The health cost of obesity in the United States is as high as $147 billion annually, based on a new study from RTI and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to a recent press release. The study, which appeared online Monday in the journal Health Affairs, was released at CDC’s Weight of the Nation conference in Washington, DC.
For the first time, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership recognized 20 partners for generating the most green electricity on site. Combined, the top 20 partners are generating and consuming more than 736 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of on-site green power annually, says EPA in a recent press statement.
Cal/OSHA continues to focus on heat illness prevention through increased enforcement and education this year. Since the current heat wave began on July 11, Cal/OSHA has conducted 167 inspections of outdoor workplaces identifying over 200 violations while checking for compliance to the heat illness prevention regulations, according to a recent press release. Gaining compliance from employers is the goal to successfully reducing the number of illnesses and fatalities for all outdoor workers across the state, the agency says.
Deborah A.P. Hersman, who has been a member of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) for five years, was sworn in today as the agency’s 12th chairman, according to an NTSB press release.
In recognition of National Immunization Awareness Month, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts’ Prevention and Wellness Program offers the following tips about vaccinations:
Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) applaud the Obama administration and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for adopting a new approach for the use of antimicrobial drugs in animal agriculture, according to a TFAH press release. These actions demonstrate a clear commitment to sound and science-based policies that will protect the health of every American.
Five organizations representing the nation's experts in infectious diseases medicine, infection prevention in healthcare settings, and public health and disease prevention announced their support for a provision requiring national reporting of healthcare-associated infection (HAI) rates, which is contained within the healthcare reform bill introduced by leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives, according to a press release from the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH).
As slips, trips and falls continue to represent significant exposures and hazards in the workplace, the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) recently announced the approval of three new fall protection standards by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), aimed at preventing these hazards in the workplace. The three standards are: ANSI/ASSE Z359.6-2009 “Specification and Design Requirements for Active Fall Protection Systems;” ANSI/ASSE Z359.12-2009 “Connecting Components for Personal Fall Arrest Systems;” and ANSI/ASSE Z359.13-2009 “Personal Energy Absorbers and Energy Absorbing Lanyards”.
NSF International announced in a recent press statement a new eco-efficiency protocol, NSF Protocol 352 (NSF P352), for the validation and verification of eco-efficiency analyses. Chemical company BASF is the first to have its Eco-Efficiency Analysis (EEA) methodology used to evaluate the economic and environmental impact of products or processes validated by NSF, an independent, not-for-profit organization committed to improving and protecting public health and the environment.
Ethylene oxide exposure levels and monitoring requirements are addressed in the OSHA’s recently published “Small Business Guide for Ethylene Oxide”. The guidance document helps employers understand the ethylene oxide (EtO) standard and explains how to monitor the air quality in workplaces where EtO is processed, used or handled.