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Fall protection (1926.501) was the most frequently-cited OSHA standard in fiscal year 2013 – specially the period October 2012 through September 2013. OSHA conducted 7,900 inspections involving the fall protection standards, a very high number compared to almost any other agency rule, and due to the fact OSHA devotes about half of its inspections to construction sites.

Hydratight Americas, a global engineering company providing products and services to the oil, gas and power generation industries, has completed more than one million man hours without a recordable injury.

TOM FRIEDEN: First, we had the potential exposure to anthrax at CDC’s laboratory. Second, earlier this week, we learned about an incident in CDC’s influenza laboratory. And third, we had the discovery of vials labeled as smallpox in a storage room on the NIH campus and CDC’s work to secure and to characterize these materials.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a report that reviews the early June incident that involved the unintentional exposure of personnel to potentially viable anthrax at the CDC’s Roybal Campus. The report identifies factors found to have contributed to the incident; and highlights actions taken by the agency to address these factors and prevent future incidents.

• Has the most suitable equipment been selected to ensure safety, including for access and evacuation? • Are ladders only used when other equipment is not justified in view of the short length and low risk of the task? •Is the scaffold erected on a firm foundation?

A newly formed alliance seeks to serve as a global source for information, guidance and knowledge on indoor environmental quality. A memorandum of understanding creating the Indoor Environmental Quality Global Alliance was signed Sunday, June 29, at ASHRAE’s 2014 Annual Conference in Seattle, Wash.

Falls from heights are the most common cause of injury and death. Causes include: working on a scaffold or platform without guard rails or without a safety harness correctly attached; fragile roofs; and ladders that are badly maintained, positioned and secured.

Stephanie Kwolek, the DuPont chemist best known for inventing Kevlar, died June 18 at the age of 90. Kevlar is considered a “happy accident” within the scientific community. Kwolek and her colleagues at DuPont were attempting to develop a strong synthetic fiber that could be used in tires when she noticed a mixture of a polymer and a solvent that appeared cloudy – quite different from the usual translucent appearance of conventional polymer solutions.

Two items to enhance welding safety – highly resistant FR fabric and a boot that reduces the chance of accidental arcing – were among this week’s top EHS-related products as featured on ISHN.com.

A workplace injury reduction success story, a real PPE challenge and why spending less on food is not necessarily a good thing were among the top EHS-related stories as featured on ISHN.com this week.