London — Employees – especially younger ones – are concerned about the air quality in their workplace, according to a recently published report from Infogrid.

Pacific Handy Cutter’s ambidextrous GSC3 saves money by reducing damaged goods, cuts and injuries. This all-in-one safety cutter and bladeless tape splitter features a three-button-activated auto-retractable hood that increases productivity and decreases costs. The GSC3 stores up to five blades.

Click here for more information from Pacific Handy Cutter

Product information is provided by manufacturers. This publication has not independently tested manufacturers' products and cannot assume responsibility for the validity of product claims.

When used properly, instruments and monitors can provide workers with critical safety information, such as indoor air quality or if a confined space has a toxic level of gas.

The Product Focus this month is on instruments and monitors.

Occupational asthma is a respiratory disease in which on-the-job exposure to certain substances causes the airways of a person’s lungs to swell and narrow.

Maintaining a routine, helping others and taking time to focus on self-care are among the tips one Ball State University professor is sharing to help people stay “sane and safe” while practicing physical distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The next time you fuel up at a gas station, consider this: Most pump handles contain 11,000 times more germs than a toilet seat in a public restroom. And the keypad on the pump? The buttons typically have 15,000 times more germs than a public toilet seat, according to a tip sheet from KeepTruckingSafe.org.

People who work in hot, humid conditions may not like the idea of wearing a facial covering to decrease their risk of exposure to COVID-19. But it’s necessary.

COVID-19 has changed the way we all work. Some of us never stopped physically going to work, while others have been working remotely since mid-March. No matter where we are, working during a pandemic has added stress to our daily lives.

You probably know about Lyme disease, and that it’s transmitted to humans through the bite of infected ticks. But have you heard of alpha-gal syndrome?

“Even skin that is protected can be subject to frostbite,” the National Safety Council says. Signs of frostbite include skin that looks red, white, bluish-white, grayish-yellow, purplish, brown or ashen, depending on the severity of the condition and the person’s skin color. The affected area may feel numb as well. The condition can affect the fingers, toes, ears and face.

What do I need to know before buying gloves for a specific job task?

How can proper eye protection relieve headaches and eye fatigue?

How do I build a hand safety program that actually reduces hand injuries?

What are some of the most important factors to consider when choosing hand and arm protection?

How has NFPA 2112 changed to accommodate hand protection?

What have supply chain disruptions meant for employers who need personal protective equipment for their workers?

What type of hazards are gloves rated for? How have the EN388 and ANSI/ISEA 105 test standards evolved?

What are some of the biggest challenges and misconceptions in industrial workplaces when it comes to hand protection?

What are the biggest factors that affect compliance in hand protection?

What advice can I offer my employees who are hard of hearing because of ear wax?

Washington — The U.S. District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on April 4 heard oral arguments on why it should order OSHA to issue a permanent standard on COVID-19 for the health care industry.

Toronto — To increase health care workers’ knowledge, awareness and prevention of occupational hand dermatitis, the Center for Research Expertise in Occupational Disease has launched a free e-learning module.

Atlanta — Health care workers who were diagnosed with COVID-19 during the first year of the pandemic were more likely to have contracted the illness on the job rather than in household or community settings, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study has concluded.

Washington — A companion bill to the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (H.R. 1195), passed by the House in April 2021, has been introduced in the Senate.

Durham, NC — The rates of “moral injury” that health care workers experienced during the first year of COVID-19 pandemic was akin to those of U.S. military combat veterans, results of a recent study show.

Silver Spring, MD — Around 7 out of 10 recently surveyed nurses say staffing has gotten slightly or much worse recently, while nearly half of hospital nurses report an increase in workplace violence.

Washington — Echoing comments made by OSHA administrator Doug Parker during a hearing three weeks earlier, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh said a permanent standard on COVID-19 for the health care industry may be published sometime in the fall.

Aliso Viejo, CA — A recent survey of nurses shows that fewer than half believe their organization values their safety and health, a drop of more than 30% in three years.

Washington — The U.S. District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has ruled it doesn’t have the authority to order OSHA to issue a permanent standard on COVID-19 for the health care industry, denying an emergency petition filed by National Nurses United and other labor groups.

Washington — Current NIOSH and industry regulations and professional guidelines aimed at preventing unintentional exposure to pathogens during the sterile processing of medical devices may not be sufficient to ensure provider and patient safety, results of a recent study suggest.

Washington — OSHA submitted its permanent standard on COVID-19 for the health care industry to the White House Office of Management and Budget for final review Dec. 7.

Rockville, MD — A new report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality outlines ways that emergency medical service and 911 workers can be exposed to infectious pathogens and offers recommendations for infection prevention and control.

Washington — Newly introduced legislation would direct OSHA to issue a standard requiring employers in the health care and social services sector to develop and implement a workplace violence prevention plan.

Washington — An OSHA standard on safe patient handling and mobility could reduce musculoskeletal disorders among health care workers, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society says in a new policy statement.

Washington — NIOSH is seeking respirator manufacturers and other participants for a new project aimed at determining how well the devices protect workers who have facial hair when beard bands are used.

Boston — Intended to give small health care employers an “easy-to-use format” for a written exposure control plan, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has published sample written plans for a respiratory protection program and bloodborne pathogen exposure control.

As with most personal protective equipment, comfort is paramount for workers who use head and face protection. Manufacturers know this and have responded.

Annapolis, MD — Legislation recently introduced in Maryland would allow multiple speed cameras in work zones and raise fines for speeding offenses.

Washington — The National Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-By Incidents is set for April 15-19.

Washington — NIOSH will continue to research how construction sites that use robotics can be kept safe for workers, agency Director John Howard says.

Washington — A coalition of attorneys general is re-petitioning OSHA to issue an emergency temporary standard aimed at protecting workers from heat exposure.

Washington — OSHA is encouraging employers to take a break and raise awareness of fall hazards and the importance of fall protection during the National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction.

Park Ridge, IL — A recently published voluntary consensus standard is intended to reduce the risk of “heat stress due to heat exposures” among construction and demolition workers.

Washington — Now available: a collection of new resources for the 11th annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, set for May 6-10.

Washington — The worst part of Shamaiah Turner’s job as a sheet metal worker hasn’t been the physical aspects, but instead “working with people who made me feel socially unsafe.”

Washington — Prompted by the death of a worker whose fall protection lanyard was severed by an exposed edge as he fell, OSHA has issued a hazard alert.

Washington — The most common crane-related hazards – and how technology may help solve them – are detailed in a new report from the National Safety Council’s Work to Zero initiative and the NCCCO Foundation.

Washington — The fifth annual National Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-By Incidents begins April 15, providing employers with opportunities to raise awareness of struck-by hazard recognition and prevention.

Washington — The National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction kicks off May 6.