Labor

Washington – OSHA and the Environmental Protection Association are urging employers to perform a root cause analysis after an incident or near miss occurs at a facility, in a recently released fact sheet.

Anaheim, CA – For the sixth year in a row, Fall Protection (1926.501) is the most frequently cited OSHA standard, the agency and Safety+Health magazine announced Oct. 18 at the 2016 NSC Congress & Expo.

Washington – The federal government’s Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order 13673 final rule is unconstitutional and should be voided, according to a lawsuit filed Oct. 7 by Associated Builders and Contractors, its chapter in southeast Texas, and the National Association of Security Companies.

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration is calling fiscal year 2016 “the safest year in mining history” after a record-low 24 deaths occurred – a decrease of nearly 37 percent over the previous fiscal year’s total of 38 fatalities.

Janesville, WI – Fire station alarms that gradually get louder can help reduce stress among firefighters, according to research from Mercy Health System’s Department of Emergency Medicine and Yale University School of Medicine.

Sheffield, England – Do you sometimes feel like falling asleep at work? Traffic pollution and nighttime traffic noise may be to blame.

Washington – The Environmental Protection Agency will fast-track the evaluation of five persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals under requirements established by the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, which was signed into law in June.

Lansing, MI – Amid a tree-trimmer fatality rate more than 14 times the state average this year, the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued a hazard alert cautioning against unsafe work practices.

Washington – The Mine Safety and Health Administration needs a more consistent approach to logging, assessing and responding to complaints of hazardous mine conditions, according to the results of a recent audit conducted by the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.

Washington – The health care industry commonly uses scavenging systems to protect operating room personnel from exposure to anesthetic gases or vapors that are released or leak out during medical procedures, but other recommended practices are not always observed, according to a recent study from NIOSH.