US Department of Labor Announces National Emphasis Program to Reduce & Prevent Workplace Falls

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has begun a National Emphasis Program to prevent falls, the leading cause of fatal workplace injuries and the violation the agency cites most frequently in construction industry inspections. The emphasis program will focus on reducing fall-related injuries and fatalities for people working at heights in all industries. The program establishes guidance for locating and inspecting fall hazards and allows OSHA compliance safety and health officers to open inspections whenever they observe someone working at heights. An outreach component of the program will focus on educating employers about effective ways to keep their workers safe.

For more information, see the Press Release and OSHA’s webpage on Fall Protection.

Accidents in the News

Through 4/30/23

Aurora, CO – A pedestrian crossing the street against signal was struck by a garbage truck. MORE

Okmulgee, OK – An 81-year-old man was killed after his truck crossed the centerline and collided with an oncoming garbage truck. MORE

Willard, OH – A 24-year-old man died after crossing the centerline in his truck and crashing into a garbage truck. MORE

Washington, DC – A garbage truck fatally backed-up over a pedestrian lying in the middle of an alley. MORE

Kearny, NJ – A 45-year-old motorcyclist died after crashing into a garbage truck that was exiting a the yard. MORE 

Stillwater, MN – An 81-year-old woman was truck and killed by a garbage truck while attempting to bring the driver cookies. MORE

Tyler, TX – A garbage truck turning onto a highway collided with an oncoming vehicle, killing its 69-year-old driver. MORE

Scholarship Opportunity for Women Studying Occupational Health and Safety

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) is accepting applications for the 2023 Chad Bradley Scholarship Award.

The $3,000 scholarship is open to women pursuing education in the field of occupational health and safety from an accredited college or university in Canada. 

Candidates are required to submit an essay detailing why occupational health and safety is their chosen field of study, their motivation and inspiration, and how they will contribute to safe work in the future.

The entry deadline for the Chad Bradley Scholarship Award is August 31, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Full details about the scholarship criteria and how to apply is available on the CCOHS website: www.ccohs.ca/scholarships. 

OSHA Announces National 'Beat the Heat' Contest

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced the launch of a nationwide competition for stakeholders in all industries to share their best tools and other resources for informing workers about the dangers of heat exposure in indoor and outdoor workplaces. OSHA’s “Beat the Heat” contest seeks to educate workers and employers about workplace heat hazards, raise industry and public awareness of the dangers excessive heat presents to workers, and motivate employers and workers to act to prevent heat illness.

Open to stakeholders in all industries, the competition will be judged by a panel of subject matter experts in OSHA and other federal agencies. See the OSHA Trade Release and visit the OSHA Beat the Heat contest webpage for contest rules and submission instructions, and send any questions about participation to heatcampaign@dol.gov. All submissions must be received by June 9, 2023.

2023 Safety Events

SWANA Strategic Plan Town Hall – Goal 1
May 25, 2023
Online
Click here to learn more

National Forklift Safety Day
June 13, 2023
National
Click here to learn more

Trench Safety Stand-Down
June 14–18, 2023
National
Click here to learn more

Safe + Sound Week
August 7–13, 2023
National
Click here to learn more

CCOHS Forum 2023: The Changing World of Work
September 26–27, 2023
Halifax, NS
Click here to learn more

SWANA Safety Summit
September 27–29, 2023
Boston, MA
Click here to learn more