Tag Archives: safety

OSHA partners with National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to revise handbook for small businesses

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Trade Release

 

U.S. Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Office of Communications
Washington, D.C.
www.osha.gov
For Immediate Release
August 3, 2021
Contact: Office of Communications
Phone: 202-693-1999

 

OSHA partners with National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to revise

handbook for small businesses

 

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration collaborated with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to revise a handbook on workplace safety and health information for small business employers.

The Small Business Safety and Health Handbook highlights the benefits of implementing an effective safety and health program, provides self-inspection checklists for employers to identify workplace hazards and review important workplace safety and health resources for small businesses.

“The revised Small Business Handbook is a valuable tool to help employers identify where to take action to make their workplaces safer and more healthful for their employees,” said Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Jim Frederick. “Safety has to be a continuous process that involves preventing injuries and illnesses, and saving lives.”

The handbook includes self-inspection checklists for various work processes in general industry workplaces, such as fire protection, hazard communication, permit-required confined spaces, respiratory protection and walking-working surfaces. The checklists are not intended for construction or maritime industries.

“Small businesses face many unique challenges and providing a safe and healthy work environment shouldn’t be one of them,” said NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D. “The updated Small Business Handbook is an easy-to-use tool to help keep your most valuable asset – your employees – safe and healthy on the job.”

A section of the handbook lists OSHA and NIOSH resources available to help employers recognize and correct safety and health hazards in their workplace, including the OSHA On-Site Consultation Program. The handbook also gives employers information on whistleblower protection laws, training through OSHA’s education centers and professional occupational safety and health associations with local chapters that small businesses can join.

Learn more about how OSHA is helping small businesses.

 

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U.S. Department of Labor news materials are accessible at http://www.dol.gov. The Department’s Reasonable Accommodation Resource Center converts departmental information and documents into alternative formats, which include Braille and large print. For alternative format requests, please contact the Department at (202) 693-7828 (voice) or (800) 877-8339 (federal relay).

 

Original Release: August 3, 2021

Source: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDOL/bulletins/2eb32e9

Trade Release – U.S. Department of Labor Approves New Respirator Fit Testing Protocols to Protect Workers from Airborne Contaminants

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For Immediate Release – September 25, 2019

U.S. Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Office of Communications
Washington, D.C.
Contact: Office of Communications
Phone: 202-693-1999
www.osha.gov

 

 

U.S. Department of Labor Approves New Respirator Fit Testing Protocols to Protect Workers from Airborne Contaminants

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) today issued a final rule that provides employers with two new fit testing protocols for ensuring that employees’ respirators fit properly.

The new protocols are the modified ambient aerosol condensation nuclei counter (CNC) quantitative fit testing protocol for full-facepiece and half-mask elastomeric respirators, and the modified ambient aerosol CNC quantitative fit testing protocol for filtering facepiece respirators.  Both protocols are variations of the original OSHA-approved ambient aerosol CNC protocol, but have fewer test exercises, shorter exercise duration, and a more streamlined sampling sequence.

These two quantitative methods add to the four existing in Appendix A of OSHA’s Respiratory Protection Standard, which contains mandatory respirator fit-testing protocols that employers must choose from to protect employees from hazardous airborne contaminants. The rule does not require employers in general industries, shipyard employment, and construction to update or replace their current fit testing methods, and does not impose additional costs.

The rule becomes effective September 26, 2019.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to help ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.

The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.

 

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U.S. Department of Labor news materials are accessible at http://www.dol.gov. The Department’s Reasonable Accommodation Resource Center converts departmental information and documents into alternative formats, which include Braille and large print. For alternative format requests, please contact the Department at (202) 693-7828 (voice) or (800) 877-8339 (federal relay).

LIA Announces Opening of ILSC 2019 Registration and RLI and UL as Diamond Sponsors

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ORLANDO, Fla. (PRWEB) December 26, 2018

Laser Institute of America (LIA) has officially opened up registration for its renowned International Laser Safety Conference (ILSC), a four-day conference that covers all aspects of laser safety practice and hazard control.

Held at the Embassy Suites Lake Buena Vista South, Kissimmee FL USA, from 18-21 March 2019, ILSC offers detailed seminars and networking opportunities for professionals with laser safety responsibilities across multiple industries, including the medical and defense sectors.

The Laser Safety Scientific Sessions (LSSS) explore research on the biological effects of laser-tissue interaction, including that on the eye and skin. These Scientific Sessions complement the Practical Application Seminars (PAS), which discuss everyday scenarios that a Laser Safety Officer may encounter in medical, manufacturing or military applications.

Rockwell Laser Industries and Underwriter’s Laboratory Confirmed as ILSC 2019 Diamond Sponsors

LIA has announced that it has confirmed Rockwell Laser Industries (RLI) and Underwriter’s Laboratory as the Diamond Sponsors for the 2019 laser safety conference.

RLI are leaders in the laser safety industry, with offerings encompassing laser safety products and training for the industrial, medical and aesthetic sectors.

As one of the leading product safety testing and certification organization, UL is synonymous with safety.

LIA’s Executive Director, Dr. Nathaniel Quick said:

“RLI have been sponsors of ILSC since 2009. We have grown the event as the world’s leading laser safety conference with their support, and we look forward to continuing this synergy as we approach an even better ILSC in 2019.”

ILSC 2019 Early Bird Tickets Available

Early Bird tickets are currently on sale for a limited time and can be purchased directly via the ILSC website. Discounts are also available for LIA Members and Students.

Registration for ILSC is open

Original Article: https://www.newsr.in/n/Press+Releases/1zjb79dp0s/LIA-Announces-Opening-of-ILSC-2019-Registration-and.htm

Announcing OSHA’s New Draft Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines

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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is updating its Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines and wants your help in shaping the new document.

Intended to help employers establish safety and health management plans at their workplaces, the guidelines were first published in 1989. They are being updated to reflect modern technology and practices. As revised, the guidelines should be particularly helpful to small- and medium-sized businesses. And for the first time, they address ways in which multiple employers at the same worksite can coordinate efforts to make sure all workers are protected.

The guidelines are advisory only and do not create any new legal obligations or alter existing obligations under OSHA standards or regulations.

OSHA has made available a draft of the revised document on its website, at www.osha.gov/shpmguidelines, along with a set of questions to consider when reviewing the guidelines. The page also has a direct link to post comments, which will be accepted until February 15. Comments will be taken into consideration when creating a final set of guidelines.

“The goal of safety and health management is to prevent workplace injuries, illnesses and deaths,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels. “Employers who embrace these guidelines will experience lower injury and illness rates, and their progress in improving the safety culture at their worksites will contribute to higher productivity, reduced costs and greater worker satisfaction.”

About LIA

The Laser Institute of America (LIA) is the professional society for laser applications and safety serving the industrial, educational, medical, research and government communities throughout the world since 1968. LIA is committed to keeping the workplace safe from hazards associated with lasers. The joined alliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) helps achieve these goals. www.lia.org, 13501 Ingenuity Drive, Ste 128, Orlando, FL 32826, +1.407.380.1553.

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Laser Institute of America Joins with American Society of Safety Engineers, OSHA, to Promote Work Safety During N. American Occupational Safety & Health Week This May

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Orlando, FL (May 2, 2014) – The Laser Institute of America (LIA) will join with thousands of people and businesses worldwide, the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Alliance Program participants, in raising awareness of the importance of being safe at work during the annual North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week this May 4-10, 2014, and Occupational Safety and Health Professional (OSHP) Day on May 7.

North American Occupational Safety and Health Week, or NAOSH Week, occurs every year during the first full week of May. NAOSH Week is intended to raise awareness about occupational safety, health and the environment. The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) joined with the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE) and the Interdisciplinary Association of Occupational Health and Hygiene of Mexico, Civil Association , (AISOHMEX) to raise the public’s awareness of occupational safety, health and the environment in North America during NAOSH Week. This is just one tool the 100-year-old ASSE and its 35,000 occupational safety, health and environmental professional members use throughout the year to promote occupational safety aimed at preventing injuries and illnesses. Several organizations representing thousands of businesses have partnered with ASSE, CSSE and AISOHMEX to support NAOSH Week, including U.S. federal agencies such as the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to reach millions of people around the globe on the importance of being safe at work.

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