Itasca, IL — The National Safety Council MSD Solutions Lab is partnering with Safetytech Accelerator to design, build and operate an open innovation lab with the goal of facilitating the development of next-generation technology aimed at preventing work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

Pittsburgh – The percentage of improperly fitted respirators increases with the length of time between worker fit tests, giving support to the annual fit-testing requirements in OSHA’s Respiratory Protection Standard, according to new research from NIOSH.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency has released a draft of its revised respirator descriptions for pesticide labels and is seeking public comment.

Washington — OSHA area offices must apply a four-part test before issuing General Duty Clause citations for respiratory hazards that do not have a permissible exposure limit, the agency states in a memorandum sent to regional administrators.

Washington — Reusable respirators could prove a “viable option” for health care facilities’ respiratory protection programs, especially in preparation for a public health emergency, a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine concludes.

Sacramento, CA — An emergency regulation in California intended to protect outdoor workers from potentially dangerous wildfire smoke was enacted July 30 by the state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, also known as Cal/OSHA.

Why do some employers fail to follow fit testing requirements? Experts weigh in on the challenges and go over the basics.

Washington — In an effort to preserve the supply of N95 filtering facepiece respirators during the COVID-19 pandemic, OSHA has temporarily suspended its requirement for annual respirator fit testing in the health care industry.

Triangle, VA — Citing concerns over the adjacent nature of mining work and the growing prevalence of respiratory illness in the industry, the United Mine Workers of America is calling on the Mine Safety and Health Administration to issue an emergency standard to help safeguard mine workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Washington — In response to a nationwide shortage of N95 filtering facepiece respirators during the COVID-19 pandemic, OSHA has announced further temporary easing of regulations related to respiratory protection.

Washington — OSHA is extending its temporary leniency on annual respirator fit testing to all covered employers, not only those in the health care industry.

Bethesda, MD — Three methods to decontaminate N95 filtering facepiece respirators for reuse are being recommended by the National Institutes of Health after researchers at the agency successfully tested their effectiveness and the repeat functional integrity of the respirator after each sanitization.

Tumwater, WA — Ethylene oxide should not be used to sterilize filtering facepiece respirators for reuse because “this extremely hazardous toxic chemical poses a severe risk to human health,” the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries warns in a new alert.

Washington — The Department of Health and Human Services has reopened until Sept. 25 the comment period on an interim final rule that allows NIOSH to approve a new class of powered air-purifying respirators for workers in the health care and public safety sectors during the COVID-19 pandemic, among other changes.

West Lafayette, IN — Researchers from Purdue University have developed new designs for N95 facemasks they say will extend the shelf life of the respiratory protection commonly used by health care workers.

Washington — OSHA has issued temporary enforcement guidelines for fit testing of powered air-purifying respirators for workers at high risk of exposure to COVID-19.

Washington — NIOSH has extended until Dec. 14 the comment period for a Request for Information on the deployment and use of elastomeric half-mask respirators in health care settings and emergency medical services organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Washington — Filtering facepiece respirators with an exhalation valve can be modified to reduce respiratory particle emissions – improving their effectiveness as a source control, according to a technical report recently published by the NIOSH National Personal Protective Laboratory.

Washington — Prompted by an “increased domestic supply” of NIOSH-approved respirators, the Food and Drug Administration has revoked its emergency use authorizations for non-NIOSH-approved disposable respirators as well as decontamination and bioburden reduction systems.

Washington — NIOSH has issued a pair of fact sheets on filtering facepiece respirators, detailing how to tell if an N95 is approved by the agency as well as procedures for fit testing and testing filtration efficiency.

Boston — Common types of N95 respirators – widely used by health care professionals providing direct care to patients with COVID-19 – can be safely reprocessed up to 25 times to help augment supplies during future pandemics, results of a recent study by Boston researchers suggest.

Washington — The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine is calling for two separate respiratory protection frameworks – one for workers, and one for the public – amid the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, in a recently published report.

Washington — Officials from OSHA and NIOSH joined stakeholders from industry and labor groups in a series of recent webinars to discuss a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine report calling for separate respiratory protection frameworks for workers and the public.

Washington — NIOSH has selected 20 winning entries for the initial phase of its Respirator Fit Evaluation Challenge.

Washington — NIOSH has chosen nine winners for the second phase of its Respirator Fit Evaluation Challenge.

The “Editor’s Choice” and more new products and solutions as described by manufacturers.

The “Editor’s Choice” and more new products and solutions as described by manufacturers.

According to the announcement, the new semi-monthly podcast sheds light on the positive aspects of keeping people safe while recognizing these true heroes of society and exploring the challenges they face and the industry as a whole.

Robust investment growth in target building segments is expected to drive increased spending through 2023, according to the NSCA’s Electronic Systems Outlook report for Summer 2023.  

The app introduces several new features that enhance user experience on the platform’s mobile app, streamline site surveys with drag-and-drop simplicity, facilitate system lifecycle management and accelerate the proposal creation process.

This cloud-based service productivity tool provides service providers with enhanced real-time data access, allowing them to optimize the management of individual systems, sites, and site groups with data for informed decision-making and resource optimization.

Are you ready for winter? The Therma-Flow® Freeze Protected Shower from Encon® resists freezing down to -40° F/C and is built to withstand winter’s extreme temperatures. Encon® offers a customized model selection, allowing you to design a product that meets the specific needs of your facility. CSA- approved with FM and UL components for NEMA 4 enclosures.

Click here for more information from Encon Safety Products Inc.

“Ready for the Moment, Guaranteed for Life™.” In your line of work, a day on the job can turn from habit to hazard in a single moment. Be ready for gas hazards and more with the Ventis™ Pro Series. Detect up to five gases, receive alarm messages like “EVACUATE,” and assign users and sites in real time. Visit indsci.com for more information.

Click here for more information from Industrial Scientific Corp.

United Academy, powered by United Rentals, offers a comprehensive training solution that leverages cutting-edge technology and engaging course content to reduce the overall cost and complexity of safety training, as well as credential tracking for you and your employees. Try our award-winning aerial and forklift training, which includes two serious games and interactive content. Train with the best.

Click here for more information from United Academy, powered by United Rentals

What happens when old friends and their former wrestling coach decide to go into business together? If you are NextGen Security, the result is organic growth from $0 to $33 million in just four years; an “out-of-the-box” business model that treats each customer as unique and a culture that feels more like a family than just a place to work.

San Diego — For the ninth consecutive year, Fall Protection – General Requirements is OSHA’s most frequently cited standard, the agency and Safety+Health announced Tuesday at the National Safety Council 2019 Congress & Expo.

In this issue, we present expanded coverage of OSHA’s “Top 10” most cited standards for fiscal year 2023. In addition to the overall Top 10, you’ll find lists for willful and serious violations, OSHA regions and – new for us – a list of which industries have the most citations.

Sacramento, CA — A California Senate committee recently approved legislation that calls for a study on gender-based monetary disparities in state workers’ compensation benefits.

Tumwater, WA — In an effort to protect workers against unhealthy air caused by wildfire smoke, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries has issued permanent rules on the hazard.

Phoenix — The Phoenix City Council on March 26 unanimously passed an ordinance requiring contractors and subcontractors who work with the city to have a written safety plan that addresses severe heat.

Washington – NIOSH has released recommended limits for controlling occupational exposure to flavoring chemicals diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione, both of which have been linked to reduced lung function in food flavoring and production industry workers.

Washington – In response to a stakeholder’s request, NIOSH has extended the comment period on a Request for Information on peracetic acid, according to a notice published in the June 1 Federal Register.

Washington – Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) says lawmakers who cite concerns about worker safety when opposing his call to increase poultry-processing line speeds are willfully ignoring scientific data.

Washington — Better outreach, collaboration and information sharing among federal agencies is needed to improve worker safety in the meat and poultry slaughter and processing industries, the Government Accountability Office concluded in a recently released report.

Washington — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service has denied a National Chicken Council petition seeking unrestricted line speeds in poultry-processing plants.

Richmond, British Columbia — Responding to growth in the craft brewing and distilling industry, WorkSafeBC has released health and safety resources intended to help employers protect workers.

Washington — President Joe Biden on Jan. 22 signed an Executive Order withdrawing a controversial U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed rule that would have permitted line speeds at certain poultry-processing plants to increase to 175 birds a minute from the current 140.

Washington — A trial that allows select pork-processing facilities to operate at increased line speeds will continue, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service says.

Atlanta — OSHA Region 4 on Oct. 1 renewed a series of Regional Emphasis Programs.

2023 is looking like an extremely opportunistic year for security and smart home professionals as consumers revisit smart home systems installed during the pandemic.