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After a yearlong delay that OSHA said it needed to address stakeholder concerns, employers in the construction industry must comply with a requirement for crane operator certification in the Cranes and Derricks Construction Standard as of November 10. Crane operators are certified (29 CFR 1926.1427), demonstrating sufficient knowledge and skill of the machines they’ll operate through both written and practical tests.

A Georgia peanut processing facility that failed to live up to its formal settlement with OSHA faces $309,505 in proposed penalties. OSHA says a follow-up inspection it conducted at the Leesburg worksite as part of that agreement found that Great Southern Peanut LLC failed to:

The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) is in favor an electronic submission requirement in OSHA’s proposed rule for the tracking of workplace injuries and illnesses – but it wants a worker privacy study conducted before the rule is finalized. In a letter sent to the agency’s Director of Technical Support and Emergency Management, Amanda Edens, AIHA Director of Government Relations Mark Ames offered recommendations on the rule.

A new bill would give feds the legal authority to shoot down drones that are deemed “credible threats” to national security. The problem – say critics – is that the bill doesn't define credible threats or specify target areas. It may also allow the federal government to sidestep laws requiring authorities to get courts for permission to conduct surveillance.

As more organizations offer increasingly comprehensive programs for workplace safety and health, researchers and organizations alike look for the best examples and tools to measure their effectiveness. With so many programs available, how do organizations know which one is best?

Changing our attitudes toward addiction is crucial if we are to prevent opioid misuse and promote recovery of those who are addicted, according to U.S. Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams. In releasing a report, Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General's Spotlight on Opioids, Adams called for a cultural shift in the way Americans talk about the opioid crisis.

Although Hurricane/Tropical Storm Florence has come and gone, authorities caution that hazards related to the storm persist and deaths are still occurring. The latest and most controversial fatalities occurred on Tuesday, when a sheriff’s van became submerged in floodwaters and the two people being transported in it – mental health patients – drowned.

Recent studies show that the occurrence of Pneumoconiosis, or Black Lung disease, among coal miners across the Nation has skyrocketed beyond anything ever seen before in the industry. Younger, less experienced miners are contracting the disease at an earlier age, subjecting them to a shortened and debilitating existence until they ultimately succumb to the ravages of the illness.