Today's Safety News - Articles - Page 159

How to get out from under burnout

September 13, 2019

Being burned out means feeling empty and mentally exhausted, devoid of motivation, and beyond caring. People experiencing burnout often don’t see any hope of positive change in their situations.

For Your Health & Wellness

Do you stick to U.S. physical activity guidelines?

September 13, 2019

In 2008, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released the first edition of the U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines, which recommended at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity physical activity a week.

Trump rolls back protections on waterways

September 13, 2019

The Trump administration yesterday repealed an Obama-era rule that requires landowners to obtain federal permits before developing or polluting navigable waterways. The 2015 rule clarified the Clean Water Act - also known as Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Rule. It has been the target of lawsuits by farmers, the mining industry and business interests, who claim it restricts development and infringed on property rights. Environmental groups, however, say its expansive definition of navigable waterways is vital in ensuring the safety of wetlands, streams and ponds that feed into larger waterways.

Pipelines in U.S. just got safer

September 12, 2019

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) just got to check off three more items on its 2019-2020 Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements. The latest three, intended to improve pipeline safety, call for improved inspection programs, better records and documentation of natural gas systems, and procedures to mitigate risks identified during management of change operations.

Company cited for combustible dust blast that injured workers

September 12, 2019

Gilster-Mary Lee Corp. of Steeleville, Illinois has been cited by OSHA for six safety violations including three willful after two maintenance employees conducting welding operations sustained serious burns to their upper bodies as the result of an explosion within a dust collector at the company's pasta manufacturing plant on Oct. 6, 2011. The incident occurred as the two employees were repairing a hole in the side of a metal trough.

Health groups support Trump’s proposed ban on flavored e-cigarettes

September 12, 2019

Health experts are cheering President Trump’s vow to ban flavored e-cigarettes, which they say are a major reason for the sharp rise in youthful vaping in the U.S. Trump made the announcement on Wednesday, noting “We can’t have our youth be so affected.” A half dozen recent deaths and hundreds of cases of lung disease across the country appear to be related to vaping, although the cases are still under investigation.

Best Practices

Are you a data scientist?

OHS pros are evolving

Dan Markiewicz MS, CIH, CSP, RMP

September 12, 2019

Glassdoor ranked the position “Safety Manager” among the “50 Best Jobs in America for 2019.”1 The #1 Best Job in America for the past four years, according to Glassdoor, is “Data Scientist.

Positive Safety Culture

Burnout raises the risks

What’s your workload? How much control do you have?

Dr. John Kello

September 12, 2019

The term “burnout” is used loosely to describe being worn out, exhausted, or frazzled. It actually refers to a specific work-stress-related syndrome that has a long history in the psychological research literature.

Safety Technology

Delegating safety to employees

User-friendly software engages the frontline

September 12, 2019

We sat down with Matthew Elson, CEO of SHE Softwares to discuss implementing safety programs, and a positive safety culture for workers. Below are excerpts from that conversation.

OSHA spells out FR protection specifics

Do your workers understand the hazards?

Maureen Paraventi

September 12, 2019

Although many employees typically provide some or all of their own work attire, it is the employer who will be issued a citation if a worker who is exposed to electric arc or flame hazards is not wearing flame-resistant (FR) clothing.