I live in Idaho, which is typically not a very progressive state, and to be honest, I think I like it that way. Idaho tends to lag behind the rest of the states in many areas, but in the last couple of years, Idaho tried to move to the forefront of the national education debate. The cry for educational reform has rung loudly, with initiatives making the ballot boxes in numerous states. While the public education system is in need of repair, another education system is silently undergoing radical changes using stackable credentials.

Fads come and go, trends wax and wane.  No ideas ever really die, they simply leave our collective favor for a period of time that is determined by how tiresome they became when in vogue. Design wonks, like me, are asking the same question more and more often. Is Grunge (or Grunge Design) dead? Business owners or those who are responsible for procuring design work for their employer, may well be asking “what the heck is Grunge?” and “why should I care if it’s dead?”.

Between January and August 2008, confined spaces caused 22 fatalities and 3 hospitalizations (OSHA Statistics). As with many safety statistics, taking basic precautions and following simple rules can reduce these numbers. In 1993 OSHA issued 29 CFR 1910.146 on Permit Required Confined Spaces. Characteristics of confined spaces change from industry to industry, but similar hazards exist. Common hazards include fires, galls, flooding, entrapment and atmospheric issues.

When you think of cold stress, no doubt hypothermia comes to mind automatically, but there are several other types. There are four cold-stress conditions common to the workplace. Knowing their symptoms and what to do in case they happen to you or someone near you can keep everyone safe from these easily preventable illnesses. These cold-induced illnesses are hypothermia, cold-water immersion (also called immersion hypothermia), frostbite, and trench foot.