Although the partial shutdown of the federal government continues to affect many agencies, the U.S. Department of Labor – of which OSHA is a part – is open and funded as a result of spending bills that were previously passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump.

An unpredictable, anything-but-steady income – a common feature in today’s gig economy and one that is often experienced by younger workers – may be hard on your heart as well as your bank account. New research published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation shows that sudden, unpredictable drops in personal income during young adulthood are associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease and/or dying from any cause.

For the first time in nearly a decade, the number of uninsured children in the United States increased, according to a report released by the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute. Data from the institute’s Center for Children and Families shows an estimated 276,000 more children were uninsured in 2017 than in 2016. No state (except for the District of Columbia) experienced a significant decline in the number of uninsured children in 2017.

The health care industry has a new resource to turn to for information about respiratory protection options for employees, one which crunches the numbers and identifies two types of usage. A recently released report from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine explores the potential for use of half-facepiece elastomeric respirators in the U.S. health care system with a focus on the economic, policy, and implementation challenges and opportunities.

Sprains, strains, and tears were the most frequently occurring injuries resulting in lost worktime, transfer, or restriction in five of the six industries studied in Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data. More of these cases resulted in days of job transfer or restriction than days away from work in crop production; transportation equipment manufacturing; and amusement, gambling, and recreation.

Exits at a Ohio United Parcel Service (UPS) distribution center weren’t just temporarily blocked, according to the OSHA inspectors; some were permanently locked. The company was cited for repeatedly putting workers at risk by obstructing exit routes at its Sharonville, Ohio, distribution center and faces $208,603 in proposed penalties for those violations.

Job stress, a poor work-life balance and debt from student loans may be factors contributing to the increase in suicide among veterinarians - a trend that has spanned more than three decades. That’s according to a new CDC study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA)External.

It’s a new year, and in many ways a fresh start; but not for the NORA (National Occupational Research Agenda) councils that continue to build on the efforts of the past two years. The ten sector councils from the second decade of NORA carried forward their work to improve occupational safety and health in industry sectors.

OSHA has cited roofing company Aspen Contracting Inc. – based in Lee’s Summit, Missouri – and subcontractor J Cuellar LLC – based in West Bend, Wisconsin – for exposing employees to dangerous fall hazards at a Fountain, Colorado construction site. The companies face proposed penalties totaling $147, 998.

We like to keep the air in our homes as clean as possible, and sometimes we use HEPA air filters to keep offending allergens and dust particles at bay. But some hazardous compounds are too small to be trapped in these filters.