Washington — Representatives from two labor unions are bringing attention to resources intended to protect workers in “frontline industries” from exposure to the new coronavirus and are calling on the federal government to provide coordinated guidance.

Silver Spring, MD — In response to the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19), the nation’s largest union and professional association of direct care registered nurses is petitioning OSHA to issue an emergency temporary standard to protect frontline workers, patients and the public from the potentially deadly respiratory illness.

Washington — The United Mine Workers of America and the United Steelworkers are suing the Department of Labor and the Mine Safety and Health Administration in an effort to compel MSHA to issue an emergency temporary standard on infectious diseases amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Silver Spring, MD — More than 3 out of 4 nurses say their employer isn’t providing a safe workplace during the COVID-19 pandemic, results of a recent National Nurses United survey indicate – a finding the labor union claims underlines the impact of businesses “reopening too soon.”

Washington — A new e-tool from the AFL-CIO is aimed at helping workers identify COVID-19 exposure risks on the job.

San Francisco — The Washington State Nurses Association is among four labor unions suing Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia and OSHA in an effort to compel the agency to move forward with rulemaking on an infectious diseases standard that would require employers in the health care industry to protect workers from exposure to harmful infectious diseases such as COVID-19, Ebola and influenza.

Silver Spring, MD — Pushing back on calls to roll back certain workplace safety rules, National Nurses United contends hospital industry cost-cutting has put health care worker safety at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the “current staffing and capacity crises.”

Washington — The full extent of the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on the nation’s workforce will likely remain unclear because of the lack of a comprehensive national system to gather such information, according to the AFL-CIO’s annual report on the state of safety and health protections for U.S. workers.

Silver Spring, MD — The nation’s largest union and professional association of direct care registered nurses is urging the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to update agency guidance and reinstate the “recommendation to everyone to wear masks in public or in physical proximity to others outside their own household.”

Washington — Longtime AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka died from a reported heart attack Aug. 5. He was 72.

La Grange, IL — Unionized construction worksites may be nearly a fifth less likely to incur OSHA health and safety violations than their nonunionized counterparts, with positive effects on safety even more prevalent in the Midwest, a recent report shows.

Silver Spring, MD — The nation’s largest union and professional association of registered nurses is urging Congress to pass pending legislation that would “end the industry-created nurse staffing crisis” by setting mandated staffing levels in hospitals, as well as take other actions that would improve working conditions for nurses.

Silver Spring, MD — Claiming the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is “once again responding to political pressures from those desperate to remove any safety protocols during this deadly pandemic that is still causing unacceptable numbers of infections, hospitalizations and deaths every day,” the nation’s largest union and professional association of registered nurses is calling on the agency to reverse its most recent COVID-19 guidance.

Pittsburgh — A new guide on stop-work authority from the United Steelworkers is aimed at helping workers develop and bargain for programs that allow them to halt unsafe or unhealthy operations and processes until hazards are abated.

Pittsburgh — The United Steelworkers is calling on the paper industry to protect its workers against fungal infections – one of which has proved deadly.

Washington – OSHA has launched an initiative to help ensure temporary workers are better protected.

ANSI 121-compliant Vest-Mounted Retractable Tethers combine convenience and productivity with safe tool tethering.

The VariBlast Precision Safety Air Gun with Nano Super Air Nozzle provides a focused blast of air capable of handling tough jobs with remarkable strength.

A poll by the National Sleep Foundation found that many transportation workers whose jobs demand high levels of alertness go to work without a good night’s sleep. What impact does sleepiness have on job safety, including the effects of cumulative lack of sleep, and how does this affect workers across all U.S. industries?

Greenbelt, MD — An unannounced inspection blitz of commercial motor vehicles resulted in 12.6% of those checked being placed out of service for brake-related violations, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance recently announced.

Washington — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is increasing the area safety technology may be mounted inside commercial motor vehicles and expanding the definition of “vehicle safety technology.”

Washington — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee has scheduled virtual meetings for June 6-7.

The HH-F1-B Bullhead Safety Blue Unvented Full Brim Style Hard Hat with Six-Point Ratchet Suspension is reversible and made with HPPE material to provide a lightweight product that is weather and chemical resistant.

How important is it for boot safety standards to match federal and state requirements?

Adapted from combat-proven technology, the QUIETPRO intelligent hearing protection and communication system provides smart personal hearing protection, digitally enhanced speech communication and clear radio communication.

The Fader Plug is an adjustable mechanical earplug that gives users control over how much sound enters their ear with the simple turn of an attenuator.

The Radians DCMT25-BX passive dielectric earmuff has padded earcups and features metal-free construction, so it’s ideal for use around electrical hazards.

Chameleon Ears PRO Custom Earbud Sleeves are supersoft hydrophobic silicone sleeves that improve comfort and sound while eliminating the danger of losing an earpiece.

Link 2.0 features a helmet-mounted earmuff that offers users a boom mic attachment for taking clear calls in loud work environments. The helmet mount has a 25 decibel noise reduction rating, is ANSI certified, and is OSHA and NIOSH compliant.

Austin, TX — The Texas Department of Insurance’s Division of Workers’ Compensation has produced a series of educational videos intended to simplify the subject of workers’ comp for employees.

Washington — The House has passed legislation that would expand the types of medical professionals who can treat injured employees under the Federal Workers’ Compensation Program.

Waterloo, Ontario — Understanding the emotions injured workers experience – and the actions they take – when going through injury and claims processes they believe are unfair can be helpful to everyone involved in the workers’ compensation system, results of a recent study by Canadian researchers suggest.

Hartford, CT — More than a third of work-related injuries occur during people’s first year on the job – resulting in more than 6 million missed workdays, according to a new report.

The 5.5-Ounce Dress Uniform Shirt offers wearers a cutting-edge, lightweight and breathable alternative to legacy FR garments.

How should the NIOSH lifting equation be used?

Failure to recognize a chemical hazard can threaten workers’ lives by risking chemical burns, respiratory problems, fires and explosions.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed emergency communications?

Washington – A new publication from NIOSH is intended to help public health researchers better understand workers’ compensation insurance and how records can be used to help prevent workplace illnesses and injuries.

Washington – Outdoor workers need to get plenty of water, rest and shade this summer, OSHA is reminding employers as part of the agency’s annual heat illness prevention campaign.

The DiSCmini is the smallest handheld instrument for the measurement of nanoparticles. It measures particle number, average particle diameter and lung-deposited surface area with time resolution and logging at one second (1 Hz).

The PC-5000 Series Wall-Mount Particle/Mass Monitor is a branded six-channel particulate meter that optionally incorporates sensors for additional environmental parameters such as total volatile organic compounds, carbon dioxide, temperature and relative humidity.

The SERIES U Single and Multi-Channel Wall Mounted Gas Monitors use unique, patented sensors that are highly specific, fast-responding, poison-resistant, and unaffected by moisture or temperature changes.

Gasmaster is a flexible and simple-to-use solution wherever workers need a self-contained control panel to monitor up to four gas or fire hazards.

Honeywell announced a new training and certification program to help integrators become proficient with the company’s Pro-Watch® Integration Kit, a software development kit designed to create smarter buildings that fold security into building management functions.

Allure Energy Inc., Austin, Texas, introduced its latest product, EverSense 2.0 at CES in Las Vegas.

Addressing emerging requirements in the commercial security market, DAQ Electronics, Piscataway, N.J., released EntroWatch, a PoE/PoE+ native BACnet® access control system that enables integration with security and building management.

Alarm.com, Vienna, Va., a provider of interactive security and connected home services, announced its new Energy Monitoring solution that provides consumers with a view of their whole home and individual device energy usage, fully integrated through the Alarm.com website and mobile apps with their security, video and home automation services.

HAI by Leviton, Melville, N.Y., announced that Yale Real Living™ has been added as a Connectivity Partner, allowing two-way integration with Yale’s ZigBee and Z-Wave wireless door locks.

HAI by Leviton, Melville, N.Y. announced the launch of its KNX Gateway, an interface allowing HAI by Leviton’s Omni and Lumina Ethernet-based controllers to communicate with and control KNX devices through KNX’s standardized network communications BUS protocol.

The Monitoring Association (TMA) announced the 12 finalists for the 2019 TMA Excellence Awards.