Hazards

Washington — In response to multiple studies showing that firefighters are at an increased risk for many types of cancers, the National Volunteer Fire Council and four other organizations have developed a poster intended to help firefighters understand their risks and take action to protect themselves.

Darien, IL — Fatigue and sleepiness are inherent safety risks for ridesharing drivers and their passengers, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine declares in a recent position statement.

Washington — OSHA has published a proposed rule intended to give the agency enough time to make alterations to its beryllium standard for general industry.

Evanston, IL — People who prefer to stay up late have a greater chance of dying at a younger age than those who are natural “early to bed and early to rise” types, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at Northwestern University and the University of Surrey.

San Diego — More than 4,600 coal miners have developed the most severe form of black lung disease since 1970, with nearly half of the cases emerging after 2000, according to a recent study from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Slips, trips and falls are no laughing matter. In fact, they can be deadly: According to the 2017 edition of “Injury Facts,” an NSC chartbook, 660 workers died in 2014 after a fall from height, and 138 workers died from a fall on the same level.

Washington — New guidance from NIOSH is intended to help protect health care workers from exposure to illicit, non-pharmaceutical fentanyl, a synthetic opioid considered up to 50 times more potent than heroin.

Washington — OSHA is moving to finalize changes to its crane operator certification requirements, according to a proposed rule published in the May 21 Federal Register.

Washington — The Chemical Safety Board is reiterating its call for OSHA to enact a comprehensive general industry standard for combustible dust – a potential hazard the board calls a “critical issue in industrial safety.”

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency intends to finalize a proposed ban on the use of methylene chloride in paint stripping, the agency announced May 10.