It’s hard to go anywhere these days without seeing people with smartphones – and safety professionals have noticed this, too. So will safety training of the future involve a touch screen?

Washington – OSHA has issued a proposed rule that would update personal protective equipment requirements to incorporate the latest American National Standards Institute’s eye and face protection standard.

Washington – An updated resource from OSHA emphasizes the importance of maintaining emergency eyewash stations so the water does not become contaminated and lead to potential infections.

Washington – OSHA has issued a final rule that revises requirements for face and eye protection for workers in general industry, construction and longshoring, as well as at shipyards and marine terminals.

San Francisco – Ninety percent of on-the-job eye injuries could be avoided if workers wore eye protection, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Gaithersburg, MD — Many laser protective eyewear products may not be adequately tested – by both manufacturers and end users – for lasers that emit high-power, ultrafast pulses, potentially putting workers at risk, according to a study from the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Experts offer insight into ways this essential personal protective equipment can be misused or overlooked.

Dublin — Frontline health care workers treating COVID-19 patients can reduce their risk of developing a facial pressure injury caused by prolonged use of personal protective equipment by using the contents of a specially designed “care bundle,” claim researchers from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

Chicago — No matter where work gets done, “protecting vision should always be a priority,” advocacy group Prevent Blindness is reminding employers.

Geneva — Occupational safety and health programs should identify and assess the on-the-job risks to eye health, the International Labor Organization says.

Washington — Honeywell Safety Products has issued a voluntary recall of nonsterile eyewash cartridges after a supplier was found to be noncompliant with current good manufacturing practice regulations.

Approximately 50,000 miners rely on self-contained self-rescuers every day, according to the Mine Safety and Health Administration. These devices are vital to protecting the health and safety of mine workers.

Respirators are vital pieces of protective equipment in many workplaces, protecting workers against harmful fumes and contaminants. But respirators cannot do their job effectively if they are not properly fitted.

Work-related hearing loss is the second most self-reported occupational illness or injury, according to NIOSH. An estimated 30 million workers are exposed to hazardous noise on the job, with the most at-risk industries being agriculture, mining, construction, manufacturing and utilities, transportation, and military.

OSHA requires respiratory protection to be worn whenever work is being conducted in hazardous atmospheres. Although different respirators are required in different atmospheric situations, in all cases training must be provided to employees using such devices.

Approximately 22 million U.S. workers are exposed to hazardous noise levels at work, according to NIOSH. Hearing damage caused by exposure to loud noise may occur long before changes in hearing are perceived.

Although disposable respirators cannot completely protect a worker from inhaling airborne particles, they can reduce the number of particles inhaled.

Eye and face injuries commonly are caused by flying or falling objects, or sparks striking the eye. Different types of hazards may require different types of protection, including goggles, faceshields or wielding shields.

The workplace can create many hazards for your hands, whether from chemicals, cuts or burns. No single glove can provide appropriate protection for every work situation, so it is important to assess the risk for each task and select a glove that provides specialized protection.

NIOSH states that roughly 2,000 workers per day suffer a job-related eye injury that requires medical attention, with the majority involving small particles or objects irritating the eye.

When handling chemicals, it is important that workers protect their hands.

Wearing the wrong kind of protective footwear on the job can cause discomfort, calluses, ingrown toenails and generally tired feet.

A construction worker removes his hard hat because he is too warm. An engineer refuses to wear head protection, as she has “never been hurt before.” A utility worker thinks hard hats make him look silly and removes his every chance he gets.

Making sure respirators are in proper working order is critical to ensuring they perform as intended. The Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety recommends following a number of steps when caring for your respirator.

Well-fitting, appropriate footwear is critical to keeping workers comfortable while protecting them against on-the-job injuries. The Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety offers information to help make the right selection.

Workers in a wide variety of jobs and industries wear high-visibility safety apparel to alert others of their presence, particularly in dark or dim places. Users include utility linemen, construction workers, police officers and school bus drivers, to name a few.

Toluene is a clear and colorless liquid that turns to vapor when exposed to air at room temperature. According to OSHA, it’s often used in a mixture with other solvents and chemicals, such as paint pigments, so employees who work with paint, metal cleaners and adhesives may be at risk for exposure.

The Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety describes latex as a milky sap produced by certain plants, shrubs and trees, including the commercial rubber tree Havea braziliensis. This protein substance has been identified by researchers as a major source of latex allergies.

Metallic mercury is a liquid at room temperature and can readily evaporate into the air. It’s also a potent neurotoxin that, in small amounts, can cause serious health problems, according to the California Department of Public Health.

Wearing a facemask to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 can present obstacles to communication, “an important and complex transaction that depends on visual and, often, auditory cues,” says Debara L. Tucci, director of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.

When a natural disaster, biological incident or other event occurs, first responders and recovery workers often rush to the scene. That means it’s crucial they have the proper personal protective equipment ready and know how to use it.

The need and value of personal protective equipment and worker safety have surged over the past two years. More than ever, it is imperative that organizations ensure they mitigate the risk of workplace hazards for their employees as well as their business’s sustainability.

This white paper is filled with expert tips on building and maintaining an effective PPE program. Learn about your obligations regarding PPE and empower your employees to protect themselves on the job.

Earthquakes can strike anywhere at anytime, so organizations should prepare employees.

Perth, Australia – Promoting activity in the workplace can help reduce sitting time, but not by much among workers with fixed schedules, according to a new study from Curtin University.

Washington – A new NIOSH publication describes how the agency’s Health Hazard Evaluation Program works with employers to investigate possible dangers in the workplace.

Tokyo – Office workers who spend long hours in front of computer screens experience changes in their tear fluid similar to people who have dry eye disease, according to a study from the Keio University School of Medicine in Japan.

Chicago – Working near a window could improve an employee’s sleep and overall quality of life, suggests a study from Northwestern University and the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Good housekeeping is crucial to safe workplaces. Experts agree that all workplaces – from offices to manufacturing plants – should incorporate housekeeping in their safety programs, and every worker should play a part.

Birmingham, AL – Can your office’s thermostat setting affect how much you eat at work? Recent research from the University of Alabama, Birmingham, indicates “yes.”

San Francisco – In recognition of Workplace Eye Wellness Month in March, the American Academy of Ophthalmology is sharing ergonomic tips to help workers deal with dry and strained eyes.

Olympia, WA – Workers are spending more time on computers and, as a result, the percentage of office workers with musculoskeletal issues is increasing, according to an ergonomics evaluation study conducted by the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries.

Chicago — Spontaneous activity, such as moving your feet back and forth, while seated can burn more calories than using a standing workstation, according to the results of a recent study.

Chicago — Workers can get quite heated when it comes to office temperatures. In a recent Harris Poll survey of 1,012 full-time U.S. adult employees, conducted between April 4 and May 1, 46 percent of respondents said their office is either too hot or too cold.

Tokyo — Long-term exposure to powdered toner or toner-using machines has no significant impact on lung health, concludes a recent study of copier industry workers by researchers at Japan’s Showa University.

Morgantown, WV — Nanoparticles from printer toner emissions can cause “very significant” changes to workers’ genetic and metabolic profiles, results of a recent study led by a researcher from West Virginia University show.

Lansing, MI — Michigan OSHA, along with the state’s Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, has published a 25-page guidance document intended to help employers safely return workers to office settings amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Protecting employees from COVD-19 exposure requires creating a comprehensive plan – and then executing that plan and adjusting it when necessary.

London — Improving your cardiovascular health can be as simple as replacing 30 minutes of sitting with another activity, results of a recent study out of England show.

Chicago — Eye safety and protection should be a workplace priority, advocacy group Prevent Blindness is reminding employers and employees.