For the first time, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has launched a National Emphasis Program to protect millions of workers from heat illness and injuries. Through the program, OSHA will conduct heat-related workplace inspections before workers suffer completely preventable injuries, illnesses or, even worse, fatalities.

 Workplace early intervention programs help reduce the occurrence of sprain, strain, and repetitive motion injuries in the workplace. The way we prepare for physical tasks associated with the workplace really does matter. Workplace early intervention programs help reduce the occurrence of sprain, strain, and repetitive motion injuries in the workplace.

Did you know that the CDC lists hearing loss as the third most common chronic physical condition among adults in the United States? It’s important to know that noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is the most common permanent but preventable occupational injury.

Heat stress occurs when employees are exposed to high heat and high humidity environments, indoors or outdoors. Though preventable, heat stress signs and symptoms can go unrecognized until the full exposure to the heat presents itself.

No matter what hustle culture might try to teach us, people are not machines. They get tired when overworked, and fatigue can create a safety hazard. This is especially true in industrial settings, where the presence of heavy machinery and other potential workplace hazards make alertness more critical for employees.

Employers play an important role in engaging employees in healthy lifestyles, and research shows that employers who invest in the emotional health of their workforce see a return on that investment with improved safety performance. In fact, mental and emotional health, as it relates to worker safety and productivity, is one of the hottest topics being discussed in board rooms, human resource departments and executive offices across industries. 

Since the COVID-19 vaccination was made available to the public in late 2020, the topic of vaccination has been widely discussed across the country including in the daily news, by governments and agencies, in the courts, in communities, and in the workplace. From the very beginning, federal, state, and local governments/agencies have engaged in campaigns to encourage vaccination; passed laws mandating vaccination in the workplace, public places, government buildings, and elsewhere; and incentivized vaccination. Indeed, President Biden’s Administration made COVID-19 vaccination a predominant part of its national strategy to combat the pandemic.