Food safety worker injuries,Transporation Safety Board’s Lac Megantic report, Workplace safety in schools and more on EHS This Week!

On this week’s edition of EHS This Week we’ve got the week’s top stories in environment, health and safety news:

  • Occupational injuries involving insects
  • US ranks among top 10 international food safety violators
  • The worst causes of injuries for food safety workers
  • Transportation Safety Board of Canada releases Lac Megantic report
  • Students organize workplace safety training

Remember to write us with your suggestions, questions and comments. Also, if you are an industry expert and ever want to take part in the program, we’d love to have you.

Until next week, enjoy the program!

EHS This Week Resources

For more information on the stories and resources mentioned in this week’s podcast, check out the links below.

  • Bureau of Labor Statistics report on occupational injuries involving insects. Read it here.
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Hazards & Exposures. Read about preventing insect-related injuries here.
  • Analysis of International Food Safety
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OSHA bumps fall protection enforcement period to March 2013

Attention home builders! If you were expecting to face more stringent fall protection measures next week, you’ve got a bit of a reprieve. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) announced yesterday it is extending its temporary enforcement measures on fall protection through to March 15, 2013.

Previously, OSHA had planned to enforce its new Compliance Guidance for Residential Construction next week. However, potentially influenced by call from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), OSHA decided to push the temporary enforcement measures by three months. These measures can be thought of as a means by which OSHA eases the home-building industry into compliance with the new residential construction rules, which calls for increased fall protection for workers engaged in operations six feet or more above lower levels.

The temporary enforcement measures offer employers:

  • Priority free on-site compliance assistance.
  • Penalty reductions.
  • Extended abatement dates.
  • Measures to ensure consistency.
  • Increased
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EPA budget presentation, workplace absenteeism revelation, advances in European renewable energy progress and more on EHS This Week

We discuss top stories from the world of environment, health and safety news for the past seven days, including OSHA citations, the EPA budget, and more.

Come back on a weekly basis or subscribe for our rundown of the week’s top EHS Stories.

[audio: old/mp3/EHS This Week Mar 23.mp3]… Read more...

Michael’s reaction to OSHA’s ‘aggressive’ mandate, state success and failure in OHS performance, Germany’s amazing renewable investments and more on EHS This Week

We discuss top stories from the world of environment, health and safety news for the past seven days, including OSHA head David Michael’s defending the administration’s record, Washington’s success in minimizing OHS fatalities, the GHS final rule announcement and more.

Come back on a weekly basis or subscribe for our rundown of the week’s top EHS Stories.

[audio: old/mp3/EHS This Week March 19.mp3]… Read more...

FAA regs, EPA’s emissions battles, OSHA citations and more on EHS This Week

In this episode of EHS This Week, Kristy and I discuss top stories from the world of environment, health and safety news for the past seven days, including OSHA citations, FAA pilot training rule updates, EPA GHG lawsuits and more.

We also have a Site Shoutout to the incredible GoodGuide.com, an excellent resource for evaluating sustainable and ethical supply chains of companies and products.

Come back on a weekly basis or subscribe for our rundown of the week’s top EHS Stories.

[audio: old/mp3/EHS This Week Mar 2.mp3]… Read more...

Start preparing for new OSHA fall protection requirements now

A Roof

In an effort to curb the startling statistic that 40 workers are killed in the U.S. every year as a result of falls from residential roofs, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has set a deadline for implementation of new fall safety requirements for June 16, 2011.

The directive will require any residential builder, coast to coast, engaged in construction projects more than six feet from the ground (or lower levels, on low-slope roofs, steep roofs, etc.) to comply with 29 CFR 1926.501(b)(13). The requirement basically calls for conventional fall protection, such as guardrail systems, safety net systems, professional fall arrest systems, or other fall protection measured spelled out in 1926.501(b).

The new rules replace the 1995 Interim Fall Protection Compliance Guidelines for Residential Construction, guidelines that allowed many residential builders to ignore fall safety requirements.

Three of OSHA’s Top 10 most frequently cited standards in 2010 pertained to … Read more...