Washington – OSHA has updated an online tool aimed at teaching small-business owners and workers how to locate workplace hazards.

Vienna, VA – The annual Drive Safely Work Week, presented by the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety, is scheduled for Oct. 5-9.

Washington – Two agencies have released materials to help educate Spanish-speaking workers about occupational safety.

McLean, VA – The Network of Employers for Traffic Safety is offering a free online toolkit to help employers keep workers and their families safe on the road as part of NETS’ Drive Safely Work Week Oct. 5-9.

Lansing, MI – The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration has released a toolkit and video to help medical and dental offices comply with state health standards.

Washington — To help employers prepare for the fifth annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, set to take place May 7-11, OSHA is offering a number of online resources.

Washington — In response to multiple studies showing that firefighters are at an increased risk for many types of cancers, the National Volunteer Fire Council and four other organizations have developed a poster intended to help firefighters understand their risks and take action to protect themselves.

Washington — A new database from OSHA offers access to safety profiles and information on workplace chemicals.

Washington — The National Occupational Research Agenda Manufacturing Sector Council has created an online resource guide intended to assist organizations in beginning, maintaining or enhancing their hazardous energy control programs.

Silver Spring, MD — Stressing the importance of lightning awareness while working outdoors, the Center for Construction Research and Training – also known as CPWR – has published a hazard alert and toolbox talk addressing the topic.

Washington — NIOSH has unveiled a beta version of an interactive, PC-based simulation software tool aimed at improving hazard recognition in mines.

Washington — OSHA has created a webpage aimed at helping employers use leading indicators – tracking workplace conditions and events to prevent injuries and illnesses before they occur – to improve their safety and health programs, the agency announced Aug. 9 via Twitter.

Hamilton, Ontario — A series of free guidance documents from the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety is intended to help workers and employers in essential or high-risk occupations and industries reduce their exposure to COVID-19 and curb the spread of infection.

Gaithersburg, MD — A new online tool from the National Institute of Standards and Technology is intended to help curb airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 – the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

Washington — NIOSH has published a new fact sheet intended to help construction employers and workers prevent falls from roofs, ladders and scaffolds.

Arlington, VA — The International Safety Equipment Association has introduced an initiative to help raise awareness of the dangers of working at height and dropped objects or equipment.

Washington — Arizona’s dispute with OSHA – which at one point appeared to threaten its status as an approved State Plan – has officially ended, OSHA announced in a notice published in the July 26 Federal Register.

Silver Spring, MD — The number of fatal falls to a lower level among construction workers increased from 2011 to 2017 – reflecting a surge in employment – although the rate of such incidents decreased 25%, according to a recent report from the Center for Construction Research and Training, also known as CPWR.

Tumwater, WA — A new hazard alert from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries is intended for employers and workers who use personal fall arrest systems positioned near exposed edges.

Over the past decade, the scaffolding standard has been a mainstay on OSHA’s annual “Top 10” list of most frequently cited violations. Experts say training and a small financial investment are the easiest path to compliance.

Washington — The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted OSHA to postpone the seventh annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction.

Silver Spring, MD — Roofers face an increased risk of fatal falls to a lower level compared with other construction subgroups, making fall protection strategies a vital component of roof work planning and training.

Washington — OSHA has rescheduled the seventh annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction for Sept. 14-18.

Salem, OR — A new online video training course developed by Oregon OSHA is intended to help employers and workers in the construction industry meet the requirements of the agency’s fall protection standards.

Silver Spring, MD — How can employer interventions be improved to help prevent fatal falls to a lower level among construction workers? CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training, in conjunction with the American National Standards Institute Z359 Committee, has developed a survey to collect observations from workers who have witnessed or experienced a fall.

Washington — OSHA, NIOSH, the National Occupational Research Agenda, and CPWR – The Center for Construction Training and Research are providing free online resources to help employers prepare for the eighth annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, set to take place May 3-7.

Washington — The eighth annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction is set to kick off on May 3 with a webinar hosted by OSHA, NIOSH, and CPWR – the Center for Construction Research and Training.

Washington — OSHA is seeking to update the handrail and stair rail system requirements in its standard on walking-working surfaces for general industry.

Boston — The top five costliest injuries in the construction industry in 2018 had a combined price tag of nearly $9 billion, according to the Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index – an annual ranking of serious, nonfatal workplace injuries based on direct workers’ compensation costs involving more than five days away from work.

Salem, OR — Oregon OSHA has launched a Spanish-language version of its free online video training course on fall protection for the construction industry.

“There has to be a plan in place to let people work alone,” one expert says. “You’ve got to have a safety policy.”

Washington — The ninth annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction is set for May 2-6.

In Episode 24, the S+H editorial team discusses some frequently asked questions about how OSHA emergency temporary standards and regulations work. Also, Christina Socias-Morales, an epidemiologist in the NIOSH Division of Safety Research, joins us to discuss National Ladder Safety Month, coming in March.

In Episode 25, the S+H editorial team celebrates the two-year anniversary of the podcast with a discussion on the many safety hazards facing storm recovery workers. In addition, Nicole Randall from the International Safety Equipment Association discusses various aspects of personal protective equipment for workers.

In Episode 26, the S+H editorial team examines how language barriers can affect workplace safety. In addition, Jessica Bunting, director of the Research to Practice initiative at CPWR, discusses the ninth annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, set for May 2-6.

Tumwater, WA — Responding to concerns that some of its fall protection rules aren’t “at least as effective” as federal OSHA’s general industry and construction standards, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries has initiated rulemaking to revise certain provisions of its Unified Safety Standards for Fall Protection.

Silver Spring, MD — Lack of pre-work planning is a key underlying cause of falls in the construction industry, according to the results of a recent survey conducted by CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training.

Rockville, MD — OSHA requirements for mechanical service and mechanical construction on low-slope roofs – and the differences between them – are the topic of a new poster from the Mechanical Contractors Association of America.

Arlington, VA — Fatalities resulting from a slip and fall account for 12% of total miner deaths this year to date – more than twice the percentage reported in 2021, a recent analysis by the Mine Safety and Health Administration shows.

Tumwater, WA — Updated fall protection rules in Washington state went into effect Nov. 1, bringing them in line with that of federal OSHA.

Washington — The 10th annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction is slated for May 1-5.

From 2017 to 2021, ladder-related incidents accounted for more than 800 deaths and 27,000 nonfatal injuries resulting in days away from work. “Ladders are safety equipment, not just a throwaway tool,” one expert says.

New York — Aiming to keep construction workers safe from falls, the New York City Department of Buildings is relying on fashion and a music legend to help spread safety messages.

Arlington, VA — Alarmed by a steady stream of miner deaths related to falls from height, the Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued a safety alert.

Winston-Salem, NC — The Steel Erectors Association of America has created a downloadable poster for the 10th annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction – set for May 1-5.

Washington — The 10th annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction is fast approaching, and employers nationwide are being encouraged to host an event.

Although aerial lifts have replaced ladders and scaffolding on many jobsites, several hazards are associated with their use.

New York — Remove all snow, ice and other debris from construction jobsites to help reduce slip and trip hazards.

Melbourne, Australia — An expected increase in 45-and-older women in the workforce could mean more on-the-job falls to the same level, a recent study out of Monash University suggests.

“It’s definitely a difficult issue,” the associate director of the NIOSH Office of Construction Safety and Health says.