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 – Poultry workers and officials from 13 nonprofit organizations and unions met with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service on Oct. 16 to urge the department to reject an industry petition to allow faster and unrestricted line speeds in production plants, according to the National Employment Law Project.

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 — Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) is among four lawmakers calling for Secretary of Labor R. Alexander Acosta to address their concerns over OSHA’s responses to a Government Accountability Office report, issued in November, on the health and safety of meat and poultry industry workers.

Washington — Employers in the marijuana industry should provide safeguards to protect workers from repetitive stress injuries, NIOSH states in a recently released Health Hazard Evaluation Program report.

Washington — OSHA recently announced an update of its webpage on avian influenza.

Washington — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service will allow poultry-processing plants to increase line speeds if they meet certain criteria, even as critics claim the move will expose workers to injuries and was made without public input.

Washington — Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) is urging OSHA to investigate reported workplace safety violations at the Sanderson Farms poultry plant in Bryan, TX.

Baltimore — Hog farm workers who regularly wear facemasks on the job may significantly protect themselves and those in their households from exposure to the antibiotic-resistant bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Morgantown, WV — Two potentially hazardous chemicals are missing from the Safety Data Sheets for bulk liquid flavorings, findings from a recent NIOSH Respiratory Health Division study show.

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 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General is investigating the effectiveness and integrity of USDA’s procedures to develop and advance a controversial proposed rule that would remove maximum line speeds in pork-processing plants, according to a letter obtained by multiple media outlets.

Tumwater, WA — A new fact sheet from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries is aimed at helping food processing and warehouse employers protect their workers from exposure to COVID-19.

Seattle — The cannabis industry needs federal regulations and guidance on workplace safety, according to University of Washington professor and researcher Christopher Simpson.

Washington — A controversial U.S. Department of Agriculture rule that would permit line speeds at certain poultry processing plants to increase to 175 birds a minute from the current 140 is under review by the White House Office of Management and Budget.

Washington — Legislation reintroduced March 11 by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Bennie Thompson (D-MS) would prohibit line speed increases in meat and poultry-processing plants during the evolving COVID-19 pandemic.

Davis, CA — U.S. counties that are home to beef-, pork- and poultry-processing plants experienced accelerated COVID-19 infection rates during the pandemic, according to a recent study led by a researcher at the University at California, Davis.

Washington — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service, in collaboration with OSHA, will allow select pork-processing facilities – on a trial basis – to operate at increased line speeds for up to one year while gathering data that “measures the impact of line speed on workers.”

Washington — Legislation recently introduced in the House and Senate is aimed at improving working conditions and whistleblower protections in the meat and poultry processing industry.

Chicago — A new Local Emphasis Program from OSHA is aimed at protecting workers in Wisconsin food manufacturing establishments from machine and amputation hazards.

Durham, NH — U.S. seafood workers were twice as likely to contract COVID-19 as workers in other food industries during the height of the pandemic, results of a recent study indicate.

Washington — Seeking to “best assess” the impact of increased line speeds on worker safety in poultry-processing plants, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service plans to study the effects.

Chicago — OSHA recently launched a launched Local Emphasis Program aimed at protecting food production workers in Illinois and Ohio, who are experiencing “significantly higher” injury rates than other workers in the manufacturing industry.

State College, PA — Workers who play a role in the U.S. food supply chain are at high risk for being hospitalized with severe injuries, results of a recent study show.

Washington — A new Government Accountability Office report recommends OSHA look at “available actions” – including developing a standard on infectious disease – to help protect workers in the meat and poultry processing industries.

Washington — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is advising dairy and poultry facilities to take steps to protect their workers and the public from exposure to bird flu.

The ADT+ app and DIY self-setup solution integrates multiple smart devices with professional monitoring and proactive mobile alert capabilities.

Zentra’s integrated solutions (combining software, hardware and related services) — initially offered in the United States — will secure properties while enabling hassle-free access.

Alarm.com’s collaboration with the California-based homebuilder aims to deliver smart home solutions to buyers via New Home Co.’s updated EVO program.

This, along with in-home ADT professional advice, can help customers get an ideal smart home security system for their needs.

Kaadas signed three new distribution partners as select Kaadas Z-Wave-enabled smart lock models receive Alarm.com Certification.

The relationship with Native marks Alarm Financial Services’ first venture into financing integrated smart security in the multi-dwelling property space. 

Additionally, Brilliant functions as a whole home lighting system with built-in motion detection, which can be paired with a Resideo Security System.

Don’t spend all your time focusing on the single-family residential sector. You should be including a strategy to capitalize on the multifamily housing trend. 

This enables the ability to integrate Google Nest products with ClareOne empowers its partners to deliver comprehensive home automation and security through an intuitive unified touchscreen with the ability to add automations.

The technology landscape for smart consumer appliances is undergoing a profound transformation, guided in part by multiple legislative changes set forth by the Biden Administration.

In a new white paper released in partnership with Resideo, Parks Associates examines practical solutions and the latest advancements in smart home technology that contribute to energy management.

Delta recently showcased its integration with VIVOTEK AI surveillance camera and Delta Controls’ new Red5-PLUS-ROOM controller, an IoT-based native BACnet building controller, to enable comprehensive control of building HVAC, lighting, access and more.

Home management solutions continue to see significant advancements, offering consumers enhanced convenience, security and energy efficiency.

Industry insiders from leading companies elucidate how smart home integration and shifting consumer preferences are driving growth and future trends in the residential security market.

As the smart home market continues to expand, security dealers are seeking reliable and innovative solutions to meet the evolving needs of homeowners and businesses.

Highlighted are benefits of AI-enabled automation and interoperability, while addressing key considerations for security integrators in managing vulnerabilities and optimizing smart home ecosystems.

Do all confined spaces require electronic equipment for effective communication between the attendant and entrants?

Shane McEwen, Blackline Safety, explains how organizations incorporating "connected safety" into their worker safety programs can minimize the risk of hazardous tasks performed in confined spaces.

Atlanta — An elevated risk of death linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among workers in certain industries and occupations highlights the need for better employee health policies and targeted interventions, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency wants to lower emissions of ethylene oxide – a gas that’s used to sterilize medical devices and has been linked to cancer and neurological problems.

London — A group of physicians is calling on health care employers to provide female workers who are exposed to on-the-job radiation with added protections to minimize their risk of breast cancer.

Washington — The developer of an N95 respirator validation phone app and website is the winner of NIOSH’s Counterfeit N95 Challenge.

Dallas — OSHA Region 6 has renewed two of its emphasis programs and revised another.

Can you bring me up to speed on which handwashing product ingredients are no longer compliant with federal regulations?