2023 January/February

In this combination January/February issue, standards and compliance are the main focus with articles discussing the top 10 most-violated OSHA standards as well as lone worker safety, what to expect when NFPA 660 arrives, oil and gas safety, and much more.

OSHA's Top 10 most frequently cited workplace safety violations

Top 10 OSHA Violations for Fiscal Year 2022

Benita Mehta

February 13, 2023

The following is a guide to the top 10 most violated standards of 2022 with quick tips and educational information on each standard.

Don’t let safety slip through the cracks

Leak detection and repair crucial maintenance practices

Benjamin Fuentes

February 10, 2023

In the oil and gas sector, methane emissions from refineries are a particular concern, as they can not only damage the environment, but also threaten the safety of workers and the local community.

How to protect lone workers who deal with confined spaces and fall risk

Gen Handley

February 9, 2023

Regardless of the specific industry or job, lone workers face unique occupational risks due to their isolation from others.

5 key ways to protect your hands during construction work

Rick Pedley

February 9, 2023

Working construction can lead to debilitating hand injuries. Crews can use these safety tips to protect their hands when using potentially hazardous equipment.

NFPA 660: One combustible dust standard to rule them all

Answers to common questions about the upcoming changes

Ali Roth

February 8, 2023

Currently designated as NFPA 660: Standard for Combustible Dusts, the all-encompassing standard will be completed in 2024 and likely released in late 2024/early 2025.

11 trends about violence in the workplace safety professionals need to know

ASSP The American Society of Safety Professionals

February 8, 2023

Safety professionals are responsible for mitigating the many ways employees are endangered on the job, including the potential for violent crime.

Leading Safety

Unintentional biases based on personal experience may affect the workplace

Attribution — a hidden risk factor

Peter G. Furst

February 7, 2023

People can make relatively logical assessment of situations and information, but we have to be careful of possible biases in our interaction with others.

Editorial Comments

Workplace fatalities increased nearly 9% in 2021

Benita Mehta

February 7, 2023

There were 5,190 fatal work injuries recorded in the United States in 2021, an 8.9 percent increase from 4,764 in 2020.

Best Practices

How to prepare for rise in cancer rates

Survey on work-related exposure in EU to be published this year

Dan Markiewicz MS, CIH, CSP, RMP

February 6, 2023

Within the coming decades, lifetime cancer risk i.e., cancer incidence in the U.S. will increase 50%-70% mainly because of population growth and an aging population.