News Brief header Fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of death for construction employees.

In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, falls account for the 30% of fatalities in the construction industry. To raise awareness about falls and to help prevent them, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) created the National Stand-down to Prevent Falls in Construction, which runs May 3-7, 2021.

What Is a Safety Stand-down?

News Brief header The grain-handling industry is a high-hazard one. Workers can be exposed to serious and sometimes life-threatening hazards, including fires and explosions from grain dust accumulation, suffocation from engulfment and entrapment in grain bins, falls from heights, and crushing injuries and amputations from grain-handling equipment.

Stand Up 4 Grain Safety focuses on the importance of addressing these hazards.

Safety Matters Header image Soil classification is an important part of preparing for excavation or trenching work.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), trenching is one of the most dangerous types of work in the construction sector. In fact, 40 construction workers are killed annually from being caught in trench cave-ins. However, with proper precautions, these deaths are largely preventable.\ One method for detecting hazards in trenching operations is to conduct investigations in order to identify trenching conditions. Part of the identification process is having a competent person classify the soil that is being excavated to determine the hazards that could occur with that particular soil.

The foods and beverages you consume have a significant impact on your health. Diet-related chronic diseases—such as cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, obesity and some types of cancer—are prevalent among Americans and pose a major public health problem.

In fact, 60% of adults have one or more diet-related chronic diseases. Every five years, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture publish nutrition advice. The newest version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2020-2025) offers science-based nutrition advice to develop healthy eating habits and reduce chronic disease risk. For the first time, this edition provides recommendations by life stage, from birth through older adulthood.

News Brief header On Friday, Feb. 26, 2021, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released its enforcement and litigation data from the 2020 fiscal year.

The agency resolved 70,804 charges in 2020 and secured $439.2 million for victims of employment discrimination. Among their efforts, EEOC employees fielded over 470,000 phone calls and responded to more than 187,000 field office inquiries, including 122,775 online submissions.

HR Insights Blog Header In the 2020 fiscal year, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) resolved more than 70,804 charges of workplace discrimination.

Discrimination lawsuits can be very time-consuming and expensive for employers, and can result in a loss of employee morale or reputation within the community.

Top Causes of Discrimination

According to the EEOC, the following are the top 10 reasons for workplace discrimination claims in fiscal year 2020: