Washington — NIOSH has approved – for both personal protection and source control – the first elastomeric half-mask respirator without an exhalation valve.

Washington — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has granted a petition to preempt Washington state’s rules on meals and rest breaks for commercial truck drivers, determining that federal hours-of-service regulations supersede the state’s rules.

Washington — Former OSHA administrator David Michaels is among three new members named to President-elect Joe Biden’s Transition COVID-19 Advisory Board, Biden’s transition team announced in a Nov. 28 press release.

Menlo Park, CA — Thirty-four percent of employees say they’re more burned out than they were a year ago, according to the results of a recent survey developed by global staffing firm Robert Half.

Emmitsburg, MD — Sixty-two firefighters died while on duty in 2019 – the fewest since the U.S. Fire Administration began tracking such data in 1977, according to an annual report recently released by the agency.

Cambridge, MA — Workers who receive larger quantities of opioids shortly after an injury, as well as those who are prescribed higher doses, are at increased risk of longer-term opioid use, according to a recent study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute.

Newburyport, MA — Fire drill schedules on college and university campuses should be maintained, and fire drill plans and responses updated or modified, during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to University of Delaware Fire Marshal Kevin T. McSweeney.

Lansing, MI — In an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, two Michigan agencies have developed a coronavirus exposure notification app.

When dropped from height, even small objects such as hand tools can cause serious injuries to workers below. So how can these injuries be prevented? Experts from several leading safety product manufacturers told Safety+Health that tethering systems should be part of employers’ work-at-height programs.

Failure to control hazardous energy; a lack of equipment, training and/or maintenance; and now COVID-19 are just some of the hazards that put plant workers at risk of injury or illness.