OSHA inspectors acting on a complaint found postal employees in Brooklyn, Maryland exposed to blood and other potentially infectious bodily fluids while handling packages labeled as containing biological infectious materials.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) drilled down into the details of how American workers work to produce its first-ever Occupational Requirements Survey, the results of which were released recently.
Welding fumes are composed of metals and most fumes contain a small percentage of manganese. There is a concern by workers, employers, and health professionals about potential neurological effects associated with exposure to manganese in welding fumes.
Employees of a Philadelphia contractor were exposed to fall hazards as high as 18 feet, according to OSHA enforcement personnel, who also found trenching dangers at the worksite they inspected.
Winter weather presents hazards including slippery roads/surfaces, strong winds and environmental cold. Employers must prevent illnesses, injuries, or fatalities, by controlling these hazards in workplaces impacted by winter weather.
OSHA has levied more than $150,000 in fines against a Louisiana contractor after two of his employees lost consciousness and collapsed in a sewer system.
As winter approaches and cooler temperatures hit most of the nation, workers unpack coats and boots, and workplaces adjust thermostats. However, one climate that should stay the same year-round, no matter where a workplace is located geographically, is the safety climate. Safety climate—defined as the perception among workers about the value of safety—correlates to improved health and safety in the workplace.
A 23-year-old tree service worker died on his first day on the job when he was pulled into a wood chipper because his employer failed to train him in the safe operation of the machine, according to OSHA.
Climate-related occupational hazards have historically received little attention. In 2009, NIOSH began work to address this gap and developed a framework to identify climate-related occupational hazards.
