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St. Paul, MN — Nurses and non-clinical personnel such as environmental and food services staff wash their hands more frequently than other health care workers, according to recent research from Ecolab – a manufacturer of water, hygiene, and energy technologies and services.

Secaucus, NJ — The rate of positive drug tests rose by double digits in five of 16 major U.S. workforce industry sectors from 2015 to 2017, according to a recent analysis by lab services provider Quest Diagnostics.

League City, TX — Physicians have surpassed nurses as the occupational group with the highest percentage of reported sharps injuries, recent data from the International Safety Center shows.

Washington — The chair of the renamed House Committee on Education and Labor, along with a likely 2020 presidential candidate, are among the lawmakers asking for an audit of the Department of Labor’s proposal to allow unsupervised 16- to 17-year-old workers to operate powered patient lifts.

Washington — NIOSH recently introduced checklists to help employers assess damp areas and identify mold.

Atlanta — Suicide prevention strategies for workers are needed to help mitigate rising workplace suicide rates, a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests.

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.

Washington — Labor unions, the National Employment Law Project, and the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health are among the groups publicly opposing a Department of Labor proposed rule that would allow unsupervised 16- and 17-year-olds to operate powered patient lifts in hospitals, nursing homes or other long-term care facilities.

Washington — In an effort to help stem the rising rate of workplace violence against health care and social service workers, Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) has proposed legislation that would direct OSHA to issue a standard requiring employers in those industries to develop and implement workplace violence prevention plans.

Maywood, IL — Educating new doctors on emotional intelligence could provide a method to help stem an elevated rate of burnout in the profession, the results of a recent Loyola University Medical Center study suggest.