Environmental Health and Safety

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The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and a coalition of civil rights groups filed a formal petition yesterday urging OSHA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to improve worker safety in poultry and meatpacking plants, contending that federal policies allow workers in these facilities to operate in hazardous conditions that often leave them with disabling injuries, illnesses and pain.

OSHA has reached a settlement agreement with Waste Management of New Jersey Inc. to abate violations involving excessive heat hazards that resulted in the death of a temporary worker in June 2012.

Today, in industrialized countries, many people spend the majority of their waking hours sitting; whether it's at home while watching television or on the computer, travelling to work in a car or bus, or working at a desk in front of a computer. Although sitting requires less physical effort than standing or walking, it puts stress on the lumbar area.

Create a safe work environment. Minimize hazards from falling or unstable debris. Make sure that tools work and safety features (machine guards) are in place. Make sure that workers (particularly volunteers) know how to use tools properly.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends eye protection for a variety of potential exposure settings where workers may be at risk of acquiring infectious diseases via ocular exposure.

Among those who will be directly affected by OSHA’s proposed rule on crystalline silica exposures will be small businesses and their employees in industries like dental laboratories, foundries, and construction.

OSHA's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for Occupational Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica has been submitted for publication in the Federal Register. The NPRM is OSHA's formal notice of regulatory action related to Occupational Exposure to Crystalline Silica. This is a proposal, not a final rule.

Reactions to OSHA’s proposed rule to protect workers from exposure to crystalline silica have come swiftly from the EHS community, along with the industry and business sectors.

OSHA took industry and EHS professionals by surprise late Friday by announcing what some call a long-overdue proposed rule to  lower worker exposure to crystalline silica – a substance that causes cancer, silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and kidney disease in those who are exposed to it.

OSHA has cited N.E.J. Abatement Group Inc. for six serious violations involving lead hazards at a Pittsburgh work site. An April inspection was prompted by a referral from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and conducted by OSHA under its National Emphasis Program on Lead.