By: Morgan Yi, Contributor It’s estimated that seasonal flu impacts approx. 1 billion people globally each year, contributing to between 290,000 and 650,000 deaths. When considering workplace settings specifically, the impacts aren’t much better. In 2022, the CDC estimated that between 27 and 54 million Americans contracted the flu over the 2022-2023 season. Consequently, the U.S. Chamber…
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By: Cindy Pauley, Contributor Employers have a duty to protect all workers, including those working alone or remotely. OSHA defines a lone worker as “an employee working alone, such as in a confined space or isolated location.” An isolated location doesn’t just include being out of earshot or being on a distant work site. It…
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“HazCom” is short for “Hazard Communication,” which works to keep people safe by providing information about potential sources of injury—specifically, hazardous chemicals in the workplace. OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) is the set of regulations covering chemical labels in the workplace. These rules were updated in 2012 to generally align with an international standard called the Globally…
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By: Dave Wagner, Contributor Workplace safety is constantly evolving, especially in fast-moving industrial environments. Thanks to technological advancements, what was considered safe 10 or 20 years ago often doesn’t hold up to present-day safety standards. This is especially true for gas detection systems. While up-to-date gas detection systems cannot eliminate every safety challenge, when paired with proper…
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By: Tim Turney, Contributor The effects of inhaled substances, such as dusts gases and vapors, has long been known to be a cause of occupational lung disease as a result of exposure in the workplace. The effects of exposure can develop quickly or take years to develop, leaving workers vulnerable to asthmatic and allergic reactions…
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By: Sean Baldry, Contributor Is it necessary to quantify worker exposures to respiratory hazards before selecting a respirator that will be used for a medical evaluation? Since the selection of respirators should be based on the specific respiratory hazards that your employees will be exposed to, or are likely to be exposed to, in your…
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By: Ray Chisti, Contributor Did you know employers need to verify their workers’ exposure levels to respiratory hazards? Employers often forget to do this! Federal and state OSHA agencies have continued issuing citations to employers during 2023, because the employers didn’t reasonably estimate their workers’ respiratory exposures. Once you’ve estimated the exposure, you must select…
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Audiometric Monitoring: Boothless Audiometry is a Reality Workers undergo millions of hearing tests as part of hearing conservation programs (HCP) each year, which are conducted within a sound booth to control background noise. The use of a sound booth often requires a worker to travel offsite to the test location or, sometimes, a mobile trailer…
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By: Rick Farrell, Contributor The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health reports that 22 million workers are exposed to hazardous noise levels annually. Employees across all industries are vulnerable to the effects of noise pollution. However, those in industrial workplaces—mechanics, factory workers, construction workers, etc. —must take extra precautions to stay safe and reduce…
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“Earning a living should not come at the expense of hearing loss.” – William Donovan, OSHA Acting Regional Administrator Overlooking prolonged noise exposure is an expensive proposition. According to the CDC, hearing loss is the third-most common chronic physical ailment in adults, after hypertension and arthritis. Nearly one in 10 people endure noise levels at…
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Leaders in Industrial Hygiene
Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation (CAOHC)
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