Are all brands and models donned the same? No. Not all brands and models are donned (put on) the same way. That is why it is important that you always consult the manufacturer’s user instructions before putting on (donning) a new brand or model of respirator.

Moving construction vehicles and equipment pose a significant risk of injury and death to workers on roadway construction worksites – risks that are heightened by poor visibility and day-to-day changes in the layout of the site.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), in partnership with the Canadian Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders, has released a new report that can help occupational health and safety practitioners more accurately and efficiently assess postural stress of workers performing their duties at work.

Why is control banding useful? The occupational exposure limit (OEL) is the marker that shows the level of control needed for a chemical. Repeated daily exposure by inhaling a chemical at an airborne concentration below its OEL is unlikely to lead to harm in most workers. However, many thousands of chemicals are in use, and it is not possible to have an OEL for every chemical, chemical mixture, fume, or emission.

Employees who use nanomaterials in research or production processes may be exposed to nanoparticles through inhalation, dermal contact, or ingestion, depending upon how employees use and handle them. Although the potential health effects of such exposure are not fully understood at this time, scientific studies indicate that at least some of these materials are biologically active, may readily penetrate intact human skin, and have produced toxicologic reactions in the lungs of exposed experimental animals.

Hydraulic fracturing or “fracking”  is the process of injecting large volumes of water, sand, and chemicals into the ground at high pressure to break up shale formation allowing more efficient recovery of oil and gas.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Office for Total Worker Health (TWH)™ recently launched an Affiliate Program in order to increase the number of work environments that support the overall safety, health and well-being of workers. Inaugural members of the NIOSH TWH Affiliate Program include the University of Colorado, School of Public Health and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

The food manufacturing industry includes animal slaughtering as well as the processing and packaging of meat, dairy, fruit, vegetable, grain, seafood, beverages, and bakery products. The industry employs nearly 1.5 million workers.¹ Work in food manufacturing is typically fast-paced and workers can face exposure to hazards such as slips trips and falls, musculoskeletal disorders, and machine-related injuries.²

A PtD update, tree trimmer fatalities and the ASSE gets a new president. These were among the EHS-related news stories featured on ISHN.com this week.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has released a new report, The State of the National Initiative on Prevention through Design (PtD), describing what it calls “significant progress” in minimizing worker risks through research, practice, education and policy.