ISHN | September 2022

This month, we take a look at how weather monitors can save workers from heat stress, our columnists take on hot topics such as climate change and stop work authority, and we learn more about eye protection.

Cover Feature

Best practices for using vaporized hydrogen peroxide indoors

Rick Pedley

September 21, 2022

Many workplaces are looking for new and improved methods of decontaminating indoor spaces. To keep business running more or less, as usual, these methods need to be efficient, cost-effective, and safe enough to use regularly. Using vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP) as a disinfection and decontamination measure has become increasingly common.

Weather monitors gather real-time heat stress readings on your jobsite

John Heniff

September 23, 2022

It’s paramount to know the exact temperature on your jobsite to protect workers in hot conditions. At higher temperatures, a change of even a few degrees can be a warning sign.

Fall protection is OSHA's top safety violation for 12th year in a row

OSHA unveils Top Ten Safety Violations for FY 2022 at NSC Congress

September 21, 2022

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced Tuesday its preliminary Top 10 most frequently cited workplace safety standards for fiscal year 2022.

Eye protection training essential for the perfect fit

Rachel Krubsack

September 23, 2022

Thousands of people are blinded each year from work-related eye injuries. These injuries are due to none or ill-fitting protection.

Beyond the basics of heat protection

How to protect construction workers and create a specific action plan

Shayne Stevens, CSP, CHST, CMSP

July 28, 2022

In the construction industry, we face various safety barriers, highlighting the importance of implementing companywide rules, regulations, and safeguards at construction sites to protect our workers from accidents and injury.

Gaining momentum: Restricting & banning 'forever chemicals'

PFAS have varying degrees of toxicity

Dave Johnson

August 4, 2022

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are so-called “forever chemicals” because they don’t easily break down in the environment and can remain indefinitely in air, soil and water, including sources of drinking water.

Taking a holistic approach to safety

Shaun Carvalho

June 28, 2022

The last two years have demonstrated the importance of prioritizing overall health and well-being — and how everyone’s personal and work life affect each other. With safety being the number one priority in construction, leaders in the industry should take the lessons learned to implement a holistic approach to safety, addressing both physical and psychological health.

Best Practices

OSHA’s proposed lead rulemaking

Pro-life laws affecting current ANPRM for blood lead levels

Dan Markiewicz, MS, CIH, CSP, CHMM

September 20, 2022

The U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2022 overturn of 1973 Roe v Wade has emboldened states to propose “fetal personhood” laws. What does this mean for proposed rulemaking for blood lead levels?

The ‘stop work authority’ approach

It’s effective for managing risk and safety, but there are challenges to consider

Peter G. Furst

September 6, 2022

The intent of a “stop work authority” (SWA) when included in a safety program is to empower employees to take action when they see a situation that is unsafe or think a worker may get injured. Though the SWA process and practice may seem as beneficial at many levels in dealing with operational risk and worker safety; there potentially may be some unforeseen barriers or challenges to its actual utilization.

Dave Johnson: What's Going On

How deep a dive into climate change?

Dave Johnson

August 4, 2022

Opinions are most divisive over a risk-related question: will climate change harm you personally? A 2021 Yale poll found a split (47 percent yes – 45 percent no). OK, so maybe baby boomers and older adults get a pass. But their kids?

OSHA, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, reports that companies who invest in safety will reap rewards in the form of all sorts of lower insurance premiums, including worker's compensation rates.

Forklift Safety has seen a renewed focus with the following additions: observance of National Forklift Safety Day, a revised ANSI lift truck industry standard, and a regulatory agenda item to revise the OSHA standard.

ISHN Magazine

2022 September

Cover