Hazards

Portland, OR — Responding to the 19 fatal falls involving construction workers in the state since 2018, the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences has issued a hazard alert.

Sacramento, CA — The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health recently launched a campaign to increase awareness of the dangers of silica dust in the engineered stone industry.

Secaucus, NJ — The percentage of U.S. workers whose drug test showed signs of tampering skyrocketed in 2023 to its highest level in over 30 years, according to Quest Diagnostics’ annual Drug Testing Index.

Walking has been a leading cause of workplace injury for many years, the National Safety Council says, adding that “we need to watch out for all of the hazards tied to walking just as we would any other part of our jobs that poses a safety risk.”

Trenton, NJ — New Jersey’s Senate Labor Committee has advanced a bill that would require the state to establish a heat stress standard by June 1, 2025.

Waltham, MA — The higher outdoor temperatures climb, the more likely it is that a worker will be injured, according to a recent study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute.

Washington — New guidance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is intended to prevent and address worker harassment based on sex, race and other protected traits, outlining when such behavior is against the law.

Washington — The National Fire Protection Association’s voluntary standard on preventing fires and uncontrolled chemical reactions at hazardous waste facilities carries significant influence from the Chemical Safety Board – and CSB officials appreciate it.

Albany, NY — Assaulting a retail worker is now a felony in New York state, under a new law signed May 1.

Washington — OSHA’s Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health has unanimously recommended that the agency move forward with its proposed standard on protecting workers from excessive heat.