Human error - unsafe work procedures, maintenance mistakes, and mishandling tools, wires, and metal covers; Negligent preventive maintenance - not checking for loose termination, allowing dust and debris build-up (critical in medium voltages and higher), and not testing stored energy (e.g., spring-operated bolted pressure switches); and

Building a culture of occupational health and safety is vital for all businesses and is key to ensuring not just workplace compliance, but sustainable competitive advantage. To manage risks and to meet today’s standards in occupational health, the first place to start is to make sure you assess and measure risks accurately, and the best way to begin is by gaining a thorough understanding of the solutions and equipment available for monitoring these risks.

There were 24 mining fatalities in the U.S. in 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) reports. This is the fewest annual fatalities ever recorded, and only the fifth year in MSHA’s 43-year history that mining fatalities were below 30.

ACGIH® announced today that its Board of Directors ratified the 2020 Threshold Limit Values (TLVs®) for Chemical Substances and Physical Agents and Biological Exposure Indices (BEIs®). The Board also approved recommendations for additions to the Notice of Intended Changes (NIC).

The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH®) has released Industrial Ventilation: A Manual of Recommended Practice for Operation and Maintenance, 2nd Edition (the O&M Manual), one of over 25 titles featured in the ACGIH® Signature Publications Series.

Chances are this holiday season you will send and/or receive a package. Probably several. We all delight in the ‘miracle’ of a package arriving on our doorstep a mere few days after ordering. It’s easy to forget that there is no magic involved. Considerable effort and many workers are responsible for the arrival of your holiday gifts.

A pilot project by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) intended to gather information on chemical substances “of very high concern” found in consumer articles has yielded some alarming results, according to the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI). The inspectorates of 15 EU Member States checked 682 articles supplied by 405 companies.

Unfortunately, electrical work by its very nature is dangerous due to the high energy levels involved and, until an accident occurs, electricity is odorless, colorless, and invisible. As an electrical worker, you’ve chosen the third most dangerous profession, according to OSHA.

Have suggestions for making OSHA’s online training classes more affordable? Want tips on preventing cold stress among your employees? Here are updates from OSHA: