Workplace violence led to nearly 18,000 deaths over a recent 27-year period, according to a recently published report from NIOSH and two other federal agencies.

In Episode 32, the S+H editorial team dives into the October issue’s feature story on how to help reduce the stigma around workers’ mental health. The team also discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced changes in safety training.

This white paper features helpful tips from J. J. Keller’s human resources experts, covering important sexual harassment prevention training topics such as the bystander approach, teaching civility, individual state training requirements and more.

Do your workers know how to respond to emergency situations?

A safe workplace is the best strategy for keeping workers productive and on the job. When injuries occur, you need a partner you can trust to combat the injury’s impact. See what Coventry’s Expertise@Work can do to eliminate unnecessary medical spending and promote injured worker recovery and return-to-work. Call (800) 790-8662 for more information.

Click here for more information from Coventry Workers’ Comp Services

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

Booth #2859

Encon® Therma-Flow® Freeze Protected Emergency Showers resist freezing by maintaining an internal water temperature above 50° F using a thermostat-controlled self-limiting heating cable, closed-cell foam insulation and chemical-resistant ABS plastic covers to maximize heat retention. Encon® offers a customized model selection for the specific needs of your facility.

Click here for more information from Encon Safety Products, Inc.

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

Booth #2359

Give your gas detector a home. A place to check in. A place to recover. A place to recharge. A place to disclose every detail about a shift, and let you know when it is ready to take on the next one. The new DSX™ Docking Station ensures that your instruments are ready when you are. Find out more.

Click here for more information from Industrial Scientific Corp.

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

Roughly 30 million workers in the United States are exposed to hazardous noise every year, OSHA states.

Many workers rely on instruments and monitors, including noise dosimeters and gas monitors, to help keep them safe.

Extremely cold weather can be dangerous for outdoor workers and those who work in an area that is poorly insulated or without a heat source. Two dangerous health risks associated with cold weather are hypothermia and frostbite.

Atlanta – The flu and similar illnesses are most prevalent among workers in the real estate, hospitality and food service industries, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Atlanta – With flu season on the horizon, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Foundation is sharing information to help workers protect themselves from the disease.

Washington – Although winter is coming to an end, OSHA is reminding employers and workers to be cautious when removing snow from roofs and other structures.

If you work outside, it’s important to know about cold stress. Cold stress is a preventable danger that involves a person’s skin temperature – and eventually internal body temperature – dropping to levels at which the body cannot warm itself, according to OSHA. This can lead to serious injuries, including permanent tissue damage and death. Types of cold stress include trench foot, frostbite and hypothermia.

Falls continue to plague the construction industry. According to OSHA, falls are the leading cause of death in construction.

Washington — Citing the increased circulation of airborne viruses when temperatures drop, “indoor air quality in the workplace during cold weather is especially critical,” OSHA says in a new alert.

Download this guide from Winter Walking to identify the best traction aids for your organization.

Portable light strings are electric lights connected along a cable, wire or string.

Working outdoors already involves many hazards. Add cold temperatures during the winter months, and the number of risks grows.

The Chauffeur is a unique four-way directional transport system designed to prevent injuries among health care workers who move bariatric patients.

Booth #5653

Local products. Accountable people. We Are Where You Are. For all of your industrial and construction supply needs, visit us at www.Fastenal.com.

Click here for more information from Fastenal Company

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

Booth #4037

By wearing the Tango™ TX1 Single Gas Monitor, which includes two identical sensors for the detection of the same gas, workers will be the safest single-gas monitor users in the world. The Tango’s three-year runtime and patent-pending DualSense® Technology increase worker safety, regardless of bump test frequency, while reducing overall maintenance costs.

Click here for more information from Industrial Scientific Corporation

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

Adequate sleep is important for an individual’s health and well-being. Most experts recommend getting between seven and nine hours of sleep every day, which can be difficult to achieve, especially for people who work during nighttime hours or on a rotating shift schedule.

Prescription drug abuse is a rising epidemic that can significantly affect the workplace. Symptoms of prescription drug abuse can be hard to spot. However, if you suspect an employee is abusing or addicted to a prescription medication, contact human resources or your employee assistance program.

Although it’s recommended that adults get seven to nine hours of sleep a night, NIOSH notes that multiple factors may contribute to workers being sleep-deprived.

Anyone who has gone to school or has a job has probably heard the term “absenteeism.” But what about “presenteeism” and “leavism”? Although not as widely talked about, both presenteeism and leavism can have serious health and safety repercussions for both workers and employers.

Impairment at work, whether from alcohol, marijuana or opioid use, is “a major roadblock to workplace safety, and the effects are more common than you think,” the National Safety Council says.

Workers might be facing a number of issues during the COVID-19 crisis that can have an impact on mental health, including furloughs and layoffs, social isolation, financial hardships and worries, and health concerns for themselves and their families.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Take time this month – and all year round – to promote awareness of worker well-being.

Alcohol, cannabis, prescription drugs, fatigue and mental distress can all cause impairment in the workplace. “Impairment risks are everyone’s responsibility,” the National Safety Council says.

Menopause, when a woman’s menstrual cycle stops permanently, typically occurs between age 45 and 55. According to the National Institutes of Health, it can last anywhere from seven to 14 years.

Experts say employers need to make workers’ mental health as high of a priority as physical health. A big step in that process: confronting the stigma that often accompanies mental health disorders.

Working outdoors in the heat puts you at risk of becoming dehydrated. But what exactly does that mean?

In Episode 44, the S+H team examines the October issue’s feature story on respirable crystalline silica. Also, Suzi Craig, vice president of workplace mental health at Mental Health America, joins the podcast to discuss normalizing conversations and attitudes around mental health in the “Five Questions With …” segment. 

Rewarding employees with pizza may be a popular way to celebrate a workplace success, but it isn’t exactly the healthiest choice. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says employers should “encourage healthier food and beverage choices at workplace meetings, conferences, parties and other events.”

Audition Technology’s white paper summarizes the current global standards for safe listening in the environment and from audio (headphones) and provides a framework for monitoring lifestyle exposures versus safe dose, building awareness and self-management with associated tools offered by the company.

From the blare of a forklift-collision warning to the wail of an ambulance siren, noise can make us aware of hazards our eyes haven’t yet seen. But not all noise is helpful.

The patent-pending Foam Plug Dispenser is designed for easy and economical dispersal of earplugs.

Hearing loss is preventable. Why, then, is it still so common?

More than 51,000 luggage-related injuries were treated in doctors’ offices, clinics and emergency rooms in 2005, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

If reaching, grabbing, clenching, twisting or bending causes pain, you may have a repetitive strain injury.

Does your job require you to stand for long periods? Or maybe you spend hours lifting and pushing heavy materials. Perhaps you’re in an office environment and sit at a desk for hours while typing on a computer most of the day. These situations are all considered risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders.

Jobs that require frequent standing can lead to a number of health-related problems, including sore feet, leg swelling, muscle fatigue, low back pain, and stiffness in the neck and shoulders.

Using a power tool? Working ergonomically will help prevent injuries to your wrist.

Hartford, CT — Thirty-three percent of people working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic are concerned about their mental health, according to the results of a recent survey conducted by health benefits provider Aetna International.

Tilburg, Netherlands — Employers who take a more tailored approach to supporting workers who return to work after a mental health-related absence “could not only prevent mental health problems from becoming more severe but also help employees achieve a more sustainable return,” according to a new research report from the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health.

New York — Nearly three-quarters of remote workers say their employer should provide a general work-from-home stipend to help make their home workspaces more ergonomically correct, results of a recent survey show.

Raleigh, NC — Some people may believe that colleagues who step away from their desks are avoiding work, but the results of a recent study conducted by researchers from North Carolina State University show short breaks actually can help boost productivity and manage energy.

Boston — Do you eat lunch with co-workers? The food choices – healthy or unhealthy – of your lunch bunch are very likely to influence your own choices, results of a recent study led by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and the University of Massachusetts Amherst show.