Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
No safety technology is changing as fast as that employed in PPE. The devices of just a few years ago are now obsolete by replacements that are lighter, easier to use, and more protective. These resources alert you to developments in the field, and equally important, supply training ideas to get your workers to use their PPE, and use it correctly.
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Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, employers have struggled to understand the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) position on cloth face coverings and surgical masks, specifically whether the agency requires or recommends their use and whether they constitute personal protective equipment (PPE).
Exceptions from respiratory protection regulations allowing the use of surgical masks only apply to healthcare facilities and emergency medical services, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reminded employers. Other employers must provide respirators, the agency explained in guidance discussing the differences among cloth face coverings, surgical masks, and respirators.
Non-National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-approved filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) made in China are no longer authorized for decontamination, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on June 6.
On May 11, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued an alert for dental practitioners during the COVID-19 pandemic. OSHA alerted employers and workers to increased risk of occupational exposures to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published guidance for employers reopening their businesses as states lift stay-at-home orders issued this spring in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued enforcement guidance allowing the decontamination and reuse of N95 respirators during the COVID-19 pandemic on a case-by-case basis. The interim guidance to the agency’s Compliance Safety and Health Officers (CSHOs) allows the reuse, in certain circumstances, of filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) decontaminated using methods that have shown […]
April 16, 2020 (Falls Church, VA)—As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads across the globe, so does misinformation on personal protective equipment (PPE), decontamination, and indoor air quality. These misunderstandings are putting healthcare workers and the general public at an even greater risk. The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) has launched a public education effort to provide […]
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is the last line of defense against hazards, and it has the potential to prevent injuries and save lives. But safety glasses can’t work when they’re perched on an employee’s forehead; a hard hat is useless if left sitting on the breakroom table; and what is the point of safety gloves […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) suggested that employers consider using filtering facepiece respirators certified under other countries’ standards in light of shortages of N95 respirators. The agency issued interim enforcement guidance to regional administrators and state-run occupational safety and health programs temporarily permitting their use.
Facial hair prevents employees from effectively wearing tight-fitting respirators. Experts at Safety.BLR.com® were recently asked who bears the responsibility for paying for alternate options, such as a Powered Air-Purifying Respirator (PAPR). There are both safety and human resources considerations—read on to see the answer.