Environmental Health and Safety

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With a large number of kids using ear buds and headphones, noise-induced hearing loss is a serious issue, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Last year, the World Health Organization estimated 1.1 billion teenagers and young adults are at risk of hearing loss due to the unsafe use of personal audio devices, including smartphones, and exposure to damaging levels of sound at noisy entertainment venues such as nightclubs, bars, and sporting events.

As winter approaches and cooler temperatures hit most of the nation, workers unpack coats and boots, and workplaces adjust thermostats. However, one climate that should stay the same year-round, no matter where a workplace is located geographically, is the safety climate. Safety climate—defined as the perception among workers about the value of safety—correlates to improved health and safety in the workplace.

Climate-related occupational hazards have historically received little attention. In 2009, NIOSH began work to address this gap and developed a framework to identify climate-related occupational hazards.

How to grow the next generation of occupational safety and health (OSH) professionals was the focus of a recent stakeholder meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH) in which the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) was a key participant.

In healthcare, workers wear filtering facepiece respirators as protection against inhaling infectious particles such as viruses and bacteria, but safe use does not end with putting on, or donning, the respirator.

Those bins you set out by the curb once a week, along with other recycling efforts nationwide, help to generate about 757,000 jobs, according to the EPA, which has crunched the numbers to show the value of recycling.

OSHA has cited Magna Seating, doing business as Excelsior Springs Seating System, for one serious health violation of the agency's general duty clause after a May 2016 agency investigation found musculoskeletal disorder injuries.

Do you think you might have exposure to nanomaterials in your workplace? Never fear! NEAT 2.0 is here! Engineered nanoparticles are unique. They are generally smaller than both red blood cells and viruses, don’t weigh much, and have a great amount of surface area proportionate to their size.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently released its 2016 list of hazardous drugs in healthcare settings, updating the list to include 34 added drugs. Healthcare workers who prepare or give hazardous drugs to patients, such as those used for cancer therapy, as well as support staff may face individual health risks when exposed to these drugs.