Today's Safety News - Articles - Page 253

OSHA delays enforcement of silica standard

April 7, 2017

OSHA yesterday announced a delay in enforcement of the crystalline silica standard to September 23, 2017. The rule, which applies to the construction industry, was originally scheduled to begin June 23, 2017. The agency said the delay would enable it to conduct additional outreach and provide educational materials and guidance for employers.

Opinion

OSHA budget: Talk to your Representatives while they’re home

A Confined Space blog post

Jordan Barab

April 7, 2017

Now is the time for all good activists to come to the aid of working people. Funding for the Federal Government runs out on April 28. This means that before that date, if we are to avoid a government shutdown, the Senate and the House of Representatives will have to pass — and the President will have to sign — a new bill funding the government through the rest of Fiscal Year 2017.

Nontraditional work arrangement has upside but…

April 7, 2017

Telecommuting facilitates a better overall work-life balance but it can blur the boundaries between work and personal life, according to a new report from the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound).

Cancer death rates continue to decline

April 4, 2017

Overall cancer death rates continue to decrease in men, women, and children for all major racial and ethnic groups, according to the latest Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 1975-2014. The report finds that death rates during the period 2010-2014 decreased for 11 of the 16 most common types of cancer in men and for 13 of the 18 most common types of cancer in women, including lung, colorectal, female breast, and prostate cancers.

A FairWarning story

Smartphone distractions, drinking help spur rising pedestrian death toll

Paul Feldman

April 4, 2017

Pedestrian deaths are surging across the nation, and analysts are putting much of the blame on drivers and walkers who are looking at their smartphones instead of watching where they are going. Tipsy walking also is part of the problem, with one in three victims legally drunk when they were struck and killed.

We all have mental boundaries

Cross them at your own risk

Mike Williamsen Ph.D., CSP

April 1, 2017

What are boundaries? A practical definition is “the lines or limits that are not to be crossed,” such as not passing a school bus when its red lights are flashing and one doughnut per week. We all create boundaries, some less rigid than others, but they’re meant to benefit and protect us without getting in the way of what we want to accomplish.

Automation doesn’t replace the need for vigilance

Dr. John Kello

April 1, 2017

You might recall last year the fatal accident involving a self-driving Tesla. It reinforced the need to be vigilant even as we are assured (or assure ourselves) that “the machine will handle it.”

Politicians to get an earful for Workers Memorial Day

March 28, 2017

This year’s Workers Memorial Day, April 28, will be a little different. In addition to speeches and candlelit ceremonies, processions and pancake breakfasts, there’ll be activism – motivated by what advocates say is the Trump administration’s attacks on workplace safety.

NIOSH unveils new system for tracking sharps injuries

March 28, 2017

U.S. healthcare facilities are getting some help in tracking sharps incidents and blood and body fluid exposures among their workers – in the form of a new system developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

Would Labor nominee uphold silica rule?

Acosta declines to answer the question during hearings

March 27, 2017

If confirmed as U.S. labor secretary, will Alexander Acosta enforce OSHA’s already-in-effect silica rule? Or will the Trump nominee follow the president’s anti-regulatory agenda and nullify the regulation?