Occupational Safety - Articles - Page 203

VA company cited after fatality for having no first aid kit or training

June 5, 2019

A Virginia lumber company has been fined more than $24,000 in connection with the death of an employee last year. R.A. Yancey Lumber Co. in Crozet was fined after the state Department of Labor and Industry found four violations while investigating the worker's death. According to investigation documents, 46-year-old Floriberta Macedo-Diaz was walking to her work area before the start of her shift in July 2018 when she passed by a stack of lumber pieces weighing about 260 pounds each.

When pain causes more pain: opioid hazards in the workplace

June 5, 2019

Discussions about the U.S. opioid epidemic are frequent, but the impact of opioids on workers may be left out of the conversation. Certain occupations, such as emergency medical services, law enforcement, and environmental services, face a high risk of occupational exposure to opioids — including the extremely toxic fentanyl and carfentanil — when responding to overdoses.

Study shows medical marijuana laws connected to decline in workplace deaths

June 5, 2019

Medical cannabis laws are associated with a 34% decline in workplace deaths for adults age 25 to 44, a new study finds. The reason? Those workers might be drinking less alcohol and taking less pills due to legalization.

Cascade Safety and Security to exhibit at Safety 2019 show

Industry-leading industrial safety system demonstrations at booth #1748

June 5, 2019

Cascade Safety and Security, the international leader in coiled wire fabric systems for new and retrofit industrial machinery and equipment, will be exhibiting at ASSP’s annual conference—Safety 2019—at the Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Convention Center, June 9-12. The Cascade team will be located at Booth #1748.

Compliance, maintenance musts for emergency eye/face wash, showers

Worst-case Scenario

Eric Clark

June 4, 2019

The International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) produces the American National Standard for Emergency Eyewash and Shower Equipment, ANSI Z358.1, to establish uniform minimum performance and use requirements.

Great potential to reduce exposures and injuries, but there are concerns

Smart glasses, safer workers?

Maureen Paraventi

June 4, 2019

Stars in the rapidly evolving field of wearable technology, “smart” glasses allow wearers to perform a myriad of functions while keeping their hands free. Wearers can view information, watch and record videos, summon up GPS directions, make phone calls and send texts – all by using gestures, head motions and voice commands.

Selecting the right chemical-resistant glove requires trial & error

Michael Tesmer, CSP

June 4, 2019

As the Safety Services Manager for a safety supply company, I am commonly asked by customers to help determine which chemical resistant gloves are appropriate for a given work application.

Summer jobs can be hazardous to teen workers’ safety

June 4, 2019

A report on workers comp claims by Colorado teens sheds some light on what are common workplace injuries for young workers across the U.S. Pinnacol Assurance, which provides workers’ compensation protection to 57,000 Colorado employers, analyzed its claims history for workers under 20. The company found that more than 380 Colorado teens were injured or became ill last year because of their summer jobs.

Workplace fatalities sharply lower in states that have legalized medical marijuana

Maureen Paraventi

June 4, 2019

Workplace fatalities have fallen by an average of 19.5 percent in the 29 states and District of Columbia that have legalized the use of marijuana for medical purposes. Those surprising results from a study in the International Journal of Drug Policy run counter to post-legalization predictions that marijuana’s effects on motor skills and cognitive function would cause an increase in workplace accidents.

Florida construction fall reveals a host of hazards

June 3, 2019

OSHA inspectors who arrived at a Florida construction site to investigate an employee’s near-fatal fall didn’t have to look far to find fall and other safety hazards at the project. Three of the four Florida-based residential contractors involved with the project earned citations for fall hazard-related violations. The four companies were cited for a total of 12 violations, with $220,114 in proposed penalties.