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On December 6, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released its final report on the deadly explosions and fires at the Didion Milling, Inc., dry corn milling facility in Cambria, Wisconsin. The May 2017 explosion fatally injured five employees and seriously injured another 14. The incident destroyed the facility, resulting in over […]
Gravity, a force we often take for granted, binds our world together. It ensures that our feet stay planted firmly on the ground, gently pulls rain from the clouds, and keeps our planet in orbit. But for workers operating at great heights, gravity has another side. Imagine standing atop a towering telecom structure; a simple […]
Minnesota contractor Wagner Construction Inc. faces $1.8 million in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines for a serious violation and 16 repeat violations involving trenching and excavation hazards, the agency announced December 5. Despite signing a 2021 settlement agreement with the agency that included a promise to protect its employees from trenching and excavation hazards, […]
Austin Kiddoo attended the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Occupational Safety and Health. After interning at Orbital Technologies Corporation, he took a position working third shift within the City of Madison Police Department as a parking enforcement officer while searching for safety positions. He then landed a safety […]
Chemicals called ototoxicants or ototoxic chemicals can cause hearing loss, John Howard, MD, director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), wrote in his From the Director’s Desk column in the institute’s December eNews. Substances in the workplace that can cause hearing loss include cancer-treating (antineoplastic) drugs, degreasers, fuels, lead, mercury, pesticides, […]
A Georgia chemical manufacturer and Massachusetts concrete contractor find themselves facing Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines following worker fatalities, the agency announced December 1. After a 52-year-old leach tank operator suffered fatal chemical and thermal burns over most of his body, OSHA cited Chemical Products Corp. of Cartersville, Georgia, with five serious violations, […]
Safety gloves are important for hand protection when on the job, but PPE only works if worn. If gloves are uncomfortable or get in the way of the job, workers will be discouraged from wearing them and therefore risk injury. The sheer number of factors to consider when choosing safety gloves can be a daunting […]
Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine how to prepare for a winter’s worth of respiratory illnesses in the workplace. Could you find yourself looking at a “tripledemic” of COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in the workplace […]
This week, EHS Daily Advisor featured content on dealing with impaired employees in the workplace. Coincidentally, later in the week came the sad news of the death of Irish singer and songwriter Shane MacGowan, who fronted the Pogues and became a cautionary tale of sorts about the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse. Appropriately, the […]
To make sure this holiday season is truly joyful, the U.S. Department of Labor reminds employers and workers not to overlook workplace safety and health. For a sad reminder of how an on-the-job tragedy can leave families, friends, and co-workers grief-stricken, look no further than Akron, Ohio, where a 25-year-old worker—hanging holiday lights on a backyard tree—suffered […]