The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA®) and six other non-profit organizations, including the convening organization, Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA), announced today the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for indoor air and environmental quality. Donald Weekes, CIH, AIHA Fellow, and member of AIHA's Technical Committee on indoor environmental quality, signed the agreement on behalf of AIHA.

Distracted driving occurs any time you take your eyes off the road, hands off the wheel, and mind off your primary task: driving safely. Any non-driving activity you engage in is a potential distraction and increases your risk of being involved in a motor vehicle crash.

Two studies demonstrate that older adults may be able to live longer, healthier lives by increasing physical activity that doesn’t have to be strenuous to be effective, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention | Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions 2020. The EPI Scientific Sessions, March 3-6 in Phoenix, is a premier global exchange of the latest advances in population-based cardiovascular science for researchers and clinicians.

The recent active shooter incident at the Molson Coors facility in Milwaukee was not an isolated incident. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), assaults are the second leading cause of workplace deaths and account for more than 16,000 injuries each year. “Thankfully active shooter events are still rare but when they happen, they are terrifying and can turn deadly in seconds,” according to the organization.

A pair of trending topics will be on the agenda at tomorrow’s meeting of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH) Workgroups. The Emerging and Current Issues workgroup will meet from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EST to discuss opioids and suicides in construction.

OSHA has determined that Universal Trucking Solutions LLC – a defunct Hartford, Connecticut, commercial motor carrier – and its co-owner, Juan Ramirez, violated the whistleblower protections of the Surface Transportation Assistance Act (STAA). Agency investigators found that the company and Ramirez retaliated against a driver who repeatedly voiced concerns to management about faulty vehicle maintenance.

OSHA has cited CLF Construction Inc. and Toll Brothers Inc. for exposing employees to fall hazards after a CLF suffered fatal injuries in a fall at a worksite in Media, Pennsylvania. OSHA proposed $170,560 in penalties for Philadelphia-based subcontractor CLF Construction, and $74,217 for Horsham, Pennsylvania-based general contractor Toll Brothers.

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced a final rule aimed at enhancing the professional development of air carrier pilots. The Pilot Professional Development rule requires specific training for newly-hired pilots and supplemental training for captains.

The World Health Organization has designated 2020 the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife. Nurses play a critical role in our healthcare system and in the lives of the patients they care for. The very act of caring for and serving others can place nurses at risk for many workplaces injuries and illnesses.

Patient and health advocacy groups representing millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions are applauding the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to hear arguments in the case of Texas v. United States this term. The case is the latest court challenge to the health care law known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The groups filed an amicus brief urging the Court’s swift action and citing the detrimental impacts and uncertainty patients would face were the case left at the lower court level.