Environmental Health and Safety

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The use of digital devices, including personal computers, tablets and cell phones, continues to increase.  And the impact of prolonged usage can often be felt in the eye. In fact, because of extended use of these devices, close to 70 percent of American adults experience some form of digital eyestrain, according to a new report from The Vision Council.

With warmer weather hopefully on the way, OSHA wants to know how effective its heat illness prevention campaign website. The agency is gathering stakeholder input on the campaign using a brief survey to evaluate the website and and to identify possible modifications for next year.

Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) released a draft bill entitled the Chemicals in Commerce Act (CICA) on Thursday, Feb. 27 that provides no significant improvements in protecting public health and the environment from toxic chemicals. Many of the provisions in the draft bill maintain the already deficient approaches to health protections now included under the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), our nation's outdated and ineffective chemical safety law.

Income level, occupational type and gender all play a part in whether or not a U.S. worker gets paid sick leave, according to a new study by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. “Paid sick days bring substantial benefits to employers, workers, families, and communities,” according to by Claudia Williams, Barbara Gault, Ph.D., authors of:Paid Sick Days Access in the United States: Differences by Race/Ethnicity, Occupation, Earnings, and Work Schedule

ACGIH^® has released its 2014 editions of the TLVs^® and BEIs^®book and the Guide to Occupational Exposure Values. The information in the user-friendly, pocket-sized TLVs^® and BEIs^®book is used worldwide as a guide for evaluation and control of workplace exposures to chemical substances and physical agents.

Workers who perform safety-sensitive jobs, like operating motor vehicles, forklifts, cranes, or other heavy equipment, should not be prescribed opioids for treatment of chronic or acute pain.

When employees don’t trust their work order system to make safety improvements at their plants, it impacts the drive and desire of employees to not push as hard or do as much to manage the behavioral side of safety.

In a recent international survey of nearly 4,000 professionals, 76 percent said they go above and beyond what is required by law and regulations when it comes to managing health and safety at work. Fully 90 percent of respondents said OHS has become an integrated part of today’s corporate strategy.