When it comes to new safety information, regulations, and practices, up-to-date knowledge makes a difference in worker well being, productivity, and consumer satisfaction. At MySafetySign, we’re following the agendas and changing regulations of agencies like OSHA, ANSI, NFPA, ADA and the CDC. We post about new discoveries, controversy, and data, like changing safety regulations or information about the most dangerous jobs in America. Our posts aim to update you about ways to stay safe anywhere, from your home kitchen to a construction scaffold.
News
Drop in honeybee population worries U.S. farmers
Bees, besides producing honey, pollinate a full 30 percent of the food we eat, like cherries, almonds, and raspberries. They’re a necessary part of our food chain and ecosystem, and they are in danger. A United States Department of Agriculture survey recently found that U.S. beekeepers lost about 30% of their honeybees colonies last winter. […]
Safety violations abounded in post-Hurricane Sandy cleanup
OSHA urged cleanup and recovery workers to be wary of hazards amid the post-hurricane Sandy debris. Still, many workers suffered chemical exposure, falls, and electrical shocks, in part due to the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE). An investigation by Daily News revealed that many of thousands of workers who cleaned and rebuilt homes in hurricane-struck […]
The West Texas tragedy: Can oversights lead to an overhaul?
All too often, safety oversights are brought to light because of a tragedy. In the case of the deadly explosion at the West Fertilizer Co. in Texas last month, early investigations have revealed a patchwork of reporting requirements and safety thresholds that may have left workers and the community dangerously exposed. An article on Salon.com states […]
Is the Texas explosion OSHA’s fault?
Just two days after the terrifying Boston Marathon bombings, an explosion at the West Fertilizer Company in Texas jolted the country and swamped the news world. Taking 14 lives and injuring approximately 200 people, the incident started with a fire that was followed by an explosion that caused a 2.1-magnitude earthquake. The disaster turned many […]
New York CVS to pay $40,000 in fines for not having an emergency action plan in place
Employers have a legal, moral, and ethical duty to prevent physical or psychological injury to their employees at work. As per Standard Number 1910.38, OSHA requires employers to have a written or oral (in case of fewer than 10 employees) emergency action plan (EAP) that is available to employees for review. Not having an EAP […]
OSHA violations at Disneyland: It’s a small safety world
Safety violations can happen anywhere – even the happiest place on earth. Despite the Disney empire’s notoriously high standards for customer service, employee satisfaction and overall safety, the iconic Space Mountain ride in Disneyland was closed last Friday after inspectors from the state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health cited the park for six safety […]
Rox Coal Inc. fined $110,000 for violation of electrical safety standard
Pennsylvania mine operator Rox Coal Inc will have to pay $110,000 in fines for violating an electrical hazard safety standard. The mine’s chief electrician had deliberately disabled the safety switch a couple of days before sending two workers to change fuses. As a result, on October 3, 2007, one of the miners was shocked while […]
Electrical safety for children and senior citizens
“Nearly seven children a day are treated in emergency rooms for electric shock or burns caused by tampering with a wall outlet and one-third of people who are killed by home electrical fires are over the age of 65.” The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) will use May’s National Electrical Safety Month to increase awareness […]
High worker injury rates in nursing homes trigger possible OSHA inspection
As many as 1000 nursing homes with high worker injury and illness rates in 2011 have now come under OSHA’s radar for a possible safety inspection. Residential care facilities including business homes, nursing homes, and convalescent homes were issued warning letters for a possible inspection by OSHA, the federal agency charged with enforcement of safety […]
Protecting honey bees and humans
We may be the ones who flail and flee when a honey bee comes humming around our picnic table, but their threatened state could present risks for all of us. Honey bees are the prime pollinator of agricultural crops in the U.S., including almonds, cranberries, blueberries, avocados, apples, cherries and pears. Their contribution generates $16 […]
OSHA issues high heat advisory in California
It’s the first day of spring, but many U.S. regions are experiencing prolonged cold fronts. California, however, has the opposite concern: rising temperatures across the state have prompted OSHA to issue a heat advisory, catalyzed by a concern for outdoor workers’ safety. OSHA’s press release states: “While California’s heat illness standards are the toughest in the […]