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The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has released a new report, The State of the National Initiative on Prevention through Design (PtD), describing what it calls “significant progress” in minimizing worker risks through research, practice, education and policy.

The tree care industry can be very hazardous, exposing workers to falls and falling objects, as well as transportation, electrocution and crushing hazards. A new OSHA hazard bulletin on tree care work is the first in a series of guidance materials for employers about the dangers to workers. 

 OSHA has announced a new interactive webtool that will help small businesses identify and correct hazards in the workplace. The tool allows employers and workers to explore how to identify workplace hazards in the manufacturing and construction industries and address them with practical and effective solutions.

The American Industrial Hygiene Association® (AIHA) has issued recommendations to prevent lead poisoning among children in developing nations, based on a case study of lead contamination conditions in several countries in Eastern Europe, Caucasus, and Central Asia. 

 Improvements were made in U.S. chemical safety and security following the devastating 2013 West, Texas fertilizer plant explosion, but a report issued earlier this month makes it clear how much more remains to be done.

 An OSHA investigation into a fatality at an Amazon fulfillment center in Avenel, NJ, has resulted in five companies being cited for serious violations – none of them Amazon. 

 Men who eat moderate amounts of processed red meat may have an increased risk of incidence and death from heart failure, according to a study in Circulation: Heart Failure, an American Heart Association journal. 

 The Tennessee General Assembly has enacted a marina safety law intended to protect state residents from electric shock injuries and drowning deaths near marinas and boat docks.  

 The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reported a total of 97 on-duty firefighter deaths in 2013, reflecting a sharp increase over the past few years. According to NFPA’s 2013 U.S. Firefighter Fatalities report, last year’s increase is largely attributed to the Yarnell Hill fire in Arizona and the West, Texas fertilizer fire that together claimed the lives of 28 firefighters. 

Trish Ennis was installed last week as the 100th president of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE). A 23-year veteran of the occupational health and safety profession, Ennis vowed to continue to elevate the safety profession within the business community and work to deliver ASSE’s 36,000 members the programs and benefits they seek.