NIOSH Steps Up the Fight Against Opioid Misuse
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 95% of drug overdose deaths that occurred in 2016 were among the working age population, persons aged 15–64 years.
Category: Special Topics in Safety Management
Safety is a process, and as such, needs to be managed. This section offers resources to create a viable safety program, sell it to senior management, train supervisors and employees in using it, and then track and report your progress. Look also for ways to advance your own skills in these areas, both for your current job, and those that follow.
Occupational Respiratory Illness: NORA Identifies Research Priorities
Respiratory disease in workers resulting from exposure to occupational contaminants is a major area of research that was recently addressed by the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) in its draft National Occupational Research Agenda for Respiratory Health (Agenda).
Some Guidance from OSHA on SDSs and Chemical Trade Secrets
In a letter of interpretation dated August 3, 2018, U.S. OSHA’s Directorate of Enforcement Programs provided several valuable insights into the extent chemical manufacturers, distributors, or importers may make use of trade secret protections when completing safety data sheets (SDSs), formerly material safety data sheets (MSDSs).
Stop the Slip at Your Organization! An Expert Weighs In
Slips, trips, and falls are a perpetual thorn in the side of EHS professionals. The hazard is so complex (and persistent across all types of industries) that it can be very difficult to manage. However, awareness is key—and to help boost awareness with strategies for fall prevention, we’re talking with Thom Disch, author of Stop […]
Comparing the Standards of Federal OSHA vs. Cal/OSHA
When considering the effectiveness of workplace safety regulations, some debate whether strong standards alone are sufficient to protect workers or whether strong standards are of little value without equally strong enforcement. These questions often come up when comparing federal OSHA and Cal/OSHA, and, at least in the area of standard-setting, Cal/OSHA is significantly stricter than […]
Better Call Saul’s Wonderful EHS Moment
The fourth-season premiere of Better Call Saul landed last Monday evening, and it was every bit as entertaining and brilliant as fans have come to expect. But it also included a detailed, accurate, and dryly hilarious scene wherein a main character takes stock of a large corporation’s major safety and security failings.
Aerial Lifts, Drop Zones, and Chippers: The Hazards of Tree Care Work
Yesterday we took a look at what OSHA’s doing to protect tree care workers as well as some of their general procedural recommendations to keep employees safe on the job. Today, we look at some of the more specific hazards surrounding tree care work, from traffic control to aerial lifts, and best practices for controlling […]
Citing Safety Concerns, Town’s Entire Police Force Resigns
The small western Massachusetts town of Blandford, population 1200, has lost its four-person town police force. The entire department resigned as a result of what they claim are unsafe working conditions and outdated equipment.
Taking Care of Tree Care Workers: OSHA Recommendations
Tree care operations are among the most hazardous in the U.S. workforce. Nationally, landscape service workers make up less than 1 percent of the workforce but constitute 3.5 percent of all workplace fatalities, according to the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, and 75 percent of all fatalities are related to tree removal or […]
Safety Culture 2018: The Human Dynamics of Cultivating a Total Safety Culture—A Q&A with E. Scott Geller and Steve Roberts
Safety excellence requires a strong safety culture. But what is an ideal “Total Safety Culture” and how can we best achieve one? What are the roles of Behavior-Based Safety (BBS) and Human and Organizational Performance (HOP)? We’re finding out today in a Q&A with E. Scott Geller and Steve Roberts from Safety Performance Solutions, Inc., […]