The IPIECA – the global oil and gas industry association for advancing environmental and social performance - and the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP) have launched a new suite of guidance for the oil and gas industry: ‘Managing fatigue in the workplace’ The guidance includes fatigue management in the workplace, performance indicators for fatigue risk management systems, assessing risks from operator fatigue, and fatigue in fly-in, fly-out operations.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Heart Association (AHA) have put together a list of public health measures they say will reduce kids’ consumption of sugary drinks – a habit strongly linked to obesity, diabetes, heart disease and tooth decay. The recommendations in a joint policy statement issued by the two organizations, “Public Policies to Reduce Sugary Drink Consumption in Children and Adolescents,” include excise taxes, limits on marketing to children, and financial incentives for purchasing healthier beverages.

OSHA has cited ammunition manufacturer AMTEC Less Lethal Systems Inc. for exposing employees to explosive hazards after an explosion fatally injured two workers at the company’s Perry, Florida, facility. The company faces $188,290 in penalties for multiple serious violations, and a willful violation that carries the maximum penalty allowed.

A bill intended to protect employees in Nevada’s health care industry from workplace violence is getting its first hearing today. The state’s Assembly Commerce and Labor Committee will hear testimony from experts and stakeholders on A.B. 348, which would require health care employers to create comprehensive workplace violence prevention plans and track violent incidents in hospitals and other medical facilities.

The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) honors 12 new industrial hygiene and occupational and environmental heal and safety (IH//OEHS) professionals with the Fellows designation. These individuals have been nominated by their peers and recognized for their extraordinary contributions to the industrial hygiene profession. The new distinguished Fellows will be honored during the annual Mark of Excellence Awards Breakfast on Wednesday, May 22, at the 2019 American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

One of the deadliest industrial disasters in the history of the country – the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire - occurred in New York City on this day in 1911. The fire claimed the lives off 146 garment workers – many of whom jumped to their deaths from the 7th, 8th and 9th floors of the building in order to avoid the smoke and flames sweeping through their workplace.

Chemicals are used in manufacturing to make everything from food containers to your favorite pair of shoes. One such chemical is styrene, a colorless, strong-smelling liquid used to make plastics and rubber for these products and others, including insulation, fiberglass, pipes, vehicle parts, and carpet backing. During the manufacturing process, chemical vapors contaminate the air.

Cintas Corporation has become the first company to reach 100 sites with Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star certification from OSHA. The company’s Dayton, Ohio location became its 100th VPP location in early 2019. “Safety is woven into the DNA of Cintas’ culture, and we are extremely proud of this accomplishment,” said Scott Farmer, Chairman and CEO, Cintas. “Nearly 45,000 Cintas employee-partners across the country go to work every day, and it is our mission to make sure everyone goes home safe.”

Environmental groups are raising alarm about the consequences of using foam retardant to quell the enormous fire that raged for days at the International Terminals Co. (ITC) in Texas. Storage tanks that were ablaze at the chemical facility near the Deer Park facility contained gasoline blends, base oils, xylene, pyrolysis gasoline and naptha. ITC fire crews only managed to gain traction on the third day.

OSHA has proposed penalties of $1,326,367 to Dowa THT America Inc. – a metal heat treatment company based in Bowling Green, Ohio – after the company exposed employees to atmospheric, thermal, electrical, and mechanical hazards as they performed maintenance inside heat-treating furnaces. In addition to the penalties, the agency placed the company in the Severe Violator Enforcement Program.