Workplace Solutions

Lansing, MI — Michigan has become the first state to lower permissible blood lead levels – by as much as half – to protect workers, the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently announced.

Olympia, WA — Strategic positioning during cranking of landing gears can help prevent truck drivers from injuring their shoulders when raising or lowering trailers, results of a recent study by the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries and North Carolina State University suggest.

Washington — NIOSH recently introduced checklists to help employers assess damp areas and identify mold.

Watertown, SD — A new video from the National Association of Tower Erectors highlights the importance of understanding and following the proper sequence of performing tower modifications.

Silver Spring, MD — Awareness of nanotechnology or nanoparticles in the construction industry remains relatively low among contractors, union leaders and apprenticeship program staff, according to the results of a recent survey conducted by the Center for Construction Research and Training – also known as CPWR.

Tokyo — Long-term exposure to powdered toner or toner-using machines has no significant impact on lung health, concludes a recent study of copier industry workers by researchers at Japan’s Showa University.

What are some of the underlying reasons why hand injuries are still so common?

OSHA needs better methods to prevent and detect underreporting of worker fatalities and certain injuries, while the Mine Safety and Health Administration "lacks a consistent approach to logging, assessing and responding to complaints of hazardous mine conditions," the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General concludes in its recently released semiannual report to Congress.

If someone has a serious cut and gets blood on the floor, how do we treat the cut? And how do we safely clean up the blood?

Washington — The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has denied the Department of Labor’s request for the dismissal of a lawsuit stemming from OSHA’s suspension of its deadline for employer submission of data from Forms 300 and 301 – part of its Improved Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses final rule.