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.

Facial hair and respirators

NIOSH’s Facial Hair and Respirators Infographic Viewed by Thousands

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently acknowledged that the infographic “Facial Hairstyles and Filtering Facepiece Respirators,” which was used in a November 2, 2017, blog post, has been downloaded over 19,000 times. NIOSH said that 95% of the downloads were made in 2020.

White House

President Biden Issues Federal Employee Mask Mandate and Selects Acting OSHA Leaders

On January 20, President Joe Biden issued an Executive Order requiring mask wearing in federal buildings and on public lands and requiring all federal employees and contractors to wear masks while on duty. The order also instructs federal personnel to maintain social distancing and comply with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention […]

variety of PPE

How Innovations in Advanced Materials for PPE Better Protect Lives

As we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic as both individuals and business people, protection is top of mind. Corporations across the globe are prioritizing protection for their employees in ways they may not have had to before. As someone who’s spent his career focused on materials and products designed to enhance end-user comfort and safety, high-performance […]

Why

The Power of ‘Why’ in Safety

The word “why” is a small word, but it can have a huge impact on a safety program. When asked in the proper context, it can mainstream safe behavior. When answered completely, it can make your safety program a cohesive and complementary entity.

Department of Labor (DOL) building

Marty Walsh’s Labor Nomination: Expect Action on Worker Safety

On January 7, President-Elect Joseph Biden named Boston Mayor Marty Walsh his nominee for secretary of Labor. Walsh would be the first labor union member to serve as labor secretary in nearly half a century, according to the Biden-Harris transition team. Before turning to politics, Walsh held a number of labor union leadership positions, heading […]

Histoplasmosis Fungal Infection

NIOSH Looks to Raise Awareness of Fungal Infection Histoplasmosis in Workers

The diagnosis of histoplasmosis, a fungal infection of the lungs, often can be delayed due to a lack of awareness of the condition, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) said in its January 2021 newsletter on recent research developments. Workers in agriculture and construction are at higher risk for histoplasmosis, which is […]

Safety Data Stats and Charts

BLS Notes a Rise in Workplace Fatalities for 2019

The number of U.S. workplace deaths rose 2% in 2019 to 5,333 from 5,250 fatal workplace injuries in 2018, according to the most recent Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries released by the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The fatal work injury rate was 3.5 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers, the same […]