Have suggestions for making OSHA’s online training classes more affordable? Want tips on preventing cold stress among your employees? Here are updates from OSHA:

A Florida construction company has logged 0 injuries and illnesses this year, after a steady decline in incidents that the company attributes to working with the University of South Florida (USF), SafetyFlorida Consultation Program. Stile Construction’s workplace safety success has earned it membership in OSHA’s Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) program, which recognizes small business employers who have used OSHA On-Site Consultation Program services and operate exemplary safety and health programs.

There was plenty of blame to go around in the report released yesterday by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) into its investigation of an automated test vehicle crash last year, but most of it was assigned to Uber, the company conducting the test. A pedestrian was killed in the March 18 collision in Tempe, Arizona involving an Uber Advanced Technologies Group (ATG) vehicle - a 2017 Volvo XC90, modified with a proprietary developmental automated driving system.

Fifty-one years ago today, a massive explosion killed 78 coal miners in West Virginia and led to significant changes in mining safety through the passage of the 1969 Coal Mine Safety and Health Act. On Sunday, family members of the workers who perished in the Farmington Mine disaster and coal miners and their families gathered in Marion County for a solemn ceremony that has taken place every year for more than a half a century.

Although smoking rates have dropped dramatically in the U.S. - from 42% in 1965 to 14% in 2017 - some groups continue to have high prevalence of cigarette smoking. That’s according to the American Cancer Society (ACS), which is using the upcoming Great American Smokeout as an opportunity to highlight this “hidden epidemic.”

The International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) bestowed its 2019 Robert B. Hurley Distinguished Service Award on Abby Ferri, CSP at its Award Dinner on Nov. 18 at the Ritz Carlton Pentagon City, Arlington Va. “The Distinguished Service Award is reserved for an outstanding individual who has made significant contributions to the advancement and promotion of workplace safety and health,” said Charles Johnson, President of ISEA.

State and local governments and metro planning organizations are among the entities who can apply for up to half a million dollars each to use in developing, refining, and deploying safety tools that address specific roadway safety problems. The funds – which will be disbursed by the U.S. Department of Transportation – are intended to help the awardees use innovative data tools and information to improve roadway safety.

The National Safety Council (NSC) and OSHA have renewed their commitment to continue working together to promote workplace health and safety. Lorraine M. Martin, NSC president and CEO, and Loren Sweatt, deputy assistant secretary of labor for OSHA, yesterday signed an Alliance Program Ambassador relationship. The two organizations have been in an Alliance since 2003.

Construction trade and extraction workers (CTEW) are at high-risk for drug use, according to a study published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence, that found marijuana, cocaine, and non-prescription opioid (NPO) use in particular was higher among that group. Construction trade and extraction workers: A population at high risk for drug use in the United States, 2005–2014 also revealed that: Precarious employment was associated with increased odds of marijuana and NPO use.

Wearable technologies are an increasingly popular consumer electronic for a variety of applications at home and at work. In general, these devices include accessories and clothing that incorporate advanced electronic technologies, often with smartphone or ‘internet of things’ (IoT) connectivity. While wearables are increasingly being used to improve health and well-being by aiding in personal fitness, innovative applications for monitoring occupational safety and health risk factors are becoming more common.