BWC News & Notes
Winter Holiday Safety
The winter holidays create unique safety risks. Holiday décor and candles can create fire risks, traveling in
winter weather can be hazardous, food safety is important at holiday meals, and toy safety is important at giftgiving
occasions. The National Fire Protection Association’s Winter Holidays website contains safety tip sheets
and information on tree and decoration fires. The National Safety Council’s Holiday Safety website has travel,
decoration, food, toy, and fire safety tips.
NIOSH eNews
The November 2019 issue of NIOSH eNews contains articles on National Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Awareness Month, abstracts of research performed by NIOSH researchers, links to new publications and blog posts, and a calendar of upcoming events. OSHA News
Holiday Workplace Safety
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) webpage on holiday workplace safety in the merchandising sales sector contains links to information for order fulfilment, delivery, retail sales, and general employees.
Ionizing Radiation
If you work around sources of ionizing radiation such as radioactive materials or X-ray equipment, OSHA has a newly revised website on this topic. Find information on standards, health effects, hazard recognition, control and prevention, and additional resources.
Other News
New Toolbox Talks
The Center for Construction Research and Training released three new Toolbox Talks in English and Spanish on topics regarding nanoengineered materials, including:
• Identifying Nano-Enabled Construction Materials.
• Introduction: Nano-Enabled Construction Materials.
• Prevent Exposure: Nano-Enabled Construction Materials.
New Safety Podcast
Occupational Health and Safety Magazine has a new podcast called the OH&S SafetyPod, which plans to cover a variety of topics. The first episode discusses safety culture, and the second discusses effective safety training.
More Effective Safety Training
Looking for tips on how to create and deliver better safety training? This article from The American Society of Safety Professionals has four tips you can use. There is a link to a podcast on the subject as well.
Workplace Injury Data Released
The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its Employer-Reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses – 2018 report in early November. The report shows there were 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses reported by private industry employers in 2018. This is the first year since 2012 that the total numbers and incident rate did not go down. Retail trade was the only sector with a rise in reportable cases. Electrical Safety Alert
In the wake of three fatalities, the Mine Safety and Health Administration issued an Electrical Safety Alert.
The alert describes the three incidents and provides tips on prevention of electrical accidents.
Safety Video Series
The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work sponsors a video series featuring a character called Napo to educate workers on topics in safety and health. The videos are silent and so language-neutral. The most recent videos in the Napo series help employees understand musculoskeletal disease.
Winter Safety
The National Safety Council issued a list of winter safety tips on topics such as winter driving, snow shoveling, and frostbite. Stay safe this winter!
Worker Health and Well-Being
U.S. Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams published an article titled, The Value of Worker Well-Being in Public Health Reports, the official journal of the Office of the Surgeon General and the U.S. Public Health Service. The article describes how work can influence well-being and what strategies employers can take to improve employees’ happiness and wellness.
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