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Government undercounts agriculture injuries, study says

Sacramento, CA – Federal agency statistics vastly undercount the number of nonfatal injuries and illnesses in the agricultural industry, according to a new study from the University of California Davis School of Medicine.




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Group tours North Carolina tobacco fields; claims worker abuse is common

Washington – After a recent visit with workers in tobacco fields and labor camps in North Carolina, members of an international delegation said they were shocked and saddened to see widespread worker abuse.




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New Mexico partners with Mexican Consulate to help Spanish-speaking workers

Santa Fe, NM – The New Mexico Occupational Health & Safety Bureau has teamed up with the Consulate of Mexico to provide the state’s Spanish-speaking employees with workplace safety training.




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Worker safety bulletin aimed at preventing ‘Green Tobacco Sickness’

Washington – OSHA and NIOSH have published recommended practices to help tobacco workers and employers avoid a potentially deadly combination of illnesses.




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Lawmakers: Ban children from tobacco work

Washington – Lawmakers in both chambers of Congress are proposing legislation that would prohibit children younger than 18 from working directly with tobacco plants or dried tobacco leaves.




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Immigration reform would reduce Latino worker deaths, National COSH claims

San Diego – Immigration reform can directly improve the safety and health of Latino workers, the only demographic group to experience an increase in fatalities in 2013, according to the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health.




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EPA issues second extension for comments on ‘restricted use’ pesticide rule

Washington – The Environmental Protection Agency once again has extended the comment period for a proposed rule that would create stronger standards for workers who handle “restricted use” pesticides.




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EPA to seek comment on draft of risk assessments related to glyphosate

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency has released a draft of its human health and ecological risk assessments for glyphosate, a commonly used herbicide, and stated that it intends to seek public comment on the draft.




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New hazard alert targets confined space dangers of pesticide spray tanks

Olympia, WA — Pesticide spray tanks are considered confined spaces if they’re big enough to enter (through a manhole cover or access port) and occupy, and require a permit for full or partial entry, emphasizes a new hazard alert from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries’ Division of Occupational Safety and Health.




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Safety training falls short for immigrant workers at small construction companies: study

Washington — Immigrant construction workers employed by small companies do not receive the same amount of safety and health training as their counterparts at larger companies, according to a recent study from NIOSH and the American Society of Safety Engineers.




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Study of stone countertop workers ‘raises the alarm’ on silicosis risk

San Francisco — A recent study of stone fabricators in California who have been diagnosed with silicosis shows that virtually all of them were immigrant, Latino men.




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City makes plans to implement CSB refinery safety recommendations

Richmond, CA – The Richmond City Council in California recently adopted a resolution to implement recommendations from a Chemical Safety Board interim report on the August 2012 Chevron refinery fire and explosion.




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CSB cites corrosion as cause of 2009 refinery blast; calls for inherently safer design

Washington – A corroded pipe that had not been inspected for years was the source of the hydrogen release and subsequent explosion at the Silver Eagle Refinery in 2009, according to a new analysis from the Chemical Safety Board.




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CSB recommends stricter regulations for California refineries

Washington – California should strengthen its process safety management regulations for refineries, the Chemical Safety Board stated in a final report on a fire at a Chevron refinery in 2012.




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CSB issues 11 recommendations in report on Chevron refinery fire

Richmond, CA – Chemical Safety Board members unanimously approved a set of recommendations as part of the agency’s third and final report on a fire and vapor release that affected thousands of residents near a Chevron refinery in 2012.




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NIOSH: Convenience stores lack precautions to deter robberies, prevent violence

Morgantown, WV – Despite robbery-related violence being the leading cause of death in the retail industry, many Texas convenience store owners fail to take precautions that could prevent robberies and protect workers from violence, according to a new NIOSH study.




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NIOSH to convenience store owners: Take steps to protect workers from violence

Washington – Simple changes to the store environment can help convenience store owners protect their employees from work-related violence, NIOSH researchers claim in a recent blog post.




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Retail exemption for PSM standard must undergo rulemaking process, appeals court rules

Washington – OSHA failed to follow federal rulemaking requirements when it used a memorandum to announce a revised definition of retail facilities exempt from the Process Safety Management Standard, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has ruled.




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Court denies OSHA petitions to revisit ruling on PSM retail exemption

Washington – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has denied OSHA’s petitions for a rehearing and rehearing en banc of the court’s ruling that the agency failed to follow federal rulemaking requirements when it used a memorandum to announce a revised definition of retail facilities exempt from the Process Safety Management Standard.




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California bill on cosmetic-label ingredient listings aimed at protecting salon workers

Sacramento, CA – California could become the first state to require professional cosmetics manufacturers to list ingredients – including hazardous chemicals – on their product labels.




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Many customer service workers turn to ‘retail therapy’ to cope with rude callers: study

East Lansing, MI – Do you find shopping therapeutic after a tense day at work? It may be rooted to your occupation. Service workers who are verbally abused by customers are more likely to indulge in stress-related shopping sprees, according to a recent study from Michigan State University.




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CDC: Construction tops list of industries with highest percentage of tobacco users

Washington – Although tobacco use continues to decrease among working adults overall, a significant number of workers in the construction, mining, and transportation and warehousing industries still use some form of tobacco product, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.




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COVID-19 pandemic: Retail workers focus of new OSHA alert

Washington — In an effort to protect retail employees from exposure to COVID-19, OSHA has issued a safety alert.




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Washington L&I issues COVID-19 prevention guidelines for grocery store employers

Tumwater, WA — A new guidance document from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries is intended to help grocery store employers protect workers from contracting – and potentially spreading – COVID-19.




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COVID-19 pandemic: OSHA issues guidance for retail pharmacy workers

Washington — To help protect retail pharmacy workers from exposure to COVID-19, OSHA has issued a safety alert.




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COVID-19 pandemic: OSHA issues guidance for stockroom, loading dock workers

Washington — A new OSHA safety alert lists measures employers should take to protect stockroom and loading dock workers during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.




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COVID-19 pandemic: CDC releases guidance for nail salon workers

Washington — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has published guidance to help nail salon employers protect their workers from exposure to COVID-19.




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CDC guidance aimed at protecting retail, service workers from COVID-related customer violence

Washington — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released guidance intended to help employers in the retail and service industries protect workers from violence that may occur when they ask customers or co-workers to comply with store policies aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19.




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COVID-19 pandemic: Grocery store workers face accelerated risk of infection, study finds

Boston — Grocery store workers who interact with customers may be five times more likely to contract COVID-19 than their colleagues who don’t have direct contact with customers, results of a recent study led by researchers from Harvard University show.




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COVID-19 pandemic: Health and safety experts call for more federal action on preventing transmission

Falls Church, VA — Former OSHA administrator David Michaels is among more than a dozen health and safety experts calling on the Biden administration to update and strengthen Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance to help prevent COVID-19 transmission.




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COVID-19 safety training available for retail workers

Portland, ME — A new online training course launched by the University of Southern Maine’s Cutler Institute focuses on protecting retail workers from exposure to COVID-19.




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OSHA updates guidance on COVID-19

Washington — In response to new data and updated recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, OSHA has updated its COVID-19 guidance in an effort to help employers protect at-risk or unvaccinated workers.




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Study reveals high COVID-19 mortality rates among labor, retail and service workers

Tampa, FL — COVID-19 mortality rates among adults with lower levels of education who worked in the labor, service and retail industries were nearly five times higher than other groups in 2020, results of a new study by the University of South Florida show.




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Coming soon: National Emphasis Program on warehouse safety

Washington — OSHA will launch a National Emphasis Program “this summer” that will focus on high injury rates in warehouses, agency administrator Doug Parker said June 13.




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How AMP Smart Completed a Growth Capital Round in a Pandemic

The investment, together with AMP’s renewed senior debt facility, provides AMP with a growth capital structure in excess of $60 million.




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Interface Helps El Pollo Loco Slash False Alarm Costs by 95%

Interface Security Systems, a managed service provider delivering business security, managed network, UCaaS and business intelligence solutions to distributed enterprises, announced that El Pollo Loco, one of the nation’s fastest growing restaurant chains that specializes in fire grilled chicken, is relying on Interface's managed video verified alarms and intrusion alarm monitoring to reliably detect intrusions and minimize false alarms.




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Is Alarm Company Responsible for Employee Injury?

Is an alarm company responsible for injuries sustained on a routine maintenance call?




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2021 Monitoring Center Excellence Award Winners Approach Challenge With Compassion

Whenever a natural disaster or tragedy strikes, many invoke the words of popular children’s television host Fred Rogers, told to him by his mother: “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” For these Monitoring Center Excellence Award Winners, the helpers are in the central station, helping all the time, even when they’re off the clock.




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Magnasphere MACS Fence Detection System & MSK Radar Completes Safe Skies Evaluation

National Safe Skies Alliance performs its evaluations under an ISO 9001:2015-approved Quality Management System.




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SecurityCEU.com Unveils Pro Alarm Contractor Education Program

The self-paced program is designed to prepare individuals for obtaining their alarm contractor license and serves as a Level One equivalent certification.




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NIOSH issues recommended exposure limit for carbon nanomaterials

Washington – NIOSH on April 24 issued a recommended worker exposure limit of 1 microgram per cubic meter of air for carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers.




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New NIOSH recommendations address nanomaterials

Washington – New recommendations issued by NIOSH on Nov. 8 address protecting workers during processes that use engineered nanomaterials.




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Nanotechnology consortium to explore worker safety

Washington – NIOSH has announced the launch of a consortium to expand guidance and research on occupational health and safety related to nanotechnology.




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NIOSH issues draft bulletin on silver nanotechnology exposure; seeks comment

Washington – NIOSH is seeking comment about its draft bulletin on the health effects of worker exposure to silver nanoparticles.




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Survey of California construction workers shows low awareness of nanotechnology, health risks

Silver Spring, MD — Awareness of nanotechnology or nanoparticles in the construction industry remains relatively low among contractors, union leaders and apprenticeship program staff, according to the results of a recent survey conducted by the Center for Construction Research and Training – also known as CPWR.




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CPWR publishes toolbox talks on nanomaterials in construction

Silver Spring, MD — The Center for Construction Research and Training, also known as CPWR, has released a series of toolbox talks on nanomaterials.




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Hazcom/GHS

The recent update to OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard (CFR 1910.1200) changes the requirements for chemical labeling and mandatory employee training. The new Globally Harmonized System creates a universal standard to help keep workers safe and informed about chemical hazards. Because Hazcom is already one of the most frequently violated OSHA standards, it’s essential to know exactly what GHS is and how it affects your business.




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Modifying hazcom/GHS pictograms

Can I modify or handwrite GHS pictograms?




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HazCom: Understanding ‘Hazard Not Otherwise Classified’

What are the criteria for determining if something is or is not an HNOC?




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Safety signs and labels: common challenges

What are the most common challenges with GHS-compliant signs and labels?