Articles Tagged with ''occupational exposure''

Alexander Acosta has moved a step closer toward being confirmed U.S. Labor secretary after being approved last week by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

The IRSST just published a new research report those purpose is to contribute to confined space accident prevention by helping companies apply existing regulations. Researchers wanted to gain a better understanding of confined space risk management and identify issues based on the literature and field observations, and develop a confined space risk analysis and work categorization tool that meets the needs defined in the first stage of the project.

While regulations are being rolled back at the federal level, the state of California is implementing new ones, including a regulation aimed at protecting the state’s health care workers from on-the-job violence that takes effect on April 1, 2017.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt signed an order yesterday denying a petition that sought to ban chlorpyrifos, a pesticide the agency deemed potentially dangerous to consumers – during the Obama administration. The EPA cited scientific uncertainty about chlorpyrifos’s risks in its decision.

With a fatality rate of 25.1 per 100,000 workers compared to 3.8 for all industries, the landscaping industry’s dangers are obvious – even more so when the numbers are broken down by tasks: landscaping/groundskeeping workers (10.1 per 100,000 workers), pesticide handlers (15.4) and tree trimmer/pruners (an astounding 179.9).

A new checklist developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) can help companies evaluate the effectiveness of their Hearing Loss Prevention Programs* (HLPPs) and better protect their workers from noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).

OSHA has delayed the effective date of its rule to lower beryllium exposure limits for a second time, to May 20, 2017. The agency said in a statement that the change will allow for “additional review into questions of law and policy.”

This year’s Workers Memorial Day, April 28, will be a little different. In addition to speeches and candlelit ceremonies, processions and pancake breakfasts, there’ll be activism – motivated by what advocates say is the Trump administration’s attacks on workplace safety.

If confirmed as U.S. labor secretary, will Alexander Acosta enforce OSHA’s already-in-effect silica rule? Or will the Trump nominee follow the president’s anti-regulatory agenda and nullify the regulation?