Environmental Health and Safety

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Dermatologists strongly recommend the use of sunscreen to reduce exposure to the Ultraviolet (UV) radiation that can cause skin cancer, the most common form of cancer in the U.S. When that exposure occurs on the job, 74 percent of Americans believe businesses with outdoor workers should provide sunscreen for their employees to use while at work – according to a study commissioned by Deb Group, a company that offers a professional range of UV Protection creams.

For many EHS professionals, chemical exposure is at the top of their list of things they worry about. And at the top of their “wish” list? Stronger support from their leadership team. That’s what the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) in partnership with Enviance -- an industry-leading EH&S software provider – found when they queried safety professionals attending AIHce EXP 2017.

More than a quarter of private dental practices do not have plans in place to control bloodborne pathogen exposure, according to a new survey conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP). Survey results are published in the June issue of the Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry and is available online.

NIOSH and OSHA recently released the redesigned, co-branded OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool App. This version replaces the app previously created by OSHA in 2011. The app calculates the heat index at outdoor worksites using the smartphone’s geolocation capabilities to pull current weather conditions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellites.

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and other environmental organizations are suing the Trump administration for violating the Clean Air Act by suspending protections against methane leaks and other air pollution emitted by oil and gas industry operations.

NIOSH has led a research program focused on small business safety and health for more than two decades because we know workers in small businesses are injured and killed on the job at a higher rate than workers in larger businesses. Over the years, we have expanded our research focus from identifying small businesses in high-risk sectors to understanding how community networks affect worker safety and health.

OSHA has designated June 12-18, 2017, as “Safe + Sound Week,” a new nationwide effort that calls on organizations of all sizes in a wide range of industries to raise awareness of the value and importance of workplace safety and health programs.

President Donald Trump has announced that he is withdrawing the United States from the Paris Climate Accord, a globally agreed upon coalition aimed at reducing emissions that cause climate change. Trump called climate change a “hoax” during his presidential campaign.