Industry Trends

This year, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is commemorating 50 years since the enactment of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act, which was signed into law on December 29, 1970. In honor of this major milestone, OSHA is announcing its re-commitment to the Agency’s fundamental mission of ensuring safe and healthful […]

If you’re like me, you were completely unprepared to work from home (for an extended period of time) when COVID-19 interrupted our lives. I had just moved into my downtown Chicago apartment, with not even a table and chairs, when I was told to work from home. For the first two weeks, I worked from […]

A fully-stocked grocery store with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, canned goods perfectly lined up on the shelves like synchronized swimmers, and that special cut of meat to be there when I’m planning to cook for an audience is what I’ve grown to expect from my grocery store. Today is different. Workers are […]

The global COVID-19 pandemic is creating serious challenges for employers, not simply because of the health risks of the disease itself to workers, but also because of the social distancing and workplace changes implemented to help slow the spread of the virus. Anxiety and urgency of response related to the COVID-19 threat is understandable, but […]

OSHA workplace injury and illness reporting season is already upon us, and there’s no better time for employers to take a step back and review their injury and illness recordkeeping practices — not only to make sure you’re in compliance, but to evaluate whether you’re capturing the most accurate possible injury and illness data in […]

The United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) estimates that more than 8 million US healthcare workers are exposed to hazardous drugs (HDs) in the workplace each year. Hazardous drugs (HDs) are a class of pharmaceuticals that pose serious health risks to individuals who handle them, including organ toxicity, reproductive and developmental defects, genetic toxicity, cancer and […]

On October 1, 2019 the Ontario Ministry of Labour (MOL) announced it will begin an inspection blitz aimed at preventing work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). This inspection blitz will target workplaces across Ontario, specifically those in construction, health care, industrial and mining sectors. The start of the blitz happens to coincide with October’s Global Ergonomics Month, […]

OSHA and PHMSA recently hosted a public meeting to discuss proposed changes and updates to the GHS in preparation for the 37th session of the United Nations Sub-Committee of Experts on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (UNSCEGHS). During the meeting, OSHA accepted stakeholders’ comments on a series of working papers […]

If you’ve ever been through an OSHA inspection in your workplace, you already know how stressful a situation it can be. During an inspection, OSHA’s certified safety and health officers (CSHOs) will examine your work site, health and safety management programs, employees, records and other health and safety-related documents with a high degree of scrutiny. […]

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) discusses trends in cases of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) that were first identified by a California Department of Public Health (CDPH) analysis of workers’ compensation claims. The report identifies the industries and occupations with the highest reported rates of CTS, and calculates rates […]