Congress angers public health advocates, elevators prove to be dangerous for NYC workers and Japanese visitors learn about U.S. fall protection from the people who use it. These were among the top stories featured on ISHN.com this week.

Study: Air pollution leads to premature death

A new study of 60 million Americans—about 97% of people age 65 and older in the United States—shows that long-term exposure to airborne fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone increases the risk of premature death, even when that exposure is at levels below the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) currently established by the EPA.

NFPA and ESFI work to reduce fatalities caused by electric shock drowning in pools and marinas

With summer in full swing, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) are joining forces to remind people about the potential electrical hazards in swimming pools, hot tubs and spas, on board boats and in the waters surrounding boats, marinas and launch ramps.

Opioid prescribing remains high in certain counties

The amount of opioids prescribed in the United States peaked in 2010 and then decreased each year through 2015, but remains at high levels and varies from county to county in the U.S., according to the latest Vital Signs report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

AHA blasts Congress for tobacco, school meals riders in ag bill

 “The nutrition and tobacco riders tucked into this bill are a serious setback to the strong progress we’ve made on these issues to benefit the health of the public. This legislation fails everyone when it comes to nutrition."

A NIOSH Science Blog post

Embracing partnerships to translate research into practice in agriculture

Launching the national ROPS rebate program

Agricultural workers face myriad dangers each day, resulting in high injury and fatality rates. Unfortunately, high stress levels and competing demands often make it difficult for farmers to prioritize safety. Over the last several decades, researchers, industry partners, and farmers have been among those working together to reduce fatalities from tractor overturns at the national level.

A Confined Space blog post

BREAKING: Chemical Safety Board survives

 Jordan Barab

Good news! The House Appropriations Committee released its FY 2018 Interior and Environment Appropriations budget bill today and it fully funds the Chemical Safety Board. The Trump administration had recommended that the Board be eliminated. The sub-committee will vote on the bill tomorrow.

Want to stay healthy? Accentuate the positive

People who experience not just positive emotions but a diversity of positive emotions appear to have lower levels of systemic inflammation, which may reduce their risk for chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, according to research published by the American Psychological Association (APA).

Oil industry assoc. releases climate change reporting framework

IPIECA, the global oil and gas industry association for environmental and social issues, has released the final version of the IPIECA climate change reporting framework. Supplementary guidance for the oil and gas industry on voluntary sustainability reporting (2017) is now available.

NIOSH to award mine safety innovators

Do you have an innovation or new process that helps mine workers stay healthy or operate safely? You could win an award from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

Cars & trucks = potential danger

Passenger vehicles must know how to share the road safely with large trucks and buses – and a campaign by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) emphasizes that need.

Cancer death rate higher in rural America

Despite decreases in cancer death rates nationwide, a new report shows slower reduction in cancer death rates in rural America (a decrease of 1.0 percent per year) compared with urban America (a decrease of 1.6 percent per year), according to data released today in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Japanese utilities get a lesson in fall protection from IBEW

Injuries and deaths from falls are a problem in the utility industry in Japan and regulations are changing to keep workers safer when working on power poles and transmission towers. The U.S. utility industry worked through its own regulation shift three years ago, when the Occupational Safety and Health Administration required an upgrade to the traditional body or safety belt that linemen had been using for decades.

CDC gets a new chief

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, M.D. has named Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., as the 17th Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).

Elevators prove hazardous in NYC

Two recent incidents in New York City involving workers injured and trapped in elevators have renewed calls by unions for stricter elevator safety standards. News reports say an elevator mechanic was crushed after being pinned under an elevator in the basement shaft.

A Confined Space blog post

Dispatches from the front of the war on worker safety: Short stuff

Jordan Barab

Major, Radioactive Oops: More than 30 nuclear experts inhaled uranium after radiation alarms and ventilation systems at a Department of Energy weapons site were switched off.

Smoking scenes on the rise in movies

While health experts expend considerable energy drawing attention to the health risks of smoking, Hollywood continues to glamorize tobacco use and to feature it in a growing number of movies.

Despite decline, roof fall accidents remain leading cause of coal miner injuries

Although improvements in roof control technology in underground coal mines have significantly reduced accidents involving roof and rib falls or coal bursts, such accidents remain a leading cause of injuries, reports the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA).