With the new year comes new maximum penalty amounts for safety violations leveled by OSHA, due to an annual adjustment for inflation. Here are the maximum penalty amounts that may now be assessed by the agency (as of Jan. 15, 2020.)

“We are extremely disappointed that the USDA is once again rolling back nutrition standards in our schools. First, the Trump Administration weakened requirements for sodium and whole grains, and now these proposed changes would allow schools to serve fewer fruits and grains, a smaller variety of vegetables, and less healthy entrees that aren’t part of a balanced meal. These changes are unnecessary and put children’s health at risk."

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit has found a Jacksonville, Florida-based roofing contractor in contempt of court for failing to pay $2,202,049 in penalties assessed by OSHA for safety and health violations at worksites in Florida. The Department of Labor filed a petition with the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals for summary enforcement against Great White Construction Inc., Florida Roofing Experts Inc. and owner Travis Slaughter.

People who live in U.S. counties where automobile assembly plants close are much more likely to die of opioid overdoses than the general public, according to a study published on the JAMA network. Researchers compared data between counties with automotive plants that were closed between 1999 and 2016 with those that remained open. Automotive assembly plant closures were associated with a statistically significant increase in county-level opioid overdose mortality rates among adults aged 18 to 65 years.

This study found that workers employed in temporary agencies had higher overall injury rates than permanently employed workers performing comparable work from 2001 to 2013 among Ohio‐insured private employers. Injured temporary agency workers were younger, more likely to be male, and had less tenure (especially those with less than a year on the job) compared to permanently employed workers.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has a plan for reducing the leading cause of work-related deaths in the U.S. – and it wants your input. The NIOSH Center for Motor Vehicle Safety Strategic Plan, 2020-2029 is intended to address risks faced by millions of workers who drive or ride in a motor vehicle as part of their jobs.

Whether they’re scissor lifts, boom lifts or some other kind of powered, mobile platform used to elevate workers to various heights, aerial lifts are very useful – and potentially dangerous. Aerial lifts can be found at construction and telecommunications job sites and in warehouses. They’re used for everything from painting, drywall installation, maintenance, moving materials – even changing lightbulbs.

After getting ejected from the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) investigation into the crash of one of its vehicles, Tesla – along with everyone else – will learn the probable cause of the incident when the agency discloses it in a meeting next month. On March 23, 2018, a 2017 Tesla Model X electric-powered passenger vehicle, crashed while traveling southbound on US Highway 101 in Mountain View, California.

While registered attendees prepare for next month’s SafetyFOCUS in Las Vegas, the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) is already recruiting instructors for the event’s 2021 edition that shifts to the MGM Grand. It’s an opportunity for safety experts to make a difference by contributing to the continuing education of occupational safety and health (OSH) professionals worldwide.

The wildfires raging through Australia are stark reminders that other parts of the world – including the U.S. – are also at risk, due to factors related to climate change, like warmer temperatures and drier conditions that lengthen the wildfire season and help a fire spread once it’s ignited. Even if your home or place of employment is not directly threatened by flames, you could be affected by the smoke from wildfires that are burning many miles away.