USW’s Chemical Safety App Receives Award From DOL

CONTACT: Jim Frederick, (724) 462-5364, jfrederick@usw.org

(PITTSBURGH) –  A digital application developed by the United Steelworkers’ Tony Mazzocchi Center was one of four winning entries in the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Worker Safety and Health App Challenge.

The DOL sought entries from companies, educators, labor unions, and individuals across the country for software designed to educate the public about improving health and safety in the workplace. Submissions were designed for use on computers, web browsers, smartphones and social media platforms.

The USW’s winning app allows users to search a material safety data sheets database for information on workplace exposure limits, health hazards, workplace controls, personal protective equipment, handling and storage, and emergency procedures related to hazardous substances. The union received a $6,000 prize.

“We are proud to be included among the worthy winners of this contest,” said USW International President Leo W. Gerard. “But more than that, we’re proud to be part of a group that works hard every day to make our workplaces safer and healthier.”

A panel of judges, including co-hosts of the popular Discovery Channel show “Myth Busters,” Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, selected winners of the top three awards, a $15,000 grand prize and two $6,000 prizes.

A fourth “People’s Choice Award” worth $3,000 was given to the entry that received the most public votes on the challenge website.

The project was supported with funding from the Labor Institute and by grant number EPA 2 U45 ES06175 from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), NIH.  Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIEHS, NIH.

The USW represents about 850,000 workers in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean in a wide variety of industries, ranging from glassmaking to mining, paper, steel, tire and rubber to the public sector, service and health care industries.

More information about the Challenge, as well as a list of winning entries, can be found at workersafetyhealth.challenge.gov.

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