Hazards

Boston – Hospitals and other health care facilities in Massachusetts would be required to develop and implement workplace violence prevention programs to protect their workers as part of legislation advancing through the state House and Senate.

Washington – Climate change may increase the frequency and severity of occupational hazards and exposures – and create new ones, according to a report from the U.S. Global Change Research Program.

Wellington, New Zealand – New research has identified certain occupations and industries that may contribute to the risk of workers developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a group of related cancers affecting part of the body’s immune system.

Schaumburg, IL – The American Foundry Society and the National Association of Manufacturers have requested that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit review OSHA’s recently released final rule on silica.

Washington – OSHA has released its final rule on protecting workers from exposure to silica, marking the agency’s first updated regulation for the material since 1971.

Washington – OSHA’s proposed rule on beryllium is “a step in the right direction” but could be stronger, according to a pair of worker safety and health advocates who testified at an informal hearing on the proposal.

Washington – OSHA’s final rule on silica is expected to be published in the near future, Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez told the House Education and the Workforce Committee during a March 16 hearing about the Department of Labor’s policies and priorities.

Washington – More research is needed to determine the link between driver fatigue and crashes involving large trucks and buses, according to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Washington – NIOSH and the Environmental Protection Agency are seeking public comments on worker exposure to 1-Bromopropane, a potentially hazardous chemical found in certain industries.

Orlando, FL – About 1 in 2 U.S. adults has a musculoskeletal disorder, costing an estimated $213 billion each year in treatment and lost wages, according to a report from the United States Bone and Joint Initiative.