Carcinogens in western states, European workplaces and post-Fukushima Japan were in the occupational safety and health news this week, along with a hearing loss prevention update and reflections on the OSH profession.

The American Industrial Hygiene Association® (AIHA) has hired Russell Hayward, CIH, as the association's Managing Director, Scientific & Technical Initiatives. Russ brings more than 35 years of experience in industrial hygiene (IH) to his new position at AIHA. He will play a major role in advancing AIHA's mission through developing scientific and technical bodies of knowledge, building relationships with key partners, and collaborating with member volunteers and the IH community.

A popular Washington, D.C. hotel has come under fire for exposing its employees to hazards ranging from falls to potentially harmful chemicals. In response to a complaint, OSHA inspectors conducted an investigation at the Wardman Hotel LLC, doing business as Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, and found:

At about 9:30 in the morning, a 55-year-old excavator worker was struck by a car while standing in a two-lane state highway.

The Sheet Metal Occupational Health Institute Trust (SMOHIT) is partnering with the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation to better educate sheet metal workers about mesothelioma and assist with treatment in the case of diagnosis.

Residents of the Fukushima area and the rest of Japan will experience more than 10,000 excess cancer deaths as a result of radiation exposure from the triple-reactor meltdown that took place on March 11, 2011, according to a new report from Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) and International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW).

A new European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) report identifies more than 70 carcinogenic substances for which binding limit values for exposure of workers at the workplace should be defined at EU level.

Robotic-like suits which provide powered assist and increase human strength may conjure thoughts of sci-fi and superhero film genres. But these wearable exoskeleton devices are now a reality and the market for their applications in the workplace is projected to increase significantly in the next five years.

A four-month dance program helped older Latino adults walk faster and improved their physical fitness, which may reduce their risk for heart disease, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Epidemiology/Lifestyle 2016 Scientific Sessions.

Working long hours — particularly 46 hours per week or more — may increase the long-term risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events such as heart attack, reports a study in the March Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).