S+H Staff

“Workers – both indoors and outdoors – in services, transportation, agriculture, construction and other industries may be exposed to environmental cold stress that can lead to thermal discomfort, and in some cases even severe injuries, illnesses or death,” NIOSH warns.

Washington — Chemical Safety Board interim executive Stephen Owens affirmed his optimism that “we can rebuild and revitalize the CSB and perform our mission as Congress intended” during a Nov. 17 confirmation hearing before the Senate Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight Subcommittee.

Tumwater, WA — Updated fall protection rules in Washington state went into effect Nov. 1, bringing them in line with that of federal OSHA.

Iowa City, IA — Organizations seeking better safety results should adopt a more precise accounting system, a group of international researchers suggests.

Silver Spring, MD — Roughly half of the fatal workplace injuries related to electricity exposure in a recent 10-year period occurred in construction, according to a new report from CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training.

Redondo Beach, CA — Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization President Linda Reinstein is asking lawmakers to make a federal ban of asbestos – a known carcinogen – “a priority” during Congress’ current lame-duck session.

Sacramento, CA — In an effort to “enhance commercial vehicle safety” and “create consistency between state and federal regulations,” the California Highway Patrol is proposing the state adopt regulations requiring the use of electronic logging devices for commercial motor vehicle carriers involved in intrastate operations.

Washington — In response to a recent fire in a high school chemistry laboratory that resulted in multiple injuries, the Chemical Safety Board is calling on schools and educators to review agency guidance for lab and classroom work involving flammable liquids.

After handling raw food, do you stop and wash your hands before grabbing the spices you’ll be adding? If not, you should to avoid cross-contamination, researchers from Rutgers University are saying.

San Diego — Eating within set times while not skipping meals can reduce the cardiovascular health risks of firefighters and other shift workers, results of a recent study show.