SafetyBlog

No One Knows Who Started Labor DayHistorians generally have a pretty good idea of who was responsible for starting which holidays -- except for Labor Day that is. Some historians credit Peter J. McGuire, secretary for the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, for creating Labor Day. McGuire had allegedly wanted to create a special day to honor the nation's workers. Other historians, however, believe inventor and secretary for the International Association of Machinists Matthew Mcguire (differen …

Washington state has announced plans to sue the federal government for improperly cleaning nuclear waste at one of its facilities.According to a federal lawsuit filed on Wednesday, dozens of state workers were exposed to toxic vapors during the period of January 2014 and April 2015 while working at the now-closed Hanford Nuclear Reservation. Washington state lawmakers allege that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has known about the toxic vapors for decades, dating all the way back to the 1980 …

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has published its final rule on working in confined spaces. The new rule covers many concerns that were previously left unaddressed, such as crawlspaces and attics (among other things).You might be wondering why OSHA felt the need to update its rule on confined spaces. After all, how much of a danger do small, narrow environments really pose to workers? Each year dozens of workers lose their lives, either directly or indirectly, while work …

Taking the lives of more than 600,000 people in the U.S. each year, heart disease remains the nation's leading cause of death, according to the Centers for Disease Control Prevention (CDC). While we know some risk factors of heart disease include obesity, diabetes and heart disease, a new report suggests that automobile air pollution may also contribute to cardiovascular problems.Last weekend, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Reha …

Ever wonder what the most common Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) citations are? Well, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently published this information for the 2014 year in the form of an infographic.The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was formed in 1970 as a branch of the United States Department of Labor (DOL). For more than three decades, the Administration's goal has been to assure safe and healthful working conditions for the millions of hard-w …