For an agency that has been moving at a near-record pace this year, July and August proved to be exceptionally active months for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA®).  Recently, an OSHA official gave a long-awaited update regarding the processing of Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) applications. The agency announced it’s delaying the compliance date for certain provisions of its general industry beryllium standard. And finally, the administration released comprehensive FAQs and training videos on their 2016 silica rule.

Let’s dive in.

The Consumer Packaged Good (CPG) industry is responsible for many of the products we use on a daily basis – from the food we prepare for dinner to the detergent we use to clean our clothes. For those products to reach our homes, they must travel through a variety of sectors, including manufacturing, warehousing, and transportation.

While each of those sectors has their own challenges, when it comes to productivity and workplace hazards, there is one approach proven to boost efficiency and safety across the board – Safegagement™. Before we dive into the impact this makes, let’s take a closer look at what it means.

Fines are on the rise, an agency is on a mission, and a landmark court decision is shaking everything up. What does all this mean for you? If OSHA® determines your business is a “repeat violator,” it could cost you an enormous amount in fines – regardless of when the violations occurred.

Less than a month after our last OSHA® update, we’re back with more big news. The agency recently announced some major regulatory plans as part of their Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Congressional Budget Justification. Additionally, OSHA published a new document, “Solutions for Tree Care Hazards,” which is about – you guessed it – hazards in the tree care industry.

Let’s take a closer look.

OSHA®, the regulatory agency whose mission it is to ensure safe and healthy working conditions for U.S. employees, finds itself back in the news this month. This time it isn’t due to mandatory penalty increases or the fact that the bureau is still awaiting the approval of a new chief. Instead, it’s about the recent increase in inspections, despite the fact that there are notably fewer inspectors on the ground.

OSHA® announces their Top 10 Most Cited Violations annually, and, year after year, that list has remained largely unchanged. But, this trend came to an end in 2017, as a new entry found its way onto the list. Here’s what your company needs to know.

When people think of the dangers involved in the Energy & Utilities industry, they usually envision collapsing mines or exploding oil rigs. Rarely do their minds drift to the Water & Sewer sector, but the truth is Water and Sewer employees face many on-the-job dangers as well. From fires to fatalities, accidents can -- and often do -- occur. 

Luckily, there is a way to minimize these risks. Today’s article will take a closer look at the challenges facing workers in the Water & Sewer sector, as well as steps companies can take to limit those challenges. Let’s get started.

Working nights, weekends, and everything in between. Ensuring each customer walks away with a smile. And don’t even mention what one experiences during the holiday season. Customer service representatives might not have an easy job, but they do fulfill a major role for your company. 

For these reasons, among many others, it’s important you make the most of this year’s upcoming Customer Service Week, which will take place October 2^nd – 6^th. Although showing your employees they’re appreciated should be a year-round process, the following tips should help you make the most of the week.

No one likes to see their workers fall ill, especially when it stems from on-the-job activities. Still, despite companies doing their best to protect their employees, far too many workers receive injuries or develop illnesses when they’re simply trying to do their job. This is especially true in the construction industry, where hazards abound -- some of them far less visible than others.

We’re all well aware of the dangers of operating heavy machinery or working at great heights, but did you know nearly a million American workers are exposed to dangerous levels of silica each year? This can create a multitude of health problems for your workers, and one government agency is looking to prevent this sort of thing from occurring in the future.    

In an effort to reduce lung cancer, silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and kidney disease in America’s workers, OSHA® has issued a final rule regarding employee exposure to respirable crystalline silica. Are you going to be compliant before their September 23, 2017 deadline? 

A railroad wheel maker in Ohio is fined $610,034. A California explosives manufacturer is charged $292,235. A Missouri plumbing contractor faces $714,000 in OSHA® penalties. These are not hypothetical scenarios, they’re what actually happened within the month of June alone. To be more accurate, these fines were issued within less than two weeks of each other. Sadly, there were many more that didn’t make this article.  

Regardless of your occupation or even industry, OSHA® fines can cripple your entire company. We hear it time and time again. Companies who have the best of intentions go under because of on-the-job accidents that are totally preventable.

The question then becomes, how do we prevent accidents, fines, and – most importantly -- loss of life from occurring? The answer lies in employee engagement.