Storrs, CT — Heat exposure and heat-related illness cause the vast majority of exertion-related injuries and deaths in the workplace, according to researchers from the University of Connecticut.

Raleigh, NC — The longer the heat index remains above 90° F, the more employers may pay in workers’ compensation costs for missed workdays, a recent study of North Carolina workers shows.

Washington — President Joe Biden is directing OSHA to “ramp up” enforcement to protect workers from extreme heat and to issue a hazard alert.

Washington — Certain personal risk factors increase workers’ risk for heat-related injury and illness, OSHA cautions.

Montreal – The scientific research organization IRSST recently released the second edition of its guide on safe use of isocyanates.

Washington – The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has released guidance on break requirements for short-haul commercial truck drivers who unintentionally exceed time or distance driving limits.

Cincinnati – Employers whose workers are exposed to diacetyl now can obtain guidance from a new NIOSH document.

Washington – Newly released interim guidance from OSHA and NIOSH urges employers to train employees on the risks of exposure to the Zika virus and outlines protective measures.

The Monoxor XR (extended range) is a handheld exhaust gas analyzer for measuring carbon monoxide in ambient air or directly from the exhaust pipe of forklifts; floor burnishers; or other equipment burning propane, gasoline, diesel or compressed natural gas.

The External Pump is a single-button motorized sampling pump that gives any Gas Clip diffusion detector (single-gas and multi-gas) the ability to take remote samples from up to 75 feet away, drawing in air at 2 feet per second.

iControl Networks Inc, Palo Alto, Calif., a provider of broadband home management, and Visonic Ltd., Tel-Aviv, Israel, a developer and manufacturer of wireless home security and safety systems and components, have partnered to integrate Visonic security peripherals into the iControl OpenHome™ software platform.

Energy Squad, a new distribution company on a mission to provide the green technology customers need, made its official debut to the custom installation industry at CEDIA EXPO 2012.

Optex Co. Ltd. announced that Sloan Security Technologies Inc. integrated Optex sensor/detector products into the GenLux® line of security poles. The platform uses a wrap-around solar laminate to provide reliable off-grid power to sensors and surveillance devices, Optex stated. The sensors/detectors increase the efficiency of the poles by triggering cameras based on detector activity.

Rosewater Energy Group introduced its Residential Energy Storage Hub, designed to allow homeowners to take advantage of renewable energy sources and harness all power that comes into their home.

Overexertion injuries – which most often occur when a load is being lifted or otherwise handled – accounted for 22 percent of nonfatal workplace injuries in 2009, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In 2011, the back was the body part involved in the largest percentage of injuries involving days away from work, according to the 2014 edition of the National Safety Council’s “Injury Facts.”

The Monitoring Association (TMA) announced the 12 finalists for the 2019 TMA Excellence Awards.

TMA announced the finalists for this year's 2020 Excellence Awards that name the Monitoring Center of the Year, along with the Manager, Operator and Support Person of the Year.

The Monitoring Association (TMA), along with co-sponsor SDM, unveiled the 2020 Monitoring Center Excellence Award Winners for Monitoring Center of the Year, Manager of the Year, Operator of the Year and Support Person of the Year. 

The Monitoring Association (TMA) is pleased to announce the winners of its 2022 Excellence Awards. This year’s awards were presented virtually on Monday, April 25 by TMA President Morgan Hertel and the award sponsor, SDM Magazine.

Central stations and the monitoring professionals who work there offer inspiration and exemplary ideas to the security industry, through their knowledge, work and achievements.  

SDM will publish a feature story on this year’s TMA Excellence Awards winners in its August emagazine and online.

Washington — Stakeholders now have until Nov. 29 to comment on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s process for determining whether truck and bus companies are able to operate safely.

What are the differences between a permissible exposure limit and a threshold limit value?

TWA/STEL/PEL/WEEL/IDLH … What does this all mean?

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration has extended the comment period for a proposed rule that would require underground coal mine operators to equip coal-hauling machines and scoops with proximity detection systems.

Arlington, VA – A recent rise in fatalities and injuries among less-experienced coal miners has prompted the Mine Safety and Health Administration to launch a training assistance initiative.

Washington — The Mine Safety and Health Administration is extending to July 2022 the deadline for comment on a Request for Information concerning a retrospective study of the agency’s respirable coal mine dust rule.

Washington — Surface coal miners, especially those who work in drilling, may be exposed to higher concentrations of respirable dust or quartz. This puts them at elevated risk of coal workers’ pneumoconiosis – a deadly but preventable disease known as black lung, results of a recent NIOSH study show.

Energy-saving light control manufacturer Lutron Electronics announced that its Washington, D.C. Commercial Experience Center was awarded LEED Gold Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED is the USGBC’s leading rating system for designing and constructing the world’s greenest, most energy-efficient and high-performing buildings.

Honeywell, Melville, N.Y.,announced that the Pro-Watch Integration Kit has been successfully deployed to protect the largest complex of the federal justice system in Mexico.

What should be the first steps in an incident investigation?

College Station, TX – The lack of a consistent eating and sleeping schedule may disrupt the circadian rhythms of shift workers and make them more likely to suffer a severe stroke, according to a recent study from Texas A&M University.

Spokane, WA — Individual organs in the digestive system contain separate biological clocks that may influence the metabolism of people who work the night shift and help explain a link to shift worker health problems such as obesity and diabetes, a recent study from researchers at Washington State University suggests.

Uppsala, Sweden — Losing sleep, even for one night, can negatively impact metabolism and help trigger excess weight gain – possibly explaining a link between sleep deprivation and shift worker health problems – according to the results of a recent study conducted by researchers at Uppsala University.

Darien, IL — In an effort to balance “the need to meet operational demands with the need to manage fatigue-related risks” related to shift work, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society have issued guidance on designing optimal work shift durations.

Toronto — Middle-aged and older shift workers are more likely to be considered frail – particularly women who work rotating shifts, a recent study out of Canada suggests.

Los Angeles – Pesticide exposure may increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, and individual risk varies based on a person’s genetic makeup, according to a new study from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Santa Fe, NM – The New Mexico Occupational Health & Safety Bureau has teamed up with the Consulate of Mexico to provide the state’s Spanish-speaking employees with workplace safety training.

Cincinnati – Rates of occupational injury and illness from pesticides are much higher among agricultural workers than workers in other industries, according to NIOSH research.

Washington – The Environmental Protection Agency once again has extended the comment period for a proposed rule that would create stronger standards for workers who handle “restricted use” pesticides.

Washington – A new resource from the Environmental Protection Agency aims to help regulators and the public learn more about pesticide exposure incidents among agricultural workers.

Kansas City, MO — OSHA has launched a Regional Emphasis Program addressing hazards stemming from exposure to fertilizer-grade ammonium nitrate and agricultural anhydrous ammonia.

Washington – The ruptured steel pipe at the center of the 2012 hydrocarbon release and fire at the Chevron U.S.A. Inc. refinery in Richmond, CA, was corroded and should have been replaced, concludes a report released by the Chemical Safety Board and the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

Washington – Large facilities that store and sell chemicals may no longer be exempt from OSHA’s Process Safety Management Standard, the agency announced July 22 in a revised interpretation of its rules.

Washington – OSHA failed to follow federal rulemaking requirements when it used a memorandum to announce a revised definition of retail facilities exempt from the Process Safety Management Standard, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has ruled.

Washington – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has denied OSHA’s petitions for a rehearing and rehearing en banc of the court’s ruling that the agency failed to follow federal rulemaking requirements when it used a memorandum to announce a revised definition of retail facilities exempt from the Process Safety Management Standard.

Washington – OSHA is warning employees and employers about the dangers of falling from pallets raised by forklifts in its latest edition of Fatal Facts.

Toronto — Handling receipts may boost cashiers’ exposure to bisphenol A and bisphenol S – two chemicals with possible links to cancer and other adverse health effects – results of a recent study from Canadian advocacy group Environmental Defense shows.

Falls Church, VA — Former OSHA administrator David Michaels is among more than a dozen health and safety experts calling on the Biden administration to update and strengthen Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance to help prevent COVID-19 transmission.