An estimated 7% of the U.S. fatalities recorded by MSHA between 1995 and 2011 occurred in a confined space. To reduce that number, conveyor operators are wise to understand exactly how a confined space is defined, and to consider what they can do to prevent serious injuries.

Last year, the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA) focus was largely on responding strategically to spikes in particular causes of mining accidents. That’s according to Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health David Zatezalo, who reviews the agency’s 2019 activity in a post on the U.S. Department of Labor blog.

In New Jersey, a company that passed its OSHA safety inspection in 2018 experienced a worker fatality January 18th of this year, according to news sources. Twenty-eight-year-old Felipe Rodriguez-Tzon died while cleaning under a conveyer in a Safeway Fresh Foods freezer warehouse in Vineland. The incident occurred shortly after midnight.

Although machines are indispensable to modern work, machine-related incidents remain a common cause of injuries in plants and other workplaces. The effects of these injuries can be considerable. Often, the effects range from minor scrapes and scratches to permanent disability and even fatalities. Not only do these incidents cause costly and time-consuming damage to machinery, but they can also negatively impact employee morale.

With 2020 barely underway, the poultry industry has already experienced two workplace fatalities, at facilities in two different states. The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH) says those incidents, along with a government-approved increase in line speeds at poultry slaughterhouses, illustrate the need for safety reforms in the industry. The poultry industry maintains that employees are considerably safer now on the job than in the past, and points to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data to back up that claim.

A massive explosion and fire this morning at a Houston, Texas manufacturing facility damaged homes and injured at least one person, according to news sources. The 4:15 a.m. blast at Watson Grinding and Manufacturing sent a fireball into the air and knocked nearby residents out of their beds. Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo tweeted that debris was scattered a half-mile from the explosion site.

Petzl, manufacturer of professional safety equipment, will release a new headlamp, the SWIFT RL PRO, next month. An ultra-compact headlamp, the SWIFT RL PRO is bright and lightweight, offering 900 lumens and weighing only 4 ounces.

A fire and explosions at a refinery in Pennsylvania have resulted in an energy company being cited by OSHA for serious violations related to process safety management (PSM). Philadelphia Energy Solutions faces $132,600 in penalties stemming from the June 2019 incident at its Girard Point Refinery Complex in Philadelphia.

Streamlight® Inc., a leading provider of high-performance lighting, introduced the MacroStream® USB, a compact, lightweight personal light that provides exceptional performance for its size, delivering 500 lumens, 2 hours of run time on high, and 8 hours on low.

A Nashville sheet metal manufacturer has received accolades from the state of Tennessee for its zero lost time achievement in 2018. “We are thrilled to join an elite group of companies committed to a safe work environment for their employees.” says Scott Eder, the company’s Safety Director.