This week's Safety News You Need highlights a bill to protect healthcare and social service workers; reviews the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on worker mental health and the need to understand the difference between well-being and wellness; and shares tips for using PPE to protect workers operating in cold weather. 

   

• Members of the U.S. House of Representatives have reintroduced the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act. The bill would direct OSHA to issue a standard requiring employers in the healthcare and social service sectors to develop and implement violence prevention plans. Read more
• A recent survey found that approximately 46% of U.S. workers have struggled with mental health issues since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn how organizations are helping their workers address these issues and steps you can take to improve worker mental health. Read more
• To best protect your workers, it’s important to understand the differences between wellness and well-being, and the role each approach plays in creating a safe, healthy work environment. Read more
• Frigid temperatures can have a major impact on worker safety and health. NIOSH researchers explain the physiological response to working in the cold and discuss how PPE can provide relief. Read more