Occupational illness - Articles - Page 11

Calif. solar project workers contract Valley Fever

November 24, 2017

Cal/OSHA has cited six employers $241,950 for workplace safety and health violations after reports that workers contracted Valley Fever on a solar project construction site in Monterey County. Valley Fever is caused by a microscopic fungus known as Coccidioides immitis, which lives in the top two to 12 inches of soil in many parts of the state. When soil is disturbed by digging, driving, or high winds, fungal spores can become airborne and may be inhaled by workers.

Researchers develop smart fabric to detect toxins

November 22, 2017

Chemistry professor Katherine Mirica and Dartmouth former postdoctoral fellow and senior scientist at technology startup C2Sense Merry Smith have developed a conductive smart fabric capable of detecting and protecting users from toxic gases. The innovation, named “Self-Organized Framework on Textiles,” improves on a previous sensor technology-related project that Mirica and Smith previously collaborated on, Mirica said.

A Confined Space blog post

Acosta testifies and he’s not terrible

Jordan Barab

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.

Cal/OSHA: Protect outdoor workers from wildfire smoke

October 24, 2017

Firefighters aren’t the only workers who are exposed to smoke from California’s wildfires. Employees who are working in outdoor areas in proximity to wildfire smoke – which can contain chemicals, gases and fine particles that can harm health – must also be protected, according to Cal/OSHA.

California Hepatitis A outbreaks endanger some workers

October 12, 2017

Hepatitis A outbreaks in three California counties have Cal/OSHA urging employers to protect their workers who are at risk of exposure.

'Khamisiyah Plume' linked to brain, memory effects in Gulf War vets

Study supports lasting harms of exposure to chemical weapons

October 11, 2017

Gulf War veterans with low-level exposure to chemical weapons show lasting adverse effects on brain structure and memory function, reports a study in the October Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

A FairWarning story

Federal regulators ratchet up probe of Ford Explorer exhaust complaints

Christopher Jensen

September 22, 2017

Over the last five years, auto safety regulators have received hundreds of complaints of exhaust fumes and carbon monoxide wafting into the cabins of Ford Explorers.

Electronic reporting portal may have been breached

August 21, 2017

Employers who attempt to access OSHA’s electronic injury and illness reporting portal are being greeted by the following message: Alert: Due to technical difficulties with the website, some pages are temporarily unavailable.

Is your office printer poisoning you?

August 18, 2017

Think the office you work in is a relatively tame environment, hazard-wise? Ever consider the fact that printers – a common piece of workplace equipment – emit chemicals into the air?