A fatal fall, hazmat exposure and trenching hazards are among the workplace conditions that resulted in federal and state OSHA violations in recent cases.

A Certified Safety Professional (CSP) with 17 years’ experience in the field has found a way to communicate safety messages to workers by way of their taste buds. Cynthia Braun, who is also a Certified Environmental Trainer (CET), and Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM), is the is the President and Principal Consultant of Braun Safety Associates, LLC, an occupational safety consulting and training firm in Littleton, CO.

A skilled nursing facility in Cheyenne, Wyoming has achieved injuries, illnesses and lost days that are dramatically below the average for their industry since it began working with Wyoming OSHA Consultation. From 2016 through 2017, the Davis Hospice Center’s Total Recordable Case Rate (TRC) rate was zero, and their Days Away from Work, Job Transfer and Restriction (DART) rate was also zero. These rates are astounding when discussing the healthcare industry and health and safety challenges they face.

Farm workers are at high risk for heat-related illness in hot temperatures, especially during summer crop production. Farming is also physically demanding, further increasing the likelihood of developing heat-related illness. In California, where an estimated 30%-40% of U.S. farm workers are employed, temperatures in the state’s Central Valley – are typically in the 90s in June and July.

OSHA has cited framing contractor Navy Contractors, Inc. for willfully exposing employees to fall hazards at residential construction sites in Royersford, Collegeville, and Center Valley, Pennsylvania. The company faces $603,850 in penalties. The agency initiated inspections at the three jobsites after inspectors saw employees performing framing work without fall protection.

A flash burn is a painful inflammation of the cornea, which is the clear tissue that covers the front of the eye. A flash burn occurs when you are exposed to bright ultraviolet (UV) light. It can be caused by all types of UV light, but welding torches are the most common source. That’s why it is sometimes called ‘welder’s flash’ or ‘arc eye.’

According to the Mayo Clinic, hand numbness is usually caused by damage, irritation or compression of one of the nerves or a branch of one of the nerves in your arm and wrist. Diseases affecting the peripheral nerves, such as diabetes, also can cause numbness, although with diabetes similar symptoms usually occur first in your feet.

Every day, an average of 137 workers in the United States lose their lives to diseases and illnesses caused by on-the-job exposures to hazards like silica dust, asbestos, and a wide variety of toxic chemicals. That means every year, roughly 50,000 people die from occupational illnesses, and the toll is likely much higher because of underreporting and incomplete statistics.

OSHA is using – what else? – social media to reach young people who may soon be working in summer jobs. The goal: to give them tips in staying safe in the workplace. Because teens with little or no experience may not always recognize the hazards in their workplaces, they are especially vulnerable to occupational injuries and fatalities. OSHA and the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division will run a social media campaign through May 17 (with the hashtag #MySafeSummerJob) to educate young workers how to protect themselves on the job.

The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP), the world’s oldest professional safety organization, has announced its new leaders from the 2019 Society elections. All terms begin July 1. Diana Stegall, CSP, CFPS, ARM, SMS, CPCU, will serve as ASSP president for 2019-20. “Elections are the heart of a professional society, and it’s great to see our members staying involved,” said ASSP President Rixio Medina, CSP, CPP, whose term expires June 30.