Environmental Health and Safety

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For many, a sweater or an extra degree on the thermostat is all that’s needed to keep warm at work on a cold day. Not so for those working outside or in an area that is poorly insulated or without heat.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) offers the following tips for both employers and employees about avoiding cold stress when working in frigid environments.

Hypothermia - When exposed to cold temperatures, your body begins to lose heat faster than it can be produced. Prolonged exposure to cold will eventually use up your body's stored energy. The result is hypothermia, or abnormally low body temperature.

La Nina, the climate phenomenon that sometimes appears in the fall and influences winter weather, is expected to have an effect this year, leading to warmer than normal conditions in the south and colder than usual temperatures in the north.

Winter weather presents hazards including slippery roads/surfaces, strong winds and environmental cold. Employers must prevent illnesses, injuries, or fatalities, by controlling these hazards in workplaces impacted by winter weather.

Soldiers returning from combat can face a host of mental, physical and emotional challenges. The nature of their job exposes them to more risk than most non-military people, and they are sometimes left to contend with traumatic brain injury, musculoskeletal injuries or the effects of chemical exposure for the rest of their lives.

Sounds of New York City, otherwise known as SONYC, is a new multi-year project involving a team of scientists from New York University (NYU) and collaborators at Ohio State University. It is a “first-of-its-kind comprehensive research initiative to understand and address noise pollution in New York and beyond,” and the National Science Foundation recently awarded the project a $4.6 million grant.

St. Petersburg, Florida this week became the 20th U.S. city to commit to transitioning to 100 percent renewable energy – and is using oil spill settlement funds to do so. The city council voted unanimously on the change, allocating $250K of BP Oil Spill settlement funds to an “Integrated Sustainability Action Plan” (ISAP), which will chart a roadmap to the complete use of renewable energy in Saint Petersburg.

Sounds of New York City, otherwise known as SONYC, is a new multi-year project involving a team of scientists from New York University (NYU) and collaborators at Ohio State University. It is a “first-of-its-kind comprehensive research initiative to understand and address noise pollution in New York and beyond,” and the National Science Foundation recently awarded the project a $4.6 million grant.

Soldiers returning from combat can face a host of mental, physical and emotional challenges. The nature of their job exposes them to more risk than most non-military people, and they are sometimes left to contend with traumatic brain injury, musculoskeletal injuries or the effects of chemical exposure for the rest of their lives.