Labor

Arlington, VA — Third-party ratings for safety equipment shouldn’t be viewed as a replacement for compliance or regulatory standards, the International Safety Equipment Association cautions in a Sept 29 statement.

Washington — A new guide from the National Safety Council is intended to help small and medium-sized employers effectively adopt safety technologies.

Washington — Confined and concentrated combustible dust can ignite and generate secondary dust explosions “powerful enough to destroy buildings,” the Chemical Safety Board warns.

Arlington, VA — Good worksite housekeeping can significantly reduce miners’ exposure to respirable dust and silica, the Mine Safety and Health Administration says in a recently published health alert.

Washington — The Senate has confirmed David Keeling as the new leader of OSHA. Legislators approved S. Res 412 with a 51-46 vote on Oct. 3, then voted 51-47 on Oct. 7 to confirm Keeling and more than 100 other nominees.

Washington — Employers of nonagricultural workers operating near farmland can reduce the risk of pesticide exposure by notifying farms about their work, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises.

London — More high-quality evaluations of emerging technologies that impact workplace safety are needed to help employers feel confident about using new tech, according to a recently published report from Lloyd’s Register Foundation.

The National Hearing Conservation Association’s new guide on fit testing hearing protection explains the importance of fit tests and features step-by-step instructions for successfully performing them.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency is accepting comment on a proposal that would change how the agency evaluates a chemical’s risk to workers.

Washington — More than 40% of frontline workers say they “sometimes,” “rarely” or “never” have the proper ergonomic tools and equipment to do their jobs, according to a new report from the National Safety Council.