More than a quarter of private dental practices do not have plans in place to control bloodborne pathogen exposure, according to a new survey conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP). Survey results are published in the June issue of the Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry and is available online.

NIOSH and OSHA recently released the redesigned, co-branded OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool App. This version replaces the app previously created by OSHA in 2011. The app calculates the heat index at outdoor worksites using the smartphone’s geolocation capabilities to pull current weather conditions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellites.

Having the blood vessels of a healthy 20-year-old into one’s 70s is possible but difficult in Western culture, according to new research in the American Heart Association’s (AHA) journal Hypertension. “For the most part, it’s not genetic factors that stiffen the body’s network of blood vessels during aging. Modifiable lifestyle factors – like those identified in the AHA’s Life’s Simple 7 – are the leading culprits,” said study author Teemu J. Niiranen, M.D., research fellow at Boston University School of Medicine, Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, Massachusetts.

The fatal explosion earlier this month at a Wisconsin corn mill shows the need for increased enforcement of safety laws and regulations, according to an advocacy group, which points to a history of violations at the workplace.

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and other environmental organizations are suing the Trump administration for violating the Clean Air Act by suspending protections against methane leaks and other air pollution emitted by oil and gas industry operations.

First there was the National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction. Now, contractors are being asked to stop work at their trenching operations in order to raise awareness of trenching and excavation hazards.

NIOSH has led a research program focused on small business safety and health for more than two decades because we know workers in small businesses are injured and killed on the job at a higher rate than workers in larger businesses. Over the years, we have expanded our research focus from identifying small businesses in high-risk sectors to understanding how community networks affect worker safety and health.

CPR is going high tech. Starting in January 2018, the American Red Cross will incorporate feedback devices with its Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) in an effort to enhance training. "Use of CPR feedback devices will improve course participants' chest compression rate, the depth of their compressions and their hand position." said Richard N. Bradley, MD, FACEP, member of the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council and chair of its Resuscitation Sub-Council.

Workplace violence is a huge problem for workers. In 2015, 417 worker deaths were workplace homicides and violence was responsible for 26,540 lost-time injuries, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Women, African America, Asian and Hispanic workers bear a disproportionate share of workplace violence fatalities.