Santa Ana, CA — California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health is “extremely motivated” to move forward on an emergency temporary standard on silica hazards for workers who handle engineered stone.

Washington — OSHA has added two series of FAQs to its State Plan whistleblower information website.

Washington — OSHA plans to open a new regional office, merge two of its regions and rename its regional offices.

Iowa City, IA — Safety pros can make and manage an effective heat-related illness prevention program by implementing the Hierarchy of Controls, Iowa OSHA Bureau Chief Peggy Peterson says in a new video.

Hunt Valley, MD — Maryland is the latest state to adopt a standard on heat illness prevention.

The Knock Waterproof Direct Attach Metatarsal Guard Steel Toe Wellington work boot offers wearers a moisture-wicking mesh lining, removable cushioned footbed and polyurethane-cushioned midsole for greater comfort.

Designed for work in refrigerated areas, cold-storage warehousing and transportation, and dairy and food processing, Redrock Chill boots protect wearers from injury related to cold stress as well as slippery, icy surfaces.

Washington – Pipeline operators may be required to notify the National Response Center no later than one hour after an incident involving natural gas and hazardous liquid pipelines, under a recently proposed rule from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

Washington – Marie Therese Dominguez promised to make safety the No. 1 priority as head of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, during her nomination hearing in front of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

Washington — Developments in automation in the transportation industry have prompted a pair of Requests for Information from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration.

Atlanta — Occupational exposures may have contributed to 11 percent to 21 percent of all asthma-related deaths among 15- to 64-year-olds between 1999 and 2016, according to a recently released report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Washington — NIOSH will offer a series of free, confidential health screenings for coal miners through its Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program.

East Lansing, MI — Estimating that up to half of the 600,000 or so adult cases of asthma in Michigan may be caused or aggravated by on-the-job exposure, the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine has launched a campaign intended to raise awareness of work-related asthma.

Washington — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning of “an emerging public health threat” after researchers identified an increase in cases of silicosis – an incurable lung disease – among workers who handle engineered stone used to make household countertops.

Chicago — Health care workers commonly carry respiratory viruses on their hands, clothing and personal protective equipment after administering care to patients, accentuating the need to practice “complete hand hygiene and use other PPE to prevent dissemination,” results of a recent study suggest.

Berkeley, CA — Cannabis industry workers may be at increased risk of respiratory problems as a result of on-the-job exposure to various hazards, results of a recent study led by a University of Washington professor indicate.

Manchester, England — Shift workers, particularly those working permanent night shifts, may be at elevated risk for moderate to severe asthma, according to a study led by British researchers.

Chicago — Physicians contracted by mine operators to review chest X-rays of coal miners who file “totally debilitating disease” workers’ compensation claims with the Department of Labor’s Federal Black Lung Program may have a bias strongly related to financial conflict of interest, researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago suggest.

Washington — NIOSH has planned a series of free, confidential health screenings for current and former coal miners via the agency’s Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program.

Washington — Proposed legislation would create funding for health care and other benefits for coal miners who have black lung disease by extending, for 10 years, a recently expired excise tax rate increase on coal production.

Redondo Beach, CA — Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization President Linda Reinstein is asking lawmakers to make a federal ban of asbestos – a known carcinogen – “a priority” during Congress’ current lame-duck session.

Washington — A new guidance document from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences is intended to help prevent respiratory illnesses and infections in the workplace.

Melbourne, Australia — A recent study of stone countertop industry workers reveals an “alarmingly high” occurrence of silicosis, indicating that government-mandated screening tests may be inadequate to diagnose the disease.

Richmond, CA – California needs to change the way it regulates refineries and adopt a system aimed at reducing risk to the lowest possible level, concludes a new report from the Chemical Safety Board.

2017 was a good year for the economy — and manufacturers, dealers and integrators definitely felt the positive impact of these trends.

Doomsday didn’t happen. For all the concern many security dealers have shown in recent years — particularly about the rapidly changing residential market — all indicators seem to finally point to what was always the hope in the midst of the fear: that all the new entrants, technologies and business models would start to grow the pie for all.

When asked about their biggest challenge in the coming year, security integrators and manufacturers alike often say the same thing: attracting workers.

Security professionals reveal their thoughts on the security, monitoring and smart home markets.

Once relegated to simple locks and card reader panels, access control is assuming a starring role in overall business operations.

Customer demand for smart home security systems grew during the pandemic, and with more integrated conveniences available than ever before, shows no sign of slowing down.

After finishing 2022 with a respectable recovery from pandemic upheaval, the fire alarm industry is expected to carry strong momentum through this year and beyond.

A dynamic landscape marked by the rising application of AI and its subsets is fostering advanced analytics and real-time monitoring, while the concurrent adoption of cloud-based solutions and edge computing underscores a shift toward scalable infrastructures.

IoT, DIY/MIY, cyber security, active shooters — SDM 100 dealers talk about the issues that will have the biggest impact, either positive or negative, on their businesses this year.

The top manufacturers and distributors used by SDM 100 dealers.

Each of these companies not only improved their 2021 RMR by double digit percentage points over 2020, but also moved several spots up on the SDM 100 ranking as a result. 

Philadelphia – In a rare criminal prosecution for a workplace fatality, the Department of Justice has charged a roofing company owner with attempting to cover up his failure to provide fall protection for a worker who fell 45 feet to his death.

Birmingham, AL – An Alabama roofing contractor was sentenced to three years of supervised probation and 30 hours of community service for lying to OSHA about providing workers with fall protection equipment.

Philadelphia – In a rare criminal conviction for a safety violation, a roofing company owner has pleaded guilty to lying to OSHA and willfully violating an OSHA rule in connection with the death of an employee.

Philadelphia – A Pennsylvania-based roofing contractor who lied to OSHA in the aftermath of an employee death was sentenced March 29 to 10 months in prison.

Silver Spring, MD – The Center for Construction Research and Training (also known as CPWR), together with the Roofing r2p Partnership and the RF Radiation Work Group, have developed the Radiofrequency (RF) Radiation Awareness Program for the Construction Industry, intended to inform employers and labor organizations about the risks of radiofrequency radiation.

OSHA’s rulemaking process has several steps, but not everyone agrees all the steps are needed. With some agency rules taking decades to promulgate, a few OSHA-watchers have suggested ways to speed up the process.

Washington – Automobile dealerships should remain exempt from OSHA’s injury and illness recordkeeping requirements, the National Automobile Dealers Association stated during a March 26 meeting officials from OSHA and the Office of Management and Budget.

Washington – The Office of Management and Budget is reviewing a controversial U.S. Department of Agriculture final rule that would speed up poultry-processing lines, a move safety advocates warn could lead to more worker injuries.

Washington — A planned update to OSHA’s Lockout/Tagout standard (1910.147) has been pushed to “long-term actions” under the Department of Labor’s Spring 2023 regulatory agenda.

The Women’s Electrical Hazard Steel Toe Runner is designed with a breathable, lightweight mesh upper.

Washington — A new fact sheet from NIOSH is aimed at workers who use quick coupling devices to change excavator buckets and other attachments.

Tumwater, WA — Janitorial workers can be exposed to needlesticks and should be aware of potential danger spots, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries says in a new tip sheet.

Minneapolis – Longer work tenure and higher exposure to certain particles put Minnesota iron miners at an increased risk of a rare form of lung cancer, according to a new study from the University of Minnesota.

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration is offering two online tools intended to help mine operators and workers review violations of safety standards.

Arlington, VA – A new, free training module from the Mine Safety and Health Administration aims to aid employer compliance with incident and injury reporting requirements.