Magid expands its signature E2® line of best-value hearing protectors today with the new E2® IHP100 and IHP100C Paddle Plug™ Earplugs. Featuring user-friendly, easy-grip PVC paddle stems to simplify wear and removal, these earplugs propel standard hearing protection into a new league of fit, comfort and control.

Last month, Assistant Secretary of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Dr. David Michaels held an OSHA Employees All-Hands Meeting. OSHA employees who were not able to attend the meeting in person were able to participate through the web.

When J. J. Keller launched the online regulatory reference service RegSense® in 2010, customers were thrilled to be able to quickly access current OSHA, DOT, EPA, and Hazmat regulations online. While the service grew in popularity, the team at J. J. Keller continued to search for ways to improve its features and functionality.

A “time-out” instituted to eliminate mistakes during surgery is not being complied with by a significant number of medical personnel, according to a new study. “Methodology and Bias in Assessing Compliance with a Surgical Safety Checklist,” published in the February issue of Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, found that although surgical safety checklists -- such as the perioperative time-out -- have been shown to improve performance on a variety of patient safety measures, some of the items on it are being skipped.

According to the fiscal year 2013 Congressional Budget Justification document for OSHA, the agency proposes a total of $73,131,000 and 264 full-time employee equivalents (FTE) for federal compliance assistance, a decrease of $3,224,415 and 31 FTE below the FY 2012 enacted level. OSHA historically ramps up compliance assistance under Republican White House administrations, and de-emphasizes compliance assistance when Democrats control the White House.

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis last week announced a final rule to strengthen safety in the nation's most dangerous mines. The rule, which revises the Mine Safety and Health Administration's pattern of violations regulation in 30 Code of Federal Regulations Part 104, has been submitted to the Federal Register for publication.