Online Exclusive: Respiratory Protection Evaluation Checklist
April 2010
Before a worker can wear a respirator on the job, he or she must be medically evaluated to ensure that the respirator will not create a dangerous amou . . . more »

Trainer's Handbook: Watch Your Fingers—And Other Important Warnings For Press Operators
April 2010
On Nov. 7, 2007, a 27-year-old machine operator at Plastic Display Products in Vista died when he was crushed by a hydraulic molding press. . . . more »

Respiratory Protection: Behind the Mask: Conducting Employee Medical Evaluations for Respirator Use
April 2010
Respirators can be real lifesavers. A firefighter inside a building filled with toxic smoke breathes clean air because of his respirator as does a painter inside a spray booth. But for workers with underlying heart or lung issues, a respirator can place a dangerous amount of stress on the body. . . . more »

News Note: Federal OSHA, Scaffold Industry Association Release Safety Tips
April 2010
As part of the alliance between federal OSHA and the Scaffold Industry Association (SIA), the SIA has developed "Transport Platform (TP) Safety Tips." The tips are designed to educate . . . more »

Hazard Identification: One in Five Lost-Work-Time Incidents Is a Slip, Trip, or Fall; Control This Common Hazard
March 2010
Most falls on a level surface don't result in a recordable injury but merely a bump, some bruises, or perhaps scattered papers and spilled coffee. But sometimes these falls can and do cause more serious injuries. . . . more »

Appeals Board Decisions: Worker Who Skipped Required Safety Training Is Injured; Employer Discovers It's Not Enough to Only Train Some Workers
March 2010
Everardo Diaz showed up for work on a residential construction crew in San Diego at about 7 a.m. on July 11, 2008. Diaz and his brother, Armando, were members of the "joister crew" and were working on the second floor of a house under construction. At about 8:15 a.m., Diaz was walking backwards on the top plate of the second floor, measuring and marking, when he fell. Diaz was not wearing any fall protection, and no perimeter scaffolding or guardrails were in place to protect him. He fell more than 19 feet, sustaining fractures to his back, pelvis, and arm. . . . more »

News Note: Videos Provide Respirator, Face Mask Guidance for Health Workers
March 2010
Federal OSHA has developed two new videos for healthcare workers that feature training and guidance on safe respirator use. The video "Respirator Safety" demonstrates how to . . . more »

News Note: White Paper Outlines Best Practices for Hearing Protection Programs
March 2010
A free white paper from hearing protection maker Howard Leight details how the merger between U.S. Airways and America West led to an enhanced hearing conservation program for the newly formed company. The document describes . . . more »

News Note: Two Resources on Firing Ranges Now Available in Spanish
January 2010
NIOSH has made two of its resources on firing range safety and health available in Spanish. The NIOSH Topic Page on Firing Ranges, Campos de Tiro, can be found at . . . more »

Tree Trimming: Trees Break, Branches Fall, Workers Die; Protect Tree Trimmers During Peak Trimming Season
December 2009

On April 4, a five-man crew was removing an oak tree from a hillside on a Universal Studios backlot when the tree trunk rotated clockwise, striking and killing a worker who was standing next to the chain saw operator. On April 30, another tree trimmer in Auburn (east of Sacramento) was 20 feet up in a multi-trunk tree when one trunk broke at the ground level and sent him plummeting to his death. Yet another tree trimmer in Los Angeles was trapped against a palm tree by a heavy palm frond and suffocated to death in February.

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Trainer's Handbook: Hanging by a Thread? Train Workers Who Perform Rope-Access Operations
November 2009
The use of ropes, rather than scaffolding or other more traditional methods, to access and perform work along vertical surfaces is a developing field and is little regulated. California is the only state that regulates . . . more »

Hazard Identification: Are 'Green' Jobs Hazardous to Workers? NIOSH Initiative Encourages Integration of Safety with Sustainability
October 2009
An organic farming operation provides safe and healthy food to the local community--but puts workers at risk of ergonomic injuries and heat illness during harvesting. Another company boasts in press releases about its newly constructed "green" office building--but not about the workers who were injured while building it . . . more »

Hazard Identification: Have You Seen the Light? Five Ways Lighting Enhances Safety at Your Worksite
September 2009
Is a "quick visual inspection" difficult to do in your workplace? Do you squint at signs and stub your toes on the steps? The problem could be that you need new glasses, but it could also be that the lighting in your facility is inadequate in some places. When we "fall back" from Daylight Savings Time and cycle into winter, . . . more »

Back to School: Safety 101 for Crossing Guards
September 2009
With school back in full swing this month, the nearly 6,000 crossing guards in California are again working the intersections near schools across the state--standing in the middle of the street while cars come at them from two or more directions and children wait on the sidewalks for their chance to cross. Fifty-seven crossing guards were killed in the United States between 2003 and 2007, and . . . more »

News Note: U.S. Traffic Fatalities Reach 38-Year Low
September 2009
The number of traffic fatalities reported in 2008 hit its lowest level since 1961, the U.S. Department of Transportation has announced. The fatality data for 2008 placed the highway death count at 37,261, a drop of 9.7 percent from 2007 . . . more »