Labor

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Workers exposed to textile dust may have more than double the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, according to a study from the Allergy and Immunology Research Center at the Institute for Medical Research.

Philadelphia – Emergency medical technicians and paramedics are 14 times more likely than firefighters to be assaulted on the job but rarely report assault-related injuries, according to a study from Drexel University.

Washington – Enforcement of part of OSHA’s revised rule on electric power generation, transmission and distribution installations has been delayed until at least early 2017.

New York – Fewer than 1 in 5 nurses adhere to all nine standard precautions for preventing infection, potentially exposing them to bloodborne pathogens, according to a study from Northwell Health system.

Washington – Increased awareness and targeted interventions may help protect workers from experiencing hearing loss and/or tinnitus, according to a recent study from NIOSH.

Austin, TX – A group of researchers is contesting the prevailing, black-and-white notion that organizations either learn from past safety mistakes or do not.

Morgantown, WV – About 17 percent of working women of childbearing age in the United States smoke cigarettes, with many of them employed in the construction industry, according to a study from NIOSH.

Tumwater, WA – Thermal stress caused by intense heat during live fires, including live-fire training exercises, could cause the facepiece lenses on firefighters’ self-contained breathing apparatus to worsen rapidly and fail, warns a new hazard bulletin from the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.

Arlington, VA – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit on Jan. 25 rejected two challenges from coal industry groups about a Mine Safety and Health Administration final rule intended to lower miner exposure to coal mine dust.

Washington – Workers at coffee processing facilities may be at risk for the respiratory condition known as “popcorn lung,” according to NIOSH.