Today's Safety News

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If Congress – in its quest to rein in the federal deficit – decides to tax workers’ health benefits, more than half of American workers would either switch to a less costly plan, shop around, or drop coverage, according to new research from the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI).

Elliott H. Berger, M.S., Division Scientist for 3M’s Occupational Health & Environmental Safety Division, will be presented with the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) Lifetime Achievement Award in St. Petersburg, FL, in February, 2013.

Americans don’t like to take sick days – and when they’re sick, they don’t take steps to prevent co-workers from getting sick, too. Those conclusions come from a new study commissioned by Cintas Corporation, which found that 84% of U.S. adults who are employed have gone to work while sick. Of those, 45 percent don’t warn co-workers about their illness, and 45 percent don’t avoid direct contact – such as shaking hands – which could transmit an illness to others.

OSHA has added Pandrol USA in Bridgeport, NJ to its Severe Violator Enforcement Program (SVEP) after the company was cited for 25 safety and health violations – including three willful. Proposed penalties total $283,500.

OSHA has cited the U.S. Postal Service Truman Station in Independence, Mo., with a willful violation for failing to protect employees working in excessive heat. OSHA initiated an inspection in July after a mail carrier developed heat-related illness symptoms, collapsed while working his route and was taken to the hospital where he died as a result of his exposure to excessive heat.

State of the EHS Nation- Exclusive results from ISHN’s 28^th annual White Paper Reader Survey.

It’s not surprising that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has discovered that alcohol-impaired driving is the leading cause of wrong-way crashes.

Three members of Congress are taking the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to task over what they say is a lack of progress on formaldehyde-laden Brazilian Blowout and other hair-straightening products that have caused health problems in stylists.

OSHA has announced that it will extend for three months its temporary enforcement measures in residential construction – to March 15, 2013. Those measures include priority free on-site compliance assistance, penalty reductions, extended abatement dates, measures to ensure consistency, and increased outreach.

How many strands of mini string lights can you safely connect? How many inches should you cut from the base of a fresh-cut Christmas tree before placing it in water? Not really sure? Then it’s time to sharpen your holiday fire safety smarts with information and resources from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).