News

Washington — The House Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill for fiscal year 2019 includes language that would grant another electronic logging device exemption for livestock and insect haulers.

Washington — The Chemical Safety Board is reiterating its call for OSHA to enact a comprehensive general industry standard for combustible dust – a potential hazard the board calls a “critical issue in industrial safety.”

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency intends to finalize a proposed ban on the use of methylene chloride in paint stripping, the agency announced May 10.

Atlanta — Disease cases stemming from mosquito, tick and flea bites more than tripled from 2004 to 2016 in the United States, and outdoor workers remain among those at risk, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states in a new report.

Boston — U.S. employers spent more than $1 billion a week on the most disabling injuries and illnesses in 2015, according to the Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index, an annual ranking of serious, nonfatal workplace injuries based on direct workers’ compensation costs.

Atlanta — Falls overboard are the second leading cause of death in commercial fishing operations, according to a recent study from NIOSH.

Washington — A recent attempt to hack the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners website was unsuccessful and no personal information was exposed, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Austin, TX — The Texas Department of Insurance’s Division of Workers’ Compensation has produced a series of educational videos intended to simplify the subject of workers’ comp for employees.

Smithfield, RI — Honeywell Safety Products has issued a voluntary recall of approximately 82,500 hard hats, stating that the equipment may provide insufficient protection from impact and put wearers at risk of head injury.

Oakbrook Terrace, IL — Prompted by OSHA data showing that about three-quarters of workplace assaults occur in health care and social service settings, accreditation organization The Joint Commission has released a Sentinel Event Alert on the issue.