Hazards

Atlanta — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is seeking public comment on a draft updating two sections of existing guidance intended to assist health care administrators with “providing occupational infection prevention and control services to health care personnel,” according to a notice published in the Oct. 15 Federal Register.

Winnipeg, Manitoba — Hospital privacy curtains may be breeding grounds for antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, a recent study led by researchers at the University of Manitoba shows.

Washington — The Department of Labor Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs has unveiled a four-point Opioid Action Plan intended to help combat opioid misuse among injured federal employees.

Waterloo, Ontario — Nearly 3 out of 5 truck drivers experience musculoskeletal pain or discomfort while on the job, and most factors are “largely modifiable,” according to researchers at the University of Waterloo.

Washington — Workers who frequently drill concrete can experience reduced exposure to noise, silica dust and vibration if pneumatic rock drills are replaced with electric rotary hammer drills, according to researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.

Atlanta — Construction workers have the highest proportional mortality ratio for heroin- and methadone-related overdose deaths, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analysis of 26 occupations shows.

Washington — OSHA is set to publish the long-awaited updates to its crane operator certification requirements in the Nov. 9 Federal Register.

Washington — OSHA has released a preview of the long-awaited updates to its crane operator certification requirements, days ahead of the final rule’s expected publication in the Federal Register.

Washington — The Office of National Drug Control Policy, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has published a guide intended to help rural communities address opioid misuse and other substance abuse by providing a centralized list of federal programs and resources.

Washington — The Chemical Safety Board is seeking to better understand why efforts to manage and control combustible dust hazards “have often failed” to prevent explosions.