Air pollution is known to be a serious health risk –a cause of asthma, heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and a factor, according to the World Health Organization, in an estimated seven million deaths worldwide every year. A growing body of research suggests air pollution may also be harming our brains. In recent years, new areas of study have opened up into how air pollution might affect our minds and the way we think and feel.

The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) is holding a one-day virtual symposium on Wednesday, Jan. 15, that will focus on occupational health and safety management systems and how they can reduce injuries, illnesses and fatalities in any organization. The symposium will include four webinars and provide registrants with two standards for free.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board's (CSB) is inviting comment on its just-issued Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding accidental release reporting. The proposed rule describes when an owner or operator is required to file a report of an accidental release and the required content of such a report and is intended to ensure that the CSB receives rapid, accurate reports of any accidental release that meets established statutory criteria.

If you are new to human and organizational performance (HOP) or are looking to strengthen your knowledge of the foundational principles of HOP, this is the course for you. Human performance – your people – introduce uncertainty into work.

America’s solar energy industry has grown rapidly — more than doubling its workforce. There are now more than 242,000 U.S. solar workers. Training programs and compliance with OSHA safety standards keep workers informed and can prevent accidents.

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.

OSHA has cited Day & Zimmerman NPS, Inc., for exposing employees to electric shock hazards at the Tennessee Valley Authority Sequoyah Nuclear Power Plant in Soddy Daisy, Tenn. The company faces $71,599 in proposed penalties. Two employees pulling electrical cable suffered burns from an arc flash.

According to OSHA, arc flash burns are one of the top three most common hazards when working with energized electrical equipment. Every day in the U.S. there are up to 10 arc flash incidents, totaling more than 3,600 disabling electrical contact injuries each year. The violent nature of arc flash exposure, which can result in a fatality, even if a worker is 10 feet from the blast site.

OSHA cited ASARCO – a metal smelting company – for electrical hazards after an arc flash caused three workers to suffer severe burns at its facility in Hayden, Arizona. The company faces $278,456 in penalties for two willful violations and one serious violation.

Arc eye, or welder’s flash, is an inflammation of the cornea, caused by the UV rays from the arc during welding. The symptoms, which appear a few hours to several hours after exposure, can include mild to severe pain, red watery eyes, sensitivity to light and the feeling of a foreign object in the eye. Typically, arc eye is temporary, but repeated or prolonged exposure can lead to permanent eye injury.