Wholesale/Retail Trade

Washington – Large facilities that store and sell chemicals may no longer be exempt from OSHA’s Process Safety Management Standard, the agency announced July 22 in a revised interpretation of its rules.

Lansing, MI – Michigan OSHA will conduct targeted inspections in the wholesale, non-durable goods industry this year in an effort to lower the business sector’s higher-than-average injury and illness rate.

Washington – NIOSH has released a publication intended to help reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries among grocery store employees and other retail workers.

Washington – NIOSH is seeking to extend a study assessing the effectiveness and cost benefit of interventions intended to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders in the workplace.

Honolulu – In an effort to reduce workplace deaths and injuries in the Pacific region’s retail industry, OSHA has launched a Local Emphasis Program.

Atlanta – The flu and similar illnesses are most prevalent among workers in the real estate, hospitality and food service industries, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Cincinnati – Handling receipts may expose cashiers to a chemical that has been linked to reproductive problems, according to a new study from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

Shandong, China – Recreational workouts may help reduce the risk of hypertension, but job-related physical activity does not appear to have the same effect, according to a new study from Shandong University.

Powered industrial trucks, also known as forklifts or lift trucks, make lifting and transporting heavy objects easier in the workplace. However, this advantage also comes with risk if a forklift is operated unsafely or by an untrained driver.

Monitoring and managing the safe behavior of a workforce can be a difficult task, even in an enclosed environment. Although the term “lone worker” also covers those performing individual jobs on a worksite – such as a job task in an area of the plant that cannot be easily viewed by co-workers, or even a receptionist in a large office building – the needs of remote workers who cannot be supervised through conventional means present perhaps the greatest challenge.