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A look at OSHA's Severe Violator Enforcement Program

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




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CDC Foundation offers employer resources for worker heart health

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.




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Most food industry employees work when ill, survey finds

Austin, TX – A majority of food industry employees go to work when sick, according to a new survey commissioned by training and consulting company Alchemy Systems.




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7 common workplace safety hazards

Members of the National Safety Council Consulting Services Group travel across the country – and the world – to visit worksites and conduct safety audits. They share with Safety+Health seven hazards they frequently spot, and offer advice on preventing them.




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Infographic: A lifetime of risk

View or share a National Safety Month infographic summarizing the biggest risks at each stage of a person's life.




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OSHA’s Top 10 Most Cited Violations for 2016

Safety+Health presents OSHA's most frequently cited violations for fiscal year 2016. Also: the annual "penalty box" detailing the year's largest fines, and an exclusive interview with Patrick Kapust, deputy director of OSHA's Directorate of Enforcement Programs.




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7 tips for an effective workplace safety committee

Safety+Health shares seven tips from veteran safety professionals Carl Potter and Richard Hawk on making safety committee meetings more enjoyable.




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Safety Leadership: 11 characteristics of great safety performers

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




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OSHA’s Top 10 most-cited violations for fiscal year 2017

Which violation is making its first appearance on OSHA’s list of most-cited violations? Safety+Health presents the data on OSHA’s “Top 10” for fiscal year 2017. Also: A Q&A with Patrick Kapust, deputy director of the agency’s Directorate of Enforcement Programs.




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American Chemistry Council creates PPE infographic for auto refinishers

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.




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OSHA’s 'Top 10' most-cited violations

Which violation is making its first appearance on OSHA’s annual list of most-cited violations? Safety+Health presents the data on OSHA’s “Top 10” for fiscal year 2018. Also: An exclusive Q&A with Patrick Kapust, deputy director of the agency’s Directorate of Enforcement Programs.




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OSHA’s Top 10 most cited violations for 2019

Safety+Health presents the data on OSHA’s “Top 10” for fiscal year 2019. Also: An exclusive Q&A with Patrick Kapust, deputy director of the agency’s Directorate of Enforcement Programs.




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Electrical safety group creates infographic for people working from home

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.




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OSHA’s Top 10 most cited violations for FY 2020

Topping the list for the 10th successive year is Fall Protection – General Requirements. Also: The Top 10 “willful” and “serious” violations, a list of the year’s highest penalties, and a Q&A with OSHA’s Patrick Kapust.




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Reducing the risk of MSDs from overhead work: New resources

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.




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OSHA’s Top 10 most cited violations for FY 2021

Topping the list for the 11th straight year is Fall Protection – General Requirements. Also: The Top 10 “willful” and “serious” violations, a list of the year’s highest penalties, and an exclusive Q&A with OSHA’s Patrick Kapust.




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OSHA and MSHA partner on poster and infographic on preventing heat illness

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.




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Eyewash expiration timer

Compliance made easy. The Eyewash Expiration Timer provides simple, effective visual management for emergency eyewashes, helping to ensure OSHA compliance.




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Eyewash system

The AXION Advantage System offers a medically superior response for upgrading existing emergency equipment.




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Trends in ... emergency eyewashes/showers

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




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Encountering animals

Working outside in the spring months may mean working alongside insects and animals that could pose a threat to workers. OSHA offers the following tips for avoiding such injuries when working outdoors.




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Keep safety in mind when working outdoors

Outdoor workers can be exposed to various hazards – including poisonous plants, stinging insects and venomous snakes – that can cause health problems ranging from slight discomfort to a serious allergic reaction. Experts offer advice on to help keep these workers safe.




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Experts offer lawn mower safety tips

Chicago – With summer approaching, three medical organizations have teamed up to issue tips to help prevent lawn mower injuries.




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Treating a lightning strike victim: Know how to help

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




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Be prepared for an emergency situation

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




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Working safely with cement

From homes and workplaces to sidewalks and playgrounds, cement is everywhere. According to the Portland Cement Association, cement is one of the safest building materials available – when precautions are observed.




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Pressure washers: Dangerous when misused

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.




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Lyme disease risk on the rise as more states see spike in cases: study

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.




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Study finds golf cart-related injuries are common

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.




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FACE Report: Roofer falls 30 feet from rain-slick roof

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




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Water damage prevention planning

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




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Lightning: When it’s time to bolt

Here are some tips for staying safe from lightning before, during and after lightning storms.




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CSB to vote on OSHA’s 'unacceptable' implementation of recommendations

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.




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New letters of interpretation clarify info in hazcom rule

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




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CSB report renews call for a combustible dust 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.




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CSB renews call for combustible dust standard

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




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OSHA releases fact sheets on combustible dust, farm emergencies

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




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Combustible dust still ‘critical issue in industrial safety’: CSB

Washington — The Chemical Safety Board is reiterating its call for OSHA to enact a comprehensive general industry standard for combustible dust – a potential hazard the board calls a “critical issue in industrial safety.”




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CSB to stakeholders: Tell us why efforts to control combustible dust aren’t working

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.




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CSB extends comment period on combustible dust initiative

Washington — The Chemical Safety Board has extended to Dec. 31 its deadline for comment on a recent initiative that seeks to better understand why efforts to manage and control combustible dust hazards “have often failed” to prevent explosions.




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New method of detecting combustible dust uses real-time imaging

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.




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‘Multiple perspectives’: CSB releases first ‘learning review’ on combustible dust

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.




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Combustible dust: A hazard lying in wait

“Some people are not aware that they are dealing with a combustible dust because it might not have caused them any trouble in the past and is a seemingly innocuous material,” one expert says.




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Annual brake inspection blitz places about 1 out of 8 commercial vehicles out of service

Greenbelt, MD — Commercial motor vehicle inspectors across North America conducted 35,764 brake system inspections and identified 4,295 vehicles – or 12% – with out-of-service conditions during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s annual Brake Safety Week, the organization announced recently.




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DOL OIG to audit MSHA’s inspection processes during pandemic

Washington — The Department of Labor Office of Inspector General will conduct an audit of the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s ability to complete required safety and health inspections amid the COVID-19 pandemic.




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OSHA renews Local Emphasis Program on grain handling inspections in Idaho

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.




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OSHA temporary enforcement effort targeting health care facilities with COVID-19 patients

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




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New OSHA enforcement program targets Form 300A scofflaws

Washington — OSHA will begin identifying and citing workplaces that haven’t complied with the agency’s requirement to submit Form 300A – an annual summary of worker injury and illness data, under a newly adopted enforcement program.




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Chemical Safety Board calls for stronger standards on reactive chemicals

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.




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Appeals court upholds fine for mine worker’s inspection tip-off

Cincinnati — The 6th U.S. Court of Appeals on May 11 ruled unanimously to uphold a citation against a Muhlenberg County, KY, coal mine for violating the Mine Safety and Health Act by providing underground mine workers with advance notice of a Mine Safety and Health Administration inspection.