Portland, OR — A recent study of residential construction supervisors in Oregon who received toolbox talks via text messages showed that their compliance with Oregon OSHA’s standard on safety meetings increased – and the delivery method was welcomed.

Sacramento, CA — California’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board has voted to adopt non-emergency COVID-19 prevention regulations.

Washington — Arizona’s State Plan for oversight of worker safety and health will remain in place after OSHA announced its plan to withdraw a proposed rule to “reconsider and revoke” the final approval status of the plan.

Washington — OSHA has certified a revised State Plan for Maine that covers state and local government workers.

Rosemont, IL — The OSHA region that Bill Donovan oversees will soon be renamed, but what won’t change are the agency’s efforts to promote and protect worker safety and health.

Washington — OSHA has unveiled a new mission statement that “more fully reflects the agency’s purpose and the work we do to serve that purpose.”

Washington — Fifty million workers will have to endure “excruciating heat” in the coming months, according to a Public Citizen report that examines state efforts to protect against the hazard.

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.

This line of PVC knee boots, now available under the Premier G2 and Profile brands, features composite safety toes that meet or exceed ASTM F2413-11 requirements for toe impact and compression, as well as expansion pleats at the top of the boot that relax up to 1.5 inches to accommodate larger calves.

Washington – A Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration final rule issued April 17 revises agency regulations to match the maximum and minimum civil penalties for hazardous materials violations established by law in 2012.

Washington – A Sept. 24 proposed rule from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration would prohibit hazardous materials carriers and associated companies from further operations if they do not pay civil penalties for violations within 90 days.

Washington – A new advisory bulletin from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration recounts one of the largest pipeline spills in the past five years and encourages pipeline owners and operators to take new preventive measures against leaks.

Washington – The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration must make improvements to its oversight of state pipeline safety programs, concludes an audit released May 7 by the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General.

Washington – The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has established new review criteria for state excavation damage prevention programs, under a final rule published in the July 23 Federal Register.

Atlanta – As many as 2.7 million U.S. workers may have asthma caused or aggravated by workplace conditions, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Washington – Adults with occupational asthma face a higher risk of developing pneumococcal disease, but only 54 percent of them are vaccinated to help ward off an infection, according to a new study from NIOSH.

Washington — The health care and social assistance industry has the highest percentage of workers with asthma among major industry groups, according to a recent study from NIOSH’s Respiratory Health Division.

San Diego — More than 4,600 coal miners have developed the most severe form of black lung disease since 1970, with nearly half of the cases emerging after 2000, according to a recent study from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

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.

Washington — In the absence of an emergency temporary standard on infectious disease from OSHA amid the COVID-19 pandemic, North America’s Building Trades Unions and CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training have developed national guidance on infectious disease exposure control practices for construction sites.

Washington — Decreases in lung function observed among cleanup workers shortly after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster were no longer apparent within the next few years, results of a new study from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences indicate – suggesting that some adverse health effects linked to the spill may resolve over time.

Toronto — Findings over the past decade – including the results of case studies in the past two to three years – have strengthened the link between the lung disease sarcoidosis and on-the-job exposures to, most notably, silica and silicates, dust from the World Trade Center, and metals, according to a recent research review.

Chicago — The lung tissue of contemporary coal miners contains higher levels of respirable crystalline silica dust than was found in miners of past generations – which may explain an ongoing surge in cases of the most severe form of black lung disease, researchers at University of Illinois Chicago say.

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.

Triangle, VA — United Mine Workers of America President Cecil Roberts is calling on Congress to advance proposed legislation that would ease access to health care and other benefits for coal miners who have black lung disease.

Washington — Concerned about what it views as an agency oversight related to petroleum refining, the American Petroleum Institute is calling on the Environmental Protection Agency to reassess a draft revised final risk evaluation that states perchloroethylene – as a whole chemical substance – poses “unreasonable risk” to workers under certain conditions.

The video surveillance market is strong and will continue to grow. It is less a lumbering giant, though, and more an agile athlete, able to pivot and adapt — it just happens to be the largest one on the security court.

The video surveillance market is ripe with opportunity, according to sources. Many security integrators and manufacturers realized strong revenues for 2019 and are even more optimistic for 2020.

While 2020 affected the confidence of some in the video market, professionals remain optimistic going into 2021, with the increased adoption of new, more advanced technologies, and a potential end to the coronavirus pandemic in sight.

Supply chain issues, hiring challenges and ongoing COVID-19 concerns may have shaped 2021, but none of these were able to put a damper on the steady growth of demand for video surveillance products and services.

Despite continuing battles with the supply chain, spiking inflation and other obstacles, the video sector remains on a robust, upward trajectory. 

World Wide Security & GC Alarm Inc., ranked No. 73, concurs there was “greater demand for security services and an increase in budgets to accomplish security goals.” The company, which logged a 3.2 percent increase in RMR, notes the best growth areas were video and managed services.

Most of the largest security dealers in the industry confirm they were on solid footing in 2014, and their 3.8 percent aggregate growth in RMR proves it. But for many dealers, new competitors are too close for comfort.

Collectively, the SDM 100 security dealers grew their RMR 4.2 percent, from $618 million to $643 million last year. Among the top 100 there were 88 dealers who individually improved their RMR rate in 2017 over 2016.

SDM 100 security dealers mutually tallied $655 million in RMR on December 31, 2018, on 12.6 million subscribers.

If there is one word that could describe 2020, both in life and for the top 100 security dealers, it is unpredictable. Following several years of growth — and a very strong 2019 — SDM 100 companies found themselves on slippery ground beginning in March 2020 with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the uncertainty and challenges it presented, however, the top security dealers held their own, and some even thrived, finding new paths and opportunities.

SDM 100 companies reported a wide variety of experiences in 2022, very much depending on the path, location and unique set of challenges that made up their business conditions last year. As a group, however, they continue to rise to the challenges put before them and find their individual path to success.

The top SDM 100 companies reported that the market in 2023 — whether they deemed it average or excellent — was largely defined by a few key factors: inflation, an emphasis on video technology advancements and the continuing workforce shortage.

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.

Washington – A proposed rule that would modernize OSHA’s reporting system has cleared one regulatory hurdle and could be published soon.

Washington – The Office of Management and Budget has concluded a review of a draft rule that would update OSHA's Process Safety Management Standard, and the safety agency has formally requested input from the public.

Washington – The Office of Management and Budget has begun its review of an OSHA proposal to address outdated permissible exposure limits.

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 – The Office of Management and Budget has completed its review of an OSHA recordkeeping and reporting regulation, paving the way for the agency to publish a final rule.

Washington – A review of OSHA’s proposal on chemical management and permissible exposure limits is now complete, allowing the agency to move forward on the rulemaking process.

Washington – OSHA’s final rule on confined spaces in construction is being reviewed by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. The review is one of the final steps required before OSHA can formally publish the rule.

Several garments in the GloWear Hi-Vis Apparel Line are now available in an extra-small size.

GirlzGear safety products, tailored for women, include StarLite SM and Scorpion SM safety glasses – popular styles that are 10 percent smaller to better fit the female profile.