Category: Personnel Safety

Snow blower in winter

Cold Work Hazards Include Frostbite, Hypothermia, and … Carbon Monoxide

Two federal agencies have issued warnings about the hazards of working in cold weather. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reminded employers and workers that frostbite and hypothermia can occur when working in cold, wet, icy, or snowy conditions. And OSHA reminded employers about the carbon monoxide (CO) hazards of using portable […]

Workplace bullying, violence

Workplace Bullying Is a Workplace Safety Issue

Some EHS professionals may consider bullying an issue that falls on the shoulders of human resources (HR) to address. That’s a mistake, according to Catherine Mattice-Zundel, MA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, president of Civility Partners and a speaker at the upcoming 2019 Workplace Violence Prevention Symposium, taking place March 14th through 15th in San Antonio, Texas.

Pesticide worker

Rules for Noncertified Applicators of Restricted Use Pesticides (RUPs)

In January 2017, the EPA amended its regulations affecting the certification of applicators of restricted use pesticides (RUPs). In writing the amendments, the Agency needed to balance two somewhat opposing forces—strengthen requirements to ensure that applicators and particularly young applicators, as well as the families of applicators, were not harmed by exposure to RUPs while […]

Violence and substance abuse

EHS on Tap: E40 Understanding the Links between Workplace Violence and Substance Abuse

The threat from workplace violence is very real, and employers simply can’t afford to ignore it. Hopefully you already have a workplace violence prevention program in place, and if not, you’re steadily working toward implementing one. The issue is multifaceted, touching upon everything from active shooters to coworker conflict to domestic violence spillover. Our guest […]

ASCO Addresses Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs

An American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) panel began work on developing standards for the safe handling of hazardous drugs. The expert panel endorsed three sets of existing guidelines and standards. However, it also identified issues it felt existing standards did not adequately address.

Sensor Technology Could Help Detect Fatigue

The physical demands of advanced manufacturing can lead to worker fatigue, which can result in worker injuries and loss in productivity. Body sensors could help detect signs of fatigue and call attention to the need for interventions, according to a study released by the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP).

Marijuana grow operation

Explosion and Injury at Marijuana Processor Leads to Citation

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) cited a marijuana producer for a workplace explosion in which an employee suffered burns. As the marijuana industry takes hold in states allowing recreational marijuana use, state agencies are taking steps to ensure compliance with worker safety and health standards.

Holiday Hazards: Back and Shoulder Injuries

You may not think of carrying holiday dishes, decorations and gifts as “manual materials handling,” but that’s what it amounts to. The amount of lifting, carrying, hanging, and hauling that your workers do during the holidays may well exceed what they do at other times of the year. All that lifting and carrying puts them […]