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Republic Steel has agreed to settle health and safety violations at the company’s facilities in Lorain, Canton and Massillon, Ohio, as well as Blasdell, N.Y.

Organic Dust Fire and Explosion: Massachusetts (3 killed, 9 injured). In February 1999, a deadly fire and explosion occurred in a foundry in Massachusetts. OSHA and state and local officials conducted a joint investigation of this incident.

As the six FedEx workers who were shot Tuesday at a Georgia facility continue to recover, there are still no answers for why 19-year-old Geddy Kramer, the alleged shooter, brought a shotgun to work and opened fire on his fellow employees.

The following are two “letters of interpretation” from OSHA officials answering questions from the field regarding how OSHA’s newly revised hazard communication standard applies to combustible dust.

While the most basic function of a dust collector is to keep workers and workplaces safer, not all collectors are created equal from a safety standpoint. Here are some tips for ensuring that your dust collector is as safe as possible.

A rule to establish standards for combustible dust that’s been in the works since 2009 is scheduled to move closer to completion in 2014, with a proposed draft regulation due this spring.

What are the NFPA standards that address combustible dust issues? Tony and Mike: In trying to sort through the list of combustible dust standards, a good starting point for every EHS professional is NFPA 654, the Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Dust Explosions from the Manufacturing, Processing and Handling of Combustible Particulate Solids.

The lessons learned from the deadly 2013 West, Texas explosion and fire are not being passed along to emergency responders in other communities with facilities that store ammonium nitrate (AN), according to the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB).

VonRoll USA, Inc. -- which manufactures insulating materials, resins, varnishes and mica -- has decreased its injury and illnesses rates to “considerably below industry averages,” according to OSHA, which worked with the company under its On-site Consultation Program.

OSHA has cited Jarvis Metals Recycling Inc. of Lubbock for 24 safety and health violations – 20 of them serious – for exposing workers to a host of hazards at its Lubbock, Texas facility. The company faces a proposed penalty of $64,400.