Today's Safety News

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A new study, funded by the Canadian Cancer Society, will examine the human and economic impact of workplace exposure to 44 known or suspected carcinogens and their links to 27 types of cancer. The study's main goals are to quantify - for the first time - how serious the problem is in Canada by estimating the number of new cancer cases and cancer deaths that can be attributed to workplace factors, and also to weigh the economic impact.

A new report out of Europe is raising fears that excessive use of smartphones and tablets could cause ergonomic psychosocial problems – especially among people who use the devices as work tools.

The BNSF Railway Co. has signed an accord with OSHA in which the company agrees to voluntary revise several personnel policies that OSHA alleged violated the whistleblower provisions of the Federal Railroad Safety Act and dissuaded workers from reporting on-the-job injuries.

OSHA  has cited COL-Pump Co. Inc., with 10 health and safety violations, including two willful, for failing to monitor workers' exposure to noise hazards above 85 decibels at the Columbiana foundry. Proposed fines total $56,880.

The EPA has a message for you: test your home for radon, fix the problem if you find one – and possibly save your life. As part of National Radon Action Month, the EPA is urging the public to test homes for high levels of the colorless, odorless gas  but dangerous gas.

Today, in compliance with settlement agreements, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized revisions to standards to reduce air pollution from stationary engines that generate electricity and power equipment at industrial, agricultural, oil and gas production, power generation and other facilities.

Want more transparency from your government agencies? How about learning of their work via a webcast? The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazardous Investigation Board (CSB) will make its public meeting in Washington, D.C. on Thursday available to all, through a webcast.

The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) met with Abu Dhabi Environment, Health and Safety Center officials in the United Arab Emirates recently to assist them in developing the country’s first Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Strategy aimed at reducing work-related injuries and fatalities and building a preventative safety culture.

The number of federally-approved OSHA Voluntary Protection Program sites has declined in the past two years, after peaking at 1,720 in 2010. As of December 31, 2012, 1,633 sites were enrolled in the VPP. At the end 0f 2011, the number stood at 1,688 sites, according to data posted on OSHA’s web site.

The Massachusetts FACE Project—in conjunction with the national Campaign to Prevent Falls in Construction, and with input from local industry and labor safety experts, contractors, and researchers—has updated and published a series of four residential construction fall prevention brochures for contractors.