Category: Special Topics in Safety Management

Safety is a process, and as such, needs to be managed. This section offers resources to create a viable safety program, sell it to senior management, train supervisors and employees in using it, and then track and report your progress. Look also for ways to advance your own skills in these areas, both for your current job, and those that follow.

Free Special Report: 50 Tips for More Effective Safety Training

COVID-19 coronavirus

AIHA Releases COVID-19 Guidance and Resources

On August 31, AIHA (formerly the American Industrial Hygiene Association) released guidance documents and a white paper for employers trying to control workplace infections during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

First responders, ambulance corps

AIHA Launches Site for First Responder Health Resources

AIHA (formerly the American Industrial Hygiene Association) launched a new website—https://www.workerhealthsafety.org/first-responders—with occupational health resources about the long-term health risks faced by emergency responders. The website includes a case study of training to prepare first responders for rail emergencies and a directory of industrial hygienists and occupational and environmental health and safety (OEHS) professionals.

Office safety and ergonomics

Tips for an Ergonomic Workstation

Many of us spend hours at our workstations every day, and with many of us working from home because of COVID-19, the ergonomic issues have come home with us. Bad habits and incorrect posture can lead to neck and back pain or sore wrists and fingers. Proper ergonomics can help you and your employees stay […]

checklist

Safety Culture Checklist: 6 Keys to Success

Many organizations want to improve their safety culture in order to reduce injury rates, save money, and increase productivity. But how does a company begin to foster a culture of safety? The following are a just few key areas that go a long way toward establishing a positive safety culture in an organization.

Oregon state flag facemask

Oregon Latest State to Propose Emergency COVID-19 Standard

Oregon has proposed an emergency temporary standard for workplace coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission. While there is no federal workplace safety and health standard for coronavirus exposures, California has an airborne transmissible disease standard for certain workplaces, and Virginia approved an emergency temporary standard for COVID-19 in July.

food product manufacturing

Food Manufacturing COVID-19 Safety Checklist Released by OSHA and FDA

On August 19, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the release of a checklist for food manufacturers that are continuing, resuming, or reevaluating operations during the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The checklist covers ensuring safe workplaces, investigating exposures and testing for coronavirus infections, and configuring […]

Masks and workplace safety

Keeping Your Safety Culture Healthy During COVID-19

It’s not a question of “if” or “when.” Whether your company fully realizes it or not, COVID-19 has already had a profound effect on the business’s organizational culture, including its safety culture. Here are some key areas of safety culture to keep an eye on to ensure that you are mitigating any negative effects the […]

Meat packing plant

OSHA and Meat Institute form COVID-19 Alliance

On August 14, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and North American Meat Institute (Meat Institute) announced an alliance agreement to provide guidance, information, and access to training resources for protecting workers in the meatpacking and processing industry from exposures to the coronavirus.

Hearing loss, noise hazards

NIOSH Research Warns of Noise Hazards in Service Industry

A large number of noise-exposed workers within the services industry sector—the largest sector in U.S. industry—have an elevated risk of hearing loss, according to new research from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The study of hearing loss in workers across a wide variety of service industries was recently published in the […]

Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR)

Amid Shortages, Cal/OSHA Issues Updated ATD Respirator Guidance

On August 6, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) released updated guidance for healthcare employers facing severe shortages of respirators during the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The supply chain for respirators has improved but is not yet fully restored, according to Cal/OSHA.