Safety+Health takes you inside the upcoming 2022 NSC Safety Congress & Expo, set for Sept. 16-22 in San Diego. We map out all you need to know to make the most of your experience.

Washington — Recently released interactive training from the Chemical Safety Board incorporates agency findings from a deadly refinery explosion to form guidelines for managing hazardous chemicals and complying with OSHA’s standard on process safety management.

Itasca, IL — Safety practitioners and industry experts: Are you looking for an opportunity to share your knowledge? The National Safety Council is seeking presenters for its 2023 NSC Spring Safety Conference & Expo.

Safety+Health provides a quick glimpse at what the upcoming Indianapolis event has to offer.

Safety+Health takes you inside the upcoming 2023 NSC Safety Congress & Expo, set to take place Oct. 20-26 in New Orleans. We’ve got all you need to know to make the most of your experience.

Set to take place May 14-16, the event will feature keynotes, learning lab sessions, an expo floor and more.

Check out our preview of the nation’s largest environmental, health and safety event, set for Sept. 13-19 in Orlando, FL.

It might sound easy, but there are dangers for charities that do not have effective expenses policies

Austin, TX — The percentage of injured workers who returned to work within six months of an injury steadily rose about 5 points in Texas during a recent 11-year period, according to a recent report from the Texas Department of Insurance Division of Workers’ Compensation.

New York — Fewer than 3 out of 10 employees who are working remotely amid the COVID-19 pandemic expect to return to their physical workplace by the end of the year, and some groups feel more pressure than others to do so, results of a recent survey suggest.

Iowa City, IA – Police work is mostly sedentary, with officers likely to be more active on their days off than while working, according to a new study from the University of Iowa.

Washington – A pilot program that provides prison workers with pepper spray as a safety measure has been expanded to six additional correctional facilities.

Washington — NIOSH has released a video intended to protect first responders who face potential exposure to fentanyl – a synthetic opioid considered up to 50 times more potent than heroin – and other illicit drugs.

Washington — NIOSH has released a video intended to assist first responders with understanding personal protective equipment protocol when facing potential exposure to fentanyl – a synthetic opioid considered up to 50 times more potent than heroin – and other illicit drugs.

Washington – Texas and Wyoming earned the lowest possible scores from the American Lung Association when it comes to smoke-free workplaces, the association states in its annual “State of Tobacco Control” report for 2017.

Washington — The American Hotel and Lodging Association has developed what it calls “enhanced” cleaning guidelines and workplace protocols “to meet the new health and safety challenges and expectations presented by COVID-19.”

Los Angeles — Nearly a quarter of the fast-food workforce in Los Angeles County tested positive for COVID-19 during the first 18 months of the pandemic, a likely result of adverse working conditions and shaky compliance with safety measures, a recent report from the University of California, Los Angeles and UC Berkeley suggests.

Washington — A new virtual toolkit from NIOSH is intended to help protect first responders from exposure to illicit drugs, including fentanyl – a synthetic opioid considered up to 50 times more potent than heroin.

Durham, NC — Researchers at Duke University have identified a new tool they say can help doctors and public health officials track firefighters’ exposures to cancer-causing chemicals, as well as determine when and where the risks may be greatest.

Washington — OSHA has extended until June 21 the comment period on proposed updates to its emergency response standard.

Can today’s gas detector technology keep up with the current trends in lowering gas exposure limits?

How can the spread of bacteria and viruses in the workplace be controlled?

Washington – The Chemical Safety Board is warning companies and workers alike about the dangers of conducting hot work – welding, riveting, flame cutting or other spark-producing activities – near tanks that contain biological or organic material.

Washington – OSHA has released a bulletin with information on how to protect workers from carbon monoxide explosion hazards related to electric arc furnaces in the steelmaking industry.

Chicago — People exposed to organic solvents on the job may have a greater risk of developing high blood pressure, according to a recent study of Latino workers.

Washington — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has vacated a 2018 amendment to a 2017 Mine Safety and Health Administration rule that allowed a competent person to inspect the workplace as miners began work rather than prior to a shift – a decision United Mine Workers of America President Cecil Roberts calls “a victory for miners everywhere.”

Silver Spring, MD — Pushing back on calls to roll back certain workplace safety rules, National Nurses United contends hospital industry cost-cutting has put health care worker safety at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the “current staffing and capacity crises.”

Can you provide me with information about isocyanate exposure?

The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists has set new recommendations around lower hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) monitoring, and I have heard that OSHA may consider doing the same. How will these changes impact my gas monitoring program and safety audit?

Is our company at risk of litigation (i.e., employee health concerns) regarding chemical exposure in the workplace, provided we are following OSHA’s permissible exposure limits?

I own a cannabis business. What chemical hazards are my employees exposed to, and how can I assess and prevent health and safety risks?

How can hazardous chemicals enter the human body? What should safety professionals know about each avenue of entry?

Washington — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has set a deadline of Sept. 30 for certified medical examiners to submit the results of physical qualification exams of commercial truck and bus drivers that were completed while the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners was offline from Dec. 1, 2017, through Aug. 13, 2018.

Washington — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is increasing the area safety technology may be mounted inside commercial motor vehicles and expanding the definition of “vehicle safety technology.”

Washington — Responding to stakeholder requests, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has extended until July 18 the comment period on a proposed rule that would require the installation of speed-limiting devices on trucks, buses and multipurpose passenger vehicles weighing more than 26,000 pounds.

Washington — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is seeking comment on potentially expanding a program intended to determine to what extent crashes involving commercial trucks and buses are preventable.

Sacramento, CA – Almost 1 million people in California have work-related asthma, according to a new surveillance report from the California Department of Public Health.

Falls Church, VA – Workers may be exposed to a group of synthetic chemicals used in building materials without realizing it, according to a new white paper from the American Industrial Hygiene Association.

Hopkinton, MA – “Overexertion involving outside sources” was the leading cause of disabling injuries in the United States in 2014 for the third consecutive year, according to the Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index, an annual ranking of serious, nonfatal workplace injuries based on direct workers’ compensation costs.

Austin, TX – Shorter words and sentences, clearer headings, and less jargon are among the changes the Texas Department of Insurance Division of Workers’ Compensation has made to its form letters for injured employees.

Austin, TX — The Texas Department of Insurance’s Division of Workers’ Compensation has produced a series of educational videos intended to simplify the subject of workers’ comp for employees.

Cambridge, MA — Injured workers who are older, employed by organizations with smaller payrolls and in counties where more people have health insurance are more likely to receive opioid prescriptions, according to a recent study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute.

Cambridge, MA — More than half of U.S. states have not adopted medical treatment guidelines for workers’ compensation cases, a recent study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute shows.

Cambridge, MA — Certain programs and policies may help curb the excessive prescribing of opioids and potential misuse, results of a recent study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute suggest.

Austin, TX — The Texas Department of Insurance’s Division of Workers’ Compensation has published a plain language glossary intended to make workers’ comp insurance easier to understand.

Washington — The House has passed legislation that would expand the types of medical professionals who can treat injured employees under the Federal Workers’ Compensation Program.

Austin, TX — In Texas, 69% percent of employees who returned to work within six months of being injured in 2020 remained on the job for at least nine months.

Toronto — Aiming to improve diagnosis and treatment of work-related diseases, Minister of Labor David Piccini has announced that the Ontario government plans to establish an Occupational Exposure Registry by 2025.

Volatile organic compounds are common chemical contaminants found in offices and workplaces and are a source of odors, some of which can be a health hazard for workers.

Toluene – often used in paint, metal cleaners and adhesives – is a clear, colorless liquid that vaporizes when exposed to air at room temperature. According to OSHA, it also has a sharp and sweet smell, which is a sign of exposure.