Rutgers School of Public Health is offering OSHA 7300: Understanding OSHA’s Permit-Required Confined Space Standard course in Somerset, New Jersey, in celebration of Safe & Sound week. This no fee, 1-day course will be held on August 15, 2019.

Confined space entry work carries an inherent risk to workers. It has the potential to contain a hazardous environment, contain materials that have the potential to engulf an entrant, walls that converge or floors that slope downward, which may trap or asphyxiate an individual. They may also contain other recognized health or safety hazards, such as unguarded machinery, exposed live wires or heat stress. 

New OSHA Resources Offer Solutions to Common Safety Hazards

A new series of OSHA Alerts addresses safety hazards associated with specific activities, equipment, or events. Each alert identifies the hazards involved and offers clear solutions to keep workers safe. Alerts currently available focus on flood recovery and cleanup, trenching and excavation, and forklift operation.

OSHA’s new flyer on five things you should know to stay safe in a trench addresses the most common trench-related hazards. The agency has additional resources for employers and workers on trenching safety, including a short video.

OSHA Publishes Webpage on Measles Prevention

OSHA has a new webpage on measles, a highly-contagious, potentially serious illness with more than 1,000 confirmed cases in 28 states in 2019, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Workers in child care and health care, laboratories, and environmental services and those who travel abroad have the greatest risk of exposure and infection. The webpage provides information about preventing and reducing workers’ measles exposure, along with information on vaccination and treatment.

June is National Safety Month

Each year, the National Safety Council, an OSHA Alliancepartner and key Safe + Sound Campaign organizer, designates June as National Safety Month – to highlight leading causes of preventable injuries and fatalities. Topics for 2019 are hazard recognition; slips, trips and falls; fatigue; and impairment.

Prepare for Fireworks Safety Ahead of July 4 Festivities

With Independence Day celebrations approaching, OSHA is encouraging the fireworks and pyrotechnics industry to begin taking steps now to protect workers from hazards while manufacturing, storing, transporting, displaying, and selling fireworks. OSHA’s website offers information on common hazards and solutions for the pyrotechnics industry.

Safe + Sound Challenges You to Find and Fix Hazards in the Workplace

Join OSHA’s Safe + Sound campaign during June to focus on finding and fixing hazards! Effective safety and health programs should include a process for finding and fixing workplace hazards. Get started by taking our Check on Safety Challenge! Safe + Sound is a year-round campaign to encourage every workplace to have a safety and health program.  Find out more on the Safe + Sound website.

Keeping Workers Safe from Heat Hazards

OSHA is urging employers to protect workers from heat-related illnesses and hazards. As we enter the summer season, warmer and more humid weather can increase the risk to workers both outdoors and in indoor workplaces with hot conditions. Learn how to keep workers safe by preventing heat hazards.

Suicide Prevention Resources

Suicide is a serious public health concern that can have lasting harmful effects on individuals, families, workplaces, and communities. A new webpage provides confidential resources to help identify the signs and how to get help.

Emergency Preparedness and Response

Natural disasters can create a variety of hazards for workers. Preparing for an emergency plays a vital role in ensuring that employers and workers have the necessary equipment, know where to go, and know how to stay safe when an emergency occurs. OSHA’s Emergency Preparedness and Response pageprovides information on how to prepare and train for emergencies and the hazards to be aware of during cleanup and recovery operations.