No one disputes that smoking is the major cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the difficulty breathing that strikes so many Americans in their twilight years. A new study by Duke University and CPWR researchers, however, reminds us that smoking is far from the only cause, and we still have a lot of work to do if we are going to protect construction workers.
MSHA’s Main says industry compliance is at 99 percent
August 19, 2015
One year ago this month, the landmark respirable dust rule went into effect, adding a number of increased protections for coal miners and closing several loopholes that masked their exposure to unhealthy coal mine dust.
Total fatalities likely to reach 4,500 this year; 50,000 additional deaths from occupational exposure
August 19, 2015
The U.S. Worker Fatality Database, an open access volunteer research effort, yesterday released new data about deaths on the job during the first seven months of 2015.
The summer of 2015 has scorched the western U.S. with thousands of wildfires. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), exposure to excessive wildfire smoke even at a distance can harm eyes, lungs and heart. The CDC advises that to avoid illness caused by wildfire smoke exposure, seven steps should be taken:
People tasked with saving lives found their own lives endangered by infectious disease because their employer failed to protect them, according to OSHA. Agency inspectors determined that employees of Lifefleet, a North Lima, Ohio medical transport company were exposed to blood and other bodily fluids which can cause serious diseases such as hepatitis and HIV.
If we have properly engaged leadership and stakeholders, and gone through a rigorous assessment, we should have a fairly clear picture of the size and shape of our fatigue problem. This makes defining our set of solutions a bit simpler.
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.
OSHA says Maine has been approved as the newest State Plan responsible for protecting the safety and health of state and local government employees. The Maine State and Local Government Only State Plan will cover more than 81,000 employees of the state and its political subdivisions under an OSHA-approved plan.
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels yesterday announced a proposed new standard that would dramatically lower workplace exposure to beryllium, a widely used material that can cause devastating lung diseases.