Cincinnati — Workers replacing old water service lines may be exposed to lead piping or lead-contaminated soil – and could bring the metal home, a new NIOSH guidance document cautions.

Columbia Southern University recently introduced a fire leadership degree program with four concentrations. The Master of Science in fire executive leadership degree program offers an opportunity for fire service workers to gain academic training in leadership at the graduate level.

HazTek’s Leading Safely approach to safety leadership is aimed at helping industry leaders transform their organizations in ways that reduce risks, improve team morale and open pathways to improved financial performance.

One serious risk of outdoor work is Lyme disease, which is spread when individuals are bitten by infected ticks. Initial symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, fatigue and skin rash.

Working in high-risk areas such as hospitals regularly exposes health care workers to the influenza virus, putting them at an elevated risk for contracting the illness.

One way to prevent becoming ill with the influenza virus is to avoid crowded settings and exposure to others who may be infected.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists steps employers can take to help minimize the spread of flu.

Occupational skin diseases are the second-most common type of occupational disease. NIOSH estimates that more than 13 million U.S. workers are potentially exposed to chemicals that can be absorbed through their skin.

As reports of the COVID-19 pandemic dominate the headlines, keeping calm can prove difficult. However, one of the best ways to combat anxiety – and be prepared – is to be informed.

Feeling anxious about going back to the office during the COVID-19 pandemic? It’s important to manage your stress to ensure a healthy return – physically and mentally, experts at Ohio State University say.

A best practice to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other viral respiratory infections is routinely cleaning and disinfecting/sanitizing surfaces, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

When a COVID-19 case occurs in the workplace, the local health department may ask an employer for help. Health departments are responsible for leading case investigations, contact tracing and outbreak investigations.

Health care workers who are exposed to needles – for example, those administering a COVID-19 vaccine – are at risk of sharps injuries and exposure to bloodborne pathogens.

You probably know about Lyme disease, and that it’s transmitted to humans through the bite of infected ticks. But have you heard of alpha-gal syndrome?

Pregnancy increases the risk of heatstroke or heat exhaustion on the job because the body must work harder to cool itself, according to OSHA. Pregnant workers are also more likely to become dehydrated, “a primary contributor to heat-related illness.”

How can workers reduce fogging when wearing safety eyewear?

OSHA regulations dictate we offer a “variety” of hearing protectors to noise-exposed workers. What is best practice for providing a variety while keeping inventory to a minimum?

What are the most common reasons why employees fail to wear safety eyewear, and how can we help increase compliance?

How is the comfort of FR clothing related to compliance?

What should our company look for in a safety footwear program/provider?

What’s the difference between “hearing conservation” and “hearing loss prevention”?

When selecting protective eyewear, most higher-quality options have various features and upgrades, including impact re-sistance, anti-fog technology, ultraviolent resistance and polarized lenses. What do each of these technologies provide and why should workers want them in their safety glasses?

How are powered air-purifying systems protecting frontline health care workers from COVID-19?

How can equipment selection encourage hearing protection compliance?

Given the prevalence of eye protection requirements across industries, it’s clear this isn’t an issue of awareness, but of compliance.

As workplaces face labor shortages, employees are covering more jobs and responsibilities. How can safety managers ensure workers receive the proper hearing protection across different job environments in a single shift?

What do workers need to look for when buying foot protection?

A white paper from Lehigh explains the Compound Effect Solution to Plantar Fasciitis – how to give your employees the 1-2-3 punch, providing the best-fitting approved footwear, along with custom orthotics and medical-grade compression socks.

Can I use earbud-type devices as hearing protection in industrial settings?

How can using the Hierarchy of Controls help with protecting workers from hazardous noise?

How has personal protective equipment evolved when it comes to safety footwear designed for indoor and manufacturing environments?

What advice can I offer my employees who are hard of hearing because of ear wax?

How can I best protect my workers from noise-induced hearing loss?

Geneva — Health care workers who treat COVID-19 patients deserve more robust occupational safety and health programs, according to the World Health Organization and the International Labor Organization.

Aurora, CO — “Lack of recognition as frontline workers” adds emotional strain to the physical demands, staffing obstacles and COVID-19 concerns of workers who clean and sanitize health care facilities and equipment, results of a recent University of Colorado study suggest.

Washington — The U.S. District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on April 4 heard oral arguments on why it should order OSHA to issue a permanent standard on COVID-19 for the health care industry.

Toronto — To increase health care workers’ knowledge, awareness and prevention of occupational hand dermatitis, the Center for Research Expertise in Occupational Disease has launched a free e-learning module.

Atlanta — Health care workers who were diagnosed with COVID-19 during the first year of the pandemic were more likely to have contracted the illness on the job rather than in household or community settings, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study has concluded.

Washington — A companion bill to the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (H.R. 1195), passed by the House in April 2021, has been introduced in the Senate.

Durham, NC — The rates of “moral injury” that health care workers experienced during the first year of COVID-19 pandemic was akin to those of U.S. military combat veterans, results of a recent study show.

North Kingstown, RI — More than 4 out of 5 health care workers experience headaches associated with the use of personal protective equipment, according to a new report from the Association of Migraine Disorders.

Washington — Echoing comments made by OSHA administrator Doug Parker during a hearing three weeks earlier, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh said a permanent standard on COVID-19 for the health care industry may be published sometime in the fall.

Columbus, OH — Legislation recently introduced in the Ohio Statehouse would direct health care employers to develop and implement a workplace violence prevention plan within six months.

Washington — Burnout among health care workers could make it more difficult for patients to get the care they need, cause a rise in the cost of care, worsen health disparities and weaken the ability to prepare for the next public health emergency.

Tumwater, WA — Health care workers should rely on their clinical recognition skills, workplace safety protocols and personal protective equipment to avoid contracting and spreading monkeypox, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries advises.

Aliso Viejo, CA — A recent survey of nurses shows that fewer than half believe their organization values their safety and health, a drop of more than 30% in three years.

New York — Employees in fields with higher workplace injury rates are generally less likely to be covered by employer-provided health insurance plans, results of a recent survey show.

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.

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.”