Birmingham, AL — A recent study of health care workers in U.S. ERs shows masks, gloves, gowns and other personal protective equipment were highly effective at shielding them from infection during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Washington — The U.S. District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has ruled it doesn’t have the authority to order OSHA to issue a permanent standard on COVID-19 for the health care industry, denying an emergency petition filed by National Nurses United and other labor groups.

Pleasanton, CA — The transportation, health care and government sectors have experienced the greatest increases of “higher worker burnout risk” over the past year, according to a recently released report from software provider Workday.

Sacramento, CA — New guidance from the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health is aimed at protecting workers from monkeypox – a viral disease that spreads mostly through close, intimate contact with someone who’s infected.

Washington — The National Academy of Medicine has unveiled seven priorities it says will help strengthen the well-being of the health care workforce and “restore the health of the nation.”

Washington — Current NIOSH and industry regulations and professional guidelines aimed at preventing unintentional exposure to pathogens during the sterile processing of medical devices may not be sufficient to ensure provider and patient safety, results of a recent study suggest.

Schaumburg, IL — The Emergency Nurses Association and the American Organization for Nursing Leadership have updated their Guiding Principles on Mitigating Violence in the Workplace and related toolkit.

Washington — In an effort to prevent work-related transmission of the monkeypox virus, OSHA is urging employers and workers whose jobs may involve skin-to-skin contact with infected people or animals to take precautions.

Washington — OSHA submitted its permanent standard on COVID-19 for the health care industry to the White House Office of Management and Budget for final review Dec. 7.

Washington — Do you have an idea for improving fit testing of respirators? NIOSH is offering $350,000 in total prize money as part of its Respirator Fit Evaluation Challenge.

Washington — The House has passed legislation that would eliminate a rule requiring health care industry employers who participate in Medicare and Medicaid to ensure their workers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Rockville, MD — A new report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality outlines ways that emergency medical service and 911 workers can be exposed to infectious pathogens and offers recommendations for infection prevention and control.

Washington — NIOSH has added all types of uterine cancer to the list of health-related conditions covered by the agency’s World Trade Center Health Program.

Washington — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has scheduled public meetings of its National Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council for May 10-11.

Washington — Two lawmakers have reintroduced a bill that would mandate nurse staffing levels in hospitals in an effort to create better working conditions.

Tallahassee, FL — Legislation in Florida that would strengthen criminal penalties for assault or battery on hospital workers has advanced out of two Senate committees.

Washington — Newly introduced legislation would direct OSHA to issue a standard requiring employers in the health care and social services sector to develop and implement a workplace violence prevention plan.

Arlington, VA — Hospital units that consistently follow standard safety precautions experience nearly 40% fewer needlesticks and other sharps injuries than other units, a new study has found.

Washington — OSHA is requesting feedback as it considers developing a possible standard aimed at preventing workplace violence in the health care and social assistance industries.

Washington — An OSHA standard on safe patient handling and mobility could reduce musculoskeletal disorders among health care workers, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society says in a new policy statement.

Washington — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s National Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council has scheduled a hybrid meeting for next month.

Queensland, Australia — Patient aggression toward receptionists in general medical practices has become a “serious workplace safety concern,” a recent research review concludes.

Edmonton, Alberta — A recent study of workers’ compensation claims filed by workers in long-term care facilities shows that the majority involved care aides and musculoskeletal injuries.

Morgantown, WV — A recent study of work-related sharps injuries shows that health care workers had a sixfold higher risk than all other workers – but other workers are at risk, too.

New York — Registered nurses, social and other behavioral health workers, and people in health care support face a significantly higher risk of drug-overdose death, according to the results of a recent study.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency wants feedback as it considers a training program for health care providers on recognizing, treating and reporting pesticide-related illnesses and injuries.

Toronto — Most workers who use cannabis to treat work-related injuries and illnesses do so without medical guidance or authorization, a recent study out of Canada suggests.

New York — Registered nurses, health technicians and health care support workers face an elevated risk of suicide compared with workers in non-health care fields, results of a recent study indicate.

Washington — Health care workers are reporting burnout and poor mental health at levels higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Cambridge, MA — The median time from a worker’s injury to “first medical service” was either unchanged or shorter early in the COVID-19 pandemic relative to prior years, a new report shows.

Kuopio, Finland — Being excluded from social interactions on the job can have cascading negative effects on health and well-being, a recent study of Finnish health care workers shows.

Bannockburn, IL — Around 1 out of 4 health care workers don’t feel safe on the job, according to the results of a recent survey.

Bozeman, MT — Industries in which workers are prone to sleep loss should develop and adopt policies that prioritize sleep to ensure better daytime function and well-being, researchers say.

Denver — Legislation recently introduced in Colorado would require hospitals, freestanding ERs, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and federally qualified health centers to establish a workplace violence prevention committee.

Salem, OR — Bipartisan legislation recently introduced in Oregon would strengthen the penalty for assaulting a hospital worker and require hospitals to work harder on preventing violence.

Washington — NIOSH has published a step-by-step process for improving the mental health of hospital health care workers.

Pittsburgh — Respiratory Protection Week, intended to promote proper respiratory protection practices via the sharing of related research findings and educational tools, is set for Sept. 3-6.

Washington — NIOSH is seeking respirator manufacturers and other participants for a new project aimed at determining how well the devices protect workers who have facial hair when beard bands are used.

Washington — NIOSH is encouraging health care industry employers to craft mental health-related communications in a way that helps reduce the stigma around seeking support.

Boston — Intended to give small health care employers an “easy-to-use format” for a written exposure control plan, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has published sample written plans for a respiratory protection program and bloodborne pathogen exposure control.

Washington — OSHA’s proposed rule on infectious diseases in “health care and other high-risk environments” has been submitted to the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs for final review.

V-Gard Protective Caps feature polyethylene shells and self-adjusting crown straps to provide comfortable, lightweight protection.

The PUREFLO range provides combined head, eye, face, welding and positive powered respiratory protection with Assigned Protection Factors up to 1,000.

Backed by a three-year warranty, the new generation of VIKING Auto-Darkening Welding Helmets offers better optical quality and durability.

As with most personal protective equipment, comfort is paramount for workers who use head and face protection. Manufacturers know this and have responded.

The Loner Safety Monitoring Device provides instant emergency alerting accompanied by real-time location information, allowing organizations to exceed worker safety regulations.

The X-am 2500 gas monitor accurately detects O₂, CO, NO₂, SO₂ and H₂S, and is the only 1-4 gas monitor you need in industrial, mining and refinery applications.

The G460 multi-sensor atmospheric monitor features completely automatic calibration, one-button operation, top-mounted display and interchangeable battery packs.

The ALTAIR 2X line of gas detectors features the first one- or two-gas detector that incorporates industry-leading XCell Sensor technology.

The Tango TX1 single-gas monitor features a three-year run time and DualSense Technology that increases worker safety – regardless of bump-test frequency – while reducing overall maintenance costs.