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Why Ohio Employers Should Plan Their 2026 Training Strategy Now — and How Ohio TechCred Can Help

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Ohio TechCred is becoming one of the most powerful tools available to Ohio employers—especially in a competitive, compliance-driven landscape where upskilling is no longer optional. Whether you’re preparing for new project demands, expanding your site services, or strengthening your safety culture, employee training remains one of the most important investments you’ll make in 2026. Yet too often, companies wait until budgets are finalized or until problems surface to plan their training strategy. The most successful organizations take the opposite approach: they plan early, allocate intentionally, and leverage every available resource to maximize ROI. Understanding Ohio TechCred: A Funding Program Built for Workforce Growth Ohio TechCred is a government-funded program that enables employers to upskill their existing workforce by reimbursing training costs for short-term (typically completed in less than one year), industry-recognized credentials. Many of the programs supported ali...
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Protecting the Protectors: Mental Health Safety for Caregivers

When we talk about safety, most of us picture helmets, harnesses, or hazard signs. But not all hazards are visible. Some build quietly in the background through long hours, emotional strain, and the constant pressure of being the one everyone else depends on. That’s why examining mental health safety for caregivers is so important, because they come in many forms. Some are nurses, first responders, or safety professionals who protect others for a living. Others are parents, adult children caring for aging relatives, teachers, or friends who always seem to be the first to help when things go wrong. No matter the setting, the work of caring takes energy—physical, mental, and emotional—and if that energy isn’t replenished, it can begin to wear you down. The Emotional Cost of Always Being “On” Caring for others can be deeply fulfilling, but it can also be exhausting. The mental and emotional load often goes unnoticed because it doesn’t leave a bruise or a scar. It might show up as irri...
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A Safe, Smooth Celebration: 7 Thanksgiving Safety Tips for the Season

As Thanksgiving approaches, our to-do lists seem endless — cleaning, decorating, cooking, shopping, hosting. In the rush to make the holiday perfect, it’s easy to overlook the small safety habits that make all the difference. Before the cooking starts and guests arrive, take a moment to pause and prepare. These seven Thanksgiving safety tips can help keep your celebration warm, safe, and memorable — for all the right reasons. Prepare Now, Enjoy Later 1. Stay in the Kitchen Turkeys take their time, and so do the side dishes. But even a short trip away from the stove can be enough for smoke or fire to start. Unattended cooking remains one of the leading causes of holiday house fires. If you need to step out, hand off kitchen duty to someone else — or simply wait until the oven timer rings before you go. 2. Watch Those Glass Dishes Many of us dust off our favorite glass casserole dishes just once or twice a year. But not all glassware is made to handle extreme temperatures. Avoid ...
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The Vent Opened, and the Air Became Silently Toxic: A True Story of Chemical Exposure in a Manufacturing Plant that Turned Fatal

It was the summer of 2021, at the start of the evening shift at a chemical manufacturing plant in northern Alabama. Three operators were assigned to perform routine maintenance on one of the process towers used to separate and refine chemical compounds. The task involved shutting down a section of the system, venting residual gases, and preparing the line for inspection. The crew followed their standard checklist — isolating valves, purging the line with nitrogen, and opening a vent to atmosphere. For a while, everything appeared normal. Then one operator began coughing. Another felt short of breath. They didn’t know what was happening. Within minutes, all three were showing signs of distress. Emergency responders were called, and the crew was rushed to the hospital. What Happened? After a formal inspection by the Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA), investigators determined that the three crewmembers had suffered a chemical exposure to toxic fluorocarbons and other ...
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OSHA Updates Are on Hold During Shutdown: No News Doesn’t Mean No Risk

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If you’ve been monitoring OSHA’s newsroom lately, you may have noticed it’s been unusually quiet. Since October 1, 2025, there have been no new penalty updates, enforcement summaries, or press releases. OSHA’s website notes that updates are temporarily paused due to the ongoing government shutdown — meaning OSHA updates are on hold until operations resume. Screenshot of Lapse in Appropriations from the OSHA website on November 10, 2025. While it’s understandable that federal operations slow during a shutdown, it’s notable for professionals who rely on these updates. They provide visibility into enforcement activity, regulatory progress, and emerging focus areas — information many organizations depend on to stay aligned with federal priorities. While the long-term impact remains to be seen, it’s worth considering what this temporary silence could mean in practice. What This Could Mean While OSHA updates are on hold during the government shutdown, the agency has provided several...
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Before You Turn On the Heat: 7 Furnace Safety Tips

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Simple steps to keep your home warm and safe this season. When temperatures start to drop, most of us do the same thing: reach for the thermostat and turn on the heat. But before your furnace kicks into gear for another long winter, it’s worth pausing for a quick safety check. A few simple furnace safety tips can prevent fires, carbon monoxide leaks, and unexpected breakdowns while helping your heating system run more efficiently all season long. 1. Clear the Space Around Your Furnace Your furnace needs room to breathe. Over the summer, storage boxes, cleaning supplies, or laundry items might have migrated too close. Move anything flammable, such as: Paper and cardboard boxes Paint Rags Aerosols One of the simplest furnace safety tips is to move these items at least three feet away. Good airflow helps your furnace run safely and efficiently while reducing the chance of ignition or overheating. 2. Change or Clean your Air Filter This small task makes a big difference. A d...
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How the 5 Love Languages Can Improve Safety Communication with Employees, Leadership, and Culture

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In every high-performing organization, communication is the lifeblood. Yet, for all the toolbox talks, memos, and emails, many teams still struggle with one simple question: “Do my people feel seen, heard, and valued?” If you want to improve safety communication with employees, you have to go beyond policies and procedures — and focus on connection. Dr. Gary Chapman’s The 5 Love Languages offered an insight that revolutionized personal relationships: everyone gives and receives love differently. But when adapted for the workplace — through The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace — it becomes a powerful framework for improving communication, strengthening relationships, and building trust across teams. In the context of safety, the parallels are striking. Compliance may be mandatory — but engagement is earned. When people feel appreciated in ways that are meaningful to them, they become more committed, alert, and willing to take ownership of safety and performance. 1....
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