Weekly news round-up
Carcinogens in western states, European workplaces and post-Fukushima Japan were in the news this week, along with a hearing loss prevention update and reflections on the occupational safety and health profession.
Sheet metal workers to get information about mesothelioma dangers
The Sheet Metal Occupational Health Institute Trust (SMOHIT) is partnering with the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation to better educate sheet metal workers about mesothelioma and assist with treatment in the case of diagnosis.
Five years after reactor meltdown
Residents of the Fukushima area and the rest of Japan will experience more than 10,000 excess cancer deaths as a result of radiation exposure from the triple-reactor meltdown that took place on March 11, 2011, according to a new report from Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) and International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW).
A new European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) report identifies more than 70 carcinogenic substances for which binding limit values for exposure of workers at the workplace should be defined at EU level.
A NIOSH Science Blog post
Robotic-like suits which provide powered assist and increase human strength may conjure thoughts of sci-fi and superhero film genres. But these wearable exoskeleton devices are now a reality and the market for their applications in the workplace is projected to increase significantly in the next five years.
A four-month dance program helped older Latino adults walk faster and improved their physical fitness, which may reduce their risk for heart disease, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Epidemiology/Lifestyle 2016 Scientific Sessions.
Over a decade or longer, risk increases beyond 45 hours per week
Working long hours — particularly 46 hours per week or more — may increase the long-term risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events such as heart attack, reports a study in the March Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).
Nearly 4,000 people killed annually in crashes involving large trucks
The National Safety Council has released the newest edition of its Professional Truck Driver Program. The innovative curriculum equips professional drivers with the knowledge and defensive driving strategies they need to stay collision, crash, incident and citation-free.
A truck driver fired for refusing to drive a company vehicle pulled from service by the Iowa Department of Transportation is owed $55,000 in back wages, damages and compensation from his employer, the finding of an OSHA investigation.
A ProPublica Story
By Michael Grabell and Howard Berkes
Posted with permission from ProPublica; this story was co-published with NPR. A campaign by some of America’s biggest companies to “opt out” of state workers’ compensation — and write their own plans for dealing with injured workers — was dealt a major blow Friday when an Oklahoma commission ruled the alternative system unconstitutional.
From the NIOSH Director’s Desk
Hearing loss can’t be prevented using only tools and approaches from the 1980s. New approaches pay off.
Huge increase in cancers expected in Japan from Fukushima disaster
New report from Europe IDs workplace carcinogens
Wearable exoskeletons to reduce physical load at work
Latin dancing may have health benefits for older adults
Long work hours linked to higher cardiovascular disease risk
National Safety Council releases new edition of Professional Truck Driver Program to help eliminate the leading cause of workplace deaths
OSHA intervenes after driver fired for refusing to drive illegal truck
Corporate campaign to ditch workers’ comp stalls
Effective approaches for hearing loss prevention
ASSE President’s message
Our Pursuit of Professionalism
From the March issue of Professional Safety Journal: Since ancient times, safety and health laws have prescribed both remedies and retributions for a variety of situations.
DOL sues Lear Corp., three managers who retaliated after employees raised safety concerns
Suit seeks back wages, damages for violations of the OSH Act
The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit against Lear Corp., doing business as Renosol Seating LLC, and three of its managers for suspending and terminating employees who reported workplace hazards in violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
CDC says superbugs threaten hospital patients
America is doing a better job of preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), but more work is needed – especially in fighting antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) latest Vital Signs report urges healthcare workers to use a combination of infection control recommendations to better protect patients from these infections.
An aviation company whose employees have quadruple the rate of injuries of other workers in their risk class has been cited by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) for multiple health and safety violations.
FairWarning Reports
Recent research is focusing new attention on an asbestos-like mineral, blamed for staggering rates of a deadly cancer in Turkey, that also is found in the rocks and soil of 13 Western states. The U.S. Geological Survey has identified 95 sites where the mineral, erionite, exists.
Are you safe in a hospital?
Airline workers face danger on the ground
Report renews concern about asbestos-like minerals at sites in arid west
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