Safety Tips

Toluene is a clear and colorless liquid that turns to vapor when exposed to air at room temperature. According to OSHA, it’s often used in a mixture with other solvents and chemicals, such as paint pigments, so employees who work with paint, metal cleaners and adhesives may be at risk for exposure.

Sun protection may not be top of mind for outdoor workers during the colder months, but ignoring skin protection in the wintertime is a mistake.

A 43-year-old bathtub refinisher, working alone in a small apartment bathroom, died from exposure to methylene chloride.

Washington — The Department of Labor Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs has unveiled a four-point Opioid Action Plan intended to help combat opioid misuse among injured federal employees.

Waterloo, Ontario — Nearly 3 out of 5 truck drivers experience musculoskeletal pain or discomfort while on the job, and most factors are “largely modifiable,” according to researchers at the University of Waterloo.

Atlanta — Construction workers have the highest proportional mortality ratio for heroin- and methadone-related overdose deaths, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis of 26 occupations shows.

Washington — The Chemical Safety Board is seeking to better understand why efforts to manage and control combustible dust hazards “have often failed” to prevent explosions.

Washington — The Office of National Drug Control Policy, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has published a guide intended to help rural communities address opioid misuse and other substance abuse by providing a centralized list of federal programs and resources.

Boston — Falls to a lower level were the leading a cause of fatal worker injuries in Massachusetts from 2014 to 2015, representing nearly 17 percent of the state’s workplace fatalities, according to a report released Oct. 16 by the state’s Department of Public Health.

Winter is coming, or so whispers that chill of cold air making its way through your office. To keep warm, you may be considering using a portable space heater at your desk.

Before you plug it in, know that portable electric space heaters can present a “major workplace safety hazard,” according to Electrical Safety Foundation International.