OSHA Takes to YouTube With Heat Safety Advice

• OSHA’s latest “Minute with Marlis” video advises agency employers to educate employees on the hazards of heat exposure and heat illness prevention, in addition to having an emergency action plan.
• The short video offers safety tips, including, taking frequent breaks, staying hydrated and awareness of the signs of heat illness.
• The Labor Department’s YouTube channel has 64,000 subscribers.
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KC Trench Collapse Brings Fatality Toll to Near Dozen This Year

• A trench collapse death  in Kansas City on Monday made for the 11th fatality nationwide this year.
• OSHA is reminding employers and workers to follow proven safety practices to prevent fatalities in trenching and excavation work.
• “Trench collapses are among the most dangerous hazards in construction,” according to an OSHA statement. “These incidents are entirely preventable when proper safeguards are in place.”
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Animal Rights Group Urges Comment on General Duty Clause Action

• Animal rights group PETA is urging its supporters to comment on OSHA’s proposed rule change that would limit the agency’s ability to cite employers under the General Duty Clause for hazards deemed “inherent and inseparable” from certain professions in high-risk sectors.
• “The General Duty Clause is vitally important for employees working in animal-related entertainment,” PETA said in a post this week, citing an incident where SeaWorld was held accountable when an employee trainer was killed by an orca whale.
• The group claimed that the rule change would harm animals.
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