S+H Staff

Washington — In an effort to help protect workers from wildfire smoke, the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Forest Service have updated their AirNow Fire and Smoke Map mobile app.

Washington — Work organization, job stress and other non-physical risk factors “cannot be ignored” when assessing the likelihood of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, according to a new white paper from the National Safety Council.

The rate of the tick-borne parasitic disease babesiosis increased an average of 9% annually over a recent seven-year period in the United States, according to a new study.

Boca Raton, FL — “Mental injuries” (such as post-traumatic stress disorder), cannabis and independent contractors were among the top workers’ compensation-related issues that state legislatures focused on this year, a new report shows.

A lack or absence of oxygen, the presence of toxic chemicals or fumes, and extreme temperatures: These are some of the major hazards associated with confined spaces.

Which workers are more at risk of drowsy driving? According to the National Sleep Foundation, it’s shift workers, people who work long hours, long-haul truck drivers, and business workers who spend many hours on the road each day or might be jet-lagged.

Whether it’s once a year when working on a specific project or part of a regular routine, if you’re a construction worker, you may be asked to work outside of traditional hours.

A 41-year-old framer had been working for two weeks at a residential subcontractor at the site of a new apartment complex. The framer and a co-worker planned to use two scissor lifts in tandem to raise and insert a glulam wooden beam into the side of a horizontal I-beam more than 8 feet above the concrete floor.

Washington — Optimizing the health and performance of workers’ brains is the goal of a new NIOSH initiative.

New York — Both city and state legislation and public health initiatives are needed to protect outdoor workers in New York City from extreme temperatures and poor air quality, according to a new report.