health

Volunteer firefighters group receives grant for safety and health initiatives

Greenbelt, MD – The National Volunteer Fire Council will use newly awarded grant money to create a “culture of knowledge and safety” among emergency service personnel and address emerging safety and health issues, the organization recently announced.




health

Senate health committee approves bill to establish cancer registry for firefighters

Washington — Bipartisan legislation to establish and maintain a voluntary registry intended to improve research into firefighters’ risks of cancer was passed by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on April 24.




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NIOSH asking firefighters to share health data for cancer research

Washington — NIOSH is looking for participants for a soon-to-launch registry intended to aid research on understanding and preventing firefighters’ risk of cancer.




health

CDC publishes MERS control checklists for health care workers

Atlanta – To help protect health care providers and facilities from the dangers of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has developed checklists for infection control actions.




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Environment, Health and Safety Compliance Checklist

The Environment, Health and Safety Compliance Checklist itemizes some of the documents, training and procedures that are required by many state and federal agencies, including hazard communication, emergency response, and environmental documentation.




health

NIOSH announces free health screenings for coal miners

Washington – A series of free, confidential health screenings will be available for coal miners as part of the NIOSH Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program.




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Nearly 2 million health care workers have asthma, NIOSH study shows

Washington — The health care and social assistance industry has the highest percentage of workers with asthma among major industry groups, according to a recent study from NIOSH’s Respiratory Health Division.




health

NIOSH to offer free health screenings for coal miners

Washington — NIOSH will offer a series of free, confidential health screenings for coal miners through its Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program.




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Respiratory viruses may linger on health care workers, PPE: study

Chicago — Health care workers commonly carry respiratory viruses on their hands, clothing and personal protective equipment after administering care to patients, accentuating the need to practice “complete hand hygiene and use other PPE to prevent dissemination,” results of a recent study suggest.




health

NIOSH to offer free health screenings for coal miners

Washington — NIOSH has planned a series of free, confidential health screenings for current and former coal miners via the agency’s Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program.




health

NIOSH announces free health screenings for coal miners

Washington — NIOSH will offer a series of free, confidential health screenings for current and former coal miners as part of the agency’s Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program.




health

Institute of Medicine examines health effects of combat blasts

Washington – Although blast trauma among soldiers can be proven to cause serious eye injuries and may be linked to post-traumatic stress disorder, insufficient evidence exists showing a relationship to tinnitus, vertigo and cardiovascular issues, according to a new report from the Institute of Medicine.




health

Report: DOD data systems hinder ability to monitor soldiers’ health risks

Washington – U.S. service members deployed to the Middle East may be facing occupational health risks due to a lack of health monitoring and flaws in the Department of Defense’s multiple data storage systems, according to a Government Accountability Office report released June 22.




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‘Health Effects of 9/11’: Online exhibit focuses on responders

Washington — The ongoing health problems of workers who responded during and after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks are the focus of an online exhibit recently unveiled by NIOSH and the Department of Health and Human Services.




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NIOSH seeks nominees for World Trade Center Health Program advisory committee

Washington — The NIOSH World Trade Center Health Program is accepting nominations for its Scientific/Technical Advisory Committee.




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U.S. military rolling out targeted mental health care for service members

Washington — A new approach to assisting military personnel who have mental health concerns “helps people get the specific care they need in a timely manner,” a military health care provider says.




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NIOSH, OSHA offer toolkit on respiratory protection for health care workers

Washington – A new toolkit from OSHA and NIOSH aims to help protect health care workers from transmissible diseases and other respiratory hazards.




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Small-business training tool now features health care scenarios

Washington – OSHA has updated an online tool aimed at teaching small-business owners and workers how to locate workplace hazards.




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OSHA, Health Canada create work plan for coordinated hazcom effort

Washington – OSHA and Health Canada have developed a work plan intended to align U.S. and Canadian requirements for classifying, and sharing information about, work-related chemical hazards.




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OSHA, Health Canada issue joint guidance on GHS pictogram requirements

Washington — To support implementation of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals, OSHA and Health Canada have released joint guidance on pictogram requirements for three hazard communication categories.




health

National Farm Safety and Health Week set for Sept. 19-25

Peosta, IA — A series of daily webinars is planned for National Farm Safety and Health Week, scheduled to take place Sept. 19-25.




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New website offers health and safety resources for farmers and ranchers

Covington, LA — Helping farmers and ranchers navigate occupational risks and providing information on health and safety issues is the goal of the AgriSafe Health Hub, a new website.




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National Farm Safety and Health Week set for Sept. 18-24

Peosta, IA — A series of daily webinars is planned for National Farm Safety and Health Week, scheduled for Sept. 18-24.




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Agencies partner on infectious disease response training for health care, hazardous waste workers

Research Triangle Park, NC – Outbreaks of viruses such as Ebola and Zika have prompted the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences – together with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, OSHA, and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response – to launch an infectious disease safety training program for first responders and hazardous waste workers.




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NIOSH, FDA announce streamlined approval process for N95 respirators used in health care

Washington — Manufacturers of certain N95 respirators will be able to submit a single application to NIOSH, rather than to both the Food and Drug Administration and NIOSH, before marketing their product to the health care industry, according to an FDA final order published in the May 17 Federal Register.




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Routine use of reusable respirators can help health care facilities prepare for emergencies: report

Washington — Reusable respirators could prove a “viable option” for health care facilities’ respiratory protection programs, especially in preparation for a public health emergency, a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine concludes.




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NIOSH seeking partners for project to redesign PAPR for health care workers

Washington — NIOSH is looking for inventors, researchers and respirator manufacturers to partner on a project intended to develop new designs for powered air-purifying respirators for health care workers.




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COVID-19 pandemic: OSHA issues temporary enforcement guidance for respirators in health care

Washington — In an effort to preserve the supply of N95 filtering facepiece respirators during the COVID-19 pandemic, OSHA has temporarily suspended its requirement for annual respirator fit testing in the health care industry.




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FDA to health care facilities: OK to ‘transition away’ from reusing disposable respirators

Washington — Prompted by an “increased domestic supply” of NIOSH-approved respirators, the Food and Drug Administration is recommending health care facilities transition away from strategies intended to conserve supplies of disposable respirators amid the COVID-19 pandemic.




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COVID-19 pandemic: OSHA, FDA create safety and health checklist for food manufacturers

Washington — OSHA and the Food and Drug Administration have teamed up to develop a checklist intended to help food manufacturers protect worker health and practice food safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.




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Female health care workers need better protection from radiation, doctors say

London — A group of physicians is calling on health care employers to provide female workers who are exposed to on-the-job radiation with added protections to minimize their risk of breast cancer.




health

Hand protection and skin health

What measures can we take to promote hand health in industrial settings where employees frequently handle stains, grease, adhesives or chemicals?




health

Combining heat mitigation strategies improves worker health and productivity: study

Storrs, CT — Helping workers stay cool in the heat not only improves their health, it also bolsters productivity, according to the results of a recent study.




health

Leveraging safety and health operations

How do we build a culture of problem-solving with our safety and health processes and tools?




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ISO 45001: The Cornerstone for an Effective Occupational Health and Safety Culture

As the world’s first internationally approved standard on workplace health and safety, ISO 45001 offers a single definitive framework to improve the performance of occupational health and safety management systems.




health

Upcoming OSHA strategic plan to emphasize health hazards

Washington – A greater emphasis on health hazards is one step OSHA says it will take in the coming years as part of the Department of Labor’s strategic plan for 2014-2018.




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COVID-19’s impact on mental health and substance use: tools now in Spanish

Washington — The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences’ Worker Training Program has published Spanish-language versions of its resources on COVID-19’s impact on mental health and substance use.




health

Report compares injuries, health conditions in every state

Chicago – A new report from UL details the health conditions and workplace safety rates in every state, as well as their financial impact.




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XTract One Enhances Security for Community Health Network

In collaboration with Indiana based partner CK2 Technologies, Xtract One was able to integrate SmartGateway into decades-old buildings without compromising the visitor experience.




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Big Ambitions. Complex Data. Limited Visibility. How North American Health & Safety and ESG Professionals Are Dealing with Today’s Evolving Challenge

Download a recently published research report from Intelex showing that reporting data (and accurate data) is the top challenge of EHS professionals in North America.




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Occupational Health and Safety Data Management – Taking a What, How and Why Approach

This white paper assesses the significance of OHS data, analyzes current performance in the domain, identifies significant trends, and proposes interventions to address concerns and enhance overall performance.




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Hearing loss higher than expected in some health care and social assistance subsectors: NIOSH

Washington — Workers in certain subsectors of the health care and social assistance industry experience hearing loss at a rate higher than expected “for an industry that has had assumed ‘low-exposure’ to noise,” according to a recent study from NIOSH.




health

NIOSH seeks to survey school workers about health issues

Washington – NIOSH is seeking comment on a proposed survey of school workers to gauge the relationship between building conditions and worker health.




health

Chemical dispersants used in oil spills cleanup linked to health issues: study

Durham, NC – Workers exposed to oil dispersants during cleanup of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil rig disaster are likely to experience respiratory issues and other health problems, according to a new study from the National Institutes of Health.




health

Occupational safety and health degree

The Bachelor of Science in Occupational Safety and Health degree will provide students with a flexible, relevant and current curriculum that includes opportunities for students to demonstrate a depth of knowledge in safety and health theory and technology necessary to function at the safety and health professional level in industry.




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‘Care bundle’ helps health care workers avoid PPE-related facial pressure injuries: researchers

Dublin — Frontline health care workers treating COVID-19 patients can reduce their risk of developing a facial pressure injury caused by prolonged use of personal protective equipment by using the contents of a specially designed “care bundle,” claim researchers from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.




health

NIOSH outlines Health Hazard Evaluation Program

Washington – A new NIOSH publication describes how the agency’s Health Hazard Evaluation Program works with employers to investigate possible dangers in the workplace.




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OSHA awards $12.7M in safety and health training grants

Washington — OSHA has issued $12.7 million in safety and health training grants to 102 nonprofit organizations, via its Susan Harwood Training Grant Program.




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‘Health Effects of 9/11’ exhibit now at Flight 93 National Memorial

Washington — A traveling NIOSH exhibit spotlights research that has advanced medical treatment and awareness of the health problems experienced by workers who responded to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.




health

Study looks at police officers, head injuries and mental health issues

Columbus, OH — Three out of 10 law enforcement officers have experienced a work-related head injury, putting them at risk of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, according to a recent study.