The AIHA has published the second edition of Recognition, Evaluation, and Control of Indoor Mold. This second edition of the book provides health information which is aligned with the current epidemiology and medical information on environmental allergens, updated taxonomy of the fungi and mold remediation guidelines, and the most current and comprehensive discussion on the basic practice of identifying mold damage, the evaluation of the samples that are collected, and the process of remediation.

Although machines are indispensable to modern work, machine-related incidents remain a common cause of injuries in plants and other workplaces. The effects of these injuries can be considerable. Often, the effects range from minor scrapes and scratches to permanent disability and even fatalities. Not only do these incidents cause costly and time-consuming damage to machinery, but they can also negatively impact employee morale.

With 2020 barely underway, the poultry industry has already experienced two workplace fatalities, at facilities in two different states. The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH) says those incidents, along with a government-approved increase in line speeds at poultry slaughterhouses, illustrate the need for safety reforms in the industry. The poultry industry maintains that employees are considerably safer now on the job than in the past, and points to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data to back up that claim.

A massive explosion and fire this morning at a Houston, Texas manufacturing facility damaged homes and injured at least one person, according to news sources. The 4:15 a.m. blast at Watson Grinding and Manufacturing sent a fireball into the air and knocked nearby residents out of their beds. Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo tweeted that debris was scattered a half-mile from the explosion site.

Roco Rescue, a leader in technical rescue, announced today the appointment of Chris Carlsen as the company’s new Director of Training. A graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Special Ops Program Management course, Carlsen spent more than twenty years as a municipal firefighter with Albuquerque Fire Rescue.

Petzl, manufacturer of professional safety equipment, will release a new headlamp, the SWIFT RL PRO, next month. An ultra-compact headlamp, the SWIFT RL PRO is bright and lightweight, offering 900 lumens and weighing only 4 ounces.

A plumbing contractor who allowed employees to work in a trench that showed signs of water intrusion and possible collapse has been fined $37,318 by OSHA – after one of those workers died in a trench collapse. Rhobina Electric Inc. in Batesville, Mississippi was cited for exposing employees to excavation hazards after the fatality. The commercial electrical and plumbing contractor was installing sewer pipe to a new concrete manhole when the incident occurred.

When OSHA celebrates an anniversary, it does it up big. The federal agency otherwise known as the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) plans to commemorate its 50th anniversary this year with a yearlong celebration of past achievements, current events and future initiatives. The Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act signed into law by President Richard M. Nixon on December 29, 1970 – that one that created OSHA – gave the federal government the authority to set and enforce safety and health standards for most of the country's workers.

With the increasing popularity of vaping, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is working with other federal agencies and organizations to remind airline passengers that electronic smoking devices like vaporizers (vapes) and e-cigarettes are considered hazardous materials when transported on aircraft. Electronic smoking devices contain lithium batteries that pose a fire risk.

The Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI) recently published “Viewpoint” articles by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine professors who warn that global climate change is likely to unlock dangerous new microbes, as well as threaten humans’ ability to regulate body temperature.