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Oregon

Workers’ Compensation Costs Dropping in Oregon

Oregon employers should see an average decrease in their workers’ compensation costs for the seventh straight year, according to Oregon OSHA. Employers next year will pay an average of $1.02 per $100 of payroll for workers’ compensation insurance, down from $1.11 in 2019, under a proposal by the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services […]

Industrial fire training for refinery or chemical plant fire brigade or fireman

Determining Your Disaster Risk Factors

As safety, health, and risk professionals, we pay close attention to newsworthy workplace disasters. Based on the scale and severity of these incidents, perhaps we assume they could not occur in our own organizations—after all, this is what we work to prevent. But the fact is, disasters can happen anywhere.

OSHA log, OSHA inspections

OSHA Reveals Latest Top 10 List of Violations at NSC 2019

At the 2019 National Safety Council Congress & Expo in San Diego, California, Patrick Kapust, deputy director of OSHA’s Directorate of Enforcement Programs, presented the agency’s top 10 violations for fiscal year (FY) 2019 to a standing-room-only crowd of safety professionals. The order may have changed slightly, but the list remain remains the same as […]

Office safety and ergonomics

Four Steps for Improving Workplace Ergonomics

It’s no secret that ergonomics programs often struggle to make an impact. All too often, they start off with a flurry of training and assessments and then fizzle out when people realize that there’s more talking about ergonomics than implementing ergonomics improvements. The ergonomics program starts to feel like more cost than benefit to management, […]

Water discharge

EPA’s Postponement of CWA Deadlines for Energy Companies Found Legal

With the Utility Water Act Group (UWAG) at its side, the EPA successfully defended itself against allegations by environmental groups that its postponement of several deadlines in its 2015 Effluent Limitations Guidelines [ELGs] and Standards for the Steam Electric Power Generating Point Source Category (2015 Rule) violated both the Clean Water Act (CWA) and Administrative […]

Money, fines, citations, penalties

AIHA Survey Shows Members Average Salary of Over $110K

Industrial hygienists and occupational health professionals are making an average annual salary of $110,807, the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) found in a survey of its members. The average salary for new, uncertified safety professionals right out of college or university is $59,714, AIHA reported.

Ear plugs, hearing protection

Oil and Gas, Mining Workers Vulnerable to Hearing Loss

Hearing loss is prevalent in workers in the mining and oil and gas extraction sectors, researchers have found. At least 25% of workers in many industries and as much as 30% of workers in others had hearing loss, according to a recently published report.

Workers' compensation

Tips for Managing Workers’ Comp to Boost Safety Performance

You worry about your workers’ compensation insurance premiums and the claims activity on your policy. You have concerns about the recordable injuries you must add to your injury and illness logs. Will your premiums go up? Will you be targeted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) or state agency for an on-site inspection? […]