A desire to go beyond regulatory compliance and increase the safety of employees is behind a Minnesota manufacturer’s use of OSHA’s On-Site Consultation Program, through the Minnesota OSHA (MNOSHA) Workplace Safety Consultation (WSC). That’s how Malco Products, Specific Benefit Corporation (SBC), achieved an OSHA Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) designation in 2004 – a designation it has maintained to this day.

The executive director of a California non-profit group advocating worker protection and justice has been nominated by Gov. Gavin Newsom to be the top administrator for California’s state-run worker safety agency, known as Cal/OSHA. The choice of Doug Parker, who has served since 2016 as executive director of Worksafe Inc. in Oakland, was announced Aug. 15 by the governor’s office.

People suffering from insomnia may have an increased risk of coronary artery disease, heart failure and stroke, according to new research in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation. Previous observational studies have found an association between insomnia, which affects up to 30% of the general population, and an increased risk of developing heart disease and stroke.

If a federal agency can be frustrated, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is frustrated. The NTSB is commemorating a five decades old railroad tragedy today, and pointing out that the safety recommendation it made in the wake of that incident remains largely unadopted, mostly due to Congressional interference. After investigating a 1969 train collision in Darien, Connecticut that killed four people and injured 43 others, the NTSB issued – for the first time - a recommendation related to positive train control (PTC),

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has unveiled five proposed changes to existing hours of service (HOS) rules for commercial motor vehicle drivers. Predictably, the revisions – which FMCSA says will increase safety and save money – are drawing mixed reactions. U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao said the changes would give commercial drivers more flexibility while maintaining the safety limits on driving time.

OSHA may “broaden the circumstances” under which certain employers would be permitted to comply with its Respirable Crystalline Silica Standard for Construction, according to a request for information and comment issued by the agency last week. OSHA is looking for information on additional engineering and work practice control methods to effectively limit exposure to silica.

OSHA has issued serious citations against the employer of two employees who died from carbon monoxide (CO) exposure while being transported to a jobsite. The incident involving AJR Landscaping, Inc. occurred when a gasoline-powered lawnmower was started inside an enclosed company trailer. OSHA initiated an inspection after the Washington Township New Jersey Police Department notified the agency that the workers had died.

Hinged knee pads that grip better, color blocked protective apparel and cutting edge dust removal equipment were the top occupational safety and health products featured on ISHN.com this week.

On average, Americans working full-time spend more than one-third of their day, five days per week at the workplace. The use of effective workplace programs and policies can reduce health risks and improve the quality of life for American workers. Learn more about workplace health promotion and how to design, implement, and evaluate effective workplace health programs.

Sitting for long periods of time has emerged as a significant health threat, associated with everything from obesity to metabolic syndrome, which can include high blood pressure, and high blood sugar and cholesterol levels. More companies and individuals are taking steps to reduce sitting time by moving to standing workstations, which have surfaces at heights that allow the user to stand while typing on a keyboard and viewing a monitor.