S+H Staff

In a perfect world, safety would be easy. Leaders would look at past incidents, identify how to avoid them and make sure everyone followed the rules. But real life is not so simple. The workplace is always changing – making it critical that employees be able to detect and respond to real-time changes in risk.

Washington – Many health care professionals do not know when to wear respiratory protection, what type is needed in certain scenarios and how to use the equipment properly, according to a recent NIOSH study.

Washington – OSHA will be requesting input from stakeholders this fall on how to increase the effectiveness of its Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory Program.

Washington – NIOSH has announced plans to expand its health surveillance program for coal miners.

Washington – President Barack Obama has announced that he intends to nominate Christopher Hart as chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board.

Waco, TX – The 2013 fertilizer plant explosion in West, TX, injured more than 250 people, causing contusions, lacerations, brain injuries and more, according to a report released June 24 by the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District and Texas Department of State Health Services.

Rochester, MN – Facial hair increases the risk of burns for people who use home oxygen tanks, suggests a new study from the Mayo Clinic.

Washington – The Department of Veterans Affairs has launched a registry to track the health of veterans exposed to burn pits and other airborne hazards in recent military operations, including Iraq and Afghanistan.

Arlington, VA – The American Trucking Associations has filed formal comments urging the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to swiftly issue a mandate for commercial truck drivers to use electronic logging devices.

Silver Spring, MD – Decorative contact lenses can cause serious eye damage if they are not fitted by a doctor, according to a report from the Food and Drug Administration.