A new compilation of articles published in the November issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, describes an effort led by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to develop and evaluate clinical decision support (CDS) designed to assist primary care clinicians’ with care of their working patients using CDS tools in electronic health records.
Methylene chloride kills. We wrote about 21-year old Kevin Hartley last June. He died last April 29 — Workers Memorial Day — while when he was overcome by methylene chloride while stripping a bath tub. Seventeen workers have died from over-exposure to methylene chloride between 2000 and 2015, and probably at least as many consumers. “Methylene chloride is too dangerous to keep on the store shelves,” said Dr. Robert Harrison of the University of California San Francisco. He says in a small room, just a half gallon’s worth of product containing that chemical can lead to a buildup of vapors that can prove lethal in less than an hour.
American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) Executive Director Dennis Hudson has been honored with the President’s Distinguished Service Award by the U.K.-based Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH). The presentation occurred in November at the IOSH annual conference in Birmingham, England.
The award honors the work and achievements of individuals who have made significant contributions to IOSH or the occupational safety and health profession for several years.
R.C. Bigelow ("Bigelow") is a family-owned company headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, that produces and markets blended teas. The company was founded in 1945 by Ruth Campbell Bigelow, who started her company with "Constant Comment" blended tea, which remains popular today. The R.C. Bigelow facility in Boise, Idaho, is one of two bagging, packaging, and distribution facilities. The company employs approximately 60 workers at the Boise facility and 320 corporate-wide.
In October 2017 we published the first blog in a series to highlight musculoskeletal health research at NIOSH. With the holiday season upon us, this next installment will take the opportunity to discuss how best to promote musculoskeletal health in retail establishments to reduce the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders among temporary retail workers.
OK, now that the dust has settled, what do we think about the performance of OSHA Assistant Secretary nominee Scott Mugno after listening to his testimony at his confirmation hearing on Tuesday (and Tweeting it)? Two days after the hearing, there hasn’t been much press coverage.
Business Insurance headlined its article “OSHA director nominee faces tough questions at confirmation hearing,” noting Ranking Member Patty Murray’s concern that “Your record that stands against everything OSHA should stand for.”
Employees with laboratory-confirmed influenza have more lost work time — including absences and reduced productivity while at work—compared to those with other types of acute respiratory illness (ARI), reports a study in the December Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
"Compared to non-influenza ARI, [workers] with influenza lose an additional half-day of work due to absenteeism/presenteeism over the week following symptom onset."
The wildfires raging throughout Southern California right now are taking life, destroying property, and endangering people who are tasked with performing response and recovery operations.
During a wildfire, workers may be caught in circumstances that require them to quickly evacuate. The Ready.gov - Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) website offers guidance on what to do during a wildfire if in a vehicle, in a residence, or out in the open.
The era of driverless vehicles appears to be rapidly approaching, raising a bevy of urgent questions about how to prevent the emergence of new hazards on the nation’s roads.
So, how much preparation have federal transportation authorities carried out to meet the challenge of the advent of self-driving cars and trucks? Not nearly enough, according to a new 44-page report by the Government Accountability Office, a Congressional watchdog agency.
OSHA has cited Benco Builders of the Virginias Inc. for multiple safety hazards, including lack of fall protection, after an employee suffered serious injuries from a 19-foot fall off a roof. The Princeton, West Virginia-based contractor faces proposed penalties totaling $86,916.
After inspecting a work site where Benco was the general contractor responsible for demolishing an existing structure and constructing two steel/metal buildings, OSHA issued a willful citation for failure to provide and require employees to wear fall protection during roofing work.
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