Public health - Articles - Page 9

75 percent of workplaces in NSC poll affected by opioid usage

Only 17% of employers polled are well prepared to deal with the issue

March 18, 2019

Seventy-five percent of U.S. employers have been directly affected by opioids but – startlingly ¬– only 17 percent feel extremely well prepared to deal with the issue, according to a survey released today by the National Safety Council in recognition of Poison Prevention Week. Thirty-eight percent have experienced absenteeism or impaired worker performance, and 31 percent have had an overdose, arrest, a near-miss or an injury because of employee opioid use.

Federal grants to help fund opioid epidemic response jobs

March 18, 2019

Washington State and Missouri will get some help in combating the opioid crisis in the form of Dislocated Worker Grants (DWG) from the U.S. Department of Labor. The Missouri Division of Workforce Development will receive up to $4,090,306 and the Washington State Department of Employment Security will get $886,860 to fund disaster relief jobs and employment services in counties impacted by the health and economic effects of widespread opioid use, addiction, and overdose.

Weekly news round-up

March 16, 2019

The Ethiopian plane crash and its potential ramifications for aviation safety worldwide; tobacco product regulations; and help for employers whose workforces are affected by the opioid crisis. These were among the top stories featured on ISHN.com this week.

Ill. facility temporarily shuts down after ethylene oxide exposures

March 15, 2019

After the temporary shutdown of the Sterigenics facility in Willowbrook (IL), La Grange trustees say they will continue to actively participate in efforts to protect public health. The Sterigenics facility in Willowbrook, suspended operations after the Feb. 15 issuance of a seal order from the Illinois EPA. The seal came after the facility’s refusal to voluntarily shut down after the EPA released a report that reflected elevated levels of ethaline-oxide in the surrounding area of the facility.

A NIOSH Science Blog post

Towards a biosocial approach to occupational safety and health

Michael Flynn

March 12, 2019

The integration of the social determinants of health paradigm by occupational and public health researchers and institutions is leading to a recognition of the need for a more holistic and nuanced perspective on work and its impact on population health (Ahonen et al 2018; Schulte and Vainio, 2010; WHO 2008). Fundamental to this transformation is the need to complement traditional approaches to occupational health with new conceptual and methodological perspectives that can better account for the social aspects of health and well-being.

Federal judge gives FDA tight deadline for tobacco warning rule

The agency "unreasonably delayed" action

March 12, 2019

The FDA has until March 15 to issue a final rule mandating that cigarette makers place graphic health warnings on cigarette packs and in advertising, a federal judge ruled last week. The order by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts was in response to a lawsuit filed in October 2016 by eight public health and medical groups and several individual pediatricians.

WHO launches new global influenza strategy

Currently there are a billion cases of flu worldwide a year

March 12, 2019

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released details of a Global Influenza Strategy for 2019-2030 aimed at protecting people in all countries from the threat of influenza, or flu. The goal is to prevent seasonal flu, control the spread of influenza from animals to humans, and prepare for the next flu pandemic.

Seize the opportunities ergonomics can mean for your workplace

Dr. Brent Wells

March 5, 2019

People who work outside or who do the heavy lifting for a living are often jealous of office workers. “They have it so easy!” you hear them say, “They never have to worry about the heat, the cold, or being injured.” While the office temperature is debatable, it is not true that desk jobs carry no risk of injury. The CDC states that in 1999, about 1 million people took time off work to recover from musculoskeletal injuries due to poor economics, costing businesses about $50 billion each year in lost wages and productivity.

EPA launches plan to safeguard drinking water from PFAS

February 19, 2019

The EPA says it has put together a nationwide plan to address PFAS - an environmental danger that has gained prominence and raised alarm in recent years. The acronym stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a group of man-made chemicals that have been manufactured and used in a variety of industries around the globe, including in the United States since the 1940s.

Report: Feds failing to control tobacco use

FDA gets an "F"

January 30, 2019

According to the American Lung Association’s (ALA) 2019 "State of Tobacco Control" report released today, states and the federal government have failed to take meaningful action in putting in place policies to prevent and reduce tobacco use, the nation's leading cause of preventable death and disease. In addition, youth use of e-cigarettes has reached epidemic levels — rising 78 percent from 2017 to 2018 — setting the stage for another generation of Americans addicted to tobacco products and ultimately more tobacco-caused death and disease.