OSHA Renews Safety Training for Pennsylvania HS Students

• OSHA has renewed its alliance agreement with the Pennsylvania OSHA Consultation Program and Upper Bucks County Technical School to continue health and safety training and education to high school students entering the workforce.
• The five-year extension calls for the alliance to develop curricula covering a range of topics, including hazards in the construction industry, as well as healthcare-related hazards, material handling, chemical safety, and the proper use of personal protective equipment.
• The agreement through OSHA’s Allentown-area office extends an initiative originally signed in September 2015.
• An implementation team made up of representatives of each organization will meet one to two times per year to track and share information on activities and results in achieving the goals of the Alliance.
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Industry Groups Partner on Silica Study

• The International Surface Fabricators Association (ISFA) and the Natural Stone Institute (NSI) have released the second installment in a two-part study on silica exposure and health risks in the surface fabrication industry.
• The latest installment includes an analysis of peer-reviewed medical research that examines the impacts of respirable crystalline silica, “equipping fabricators with actionable insights to improve workplace health and safety.”
• The two groups last year released the first part of these reviews, which focused on exposure studies that documented real-world data on silica dust levels found in fabrication environments.
• “The newly released medical literature review complements those findings by connecting exposure trends with clinical health outcomes, delivering critical information to guide risk mitigation and long-term workforce protection strategies,” said Marissa Bankert, ISFA CEO.
• Separately OSHA and ISFA said they’ve established a formal alliance that “pledges to elevate workplace safety, training, and safety culture across the surface fabrication industry,” ISFA said. The program also enables OSHA and ISFA to collaborate on outreach, education, training and public awareness about safety and health in the workplace, the fabricators group said.
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Colorado Declares Day to Focus on Worker Health, Safety

• Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has declared Aug. 14 the Day of Total Worker Health.
• While the proclamation was short on specific actions, it stated that “the State of Colorado encourages everyone to recognize the worker health and safety opportunities that exist and celebrate organizations and employers that place value on implementing such initiatives.”
• Lili Tenney, DrPH, Co-Founder and Director of Health Links said, “Receiving this proclamation for the sixth consecutive year reflects Colorado’s unwavering commitment to advancing the health, safety, and well-being of our workforce. It’s a testament to the businesses, leaders, and communities championing Total Worker Health in action, creating workplaces where people can thrive.”
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