Modern safety management goes beyond covering traditional workplace accidents to now being equally concerned with illnesses caused on and even off the job. This section will explain what you need to know to avoid both injuries and illnesses, and to track your progress in reaching this goal.
Could you find yourself looking at a “tripledemic” of COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in the workplace this winter? Are you ready? Here’s what you need to know about preparing for the seasonal flu. Check out our Back to Basics: Prepare Now for a ‘Tripledemic’ of Respiratory Illnesses article for more information.
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, […]
Cassie Ford received her B.S in Speech Language Pathology at Texas Christian University and her M.A. in Audiology at the University of Iowa. She started her career in public health and then spent several years doing clinical audiology and fitting hearing aids. In 2000, she accepted a position with the company that is now known […]
A pair of employers are facing six-figure Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) penalties following workplace explosions. Air Liquide Advanced Materials, Inc., of High Springs, Florida, a global manufacturer of industrial gas, faces $201,573 in penalties following a May 2023 explosion that severely injured several employees, OSHA announced November 16. The employer could have prevented […]
Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine Prevention through Design. The goal of the safety professional is to minimize risk and reduce harm in the workplace as efficiently and effectively as possible. Leadership can eliminate hazards at each […]
Private sector employers reported 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2022—up 7.5% from 2021, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported November 8. The increase was driven by the rise in both injuries, up 4.5% to 2.3 million cases, and illnesses, up 26.1% to 460,700 cases. The increase in the number of illnesses […]
On episode 180 of EHS On Tap, Aaron Harroch, national hand safety program manager for Superior Glove, talks about the importance of hand safety. This episode is sponsored by Superior Glove.
Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine bloodborne pathogen standards and enforcement. Bloodborne pathogens (BBPs), the infectious microorganisms in human blood and other bodily fluids known as “other potentially infectious materials,” can cause diseases that include hepatitis B (HBV), […]
While falls from height can sometimes be fatal, falls on the same level can lead to costly nonfatal injuries, resulting in several days away from work for injured workers and workers’ compensation claims for employers. In a safety talk handout, the National Safety Council (NSC) emphasizes the importance of workplace housekeeping in factories and manufacturing plants, […]