EPA advances process for sulfur dioxide, ozone standards
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking the next steps in the Clean Air Act process to determine which areas of the country meet national air quality standards for ground-level ozone and sulfur dioxide. In November 2017, the agency designated the vast majority of U.S. counties as meeting the air quality standards set by EPA’s 2015 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone. EPA is responding to state and tribal recommendations for ozone designations for the remaining areas and providing additional opportunities for input on those areas’ designations. The agency is also finalizing designations for certain areas for the 2010 sulfur dioxide NAAQS.
For more information, visit www. epa.gov/ozone-designations or call (202) 564-7400.
OSHA issues statement on fatal occupational injuries
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Census of 2016 Fatal Occupational Injuries reports there were 5,190 workplace fatalities in 2016, a 7-percent increase from 2015. The fatal injury rate also increased from 3.4 per 100,000 full-time-equivalent workers in 2015 to 3.6 in 2016.
Loren Sweatt, deputy assistant secretary for OSHA, issued the following statement: “Today’s occupational fatality data show a tragic trend with the third consecutive increase in worker fatalities in 2016 — the highest since 2008. America’s workers deserve better. [OSHA] is committed to finding new and innovative ways of working with employers and employees to improve workplace safety and health. OSHA will work to address these trends through enforcement, compliance assistance, education and training, and outreach.”
For more information, visit www. osha.gov or call (800) 321-OSHA [6742].
NSC recognizes annual list of leaders putting safety first
The National Safety Council (NSC) recently recognized the 2018 CEOs Who “Get It,” an annual honor bestowed on safety leaders who go above and beyond to protect employees both on and off the job.
“These leaders understand that nothing drives business like safety,” said Deborah A.P. Hersman, president and CEO of the NSC. “They have set a high bar for both their peers and employees, and we are proud to recognize their efforts.”
This year’s CEOs represent national and international organizations. Each honoree has built his or her organization’s safety strategy using four key components: leadership and employee engagement, safety management solutions, risk reduction and performance measurement. These four pillars are the basis of the NSC Journey to Safety Excellence program, a process of continuous improvement with a goal of zero harm.
To view the list of honorees, visit www.nsc.org or call (800) 621-7615.
Frequent exertion, standing at work the norm for two-fifths of U.S. adults
Nearly 40 percent of all currently employed American adults have jobs that require frequent exertion and standing, according to a recent report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report is based on responses to an occupational health supplement to the 2015 National Health Interview Survey, which asked the frequency with which working adults engage in repetitive lifting, pulling, pushing, bending, standing or walking while at work.
CDC determined an estimated 52.7 million American adults, or 39.5 percent of the working population, have jobs that require frequent exertion and standing.
Repetitive motions are risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). According to the International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics in 2014, work-related MSDs cost the U.S. approximately $2.6 billion every year.
For more information, visit www.cdc. gov or call (800) CDC-INFO [232-4636].
GRP awards $5M in grants to seven environmental projects
The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine is bestowing grant awards for seven new projects totaling $5.3 million. Five projects involve developing or testing new methods for monitoring or evaluating environmental restoration projects to improve future restoration efforts. The other two focus on improving the information available to decision- makers for evaluating public health risks due to oil spills.
The two topic areas — integration of monitoring and evaluation into environmental restoration projects to improve outcomes in the Gulf of Mexico and improving risk-based evaluations to support a public health response to the next oil spill — were derived from the findings of two recent National Academies consensus reports. All projects were selected after an external peer-review process.
For more information, visit www.nationalacademies.org or www.nas. edu/gulf/grants.