News

Portland, OR – Worker fatalities in Oregon dipped to their lowest level in at least seven years in 2012, according to a new report from the Oregon Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation program.

Whitewater, WI – One-third of residential construction contractors who participated in a recent study said their firms lacked written safety programs, according to researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Washington – The Teamsters union has called for a renewed commitment by Congress to maintain current hours-of-service rules for drivers to help prevent tragedies caused by driver fatigue.

Washington – In an effort to ensure uniform enforcement of workers who use hoists to reach communication tower workstations, OSHA has issued a new inspection directive to agency compliance officers.

Washington – Three Democratic senators are seeking to criminalize the concealment of corporate actions or products that could pose a threat of death or serious injury to workers and consumers.

Washington – In part because of concerns about worker safety and health, 28 members of the House recently signed a letter calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to publish a revised version of a proposed rule that would speed up poultry-processing lines.

Research Triangle Park, NC – The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences is seeking applications for cooperative agreements to develop model programs for hazardous materials safety training.

London – A group of nine international renewable-energy developers known as the G9 Offshore Wind Health and Safety Association has released its inaugural incident data report.

Charleston, WV – A number of combustible dust-related incidents, injuries and deaths over the past decade might have been prevented had OSHA promulgated a standard covering the hazard, according to a Chemical Safety Board report released July 16.

Washington – Careful planning is needed to help new employees adapt to working in hot environments, NIOSH stressed in a July 14 blog post.