Frequent use of workplace disinfectants may increase health care workers’ risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, suggest researchers from France’s National Institute of Health and Medical Research.




o

Nearly half of workers with work-related asthma don’t receive pneumonia shot, study shows

Washington – Adults with occupational asthma face a higher risk of developing pneumococcal disease, but only 54 percent of them are vaccinated to help ward off an infection, according to a new study from NIOSH.




o

Up to 21 percent of asthma-related deaths may be from on-the-job exposures: CDC report

Atlanta — Occupational exposures may have contributed to 11 percent to 21 percent of all asthma-related deaths among 15- to 64-year-olds between 1999 and 2016, according to a recently released report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.




o

Nearly 2 million health care workers have asthma, NIOSH study shows

Washington — The health care and social assistance industry has the highest percentage of workers with asthma among major industry groups, according to a recent study from NIOSH’s Respiratory Health Division.




o

Severe black lung disease resurging among miners: study

San Diego — More than 4,600 coal miners have developed the most severe form of black lung disease since 1970, with nearly half of the cases emerging after 2000, according to a recent study from the University of Illinois at Chicago.




o

Underreporting of injuries among greatest management challenges for OSHA, MSHA: report

Washington — Incomplete initiatives aimed at improving employer reporting of injuries are among the top management and performance challenges facing OSHA and the Mine Safety and Health Administration, according to a Department of Labor Office of Inspector General report released in November.




o

NIOSH to offer free health screenings for coal miners

Washington — NIOSH will offer a series of free, confidential health screenings for coal miners through its Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program.




o

Campaign aims to raise awareness of work-related asthma in Michigan

East Lansing, MI — Estimating that up to half of the 600,000 or so adult cases of asthma in Michigan may be caused or aggravated by on-the-job exposure, the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine has launched a campaign intended to raise awareness of work-related asthma.




o

‘Guilt, shame and embarrassment’: Asthma affects workers’ emotional well-being

Macclesfield, England — Employees with asthma miss an average of almost 10% of their work hours, and most are restricted from performing their duties because of their symptoms, both of which negatively affect their emotional well-being, according to the findings of a recent study.




o

Lawmakers call for OSHA emphasis program after CDC report on silicosis among stone fabrication workers

Washington — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning of “an emerging public health threat” after researchers identified an increase in cases of silicosis – an incurable lung disease – among workers who handle engineered stone used to make household countertops.




o

Use of disinfectants increase COPD risk among female nurses: study

Villejuif, France — Frequent use of common cleaning products and disinfectants at work may increase female nurses’ risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by up to 38%, results of a recent study led by researchers from France’s National Institute of Health and Medical Research suggest.




o

Respiratory viruses may linger on health care workers, PPE: study

Chicago — Health care workers commonly carry respiratory viruses on their hands, clothing and personal protective equipment after administering care to patients, accentuating the need to practice “complete hand hygiene and use other PPE to prevent dissemination,” results of a recent study suggest.




o

Respiratory hazards in the cannabis industry: Researchers say ag standards may apply

Berkeley, CA — Cannabis industry workers may be at increased risk of respiratory problems as a result of on-the-job exposure to various hazards, results of a recent study led by a University of Washington professor indicate.




o

COVID-19 pandemic: NABTU, CPWR create infection control guidance for construction sites

Washington — In the absence of an emergency temporary standard on infectious disease from OSHA amid the COVID-19 pandemic, North America’s Building Trades Unions and CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training have developed national guidance on infectious disease exposure control practices for construction sites.




o

Study finds Deepwater Horizon cleanup workers regained lung function over time

Washington — Decreases in lung function observed among cleanup workers shortly after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster were no longer apparent within the next few years, results of a new study from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences indicate – suggesting that some adverse health effects linked to the spill may resolve over time.




o

Study links night shift work to increased risk of asthma

Manchester, England — Shift workers, particularly those working permanent night shifts, may be at elevated risk for moderate to severe asthma, according to a study led by British researchers.




o

Doctors hired by employers to examine miner X-rays for black lung show ‘alarming’ bias: study

Chicago — Physicians contracted by mine operators to review chest X-rays of coal miners who file “totally debilitating disease” workers’ compensation claims with the Department of Labor’s Federal Black Lung Program may have a bias strongly related to financial conflict of interest, researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago suggest.




o

Cleaning workers face heightened risk of asthma, COPD: study

London — Workers who use cleaning and disinfecting products may be more likely to develop asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – 50% and 43%, respectively – than those who don’t, results of a recent study led by British and Italian researchers show.




o

Construction workers at higher risk of COPD, study shows

Silver Spring, MD — Workers in construction trades are at “significantly” higher risk for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease than non-construction workers, according to the results of a recent study.




o

NIOSH to offer free health screenings for coal miners

Washington — NIOSH has planned a series of free, confidential health screenings for current and former coal miners via the agency’s Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program.




o

Research review strengthens link between sarcoidosis, workplace exposures

Toronto — Findings over the past decade – including the results of case studies in the past two to three years – have strengthened the link between the lung disease sarcoidosis and on-the-job exposures to, most notably, silica and silicates, dust from the World Trade Center, and metals, according to a recent research review.




o

Mental illness an ‘unrecognized crisis’ among miners with black lung, study shows

Charlottesville, VA — Coal miners with black lung disease commonly face various mental health issues, including thoughts of suicide, results of a recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Virginia show.




o

Bill would restore increased tax rate on coal to fund black lung disability benefits

Washington — Proposed legislation would create funding for health care and other benefits for coal miners who have black lung disease by extending, for 10 years, a recently expired excise tax rate increase on coal production.




o

Silica dust a driving force behind rising rates of black lung, study suggests

Chicago — The lung tissue of contemporary coal miners contains higher levels of respirable crystalline silica dust than was found in miners of past generations – which may explain an ongoing surge in cases of the most severe form of black lung disease, researchers at University of Illinois Chicago say.




o

NIOSH announces free health screenings for coal miners

Washington — NIOSH will offer a series of free, confidential health screenings for current and former coal miners as part of the agency’s Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program.




o

Deepwater Horizon cleanup workers at increased risk of asthma: study

Washington — Workers involved in cleanup after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster were significantly more likely to have been diagnosed with asthma or experienced asthma symptoms within three years of the incident, according to a new study from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.