Jet fuel is a fairly common smell in the passenger cabin when a plane is preparing to taxi. Far less so is the aroma of dirty socks, rancid cheese, or a wet dog— unpleasant signs that engine oil vapors have seeped in, too.
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.
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).
This month I’m pleased to share with you that 2017 marks the 50th anniversary of occupational respiratory disease research at the NIOSH facility in Morgantown. In 1967 the Appalachian Laboratory for Occupational Respiratory Disease (ALFORD) was established within the U.S. Public Health Service, and in 1971 it became part of NIOSH.
Safety advocates are hoping to hear about stronger worker protections today when Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta testifies on the FY 2018 federal budget before the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies.
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).
In much of the world, preventable work related illnesses and deaths are increasing, while in many areas, people trained in occupational hygiene -- which uses science and engineering to prevent work-related ill health -- are in short supply.
Representatives of the construction industry, as well as general industry have petitioned Labor Secretary Alex Acosta to reopen the silica standard, workplace safeguards that would save over 600 lives and prevent more than 900 new cases of silicosis each year.
More than 20,000 coal miners are breathing a sigh of relief today, after winning a last-minute reprieve for their health care benefits, which were about to end due to coal company bankruptcies.
Victims of irritant contact dermatitis often consult a doctor or nurse. While some experimental tests can provide an indication of the irritant potential of substances, no single test can reliably identify irritants in specific cases. In the evaluation of occupational irritant contact dermatitis, the best approach is to identify the conditions of exposure by discussing the victim's employment.
