OSHA has developed a 15-minute survey to evaluate the usefulness of the heat illness website and to identify possible updates to the website. (OSHA's heat illness prevention campaign website.) The brief survey will not collect personal information from visitors – only opinions and evaluations of the campaign. Did you use the educational resources on the web? Were the materials useful for the work you do? Let us know!
More workers are killed every year in motor vehicle crashes than any other cause. Distracted driving dramatically increases the risk of such crashes. That's why OSHA has joined with the U.S. Department of Transportation, other Labor Department agencies and key associations and organizations to enlist the help and cooperation off businesses – large and small – in a nationwide effort to stop the dangerous practice of texting while driving. OSHA's revised brochure (PDF) explains the dangers of texting while driving on the job, and makes recommendations about what employers can do to keep workers safe. To order the brochure or any of OSHA's outreach materials, call OSHA's Office of Communications at 202-693-1999 or visit OSHA's Publications page. Visit the Department of Transportation's distracted driving page for more information.
Nail Gun Safety - A Guide for Construction Contractors (PDF), a resource that helps construction employers and workers prevent work-related nail gun injuries, is now available in Spanish (PDF). Nail gun injuries are responsible for approximately 37,000 emergency room visits each year. Construction workers, particularly those in residential construction, use nail guns nearly every day. Although this tool is easy to operate and increases productivity, injuries occur as a result of unintended nail discharge; nails that bounce off a hard surface or miss the work piece and become airborne; and disabling the gun's safety features, among other causes. Injury prevention is possible if contractors take steps such as using full sequential trigger nail guns.
OSHA continues to expand its available resources in non-English languages to protect vulnerable workers in construction. Materials for this year’s fall prevention campaign are available (as *PDFs) in Spanish, Russian and Polish. To order these or many other outreach materials, call OSHA's Office of Communications at 202-693-1999 or visit OSHA's Publications page.
On August 13, OSHA and the Society of Chemical Hazard Communication (SCHC) hosted a free webinar to help employers understand the requirements of OSHA's revised Hazard Communication Standard in the United States. The archived presentation has now been viewed by more than 8,000 participants. Developed as part of OSHA's alliance with SCHC, the webinar explained changes to the Hazard Communication Standard to align with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). During the webinar, OSHA staff provided information that answered questions from chemical manufacturers, downstream users, and other interested parties. Topics included changes expected in training, labeling, and safety data sheets and compliance assistance opportunities.
