Services

Washington — Nearly 40 percent of pregnant nurses don’t wear protective gowns when administering powerful cancer drugs, putting their own health and that of their unborn babies at risk, results of a recent study from NIOSH suggest.

Silver Spring, MD — Seventeen sanitation workers – including 13 in the United States and four in Canada – were killed in the first three weeks of 2019, the Solid Waste Association of North America reports, a development the organization calls “unprecedented” and “unacceptable” as it urges industry employers and employees to renew their commitment to safety.

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.