Workplace Health

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More than 1,200 miners could lose their healthcare by the end of the year, unless Congress takes action on the American Miners Act of 2019. Sponsored by Senator Joe Manchin D-W.Va., the measure, Senate Bill 27, would amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to transfer funds to the 1974 United Mine Workers of America Pension Plan. Bankruptcy laws are expected to free the Westmoreland Mining Company of its responsibilities under the coal act, leaving miners – including those suffering from black lung disease – in the lurch.

Outdoor workers can experience a number of hazards. One often unexpected hazard is a venomous snakebite. Venomous snakes may be encountered in workplaces throughout the United States. The most likely geographic locations where outdoor workers would encounter venomous snakes is in the American South, Southwest, and West. From 2008-2015, the greatest number of deaths from venomous snakebites occurred in the southern and mid-western United States.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is developing new guidance intended to help make people fully aware of the abuse or addiction possibilities of the prescriptions they’re taking. Drug Abuse and Dependence Section of Labeling for Human Prescription Drug and Biological Products - Content and Format doesn’t just deal with prescription medications that are scheduled under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Medications not scheduled under the CSA that have dependence potential are also addressed.