OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program is almost 5 years old. Is it working as intended? Stakeholders and OSHA-watchers weigh in.

Just as safety pros need to be prepared to identify and abate even the rarest of safety hazards, employers always should be ready for the possibility of a surprise visit from OSHA. Do you know what to do?

Atlanta – Preventing heart disease and improving health and productivity in the workplace is the goal of “Business Pulse: Heart Health,” released April 29 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Foundation.

Arlington, VA – The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology has created a flier detailing best practices for proper use of different types of gloves in health care settings.

Jim Spigener from DEKRA Insight shares 11 leadership characteristics that he says the best performers in safety practice consistently.

Washington — In partnership with OSHA, the American Chemistry Council has published an infographic to encourage workers in the automotive refinishing industry to wear the correct personal protective equipment.

Washington — NIOSH, OSHA and the Center for Construction Research and Training – also known as CPWR – are offering a number of free online resources to help employers prepare for the sixth annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, set to take place May 6-10.

Arlington, VA — Aiming to promote electrical safety among people who are working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Electrical Safety Foundation International has published an infographic.

Waterloo, Ontario — Overhead work is associated with shoulder injuries. New resources from the Center of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders, also known as CRE-MSD, are intended to help employers and workers address MSD risks caused by overhead work.

Washington — A new poster and infographic from OSHA and the Mine Safety and Health Administration offer best practices to help mine operators and workers mitigate heat-related hazards and prevent heat illness.

Built to withstand winter extremes, these freeze-resistant showers keep an internal water temperature above 50° F.

Quick access to an emergency eyewash/shower station is vital in the event of an incident.

Cleaning up after hurricanes or other storms exposes cleanup workers to floodwaters, which can carry some serious health risks. Floodwaters can be contaminated with micro-organisms, sewage, industrial waste, chemicals or other substances that can cause illness or death, according to OSHA.

If you witnessed a worker being struck by lightning, would you know how to help?

Disasters can manifest in a variety of ways. Taking preventive measures and planning ahead can help you remain calm in an emergency.

Pressure washers are used to clean large areas, including buildings, parking lots, vehicles and other machinery. These high-powered tools also are used in disaster cleanup. But according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a pressure washer’s intense spray can cause wounds and other serious injuries that may at first appear minor.

Even if you don’t live or work in an earthquake-prone area, don’t dismiss the threat. Earthquakes can occur in all 50 states.

Secaucus, NJ — Lyme disease is becoming more common outside the Northeast and more prevalent in the United States overall, a recent study by lab services provider Quest Diagnostics shows.

Rainfall, snow melt, coastal storms, storm surges, and dam and water system overflows all can lead to flooding. Floodwater can, in turn, cause power outages, disrupt transportation and damage buildings. In 2017, 182 people died from flooding-related incidents, data from Weather.gov shows.

Columbus, OH — Golf cart users, be “FORE!”-warned: The zippy means of transportation – no longer limited to golf courses – carries “considerable risk of injury and morbidity” to drivers and passengers of all ages, especially kids and older adults, say researchers from the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

A 45-year-old roofer died after he fell 30 feet from a rain-slick roof of an apartment building under construction.

Earthquakes don’t last long, but they can have long-lasting effects on both people and property. Is your workplace prepared?

Which locations in my building are at highest risk for water leaks, and how can I prevent them?

National Work Zone Awareness Week is April 11-15. This year’s theme is “Work zones are a sign to slow down.”

Did you know your car could cause a wildfire if you’re not careful? The Oregon Department of Transportation says more than 70% of the state’s wildfires in 2021 were caused by people.

Washington – The Chemical Safety Board has scheduled a meeting to consider whether OSHA's responses to some of the board's recommendations have been "unacceptable," and to launch its Most Wanted Chemical Safety Improvements Program.

Washington – OSHA recently published four letters of interpretation regarding its revised Hazard Communication Standard.

Charleston, WV – A number of combustible dust-related incidents, injuries and deaths over the past decade might have been prevented had OSHA promulgated a standard covering the hazard, according to a Chemical Safety Board report released July 16.

The Chemical Safety Board has reiterated its call for OSHA to promulgate a comprehensive combustible dust standard.

Washington – Two new fact sheets from OSHA provide information intended to protect workers from combustible dust explosion hazards and agricultural emergencies.

Washington — The Chemical Safety Board is seeking to better understand why efforts to manage and control combustible dust hazards “have often failed” to prevent explosions.

West Lafayette, IN — Using newly developed algorithms, researchers from Purdue University have designed an image- and video-based application to detect combustible dust concentrations suspended in the air.

Washington — Managing and controlling combustible dust should be considered a unique hazard – not simply “tidying up the place,” the Chemical Safety Board says in a recently released learning review document that includes input from workers and industry stakeholders.

Boise, ID — As a result of “continuing incidences of fatalities and injuries” at grain handling facilities within the jurisdiction of its Boise area office, OSHA on Dec. 31 renewed a Local Emphasis Program focused on inspections at these facilities.

Washington — OSHA recently announced the start of a three-month increase of inspections at hospitals and nursing care facilities that treat COVID-19 patients.

Washington — “It is past time for regulators to fully recognize the hazards presented by reactive chemicals,” Katherine Lemos, chair and CEO of the Chemical Safety Board, says in a new video in which the agency calls on OSHA and the Environmental Protection Agency to strengthen their standards on these substances.

Denver — Deaths and serious injuries resulting from falls in the construction industry in recent years have prompted OSHA to launch an initiative to inspect worksites across Colorado’s Front Range, Montana and South Dakota on weekends, “when many employers typically do not monitor their jobsites well.”

Washington — The Chemical Safety Board says it will resume providing updates on incident investigations to “provide important initial information” on agency developments.

Greenbelt, MD — Commercial motor vehicle inspectors across North America conducted 38,117 brake system inspections and identified 5,059 vehicles – or 13.3% – with out-of-service conditions during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s annual Brake Safety Week, the organization announced recently.

Read this free white paper from J. J. Keller to learn what to expect and how to handle an inspection with confidence. It covers everything from examining records and interviewing employees to a complete facility walkthrough, the citation process and more.

Washington — A look at four incidents – some deadly – involving emergency discharges from pressure release valves has prompted the Chemical Safety Board to issue a safety alert.

Washington — OSHA’s Field Operations Manual needs an update so the agency can “better address complaints and referrals,” the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General says.

Conducting regular safety walkarounds can bring big benefits. We’ve got five tips for making yours effective.

Washington — OSHA is seeking to revive an Obama administration policy that would allow workers to designate someone who doesn’t work for their employer – including someone from a union or other organization – to represent them during an OSHA “walkaround” inspection.

Washington — OSHA is accepting comment on a proposed rule that would let workers designate someone who doesn’t work for their employer to represent them during an OSHA “walkaround” inspection.

Washington — OSHA hasn’t “effectively addressed” elevated injury and illness rates in the warehousing industry, the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General contends.

Washington — OSHA has pushed to Nov. 13 the deadline for comment on its proposal to allow workers to designate someone who doesn’t work for their employer to represent them during OSHA “walkaround” inspections.

Philadelphia — OSHA Region 3 has renewed a series of regional and local emphasis programs, which include a focus on fall hazards in the construction industry.

Washington — A pair of lawmakers from opposites sides of the aisle, along with a coalition of organizations, express opposing viewpoints in comments on OSHA’s proposed rule on worker walkaround representation.

Washington — OSHA’s rule on worker walkaround representation is undergoing a final review, according to the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs website.