Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
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.
On August 6, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) released updated guidance for healthcare employers facing severe shortages of respirators during the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The supply chain for respirators has improved but is not yet fully restored, according to Cal/OSHA.
The National Safety Council (NSC) urged Governor Larry Hogan (R-Md.), chairman of the National Governors Association (NGA), and Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.), vice chairman of the NGA, to develop consistent testing and tracing protocols for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections. The NSC and a coalition that included state safety councils called on the governors of […]
With offices across the country slowly reopening, workers are returning to a changed landscape with new procedures and office norms. This means that companies must review their emergency preparedness plans and adapt them to the realities of the pandemic.
The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP), the world’s oldest professional safety organization founded in 1911, is taking steps to improve diversity, equity and inclusion within the Society and throughout the occupational safety and health profession. The formation of a board-level task force this summer represents ASSP’s renewed commitment to principles of fairness, respect and […]
Due to increasing COVID-19 case counts across many states, public health officials are recommending source control measures to reduce disease transmission, including mandatory mask use in public places. Unfortunately, these measures rely upon the user’s effective compliance, both in work and in social settings. Growing evidence suggests that aerosols may play a part in the […]
Workers’ health and safety are increasingly at risk due to the impacts of climate change that include excessive heat, extreme weather, increasing air and water pollution, and infectious diseases, according to a new report issued July 28 by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
On July 30, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) revised its internal procedures for accessing employee medical records. The final rule shifts the authority for access from the assistant secretary of occupational safety and health to the OSHA medical records officer (MRO) (85 Federal Register 45780).
The rate of nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses has declined from 10.9 cases per 100 full-time employees in 1972 to 2.8 cases in 2018, the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) noted in its monthly publication, Beyond the Numbers. The July 2020 issue of the BLS’s publication, “Nearly 50 years of occupational safety and […]
Among the many health and safety concerns related to COVID-19 is the challenge posed to all of our collective mental health. Our current situation has put a strain on all of us to some extent, and with mental health challenges come a concern about potential workplace violence. It’s important for environment, health, and safety professionals […]
As the COVID-19 pandemic wears on, EHS professionals need to remain aware of the collective strain workers in their organization might be feeling, as long-term mental health challenges could create the potential for workplace violence. As it’s important for environment, health, and safety professionals to be prepared for any such threats to their businesses, and […]