Workplace Solutions

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.

Washington — Incomplete initiatives aimed at improving employer reporting of injuries are among the top management and performance challenges facing OSHA and the Mine Safety and Health Administration, according to a Department of Labor Office of Inspector General report released in November.

The National Safety Council Construction & Utilities Division has launched an Excavation Toolkit.

Atlanta — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is seeking public comment on a draft updating two sections of existing guidance intended to assist health care administrators with “providing occupational infection prevention and control services to health care personnel,” according to a notice published in the Oct. 15 Federal Register.

Winnipeg, Manitoba — Hospital privacy curtains may be breeding grounds for antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, a recent study led by researchers at the University of Manitoba shows.

Washington — Workers who frequently drill concrete can experience reduced exposure to noise, silica dust and vibration if pneumatic rock drills are replaced with electric rotary hammer drills, according to researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.

Oakland, CA — Certain employers in California must comply with OSHA’s electronic recordkeeping rule and submit their Form 300A data online to the federal agency.

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.

With winter coming, temperature changes while entering and exiting from outdoors can cause eye protection to fog. How do we keep our workers safe?

Workers in a wide variety of jobs and industries wear high-visibility safety apparel to alert others of their presence, particularly in dark or dim places. Users include utility linemen, construction workers, police officers and school bus drivers, to name a few.