Washington — The field of occupational safety and health must adapt as “technology, globalization, shifts in demographics, and other economic and political forces create new challenges for workers, employers and those who work to protect them,” two NIOSH researchers say.

New York — Exposure to pollutants such as vehicle exhaust, pesticides and wood smoke may be linked to structural and functional heart abnormalities that could lead to cardiovascular disease among Latino workers, results of a recent study published by the American Heart Association indicate.

Washington — Aimed at ensuring proper ventilation in indoor workplaces amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a new OSHA safety alert lists measures employers and building managers should take.

Itasca, IL — A new report from the National Safety Council details the results of a recent survey on what employers are doing to protect their workers against exposure to COVID-19.

Washington — The Department of Labor Office of Inspector General intends to conduct an audit of the number and types of inspections OSHA is using to protect workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as OSHA’s plans to address future pandemics, according to a fiscal year 2021 audit work plan released Nov. 2.

Washington — In a reversal of preliminary findings that the chemical substance Pigment Violet 29 poses no unreasonable risk of injury to humans or the environment, the Environmental Protection Agency is seeking public comment on a revised draft risk evaluation that states the chemical substance presents unreasonable risk to workers under certain conditions, according to a notice published in the Oct. 30 Federal Register.

Washington — The number of nonfatal work-related injuries and illnesses in the U.S. private sector remained unchanged in 2019, as did the incidence rate of total recordable cases, according to annual data released Nov. 4 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Trenton, NJ — New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) on Oct. 28 signed an Executive Order that will require all employers in the state to follow health and safety protocols designed to protect workers from exposure to COVID-19.

London — Employee burnout is most likely to occur at age 32, according to the results of a recent survey out of the United Kingdom.

San Francisco — The Washington State Nurses Association is among four labor unions suing Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia and OSHA in an effort to compel the agency to move forward with rulemaking on an infectious diseases standard that would require employers in the health care industry to protect workers from exposure to harmful infectious diseases such as COVID-19, Ebola and influenza.