Today's Safety News - Articles - Page 191

Creating the right climate for safety

Leaders need to show their competency, and their caring for co-workers

April 18, 2019

During my college summer breaks, I worked at a few different high-risk construction sites. On one job, I had a boss who liked to holler and was not very well liked. He was known as Hog Jaws and I’ve mentioned him previously.

Going far beyond OSHA

Michigan OSHA’s lead standard has very strict exposure limits for pregnant workers. Are OHS pros ready to face a six-fold reduction challenge?

Dan Markiewicz MS, CIH, CSP, RMP

April 18, 2019

Appendix A to federal OSHA’s 1978 lead standard (current today) provides that blood lead level (BLL) of workers, both male and female, who intend to have children should be maintained below 30 micrograms per deciliter (ug/dL) “to minimize adverse reproductive health effects to the parents and to the developing fetus.

After deadly week, NYC worker advocates demand better safety training

April 17, 2019

A coalition of New York City labor organizations is holding a protest today about safety training inadequacies in the city, particularly for immigrant workers. The protest comes on the heels of a particularly deadly week in the city’s construction industry, which saw three immigrant workers killed in incidents at three different worksites.

A confined spaces analysis

Learn how to define spaces, reclassify them, and five life-saving principles to minimize hazards

Robert "Scott" Goodwin, CHST

April 17, 2019

We have all read the articles or posts on the questions regarding confined spaces such as “What is a confined space?” or “What makes your confined space permit required?” You might have even been asked “How do you re-classify a permit-required confined space?” or one of my favorites, “When do I need a rescue team at my confined space?” Let’s break it all down.

Want to learn a new skill? Take some short breaks

NIH study suggests our brains may use short rest periods to strengthen memories

April 16, 2019

In a study of healthy volunteers, National Institutes of Health researchers found that our brains may solidify the memories of new skills we just practiced a few seconds earlier by taking a short rest. The results highlight the critically important role rest may play in learning. “Everyone thinks you need to ‘practice, practice, practice’ when learning something new. Instead, we found that resting, early and often, may be just as critical to learning as practice,” said Leonardo G. Cohen, M.D., Ph.D.

International Glove Association announces new leadership

April 16, 2019

The International Glove Association (IGA) is pleased to announce that glove expert Matt Piotrowski has been named president of the association, effective March 17, 2019. Matt is a Product Manager for Showa Group, one of the world's leading producers of hand protection products. Known globally as pioneers and innovators in the glove industry, Showa is solely focused on the start-to-finish manufacturing of household and industrial hand protection.

ASSP names new director of professional development

April 15, 2019

The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) welcomed its new director of professional development today. Chris Ballman, PHR, MSHR, will oversee the Society’s comprehensive educational offerings that advance the careers of occupational safety and health professionals worldwide. He will also provide leadership oversight of ASSP’s largest annual event – a Professional Development Conference and Exhibition that attracts more than 5,000 industry professionals.

Rogue wave damages fishing vessel; crew survives

April 15, 2019

An unusually large wave thwarted a fishing crew’s attempts to ride out heavy weather in the Bering Sea last year, according to a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation into the incident. No fatalities or injuries were reported when the commercial fishing vessel Progress was severely damaged north of Unimak Island, Alaska on January 26.

Fla. worker injured in 26’ fall; company cited

"Providing workers with fall protection is not optional"

April 15, 2019

An Ohio-based construction company failed to ensure that workers used fall protection while doing roofing tasks, leading to a worker sustaining a serious injury, according to an OSHA inspection following the incident. The agency has cited Hiebert Bros Construction LLC for exposing employees to fall hazards after the worker was injured from a 26-foot fall at a construction worksite in Gainesville, Florida.

Three NYC construction workers die in one week

April 15, 2019

Three New York City construction workers died last week at three different worksites – two as the result of struck-by incidents. In Brooklyn, news sources report that 34 year-old Gregory Echevarria was killed when part of a crane he was helping to assemble fell on him. The incident occurred at 3:15 a.m. on Saturday at the entrance to the Holland tunnel, when a 7.5 ton counterweight fell on Echevarria.