Occupational disease - Articles - Page 8

A Confined Space blog post

Acosta testifies and he’s not terrible

November 20, 2017

Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta testified last Thursday at a hearing before the full House Education and Workforce Committee, and although I take great pleasure in (deservedly) criticizing Trump administration appointees, he wasn’t terrible — as Trump appointees go. Now let me qualify a bit. I’m focusing only on workplace safety issues, not on any wage and hour, apprenticeship or other labor issues that were addressed during the hearing. Second, his performance varied from fairly decent (regarding enforcement issues) to pretty bad (regarding standard setting and staffing.)

The high cost of occupational cancers in Europe

November 15, 2017

Work-related cancers in member countries of the European Union (EU) annualy cost between €270 and €610 billion– or $318- $719 billion in U.S. dollars. That cost, which was tallied in a study released by the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) this week, represents 1.8% to 4.1% of the gross domestic product of the EU. The study was presented at the ‘Work and Cancer’ conference held in Brussels.

Silica rule delayed for 30 days

September 28, 2017

A move last week by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) will delay enforcement of OSHA’s silica rule for the construction industry for another 30 days – to Oct. 23. The DOL said the delay was necessary because of the “dramatic” reduction in the exposure limit – from 250 to 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air, averaged over an eight-hour shift.

Firefighting service at risk

Kirsten Rein

September 20, 2017

High-quality equipment is important for fighting fires because it provides the best possible protection. Post-deployment hygiene should not be neglected since contamination can lead to considerable health hazards. A+A, the world’s leading trade fair with congress for safety, security and health at work, presents everything revolving around modern protective clothing for firefighters in Düsseldorf, Germany from October 17 – 20, 2017.

ACOEM Urges OSHA not to revoke ancillary provisions of beryllium rule

Group says revoking provisions for construction and shipyard sectors puts workers at risk for beryllium disease

September 7, 2017

In response to a call for comments, the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) is strongly urging the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to retain those portions of the proposed rule on occupational exposure to beryllium that deal with medical surveillance, medical removal, and other ancillary standards for both construction and shipyard workers.

Inside NIOSH:

Rapid progression of black lung disease highlights need for regular screening

July 20, 2017

Many coal miners who initially had a normal imaging test developed the most severe form of coal-dust—related lung disease within 21 years, and some within 10 years, according to a recent NIOSH study published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Report from Europe

EU moves to limit occupational exposure to carcinogens

July 18, 2017

A draft document approved recently by a European Union (EU) committee “represents a genuine step forward” toward reducing occupational cancers, according to the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI).

OSHA moves to weaken beryllium exposure rule

Changes would apply to construction, shipyard sectors

June 28, 2017

OSHA’s announcement last week of a proposal to modify the agency's recent beryllium standards for the construction and shipyard sectors is being sharply criticized by safety advocates, who are calling it “a step backwards.”

GE Peterborough workers exposed to thousands of toxic chemicals

June 1, 2017

A new report shows that workers at the GE plant in Peterborough, Ontario were exposed to more than 3,000 toxic chemicals, including at least 40 known or suspected human carcinogens.

Union: DOL cost-cutting rule threatens black lung treatment

May 23, 2017

A proposal by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to reduce payments to health care providers for black lung related services will force the providers to stop treating miners affected by the disease, says the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA).