SafetyBlog

A new year is officially upon us, which means new workplace safety laws and regulations. Here are a few of the changes that you can expect to see made by OSHA in 2016.Increased FinesAmong the most notable changes with OSHA that you can expect to see in 2016 is higher fines for safety violations. Just last year, Congress passed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, which included the "Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015." This Act requires OSHA to issue larger c …

Ever have one of those work days where you feel tired, groggy and fatigued? Sure you have; we all have. While an occasional "tired" day here and there shouldn't pose a problem, chronic fatigue can place you at risk for injury. Regardless of the industry in which you work, you should take certain precautions to stay alert while on the job.The Problem of Work-Related FatigueFatigue can impact a worker's performance and health in several different ways. According to a study conducted by researchers …

When you think of jobs and industries with a high risk of violence in the workplace, healthcare probably isn't the first to come to mind. After all, why would doctors, nurses and physicians be the target of workplace violence? Well, it may sound strange, but healthcare is among the leading industries for workplace violence -- a trend the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is hoping to reverse.According to a statement by OSHA, more violent incidents occur in healthcare than any …

Need another reason to connect with your long-lost friends from high-school? Here's one: researchers say that people who live socially active lives have a 50% lower risk of mortality from all sources than people who live confined and reserves lives.That's a pretty bold statement to say the least, but there's some strong evidence backing this theory. For the study, researchers analyzed nearly half a dozen separate long-term studies which examined the impact of social connections on an individual' …

Metro-North rail employees will now have access to a hotline which they can use to report safety concerns, violations, or other signs of unsafe working conditions without the fear of retribution.Railroad is typically considered a high risk injury, meaning there's a greater risk for worker injury and fatality when compared to other industries. In 2011, more than 2,900 workers were injured on the job, resulting in some 52,000 plus lost days of work. The average amount of time an injured work took …