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OSHA issued a new policy document last week for its Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP), weakening measures taken in the last administration that were intended to restore the program’s integrity which had been threatened by uncontrolled growth during the Bush administration.

The National Utility Contractor Association (NUCA), the Safety Ambassadors Club and OSHA will hold a Trench Safety Stand Down June 18-23. Participating companies will take a break during the workday to have a toolbox talk or another safety activity to draw attention to the specific hazards related to working in and around trenches/excavations.

Nineteen years is a short life, but that’s all that Kyle Hancock of Glen Burnie, Maryland will get. Hancock died, buried alive earlier this week in a 15-foot unshored trench. Rescuers worked almost 12 hours through a long, rainy night trying to recover his body.

There is an ongoing debate on how incentives are being used. Incentives should enhance a functional safety program that contains such areas as: return-to-work (RTW), accident investigations, and safety committees.

Because using a ladder is such a familiar skill, it can be easy to overlook the need for safe operating procedures in the workplace. However, ladders continue to be a contributing factor in more than 150 fatalities and 20,000 non-fatal workplace injuries each year.

The Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) is proud to announce the 2018 recipients of the organization's most prestigious awards. The recipients, Lawrence Oldendorf, P.E., CSP (Retired); Joshua Caudill, CSP, ASP, CHST; Michelle Keever, SMS, STSC; Bruce Lyon, P.E., CSP; and Jose Perez, SMS, OHST CHST, STSC, CET received their awards June 6, 2018, during a luncheon ceremony at the American Society of Safety Professional's (ASSP) Safety 2018 conference in San Antonio, Texas.

Several occupational and environmental safety and health professionals who’ve made extraordinary achievements in their sectors have received recognition lately: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) engineer Lt. Michael Shahan was awarded the Green Medal at the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) Joint Engineers Training Conference on May 25.

Emergency eyewash systems and drench showers should be easy to access and readily available with tepid water. But as many safety facility managers will attest, these potentially life-saving fixtures aren’t always easy to provide in locations where they are required.

With more than 5,000 OSH professionals at Safety 2018, it’s a great opportunity to meet and converse with like-minded safety professionals, look for potential employers and employees, and expand your knowledge of the OSH profession. The conference and exposition offers a variety of ways to network, including before and after sessions, during conference lunches, at community-specific evening receptions, key issue collaboration sessions, the ASSE Communities Lounge and Resource Center, community service events, social learning stations, ASSE Foundation events and many more.