On May 19th, 2014, NIOSH posted a Science blog titled “Reports of Worker Fatalities during Flowback Operations.” This blog post provided information that NIOSH received from several sources indicating that acute exposures to hydrocarbon gas and vapors likely played a role in the deaths of at least four workers in the oil and gas extraction industry.

The American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN) and the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) have published guidance for employers aimed at helping them better understand the implications of marijuana use on the workforce as attitudes toward marijuana and laws restricting it continue to change.

The American Industrial Hygiene Association® (AIHA) has announced the addition of 12 new distinguished Fellows. These individuals have been nominated by their colleagues and recognized for their extraordinary contributions to the industrial hygiene field.

South Carolina-based Jordan Construction Co. exposed workers at a Pooler, Georgia worksite to a variety of hazards, according to OSHA, which inspected the as part of its National Emphasis Program on Trenching and Excavation.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in partnership with the Sierra Leone College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS) and the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS), is now enrolling and vaccinating volunteers for the Sierra Leone Trial to Introduce a Vaccine against Ebola (STRIVE).

The National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) has announced the winners of its 2015 NECA Safety Award Program, which recognizes companies that excel in multiple areas of their safety and health programs.

An OSHA inspection of a wood crate manufacturer found that permanent and temporary employees faced excessive noise, improper hand protection and respiratory irritation due to wood dust exposure at the North American Container Corp. in Adairsville, Georgia.

Changes in employee health risk factors have a significant impact on work productivity, reports a study in the April Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).