Hazards

Penalties for OSHA violations are about to get steeper. Much, much steeper.

Sacramento, CA – The California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board has proposed a new regulation that aims to protect health care industry employees from workplace violence.

Chicago – Surgical smoke is a serious and preventable hazard that affects thousands of health care workers every year, according to a NIOSH study presented Nov. 3 at the American Public Health Association’s annual meeting.

Dallas – Citing the increased risk of injury and illness among poultry workers, OSHA has launched a Regional Emphasis Program focusing on the poultry industry in four southern states.

Cincinnati – Rates of occupational injury and illness from pesticides are much higher among agricultural workers than workers in other industries, according to NIOSH research.

Morgantown, WV – Despite robbery-related violence being the leading cause of death in the retail industry, many Texas convenience store owners fail to take precautions that could prevent robberies and protect workers from violence, according to a new NIOSH study.

Cincinnati – The prevalence of employed adults with high levels of lead in their blood has fallen since the mid-1990s, according to a new NIOSH report.

Dust may look innocuous, but given the right circumstances, it can be deadly.

This time next year, the nation will be electing a new president, who could move OSHA in a different direction. What can the agency accomplish in the remaining months of the Obama administration? OSHA-watchers weigh in.

Workers who use vibrating tools such as jackhammers, chain saws, grinders and riveters are at risk for developing hand-arm vibration syndrome. Experts say preventive measures can help reduce the risk.