During a recent tour of Panasonic Energy’s new lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility in De Soto, Kansas, OSHA Assistant Secretary David Keeling saw firsthand how advanced safety engineering and innovative manufacturing technologies are helping protect 2,000 workers while powering the future of electric vehicles. 

Lithium-ion batteries power much of our communities and understanding how to work with them safely is more important than ever. That’s why OSHA launched a new Lithium-ion Battery Safety webpage to help employers and workers safely manufacture, use, store, recycle, and ship lithium-ion batteries. The page provides practical information based on currently available guidance, OSHA standards, and national consensus standards. Powering the future starts with protecting the people who make it possible.

OSHA cited six construction employers for willful and serious safety violations involving excavation hazards and proposed a combined $648,094 in penalties after inspectors responded to an allegation of struck-by and collapse hazards associated with a large excavation at the Monroe Commons project in New York. The excavation site had a steep, unstable embankment nearly 75 feet high which was not adequately sloped or shored.

Fortunately, in this instance, no one was injured or lost their life in a trench collapse. Trench hazards are well-known and can be prevented by following OSHA's requirements to prevent trench wall collapse. Taking the time to ensure that trenches are secure, and that workers are properly trained and equipped to work in them safely, before work begins can make all the difference.

What you hear at work today could affect what you hear tomorrow. Repeated exposure to loud workplace noise can lead to permanent hearing loss. Prolonged exposure to noise levels at or above 85 decibels can damage your hearing, and once that damage occurs, surgery or medication cannot correct it. Noise-induced hearing loss limits your ability to hear high frequency sounds and understand speech, seriously impairing communication.

The good news is noise-induced hearing loss is preventable. Visit our website to learn about protecting your hearing from occupational noise.

OSHA cares not only that you come home safe at the end of your shift but also that you are still able to hear your loved ones greet you when you get there.

Keeping America powered takes skilled workers and protecting them takes teamwork.

Through OSHA’s Electrical Transmission and Distribution Strategic Partnership, industry leaders, unions and safety professionals are working together to prevent serious injuries and fatalities. Over the past five years, participating organizations have reduced their fatality rates by 91%, according to the partnership.

Watch this video to see how our collaboration is helping protect the workers who keep our communities powered.

Congratulations to the Logistics Readiness Center at Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey, which last week celebrated its approval as a Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) Star site. This recognition is for employers and employees who demonstrate exemplary achievement in the prevention and control of occupational safety and health hazards through the development, implementation and continuous improvement of their safety and health program.

The Logistics Readiness Center is now one of 68 VPP participants in OSHA’s New York City Region and the third US Army VPP site. The US Army continues to encourage and assist their locations to work toward and meet the criteria required to apply for VPP participation. OSHA appreciates the commitment that the Army has made to being a leader in workplace safety.

Speaking up about workplace hazards shouldn’t cost you your job. A construction worker repairing a hotel was concerned that demolition work had released asbestos fibers from ceiling materials into the air. The worker reported that proper safety measures were not being used, including safe removal and disposal methods, containment, appropriate personal protective equipment or ventilation. 

The employee contacted the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after these concerns were dismissed by their supervisor and was fired one week later despite having no prior disciplinary record. The worker contacted OSHA believing that the firing was retaliation for voicing safety concerns and contacting the EPA. 

OSHA investigators determined that the employer had violated the antiretaliation provisions of the Clean Air Act and were able to help get the worker reinstated within the company to work on different renovation projects. 

Workers have the right to report safety or other concerns without retaliation.  Speaking up can help identify issues and protect others from future harm. If you believe your employer retaliated against you for exercising your legal rights, you can file a whistleblower complaint with OSHA.

Looking to build your workplace safety knowledge? OSHA Training Institute Education Centers offer courses on a wide variety of workplace safety and health topics, both in person and online. Below are some upcoming virtual classes. Note that these require a registration fee.  

November 9 | OSHA #7845 Recordkeeping Rule 
Prepare for year-end injury and illness record reviews.
Learn More/Register

November 10 | OSHA #7510 Intro to OSHA for Small Businesses
For owners handling safety alongside other business responsibilities, get an introduction to OSHA requirements and available assistance.
Learn More/Register

November 12 | Rigging Safety Awareness
For those supervising or participating in lifting operations, examine rigging and hoisting hazards and methods for controlling them.
Learn More/Register

Visit our online searchable schedule of OSHA Training Institute Education Center courses to find more classes.

❓ Do employers need to provide face and eye protection for trash collection workers?

🗣️ Under OSHA's General Industry standard for Eye and Face Protection (29 CFR 1910.133), workers must be equipped with appropriate eye or face protection whenever they are exposed to hazards from flying particles, objects, or debris that could cause an eye injury. The employer must assess the workplace and determine where this kind of hazard exists. 

Protective eyewear must meet applicable safety standards, including the American National Standards Institute standard (ANSI Z87.1) . For work such as trash collection that involves constant exposure to unpredictable flying debris such as glass, metal fragments, splinters, and sharp plastic, protection may include:

• Safety glasses with side shields, rated for impact under ANSI Z87.1, as a minimum.
• Safety goggles, which offer a tighter seal and better protection against debris that could enter from the sides or other angles, are often a better fit for this kind of close range, unpredictable work.

Learn more about OSHA's eye and face protection requirements.

Have a minute? Watch this short video to learn about fire safety in the workplace. You can also visit our website for more information. 

Missed a minute? Visit our video webpage to watch all the episodes in this series.

Partnership can make a difference in workplace safety and health. OSHA's cooperative programs bring employers, workers and industry partners together to share knowledge, strengthen safety practices and address hazards. 

KBE Building Corporation recently signed its 10th OSHA Partnership Agreement, supporting construction of the Residence Inn at Steelpointe Harbor in Bridgeport, Connecticut. 

As work continues on the Steelpointe Harbor redevelopment, OSHA and KBE are continuing their collaboration through training, resources and hazard awareness directly to the jobsite. 

Partnerships like this are a great example of how working together can help advance safety on construction projects and other worksites across the country.

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We appreciate your commitment to remain informed about what affects the safety and health of America’s workers.

You can also read this issue on OSHA’s website at osha.gov/quicktakes/110226.