COVID-19 Updates

• OSHA is allowing for additional public comment on Occupational Exposures to COVID-19 in Healthcare Settings through April 22, 2022 and will hold a virtual informal hearing on April 27, 2022. 
• The agency has issued a 3-month enforcement initiative (March 9- June 9, 2022) in hospitals and skilled nursing care facilities that treat or handle COVID-19 patients.

Improving Ventilation in Cold Weather

A new OSHA Alert provides steps for improving workplace ventilation during cold weather, when influenza, cold viruses, and COVID-19 are circulating. 

New Warehousing Page

OSHA has published a new Safety and Health Topics page for the warehousing industry that provides information about applicable OSHA standards and enforcement initiatives, addresses specific workplace hazards (e.g., powered industrial trucks, musculoskeletal disorders, materials handling equipment), and provides links to reference materials. 

Stand Up 4 Grain Safety Week 2022

OSHA issued an updated poster (in English and Spanish) for Stand Up 4 Grain Safety Week, to be commemorated April 4-8, 2022. Find more about this virtual event at StandUp4GrainSafety.Org.

Fall Stand Down 2022

OSHA, NIOSH, and CPWR will host the 9th annual Stand Down to Prevent Falls in Construction May 2-6, 2022. A recent webinar with campaign updates is available here.  Events announced so far include:

• Fall Protection Expert Q&A Panel, Part 3 - May 3, 2022, 2 PM ET.  (Note: Stream Part 1 here and Part 2 here.)
• Uso Adecuado de los Sistemas Personales de Protección contra Caídas - 7 de abril de 2022, 2 PM ET. 

Interested stakeholders may also order hard hat stickers and pocket-sized hazard alert cards from CPWR here. More resources and information will be forthcoming. Visit osha.gov/Stop-Falls-Stand-Down.

New Maritime Industry Resources

OSHA issued a new fact sheet, Evaluation and Control of Hazards from Preservative Coatings during Hot Work on Vessels and a new poster, Six Ways to Stay Safe When Working in Marine Terminal Mechanic Shops.

Harwood Grant Applications

A free webinar, How to Prepare a Competitive
Susan Harwood Grant Application, is now available for streaming. Grant applications for Susan Harwood Training Program Workplace Safety and Health Training on Infectious Diseases, Including COVID-19 grants, must be received electronically by the Grants.gov system by May 6, 2022. For more info, see the Federal Register notice.

NIOSH FACE Reports and Products

The NIOSH Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program conducts investigations on workplace fatalities to identify the factors that contributed to these fatal injuries. This information is used to develop comprehensive recommendations for preventing similar incidents. The following are NIOSH FACE Program reports and products issued from January through March, 2022.  See the NIOSH FACE website for all the latest reports.

• Agriculture: Farm Worker Crushed in ATV Rollover During Herbicide Application on a Hillside (OR)
• Auto Repair: 16-Year-Old Tire Repair Assistant Died when a Vehicle Slipped off a Hydraulic Jack (CA)
• Communication Towers: Communication Tower Worker Falls 260 Feet (WA)
• Construction: Apprentice Ironworker Struck by Dropped Steel Wedge (WA)
• Forestry: Land Clearing and Forest Product Company Owner Overcome by Carbon Monoxide in Hopper of Wood Chip Burning Boiler (MA)
• Landscaping: Infographic- Worker Safety Matters During Lawn Care 
• Manufacturing: Laborer Crushed Between Two Large Stone Slabs at a Manufacturing Facility (MA)
• Property Maintenance: Worker Caught Between Industrial Sweeper and Low Ceiling (MA)
• Severe Weather: Hazard Alert- Severe Weather Response and Recovery (KY)
• Transportation:
  • Truck Driver Struck by Yard Tractor on Rainy Night (WA)
  • Focus on Officer Wellness: Prevent Struck-By Accidents at Crash Scenes (Police Chief Magazine)
• Workplace Suicides and Overdoses:
  • Fatal Drug Overdose in the Workplace (KY)
  • Manufacturing Worker Dies by Suicide (KY)
• Young Workers: Occupational Health Watch- Keeping Young Workers Safe on the Job (CA)

NIOSH Science Blog Posts

The following are selected NIOSH Science Blog entries posted from January through March, 2022.  See the NIOSH Science Blog website for more entries.

• Researching Risk of Birth Defects Among Pregnant Nail Salon Workers (Korean and Vietnamese versions posted March 21, 2022; English version posted November 3, 2021)
• Work Flexibility and Worker Well-being: Evidence from the United States (March 11, 2022)
• Preventing Struck-by Fatalities Related to Excavator Quick Couplers, Buckets, and Attachments (March 10, 2022)
• Partnering to Design Safe and Healthy Workplaces for the Construction Workforce (February 23, 2022)
• 10 Lessons Learned From a Multi-Year Total Worker Health Study of Small Businesses (February 18, 2022)
• Exoskeletons: Potential for Preventing Work-related Musculoskeletal Injuries and Disorders in Construction Workplaces (February 3, 2022)

New CPWR Resources

The following are recent resources from CPWR- The Center for Construction Research and Training:

• Construction Worker Health: CPWR's January 2022 Data Bulletin addresses construction worker mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, and introduces two new data dashboards: Construction Worker Mental Health, and Healthcare and Medical Expenditures Among Construction Workers.
• Construction Employment: CPWR's March 2022 Data Bulletin addresses construction employment trends and projections, and introduces three new data dashboards: Employment Trends, Employment Projections, and Women in Construction.
• Safety Climate- Safety Management Information System (SC-SMIS): This new, free resource allows contractors to assess and strengthen their safety climate.

National Work Zone Awareness Week

National Work Zone Awareness Week (April 11-15, 2022) is an annual event to promote work zone safety.   On Thursday, April 14, stakeholders are asked to share messages on social media and use hashtags #NWZAW and #WorkZoneSafety. For more information, including planning and promotional materials, visit www.nwzaw.org.

Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-By Incidents

Sponsored by the NORA Construction Sector Council, this event will take place in coordination with National Work Zone Awareness Week, from April 11-15, 2022. Four webinars are planned, as follows:

• Preventing Struck-by Incidents in Roadway Work Zones - April 11, 2022, 1 PM EDT  
• Prevención de Incidentes por Atropellos: Zonas de Trabajo, Equipos Pesados e Impacto de Objetos - 11 de abril de 2022, 3 PM EDT
• What’s the risk? Best Practices to reduce the likelihood of struck-by injuries from heavy equipment and crane activities - April 13, 2022, 2 PM EDT
• Preventing Struck-by Incidents from Dropped Tools & Other Objects - April 14, 2022, 2 PM EDT

Harwood Grants

The following materials developed by grantees under OSHA’s Susan Harwood Training Grant Program were posted on the OSHA website between January and March, 2022. See the OSHA website for a complete list of a materials developed by Harwood grantees. These materials do not necessarily reflect the official views of OSHA.

Construction

• Alaska Native Tribal Consortium developed training materials for rural construction and utility sector workers on topics including confined spaces, electrical hazards, ergonomics, excavation hazards, fall prevention, and silica.
• Chicagoland Construction Safety Council developed electric hazard training materials in English and Spanish.
• Construction Advancement Foundation of Northwest Indiana developed training materials on respirable crystalline silica.

Machine Guarding

• New Jersey State AFL-CIO, Community Services Agency developed machinery and machine guarding training materials for workers in food manufacturing and distribution, dairy, retail stores, manufacturing, and warehousing.

Nail Salons

• Boat People SOS- Center for Community Advancement developed training materials in English and Vietnamese on nail salon industry hazards.

Respiratory Protection

• University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus developed respiratory protection training materials in English and Spanish for hard-to-reach and limited English proficiency workers.

Chemical Hazards

• The New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health developed chemical hazard training materials in English and Spanish for manufacturing, service industry, healthcare, and janitorial service workers.