U.S. Congressman Don Bacon’s (R-NE) efforts to help protect the nation’s workers have won him recognition from the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) in the form of a Legislative Leadership Award. The award was presented to Bacon on February 26.

When working in freezing temperatures, it always pays to be prepared. Whether you’re working in a year-round cold environment such as cold storage or you’re working construction in the dead of winter, knowing a few cold weather safety tips can help you remain both functional and comfortable on the job.

People who work outside or who do the heavy lifting for a living are often jealous of office workers. “They have it so easy!” you hear them say, “They never have to worry about the heat, the cold, or being injured.” While the office temperature is debatable, it is not true that desk jobs carry no risk of injury. The CDC states that in 1999, about 1 million people took time off work to recover from musculoskeletal injuries due to poor economics, costing businesses about $50 billion each year in lost wages and productivity.

The International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) has released a new standard — ANSI/ISEA 138-2019, American National Standard for Performance and Classification for Impact Resistant Hand Protection — to improve on the impact performance of industrial gloves. The new standard builds upon the widely used ANSI/ISEA 105-2016, American National Standard for Hand Protection Classification.

The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) has announced leadership changes on two ANSI/ASSP standards committees that work to advance occupational safety and health across the country. Voluntary consensus standards promote best practices and prevent worker injuries, illnesses and fatalities.

The employers of a worker killed on a light rail tunnel project in San Francisco failed to identify potential hazards and to train workers on safety procedures, according to Cal/OSHA, which has issued $65,300 in penalties in the fatality. The incident occurred last August, while employees were using heavy equipment and tools to work in and around the tunnel.

OSHA has cited Hilti Inc. – a hardware merchant wholesaler – for exposing employees to struck-by hazards after an employee was injured while operating a forklift at a distribution center in Atlanta, Georgia. The Plano, Texas-based company faces penalties of $164,802.

The number of coal company officials charged in a case involving defrauding regulators about black lung disease has risen to nine, according to a recent announcement from the U.S. Department of Labor. U.S. Attorney Russell M. Coleman said Glendal “Buddy” Hardison, the former manager of all Armstrong Coal mines in western Kentucky, is the latest official from thecompany to be charged by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to defraud an agency of the U.S. government by deceit, trickery, and dishonest means.

A bill intended to reduce workplace violence in the healthcare industry is getting strong support from the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) and nursing organizations, but a labor lawyer says it prevents stakeholders from having a say in the rulemaking process. Recently re-introduced by Representative Joe Courtney (D-CT), H.R. 1309 is entitled, "Caring for Our Caregivers: Protecting Health Care and Social Service Workers from Workplace Violence.”

A coalition of leading health organizations is criticizing "allies" of the tobacco industry for launching “an outrageous attack” on the FDA in its efforts to address the youth e-cigarette epidemic. A statement by the American Cancer Society, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Public Health Law Center and Truth Initiative notes that the skyrocketing use of e-cigarettes by young people calls for a comprehensive public health response including strong regulatory and enforcement efforts by the FDA.