Oakland, CA — California’s Office of Administrative Law on March 9 approved a workplace health and safety standard for the state’s hospitality workers, completing a multiyear push by hospitality workers union UNITE HERE.

Denver — In Colorado, marijuana use among workers in certain jobs “in which workers have responsibility for their own safety or the safety of others” exceeds that of the state’s general workforce, according to a recent study from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Washington — The American Hotel and Lodging Association and five major corporations have announced their commitment to improve employee safety in the industry, including measures designed to prevent and respond to sexual harassment and assault.

Trenton, NJ — Calling it the first state law of its kind, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) on June 11 signed a bill intended to help protect hotel housekeeping and room service workers against assault and harassment.

Washington — A total of 73 U.S. hotel companies have committed to the “5-Star Promise” – a pledge to improve employee safety in the industry, including measures designed to prevent and respond to sexual harassment and assault – since its launch in September 2018, the American Hotel and Lodging Association has announced.

Washington — Aimed at protecting restaurant/food and beverage workers from exposure to COVID-19, a new OSHA safety alert lists measures employers should take during the pandemic.

Emmitsburg, MD — Of the estimated 26,000 fire-related firefighter injuries that occurred annually from 2015 to 2017, 87% were related to structure fires, according to data published in the July edition of the U.S. Fire Administration’s “Topical Fire Report Series.”

Washington — Legislation that would prevent the T-Band spectrum – a public safety radio network intended to ease communication among first responders in 11 metropolitan areas – from being auctioned to other users has garnered support from International Association of Fire Chiefs President and Board Chair Gary Ludwig and International Association of Fire Fighters General President Harold Schaitberger.

Greenbelt, MD — “Building a Superhighway to Safety – Protecting our Responders on Roadways” is the theme for the 2020 Firefighter Safety Stand Down.

Emmitsburg, MD — Sixty-two firefighters died while on duty in 2019 – the fewest since the U.S. Fire Administration began tracking such data in 1977, according to an annual report recently released by the agency.

Washington — A new poster and fact sheet from NIOSH are designed to help educate firefighters about the unique nature of row house fires and how to stay safe when fighting these blazes.

Washington — OSHA is planning to convene a small business panel on Oct. 4 to discuss a potential standard on emergency response, the Small Business Administration has announced.

Harrisburg, PA — The combination of high-intensity lights and high-visibility markings on emergency vehicles may make first responders working nighttime roadway scenes difficult for approaching motorists to see – even when the responders are wearing hi-vis vests, the “surprising” results of a recent study show.

Lyon, France — The World Health Organization has reclassified firefighting as a carcinogenic profession.

Washington — Concerned that firefighters’ protective gear may contain potentially harmful “forever chemicals,” the International Association of Fire Fighters and the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association are advising their members to take precautions to reduce exposure.

Morgantown, WV — A new safety advisory from NIOSH is aimed at helping firefighters understand how to use multi-gas monitors when responding to natural gas or propane incidents.

Emmitsburg, MD — A new training module from the Emergency Responder Safety Institute focuses on the use of personal protective equipment when responding to roadway incidents.

Washington — A new video is intended to help firefighters stay safe when responding to fire incidents at row houses.

Emmitsburg, MD — “Lithium-Ion Batteries: Are You Ready?” is the theme for this year’s Firefighter Safety Stand Down.

Triangle, VA — The United Mine Workers Association is suing the Mine Safety and Health Administration and its administrator, David Zatezalo, over the legality of the agency’s removal of a Sophia, WV, mine from Pattern of Violations status.

Triangle, VA — United Mine Workers of America President Cecil E. Roberts recently called proposed legislation that would reduce the scope of mine safety inspections in West Virginia and amend the state’s underground ventilation laws “one of the most outrageous attempts to slash critical protections for miners’ safety and health on the job that I have ever seen.”

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.

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 — Global Nurses United is demanding stronger COVID-19 guidance from the World Health Organization, including a call for more personal protective equipment for health care workers and acknowledgement from WHO on how the virus is spread.

Washington — Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) has reintroduced legislation that would reduce the standard 40-hour workweek to 32 hours.

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

I own a cannabis business. What chemical hazards are my employees exposed to, and how can I assess and prevent health and safety risks?

Washington – The National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health is scheduled to meet June 18 in Washington to discuss key OSHA initiatives, including best-practice language for protecting temporary workers.

Washington – Both host employers and staffing firms are responsible for protecting temporary workers, OSHA administrator David Michaels stresses in a recently released video.

Washington — The House Education and the Workforce Committee has advanced a resolution aimed at repealing the Department of Labor’s rule on determining if a worker is an employee or an independent contractor.

The SK-12 Safety Knife for the food industry has a unique stainless steel design to ensure easy detectability.

Washington — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a final rule intended to protect drivers and passengers on motorcoaches and large buses during rollovers by enhancing the structural integrity of the vehicles.

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 is moving forward with – and seeking comment on – a proposed rule that would require the installation of speed-limiting devices on trucks, buses and multipurpose passenger vehicles weighing more than 26,000 pounds.

Washington — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is seeking stakeholder comment on whether to require universal electronic identification for commercial motor vehicles operating in interstate commerce.

The Nexus E:Protect lighter-weight hard hat is made of plant-derived bio polymers, wood fibers and recycled plastics. It uses Centurion Safety’s six-point webbing suspension and ratchet adjustment and has an optional chinstrap.

Falls Church, VA – The average salary for industrial hygienists has increased more than $10,000 in the past five years, according to survey results released May 30 by the American Industrial Hygiene Association.

To maintain a safe and healthy workplace, housekeeping must be a priority.

With a unique curved-stem design, Glide Earplugs allow workers to find their custom fit.

TrustFit Pod Push-In Foam Earplugs provide workers with properly fitting earplugs to protect against noise-induced hearing loss.

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.

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

BioSoft Ear Plugs are the world’s first sustainable bio-based earplugs. The foam material is engineered to minimize emissions during manufacturing, ensuring a more sustainable production process.

Cambridge, MA — More than half of U.S. states have not adopted medical treatment guidelines for workers’ compensation cases, a recent study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute shows.

Boston — Injury and illness prevention efforts are most needed in Massachusetts’ transportation and warehousing industry, results of a recent analysis of workers’ compensation claims show.

Cambridge, MA — Workers who receive larger quantities of opioids shortly after an injury, as well as those who are prescribed higher doses, are at increased risk of longer-term opioid use, according to a recent study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute.

New York — Fewer than 10% of the estimated 250,000 employees who contracted COVID-19 while on the job last year in New York state filed for workers’ compensation benefits, and fewer than 1% have received a hearing, according to a recent report from the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health.

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.

San Francisco — The California Department of Industrial Relations’ Division of Workers’ Compensation has suspended 178 medical providers from its workers’ comp system during the first eight months of the year.