Occupational Safety

RSS

A 34-year-old machine operator suffered third-degree burns on his legs and hands when molten glass bottles fell on the production floor and ignited oil residue that had leaked from the machines. The man had not been provided fire-retardant protective clothing, and the fire spread to his pant leg.

Safety as an industry is somewhat slow to adopt new technology. Years after the release of a popular smartphone app that streamlines jobsite inspection, it is almost a given that a site safety manager uses the app today. After my initial chuckles about the Apple Watch release, I started to think about wearable tech’s application for safety. Specifically, how could a wearable device, like the Apple Watch, impact worker safety?

Creating a culture of safety isn’t just meant for full-time employees of an organization. It requires the involvement all workers whether full-time, temporary or contract and the diligence of the companies or organizations where their work occurs.

After spending days fighting fires, clearing brush and performing arduous physical tasks, U.S. Forest Service employees should return to a safe home base after work. Yet repeated inspections of national forests throughout Oregon during the last 10 years have found the opposite, with the Forest Service cited by federal inspectors for widespread safety violations nine out of every 10 visits.

Historically, October is the deadliest month of the year in the metal and nonmetal mining industry. Since 2000, 51 fatalities occurred during the month, many of which involved powered haulage and machinery accidents at a time when mines prepare for seasonal changes.

OSHA is urging North Carolina residents - emergency workers, employers and the public – who are struggling to clean up from the impact of Hurricane Joaquin to be aware of the hazards they may encounter and take steps to stay safe.

At OSHA, we gather a lot of numbers. They tell us about the health and safety of U.S. workplaces and help us measure our progress in reducing injuries and illness. But numbers don’t always tell the whole story, and that’s definitely true in the case of inspections.

Reports from NSC Congress & Expo, a NIOSH research update and a push to reduce heart failure in the U.S. were among the top occupational safety and health stories posted on ISHN.com this week.

Institute for Safety and Health Management (ISHM) announces the 2015 Safety Management Professional of the Year. Stephanie Walsh, ASHM, Safety Specialist for Trendway Corp., a manufacturer of commercial office furniture and architectural products in Holland, Mich., was recognized for her caring, common sense, fun approach to safety improvement.

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) recently renewed an alliance whose goal is the safe use and operation of mining equipment.