This week, Aug. 12 – 18, is Safe + Sound Week, an annual, nationwide event that recognizes the successes of workplace safety and health programs and offers information and ideas on how to keep America's workers safe. According to OSHA, last year more than 2,700 businesses participated in the program, which is aimed at helping employers get their programs started, energize an existing one, or recognizing their safety successes.

More Americans than previously estimated live within a city block of aged, underground natural gas storage wells, some more than a century old and most of them lacking modern designs to prevent major leaks, according to researchers from Harvard University.

OSHA has cited U.S. Nonwovens Corp. – a home and personal care fabric product manufacturer – for repeat and serious safety violations after an employee suffered a fractured hand at the plant in Hauppauge, New York. The company faces $287,212 in penalties. Investigators determined the employee’s injury occurred when his hand became caught in a fabric-softener sheet-cutting machine.

When the temperature goes up in the summer months, exercising outside can become challenging. Even heat-loving, sun-seeking exercisers can become overheated when the sun is beaming down in the heat of the day. Ample sunshine, longer days and warmer temperatures provide more opportunities for the whole family to get outside and get active!

After learning that a warning of a missile headed to Hawaii was a false alarm, the most anxious local Twitter users calmed down more quickly than less anxious users, according to a study of tweets before, during and after the event, published by the American Psychological Association (APA).

Driving is a grown-up activity that requires our full attention, yet a lot of people do it while doing…something else. While texting is the most alarming distraction – and the one that garners the most attention these days – it’s not the only activity that endangers motorists. Eating and drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, fiddling with the stereo, entertainment or navigation system and talking on the phone – even hands free – can all divert your attention away from the task of safe driving.

The International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) is seeking public comments on its proposed reaffirmation of ANSI/ISEA 101-2014, American National Standard for Limited-Use and Disposable Coveralls – Size and Labeling Requirements. The document provides requirements for finished dimensions, labeling and packaging for limited-use and disposable coveralls. It also provides guidance on selecting the appropriate garment size for the wearer.

Office workers are at high risk of experiencing musculoskeletal, or soft-tissue, disorders from repeated motion and awkward positions, such as sitting for long hours in front of a computer. Previous research has shown that safe and efficient, or ergonomic, office equipment can help reduce the risk, but obtaining the right equipment sometimes can be challenging.

Teton Steel of Montana is a premier reinforcing steel outfit located in Billings, Montana. This employee-owned and locally run company is dedicated to serving their customers, which range from the individual looking to complete a driveway to the huge corporate manager building a super highway.

Workers often tend to be healthier and live longer than their unemployed peers, who may be unable to work due to illness or other issues. A recent study by NIOSH and a university partner aimed to understand how to account for these “healthy worker effects” in studies among pregnant workers.