California employers are going to have to move fast in order to comply with an emergency occupational safety regulation expected to go into effect in early August.
The rule adopted last week by the state’s Department of Industrial Relations’ (DIR) Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board is aimed at protecting workers from hazards associated with wildfire smoke.
A health problem that has plagued astronauts returning from space – and some earthbound people as well – is lessened by daily exercise, researchers have found. Orthostatic hypotension - a temporary drop in blood pressure occurring when a person stands up after sitting or lying down - has caused newly returned astronauts to faint or feel dizzy.
Workers toiling in a trench in St. Louis, Missouri were in danger because their workspace was unprotected by a trench box or some other trench protection, according to OSHA, which cited R.V. Wagner Inc for multiple violations.
The citations issued to the Affton, Missouri-based company were for a project involving the installation of concrete storm water pipes. Proposed penalties for violations of trench safety standards: $212,158.
Next to the real thing, virtual reality training is the best way to learn. VR training has been around for many years and in many forms, but generally was limited to people with deep pockets such as the military, NASA and the airline industry with use of flight simulators, for example.
The Center of Visual Expertise presents a one-hour free webinar on Wednesday July 24: “Learning to SEE: A New Perspective on Risk Utilizing Visual Literacy. In this webinar, COVE Chairman and Managing Director Doug Pontsler introduces concepts that help enable workers to process visual information more clearly.
More than 1,200 miners could lose their healthcare by the end of the year, unless Congress takes action on the American Miners Act of 2019. Sponsored by Senator Joe Manchin D-W.Va., the measure, Senate Bill 27, would amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to transfer funds to the 1974 United Mine Workers of America Pension Plan.
Bankruptcy laws are expected to free the Westmoreland Mining Company of its responsibilities under the coal act, leaving miners – including those suffering from black lung disease – in the lurch.
The 2016 case of a worker killed by an electric shock while repairing a ceiling light fixture came to a close recently, with an administrative law judge affirming OSHA citations issued to the man’s employer.
The fatality involved a worker who was untrained in electrical safety work practices. The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC) judge ruled that Jersey City Medical Center willfully failed to train the employee for the hazardous electrical work he was directed to perform.
Patrick Pizella, the man who’ll become acting Labor Secretary tomorrow, is “hard-working and no-nonsense” and will likely push for more employer-friendly safety standards, according to a former colleague.
Deputy U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) secretary since April 2018, Pizella will fill the vacancy left by the recent departure of Alexander Acosta, who resigned amid controversy over his role in a lenient 2008 plea deal with convicted sex offender – and billionaire – Jeffrey Epstein. Pizella held positions in several agencies during four different Administrations, including on the Federal Labor Relations Authority, to which he was appointed by President Barack Obama.
Two Susan Harwood Training Grant Program recipients have developed free training programs to help protect construction workers from fall hazards.
The University of Tennessee training program offers three modules on OSHA's role in workplace safety, health and safety standards affecting construction workers, and preventing common types of falls at construction sites.