Occupational exposure - Articles - Page 56

Medical clinic knowingly exposes workers to asbestos

January 26, 2017

A Monroe, Wisconsin medical clinic failed to inform maintenance workers that they were being sent into areas containing asbestos – which the company had known about since 2008. The company also failed to provide the workers with equipment which could have protected them from asbestos hazards.

NIOSH-certified respirator mask remains most popular in healthcare

January 25, 2017

Now that flu season is officially here, we may feel heightened concern about the cause of our coworker’s, friend’s, or elevator mate’s cough. For healthcare workers, this seasonal concern is of year-round importance.

Workers spend more than half their day standing or walking in jobs

January 23, 2017

Workers spent 61.0 percent of the workday standing or walking in jobs surveyed in 2016, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. The average maximum weight lifted or carried as required in all civilian (private industry and state and local government) jobs was about 36 pounds.

NIOSH method classifies jobs by COPD risk

January 23, 2017

Most people know that smoking cigarettes can lead to severe lung damage, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. What they may not realize is that COPD can occur from exposure to hazardous substances at work as well. At the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), investigators are studying the causes and how to prevent COPD.

Feds to issue final rule on working place examinations in metal, nonmetal mines

Will cover nearly 250K miners in U.S.

January 20, 2017

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration says it will issue its Final Rule for Examination of Working Places in Metal and Nonmetal Mines. The new rule will be published in the Federal Register on Jan. 23, 2017, and go into effect on May 23, 2017.

NJ concrete co. exposes workers to airborne silica

January 19, 2017

County Concrete Corp. of East Orange, New Jersey is facing $88,544 in penalties after OSHA inspectors found multiple safety and health violations at the company. Foremost among them: employees were exposed to silica above the permissible limit as they cleaned concrete mixers. OSHA cited County Concrete for these same hazards in 2013.

New EU worker protection directive excludes diesel exhaust

Trade union blames lobbying efforts by industry

January 16, 2017

European workers are angry about a recent directive from the European Commission that fails to include diesel engine exhaust among the toxins that people should be protected from in the workplace.

NIOSH: Exposure limits are uncertain for nano particles

January 11, 2017

Nanotechnology is a broad name given to a wide range of technologies and materials that create, manipulate, or use particles that have one thing in common - their size. Nanotechnology (or nanoscience) involves materials that are extremely small and have dimensions roughly between 1 and 100 nanometres (nm).

Workers face excavation hazards at NY construction site

January 11, 2017

Acting on a complaint, OSHA officers in June 2016 found employees of one of the Verona, New York area's largest general contractors working in an unprotected 10-foot deep excavation at a suburban New Jersey high school, in violation of federal safety and health laws.

OSHA weighs in on voluntary and non-voluntary use of respirators

January 10, 2017

From an OSHA Letter of Interpretation: Scenario: An employee is dry cutting concrete in an outdoor, well-ventilated environment that creates a small amount of dust that never approaches the permissible exposure limit (PEL), and the supervisor advises the employee to put a dust mask on. Question: Does a supervisor advising an employee to put on a dust mask constitute non-voluntary (required) use even though the generated dust amount is below the PEL? Reply: Respiratory protection is required when such equipment is necessary to protect the health of the employee or whenever respirators are required by the employer.