A 45-year-old pipefitter who was wearing four layers of clothing – including a chemical suit - while he worked died on the job in March at a petroleum refinery in Norco, Lousiana.
A recent Swiss survey of the working population shows that in 2013 over one million people suffered damage to their health due to their occupational activity. Eleven per cent of those questioned reported suffering from a health problem linked to their work (750 000 people) and 6 percent had been the victim of a workplace accident (316 000 people).
Authorities investigating "sick building syndrome"
August 17, 2015
A county employee who works at the Lucas County (Ohio) Job and Family Services building has been hospitalized for nearly two weeks with pneumonia while some 19 others have called in sick with upper respiratory problems over the past six weeks, county officials told the Toledo Blade.
Researchers from Colorado State University and the Colorado School of Public Health recently found workplaces that value employees’ safety and well-being as much as company productivity yield the greatest rewards.
Legionnaires’ disease bacterium can thrive in homes, hospitals and hotels
August 10, 2015
The American Industrial Hygiene Association® (AIHA) announces the release of its new guideline on Legionella titled Recognition, Evaluation, and Control of Legionella in Building Water Systems. This technical document for industry professionals is an expansion of information provided in AIHA’s publication, Field Guide for the Determination of Biological Contaminants in Environmental Samples, 2nd edition.
OSHA has proposed to reduce the occupational health exposure to crystalline silica dust due to the evidence of risk of lung cancer, silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and kidney disease.
Work-related injury and death rates higher than in other industries
July 14, 2015
Workers involved in nearly every step of the modern food industry are at increased risk of occupational illness/injury and death, compared to other industries, reports a study in the July Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).
More than 200,000 users have downloaded the OSHA Heat Safety Tool since its launch in 2011. This spring, OSHA released a new version of the app for Apple devices, with full-screen color alerts, improved navigation and accessibility options.
Last year was the hottest year on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) That didn't surprise the experts; nine of the ten hottest years have happened since 2000. The health-related consequences of extreme heat are evident in a statistic from OSHA: 30 workers die from heat stroke in an average year -- and not just in the sunbelt.