Today's Safety News

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Hazardous substance releases can cause a wide range of immediate and chronic health effects, as well as lead to fires, explosions and toxic atmospheres. To help protect hazardous waste site workers from these dangers, J.J. Keller has developed its HAZWOPER 40-Hour Initial Training: General Waste Site Workers.

A young Google software engineer died at his desk Friday night in the company’s New York headquarters. News sources say 22-year-old Scott Krulcik was found unconscious at his work terminal at approximately 9 p.m. by a janitor. Emergency responders performed CPR but were unable to revive Krulcik. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Worksafe in Oakland, California has an opening for an Occupational & Environmental Health Specialist who will contribute scientific and technical expertise to Worksafe’s policy advocacy and trainings, and spearhead their efforts to protect workers from chemical hazards and toxic substances. The deadline for priority consideration is 12/12.

The EPA’s proposed rollback of Obama-era limits on greenhouse gases emitted by coal-fired plants is drawing opposition from health and environmental groups. At issue: Carbon Pollution Standards for New, Modified and Reconstructed Power Plants, enacted in 2015, which were intended to slow climate change and reduce its effects.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has released its first unmanned robotics guidance for first responders and others. NFPA 2400®, Standard for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) Used for Public Safety Operations was developed by representatives from public safety departments with unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), including the fire service, law enforcement, and emergency medical services.

OSHA has cited Derek Williams – operating as Elo Restoration Inc. – for exposing employees to fall hazards at two separate worksites in St. Augustine and Daytona Beach, Florida. The roofing contractor faces $116,551 in penalties. OSHA initiated an inspection as part of the Regional Emphasis Program on Falls in Construction.

The American Heart Association issued the following statement in response to the final rule on school nutrition standards issued yesterday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The rule eliminates the final sodium target, decreases the amount of whole grains, and allows 1 percent flavored milk in school meals.

A new form of training is aimed at countering physician burnout – a mental health issue which has emerged as a significant problem in the U.S. for both the medical professionals who suffer from it and the patients whose care may be affected by it. Physician burnout may lead to errors in care that can raise the cost of both health care – potentially putting it beyond some patients’ means – and malpractice insurance.

What does it mean to actively care for people’s safety? Is this the mission of behavior-based safety (BBS)? Let’s understand the difference between “caring” and “acting.” No one wants to see an individual get injured on the job. This is caring. Yet, many workers admit they do not act on their caring by providing behavioral feedback.

We sat down with Dr. Joshua Alpert, an orthopedic surgeon at Midwest Bone & Joint Institute in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, to talk about the ins and outs of hand injuries. He helped us to understand why hand injuries can be particularly serious and what recovery from an injury looks like.