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United States Senators from both sides of the aisle are working together to try to make OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) a permanent part of federal occupational safety and health law.

Fatigue among workers is a hidden workplace issue affecting businesses throughout the United States. According to new research from the National Safety Council (NSC) and Brigham Health Sleep Matters Initiative, sleep disorders and sleep deficiency that result in exhausted workers costs employers millions each year in absenteeism, lost productivity, and healthcare costs—most are undiagnosed and untreated disorders.

Therapist and author Marianne Clyde says providing employees with good quality mental health training is not just a compassionate move. It’s also a strategic business decision.

As the nation combats a general opioid epidemic, the needs of first responders and other workers exposed to these hazardous substances must not be forgotten. That’s the message of comments submitted by the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) to a presidential commission on combating drug addiction and the opioid crisis. According to AIHA, potentially exposed workers include first responders such as law enforcement personnel, drug enforcement agents, emergency technicians, and crime lab analysts.

Competition for top talent is tough in today’s marketplace. And with the U.S. unemployment rate hovering at 4.4 percent, it can be hard for small companies to find individuals to fill open positions. Now, a new survey of small-business employees finds that the safety of the work environment was among top factors for employees considering a new job offer. The survey was conducted by Employers, a leading small-business insurance provider.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says 37,461 lives were lost on U.S. roads in 2016. That’s an increase of 5.6 percent from 2015. Because the number of miles driven increased as well, the overall increase in deaths per 100 million miles traveled is 2.6 percent.

Talk about timely. With extensive recovery efforts under way across the country, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is offering a new software platform called ERHMS Info Manager®.

The National Safety Council (NSC) has released a new report, Making the Case for Contractor Management: Examining the Safety Benefits of 3rd Party Management. The report includes an analysis of hypotheses to assess the safety benefits of contractor safety pre-qualification programs for participating suppliers, contractors, and vendors.

It’s ironic but true. Health care is one of the most dangerous professions in this country. It’s also one of the largest, employing 18 million people and growing. Hospital workers experience about twice as many job-related illnesses and injuries as private industry workers.