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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Melbourne, Australia — A recent study of stone countertop industry workers reveals an “alarmingly high” occurrence of silicosis, indicating that government-mandated screening tests may be inadequate to diagnose the disease.

Customer demand for smart home security systems grew during the pandemic, and with more integrated conveniences available than ever before, shows no sign of slowing down.

This year’s SDM 100 report and rankings show excellent growth for the SDM 100 companies in 2019. The onset of the coronavirus pandemic was just starting to hit as the security industry’s top companies were filling out the 2020 SDM 100 applications; to many of this year’s companies, it is like being on a mountaintop without a clear view of the landscape. Read on to look at this year’s top security companies ranked by recurring monthly revenue, along with their thoughts and projections for what lies ahead.

Washington — A planned update to OSHA’s Lockout/Tagout standard (1910.147) has been pushed to “long-term actions” under the Department of Labor’s Spring 2023 regulatory agenda.

Every OSHA investigation presents an opportunity for using what comes to light to help prevent similar incidents. Here are three cases – selected by the agency.

Boca Raton, FL — The National Council on Compensation Insurance has launched a new interactive resource that combines a decade’s worth of data on workers’ compensation claims involving lost-time injuries and insights.

Lowell, MA — Keeping workers safe during a disaster – natural or human-caused – is the goal of a new online course from a NIOSH Total Worker Health Center of Excellence.

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration has addressed all of the 100 corrective actions recommended in its 2012 internal review following the Upper Big Branch mine explosion in April 2010, the agency announced Jan. 13.

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration is ramping up enforcement after three miners died in separate incidents on the same day.

Arlington, VA – Seven miners died during the third quarter of 2015, bringing the total death toll through September to 25, according to preliminary data from the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued a proposed rule intended to improve the quality of workplace examinations in metal and non-metal mines.

Arlington, VA — The Mine Safety and Health Administration recently released its annual safety alert spotlighting hazards unique to the mining industry during winter.

Washington — The Mine Safety and Health Administration has scheduled a public meeting and extended the comment period on a program policy letter intended to clarify requirements for providing emergency escapeways for underground metal and nonmetal miners, in response to stakeholder requests.

Washington — After weighing public and stakeholder input, the Mine Safety and Health Administration has rescinded a program policy letter intended to clarify requirements for providing emergency escapeways for underground metal and nonmetal miners, determining that the clarification “is not needed.”

Athens, OH — Blows to the head are common among performing arts theater personnel but often go unreported by workers who may not understand how serious head injuries are, according to a recent Ohio University study.

Washington — Two new fact sheets from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are intended to help fitness center employers and workers reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Sacramento, CA — Workers involved in setting up, tearing down and operating live events at public entertainment venues will now be required to receive specified occupational safety training and certification, under a new California law.

The National Training Center (NTC), a prominent source of on-location and virtual classroom training and training materials in the various low-voltage disciplines, is offering a quick flash sale of its renown Low Voltage Library.  

The session is scheduled on May 1, 2023, at the Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center in Aurora, Colo.

In environments that involve working with or around electrical equipment, it is important not to forget the risk that counterfeit electrical products can pose – a risk with potential safety threats that are preventable.

A suspected counterfeit electrical product is spotted in the workplace. Now what?

What should qualified inspectors look for when examining an aerial device that has made electrical contact?

There is value in reliability. There is value in new technologies. There is value in services that make life easier. There is value in quality customer service. There is a whole list of ways that Security Networks, West Palm Beach, Fla., continues to provide value for its affiliate dealers and the end users the affiliates serve.

Steady and rapid growth in the dealer program market, like the kind Security Networks, SDM’s 2012 Dealer of the Year Honoree, has had in recent years requires more than a good marketing program or exciting services. Security Networks, West Palm Beach, Fla., prides itself on an average of 40 percent growth year-over-year for the past eight years, its president, Richard Perry, tells SDM.

Guardian Protection Services doesn’t value short-term sales, technologies, or relationships. The company’s longevity hinges on coupling long-term commitments with responses to market changes.

The Honeywell Miller Turbolite Flash Personal Fall Limiter is a self-retracting lifeline to protect at-height workers against hazards in electrical utility, arc flash and hot work applications.

Chicago – Mild traumatic brain injury caused by blast exposures may alter soldiers’ brains, suggests a study from the Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

Fairfax, VA – The U.S. Navy has announced a ban on e-cigarettes and other vaping devices on ships, submarines, aircraft, boats, craft and heavy equipment.

In the aftermath of devastating weather events, tens of thousands of storm recovery workers respond. A wide variety of potential hazards await.

Washington — The NIOSH World Trade Center Health Program is accepting nominations for its Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee.

Washington — A recent memo from the Department of Defense lists new requirements intended to protect military personnel from brain and cognitive trauma associated with blast overpressure.

Washington — Three days after the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration determined that hazardous materials transporters do not have to comply with California’s rest and meal break requirements, the American Trucking Associations filed a petition asking the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to pre-empt the requirements for all commercial motor vehicle drivers.

Washington — Prompted by a reported cyberattack that has resulted in a disruption of service along a major petroleum pipeline, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on May 9 issued a temporary hours-of-service exemption to commercial motor vehicle operators transporting gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and other refined petroleum products to 17 states and the District of Columbia, as part of emergency relief efforts.

Washington — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration once again is extending temporary hours-of-service exemptions and other “regulatory relief” for commercial motor vehicle drivers transporting items intended to assist with COVID-19 pandemic relief efforts.

San Diego — Several safety-related issues earned a spot on the American Transportation Research Institute’s recently released list of top trucking industry concerns.

Washington — The Truck Safety Coalition is calling on the Department of Transportation to make automatic emergency braking and speed-limiting devices a requirement on commercial trucks and buses.

OSHA's 2012 heat illness campaign aims to expand on last year’s campaign by providing more education materials and reaching more workers.

OSHA provides resources including posters, videos and fact sheets to support local implementation of its May 4-15 national safety stand-down to prevent falls in construction.

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.

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.

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.

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

Washington — More than three years after the Federal Railroad Administration published a final rule that requires commuter and intercity passenger lines to develop and implement system safety programs, FRA is amending the rule.

Washington — A railway crew’s failure to operate within safe speed requirements and the Federal Railroad Administration’s interpretation of a safety regulation were factors in a fatal collision between a BNSF intermodal train and a work train in 2018, the National Transportation Safety Board has concluded.

Washington — The Federal Railroad Administration recently renewed the two-year charter of its Railroad Safety Advisory Committee and has scheduled a virtual public meeting for Dec. 8, according to a notice published in the Nov. 23 Federal Register.