The airports across the United States have been using aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), the premier firefighting foam in the United States for several decades. AFFF contains per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), which are a large family of man-made fluorinated chemicals with thermal stability that enhances its ability to rapidly extinguish hazardous fires.

The burden of colorectal cancer is swiftly shifting to younger individuals as incidence increases in young adults and declines in older age groups, according to Colorectal Cancer Statistics 2020, a publication of the American Cancer Society. A sign of the shift: the median age of diagnosis has dropped from age 72 in 2001-2002 to age 66 during 2015-2016.

What is risk assessment? Do you check for rain before deciding to carry an umbrella? Doing so is an example of risk assessment, which describes a process for answering three basic questions on a particular hazard:

The American Public Health Association (APHA) says preparing communities in the U.S. for COVID-19 – the illness caused by coronavirus – is going to require a coordinated national response, with leadership from the top levels of government. “Attempts to silence public health officials — or manipulate public information — will only make it harder to get ahead and stay ahead of this virus."

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) announced changes to the self-insurance process for coal mine operators that it says will better support the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund. The Black Lung Benefits Act requires each coal mine operator to secure the payment of its potential benefits liability by either qualifying as a self-insurer or by purchasing and maintaining a commercial insurance contract.

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.