News

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.

On April 8, OSHA launched its long-awaited National Emphasis Program on outdoor and indoor heat hazards. A compliance directive (OSHA Instruction CPL 03-00-0240) describes agency policies and procedures related to the NEP. The program targets specific industries that OSHA considers to have the highest exposure potential to heat-related hazards and resulting illnesses and deaths.

Sydney — A combination of physical therapy and psychological interventions is most effective for treating people with chronic lower back pain, results of a recent study suggest.

Branchville, NJ — Employees are reporting work-related injuries much sooner in their tenure than they were 10 years ago, results of a recent study of workers’ compensation claims show.

Washington — “It is past time for regulators to fully recognize the hazards presented by reactive chemicals,” Katherine Lemos, chair and CEO of the Chemical Safety Board, says in a new video in which the agency calls on OSHA and the Environmental Protection Agency to strengthen their standards on these substances.

Chicago — A new Local Emphasis Program from OSHA is aimed at protecting workers in Wisconsin food manufacturing establishments from machine and amputation hazards.

New York — Building construction-related incidents in New York City dropped 10.6% in 2021, and combined worker injuries and deaths edged up less than 1% even as the number of construction permits issued increased nearly 14%, reports the city’s Department of Buildings.

The less light in your bedroom at night, the better. That’s what researchers from Northwestern University are saying after their study found that light exposure during sleep may harm your cardiovascular function and increase your insulin resistance.

Washington — Concerned by what it calls “an often-overlooked inequity in the area of vehicle safety,” a coalition of House members is asking the Department of Transportation to require the use of “accurate, up-to-date” female crash test dummies in vehicle safety testing.

Washington — People who’ve been convicted of assaulting airline employees would be prohibited from boarding commercial aircraft, under bipartisan legislation introduced April 6 in the House and Senate.