Employees of a woodworking company in Greenville, Alabama performed their work without protective eyewear and respirators. Those were among the violations that got Harrison Industries LLC - operating as Structural Wood Systems Inc. – multiple OSHA citations. The company faces $85,362 in proposed penalties.

A new proposal released by the EPA yesterday would reduce the frequency of methane leak inspections required of oil and gas companies, and give those companies more time to fix leaks when they find them – changes the agency admits could harm public health. The move is the Trump administration’s latest effort to relax Obama-era regulations intended to combat climate change.

What are the big headlines in the respiratory protection world this year? Here are three areas safety and health professionals are watching closely.

If there is one constant in regulatory compliance, it’s change. This is a challenging reality for professionals whose success depends on keeping up with the regulations governing their respective industries.

OSHA has several ways in which it interacts with companies in programs that address industry-specific hazards or that help enhance worker safety on specific projects. The OSHA Strategic Partnership Program (OSPP) focuses on focus on improving safety and health in major corporations, government agencies, at large construction projects and private sector industries where OSHA has jurisdiction.

Dan Petersen, one of the great thinkers in the history of occupational safety, in a 2005 book, “Measurement of Safety Performance,” tore apart the traditional barometers of safety performance, the OSHA total case incident rate, total lost-workday cases, fatalities and other measures.

Virginia Occupational Safety and Health issued five citations and $304,130 in penalties to Lanford Brothers Company for exposing workers to respirable crystalline silica hazards while using jackhammers to remove concrete from bridge piers.

For Ron Hope, value safety manager for Luck Companies, the range of gloves on the market can be confusing. In his industry, the primary wearers of hand impact protection are maintenance workers carrying out tasks involving heavy lifting, handling steel and swinging hammers.

A measure gaining traction in New York City would require restaurants to serve healthy beverages rather than sugary drinks in kids’ meal combos. The Healthy Kids Meals Bill announced this week by NYC Speaker Corey Johnson would make water, milk and 100% fruit juice the standard beverages in restaurant offerings aimed at children.