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Factory Worker Wearing Hearing Protectors and Protective Goggles.

Now Hear This—October is National Protect Your Hearing Month

October is National Protect Your Hearing Month! In workplaces where noise levels exceed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) action level of 85 A-weighted decibels (dBA) as a time-weighted average, employers must have a hearing conservation program. Along with reducing noise levels and noise exposures, selecting appropriate hearing protection, audiometric testing, and recordkeeping, employee […]

Manual workers pouring cement through pipe on roof.

Stepping Up Your Foot Protection Program

Many employers have questions about what specific footwear would best fit their foot protection programs. Experts at Safety.BLR.com® recently stepped in to answer two questions on the subject—see what they had to say, plus download a free guide from Tingley to get your program on firm ground!

Construction site and equipment - aerial view

NYC Construction Training Law Sets High Bar

The latest safety trend for construction workers may have been established by a New York City (NYC) law signed by Mayor Bill de Blasio in October 2017. Local Law 196 set forth new training requirements for employees at certain construction jobsites. The requirement—a minimum number of hours of training on specific safety subjects for workers […]

Abandoned office with many papers on the floor

Old Paper Work May Pose a Security Risk at Your Facility

When a major retail business moves to shutter its operations the impacts have major reverberations, especially when that business is the size of Circuit City, Borders Books and Music, or Toys “R” Us. In the case of the latter, the rapid closing of the toy giant left 31,000 employees without work and close to 800 […]

Worker lying after falling from a ladder

OIG Says That Fatalities and Injuries Are Underreported

Despite OSHA’s 2014 rule strengthening provisions that require employers to inform the agency about work-related fatalities and serious injuries and illnesses, the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that OSHA’s data on these incidents are deficient as is its assurance that employers abated the hazards that contributed to the incidents.

Explosions and Fires in Massachusetts Highlight the Costs of Faulty Equipment

A series of explosions in three Massachusetts towns in mid-September resulted in one fatality and several injuries. The incident and the resulting investigations and pending litigation are a reminder of the costliness of failing to conduct proper maintenance and monitoring of equipment to ensure its safe operation and performance.

Facility safety

Interest Groups Petition Court to Block OSHA’s Suspension of Electronic Recordkeeping Rule

Three public interest groups have petitioned the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to order OSHA to lift its suspension of portions rule requiring employers to electronically submit certain information about injuries and illnesses that occur in their workplaces to OSHA. According to the petition, OSHA suspended the requirement to submit the information […]

Lock Out Tag Out

How Compliant Are Your LOTO and Machine Guarding Practices ?

Does your safety program effectively protect workers when they are exposed to moving machine parts and hazardous energy? The machine guarding and lockout/tagout (LOTO) standards are consistently on the list of the top 10 most frequently cited OSHA standards—read on for a Q&A on the basics, as well as an opportunity to join our live […]

Female scientist looking at a MSDS binder

As an Industrial Supply Company, What Do I Need in My Hazcom Inventory?

Complete Question: I am developing an updated hazardous material inventory for my Hazard Communication (HazCom) program. We are a industrial supply/hardware supply company that maintains an inventory of paints, thinners, lubricants, and cleaners etc. The employees do not use these substances, but do handle them from receiving, to the shelf, to the customer. What should be […]