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Meat packing plant

Cal/OSHA Issues Citations for COVID-19 Violations in State Meatpacking Industry

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) cited eight employers across the state for not protecting workers from COVID-19 following inspections at meat processing facilities. Many were cited for violations of the state’s injury and illness prevention program standard—a state regulation with no corresponding federal standard.

Winter safety

Protect Your Employees from Winter Injury and Illness

The winter season is upon us once again, and with the colder weather come a unique set of hazards that can cause injuries and illness among the workforce. Here are some tips for protecting your employees from cold stress, frostbite, and hypothermia.

Aerial Lift

What Are the Harnessing Requirements When Operating an Aerial Lift?

With winter weather comes the potential for severe storms—and the aftermath may include the necessity for utility repair work and/or tree removal. Aerial lifts are often employed in these purposes, and one Safety.BLR.com subscriber wanted to know what the fall protection requirements are for this machinery. Read on to see what the experts had to […]

Roofing fall protection

Revisit Your Fall Protection Program to Address This Fatal Four Hazard

Have you become complacent about safety hazards like falls while focusing on the health hazards of the COVID-19 pandemic? The consequences may be tragic—falls from height are one of the “Fatal Four” safety hazards, along with caught-in or -between, electrocution, and struck-by hazards—and failure to comply with fall protection regulations can result in citations and […]

COVID-19 safety inspection

ASTM Developing Nonregulatory Standard for Face Masks

ASTM International, a standards-setting organization formerly known as The American Society for Testing and Materials, is developing a new specification for face coverings. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended cloth face coverings for the general public to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has […]

molecule

Pesky PFAS Insert Themselves into Timely Topics

Two big news stories that you have no doubt been following lately are the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine and the presidential transition. However, what is a little less widely known is that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the so-called “forever chemicals” that have become a concern for environmental regulators as well as environment, health, […]