A federal investigation revealed that a non-injury oil tanker fire that resulted in millions of dollars in damages was caused by a lithium-ion battery in a handheld radio. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found that the lithium-ion battery in the radio exploded during a thermal runaway event and started the fire which resulted in […]
Several federal agencies in the U.S. have agreed to collaborate in an effort to protect communities from wildfire smoke and reduce the risk of the large, severe fires that produce the hazard. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of the Interior (DOI), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) signed […]
A steam truck operator with 16 years of experience was fatally injured when he fell 9 feet from a front-end loader’s deck while steam cleaning the machine. He wasn’t wearing fall PPE at the time. U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) investigators determined that the root cause of the incident was the employer’s failure […]
Lead is an insidious hazard that can be carried home on workers’ clothing and skin, exposing their families to its harmful effects. A new resource from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) aims to help combat the hazard of lead exposure, specifically for those working on lead pipes. Workplace Solutions: Reducing Workers’ […]
Employers may soon receive an invitation from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to complete a survey on respirator use, the first to collect updated data since its initial survey in 2001. The Survey of Respirator Use and Practices (SRUP) will be used to update the estimated number of U.S. companies using […]
A federal investigation found that it was a mine operator’s fault that a contractor worker died of carbon monoxide poisoning while waiting for a late train in his personal vehicle during his shift. U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) investigators determined that the mine operator and contractor didn’t ensure that the worker’s personal vehicle […]
Good communications and information are of the utmost importance when it comes to having an effective emergency response. A response team that fails to communicate effectively and gather sufficient information on the details of an incident can put its members in danger and undermine response efforts. For example, the emergency response effort to put out […]
Water-related fatalities are on the rise, according to the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) with five having occurred since 2022. MSHA issued a safety alert Oct. 25, 2023 to warn miners and mine operators about the increase in these incidents. Mining, like other typically land-based industries, isn’t usually associated with the drowning hazard. […]
As a safety professional, you do everything you can to make sure your employees can work safely around mobile equipment on a jobsite. But what about the vehicles of subcontractors or vendors who visit the site? Whether the workplace is a construction site or a loading dock, your employees will probably have to work around […]
