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Cal/OSHA issues report on heat-illness crackdown

Oakland, CA – The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health’s heat illness prevention Special Emphasis Program led to 3,575 inspections in 2014 – about one-third of which resulted in heat-related citations – the agency has announced.




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Cal/OSHA to employers: Prepare to protect workers during hot weather

Oakland, CA – With warm weather approaching, California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health is urging employers of outdoor workers to begin preparing for hot temperatures.




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OSHA revises app to help workers avoid heat illness

Washington – As hot weather approaches, OSHA is placing potentially lifesaving information at outdoor workers’ fingertips.




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Work outdoors? Protect yourself from the sun

Working outside in the sun can cause serious skin problems, including burns and skin cancer.




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Avoid poisonous plants when working outdoors

If you’ve ever come in contact with poison ivy, you know how unpleasant it can be. And for many outdoor workers, poisonous plants are a common hazard.




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Summer heat can be deadly for construction workers, CPWR cautions

Silver Spring, MD – With summer only days away, the Center for Construction Research and Training – also known as CPWR – has issued a hazard alert about heat risks and precautions workers can take to avoid heat-related illnesses.




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NIOSH, OSHA update heat safety app for outdoor workers

Washington – NIOSH and OSHA recently teamed up to update a heat safety mobile app that uses temperature and humidity to measure heat index values.




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As weather heats up, OSHA campaign aims to keep outdoor workers safe

Washington – OSHA has launched its annual summer campaign to remind employers and employees about the dangers of working outdoors in hot weather.




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Stay safe in roadway work zones

Summer is here, which means the weather is warmer, more people are on the roads and highway construction work is underway.




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The sounds of summer can lead to ‘hidden’ hearing loss, expert warns

Muncie, IN — Concerts, fireworks, auto races, road construction and mowing the lawn are all summertime happenings that can cause permanent hearing damage, cautions Ball State University audiologist Lynn Bielski.




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Keep workers safe from heat: OSHA releases poster

Washington — As warmer summer temperatures approach, OSHA has unveiled a new poster intended to help workers reduce their risk of heat-related illness.




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‘Keeping Workers Well-Hydrated’: New tip sheet from OSHA

Washington — Ensuring workers are properly hydrated is essential for preventing heat-related illnesses, OSHA is reminding employers.




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Keep workers safe during hazardous heat

Seven facts about on-the-job heat exposure




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Noise in the workplace

We have some 10- and 12-hour work shifts. How do we account for the longer noise exposure times under OSHA reporting requirements, and should we be adjusting our criteria for determining which employees should be included in our hearing conservation program?




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Situational hearing awareness at work

Can you tell me more about hearing protection products that help provide situational awareness at work?




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Protecting workers with hearing loss

A growing number of workers wear hearing aids, such as behind-the-ear or in-canal models, that can’t be used with foam earplugs. What does OSHA allow, and what actually works to mask most noise but allow conversations with earplug-wearing co-workers?




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Hearing protection at work

Can noise-canceling hearing aids serve as my hearing protection at work?




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Training software

PureSafety is a simple, powerful solution for safety training management.




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Safety professional exam preparation workshops

SPAN is the world leader in safety professional exam preparation workshops and self-study workbooks.




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OSHA: Contaminated water in eyewash stations can lead to infection

Washington – An updated resource from OSHA emphasizes the importance of maintaining emergency eyewash stations so the water does not become contaminated and lead to potential infections.




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Wearing eye protection can prevent 90 percent of work-related eye injuries, experts suggest

San Francisco – Ninety percent of on-the-job eye injuries could be avoided if workers wore eye protection, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.




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Tests find potential light-blocking problems in laser protective eyewear

Gaithersburg, MD — Many laser protective eyewear products may not be adequately tested – by both manufacturers and end users – for lasers that emit high-power, ultrafast pulses, potentially putting workers at risk, according to a study from the National Institute of Standards and Technology.




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‘Care bundle’ helps health care workers avoid PPE-related facial pressure injuries: researchers

Dublin — Frontline health care workers treating COVID-19 patients can reduce their risk of developing a facial pressure injury caused by prolonged use of personal protective equipment by using the contents of a specially designed “care bundle,” claim researchers from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.




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March is Workplace Eye Wellness Month

Chicago — No matter where work gets done, “protecting vision should always be a priority,” advocacy group Prevent Blindness is reminding employers.




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ILO calls for collaboration to protect workers’ eye health

Geneva — Occupational safety and health programs should identify and assess the on-the-job risks to eye health, the International Labor Organization says.




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Honeywell issues recall of eyewash cartridges

Washington — Honeywell Safety Products has issued a voluntary recall of nonsterile eyewash cartridges after a supplier was found to be noncompliant with current good manufacturing practice regulations.




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Choosing proper footwear

Wearing the wrong kind of protective footwear on the job can cause discomfort, calluses, ingrown toenails and generally tired feet.




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Hard hats: Know the facts

A construction worker removes his hard hat because he is too warm. An engineer refuses to wear head protection, as she has “never been hurt before.” A utility worker thinks hard hats make him look silly and removes his every chance he gets.




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Selecting and trying on protective footwear

Well-fitting, appropriate footwear is critical to keeping workers comfortable while protecting them against on-the-job injuries. The Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety offers information to help make the right selection.




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Stay cautious when working with mercury

Metallic mercury is a liquid at room temperature and can readily evaporate into the air. It’s also a potent neurotoxin that, in small amounts, can cause serious health problems, according to the California Department of Public Health.




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PPE for first responders and recovery workers: Have a plan

When a natural disaster, biological incident or other event occurs, first responders and recovery workers often rush to the scene. That means it’s crucial they have the proper personal protective equipment ready and know how to use it.




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Ansell Hazard Analysis Reduces Workplace Injuries

The need and value of personal protective equipment and worker safety have surged over the past two years. More than ever, it is imperative that organizations ensure they mitigate the risk of workplace hazards for their employees as well as their business’s sustainability.




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Anti-sitting interventions may not help workers with fixed schedules

Perth, Australia – Promoting activity in the workplace can help reduce sitting time, but not by much among workers with fixed schedules, according to a new study from Curtin University.




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Office workers vulnerable to dry eyes: study

Tokyo – Office workers who spend long hours in front of computer screens experience changes in their tear fluid similar to people who have dry eye disease, according to a study from the Keio University School of Medicine in Japan.




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Daylight improves workers’ sleep, quality of life: study

Chicago – Working near a window could improve an employee’s sleep and overall quality of life, suggests a study from Northwestern University and the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.




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11 tips for effective workplace housekeeping

Good housekeeping is crucial to safe workplaces. Experts agree that all workplaces – from offices to manufacturing plants – should incorporate housekeeping in their safety programs, and every worker should play a part.




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Office temperatures may affect how much workers eat: study

Birmingham, AL – Can your office’s thermostat setting affect how much you eat at work? Recent research from the University of Alabama, Birmingham, indicates “yes.”




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Musculoskeletal complaints on the rise among office workers: study

Olympia, WA – Workers are spending more time on computers and, as a result, the percentage of office workers with musculoskeletal issues is increasing, according to an ergonomics evaluation study conducted by the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries.




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Fidgeting at your desk may burn more calories than using a standing workstation, study suggests

Chicago — Spontaneous activity, such as moving your feet back and forth, while seated can burn more calories than using a standing workstation, according to the results of a recent study.




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Office temperatures can be a source of worker conflict: study

Chicago — Workers can get quite heated when it comes to office temperatures. In a recent Harris Poll survey of 1,012 full-time U.S. adult employees, conducted between April 4 and May 1, 46 percent of respondents said their office is either too hot or too cold.




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Exposure to powdered toner doesn’t significantly impact lung health: study

Tokyo — Long-term exposure to powdered toner or toner-using machines has no significant impact on lung health, concludes a recent study of copier industry workers by researchers at Japan’s Showa University.




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COVID-19 pandemic: Michigan OSHA publishes guidance for office workers

Lansing, MI — Michigan OSHA, along with the state’s Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, has published a 25-page guidance document intended to help employers safely return workers to office settings amid the COVID-19 pandemic.




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10 tips for a safer return to the workplace

Protecting employees from COVD-19 exposure requires creating a comprehensive plan – and then executing that plan and adjusting it when necessary.




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Free resources for Workplace Eye Wellness Month

Chicago — Eye safety and protection should be a workplace priority, advocacy group Prevent Blindness is reminding employers and employees.




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Contact lenses at work

In certain workplaces, wearing contact lenses can complicate eye safety, according to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety.




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Prevent eye injuries with proper protection

Every day in the United States, roughly 2,000 workers experience an eye injury serious enough to require medical attention, according to NIOSH.




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Emergency eyewashes and showers

An easily accessible, properly working emergency eyewash and shower station is critical at worksites where, in OSHA’s words, “the eyes or body of any person may be exposed to injurious corrosive materials.”




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Machine interlock switch

The Proton is an advanced solenoid interlock switch designed for use on machines for which hazardous conditions persist even after the machine has been switched off. Its heavy-duty solenoid can withstand up to 3000N hold force and energize under a lateral load.




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OSHA video gives demo of new Severe Injury Report dashboard

Washington — A new video from OSHA describes how to use the agency’s new Severe Injury Report data dashboard.




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OSHA and safety advocate group call for worker input on proposed heat rule

Los Angeles — OSHA administrator Doug Parker is urging workers to provide feedback on the agency’s proposed rule aimed at protecting them from heat-related illnesses both indoors and outdoors.