Workplace Health - Articles - Page 186

CDC researchers link cancer cells from parasite to human tumors

Unique case raises questions about misdiagnosis and treatment

November 9, 2015

Scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have discovered cancer cells originating in a common tapeworm may take root in people with weakened immune systems, causing cancer-like tumors. It is the first known case of a person becoming ill from cancer cells that arose in a parasite – in this case, Hymenolepis nana, the dwarf tapeworm.

OSHA: chemical exposure standards “Dangerously out of date”

November 5, 2015

Chemical exposure standards set by OSHAare “dangerously out of date and do not protect workers,” according to OSHA’s assistant secretary of labor, Dr. David Michaels.

Study: Health care costs for 2015 to average $12,041 per employee

November 5, 2015

Employers expect a 4.1% rate of increase in the cost of employer-sponsored health care benefits in 2015 — the lowest in 15 years but well above inflation, according to an annual survey by global professional services company Towers Watson (NASDAQ: TW) and the National Business Group on Health (NBGH), an association of large employers.

NGO cites the human cost of cheap chicken

November 3, 2015

Chicken is the most popular meat in America, and the poultry industry is booming. Profits are climbing, consumer demand is growing, and executive compensation is increasing rapidly, according to a press release issued by the NGO Oxfam America.

Rising cancer rates in lower income countries threaten economic stability

Editorial says prevention efforts important part of health care planning

October 28, 2015

The rising cost of treating and caring for a growing number of cancer patients threatens economic development in low and middle income countries (LMICs), making prevention a key element of health care plans, according to a new commentary.

Injuries cost the US $671 billion in 2013

CDC study shows injuries and violence create substantial economic burden

October 26, 2015

The total cost of injuries and violence in the United States was $671 billion in 2013, according to two Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports (MMWR) released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

EPA seeks comment on current and proposed National Emphasis Initiatives

October 22, 2015

EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA) is requesting comments on which of the current six National Emphasis Initiatives (NEI) should continue, be expanded or returned to the standard enforcement program, and whether it should address new NEIs.

2014’s most absurd excuses for calling in sick

CareerBuilder says percentage of workers calling in sick when they’re not is up

October 20, 2015

Whether it’s to finish binge-watching their latest Netflix obsession, take care of personal errands or simply needing a day off, many workers aren’t above taking a sick day despite having a clean bill of health.

Clues to opioid abuse from state prescription drug monitoring programs

CDC urges early treatment of severely ill and high-risk patients

October 19, 2015

Drug overdose is the leading cause of injury death in the United States – mostly due to abuse and misuse of prescription opioid pain relievers, benzodiazepines (sedatives/tranquilizers), and stimulants. Information from state prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) can be used to detect and measure prescribing patterns that suggest abuse and misuse of controlled substances, according to a report released today in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Surveillance Summary.

Inside corporate America’s campaign to ditch workers’ comp

One Texas lawyer is helping companies opt out of workers’ compensation and write their own rules. What does it mean for injured workers?

Michael Grabell

Howard Berkes

October 19, 2015

Standing before a giant map in his Dallas office, Bill Minick doesn’t seem like anyone’s idea of a bomb thrower. But backed by some of the biggest names in corporate America, this mild-mannered son of an evangelist is plotting a revolution in how companies take care of injured workers.