Hazards

The death of a camera assistant on a film set has led to penalties for the production company – and sparked a safety movement within the industry.

Geneva – As the largest Ebola outbreak in history spreads across West Africa, the International Labour Organization and the World Health Organization have issued guidelines to help keep workers safe.

Washington – The Environmental Protection Agency on Aug. 28 announced it has identified health risks stemming from the use of dichloromethane, a chemical in paint-stripping products.

Sacramento, CA – New regulations in California will require certain hospitals to implement a safe patient-handling policy that uses devices and lifting teams to move patients, potentially improving the safety of patients, nurses and other staff.

Lebanon, NH – Disabled workers receiving Medicare benefits are increasingly using prescription painkillers, according to a new study from the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice.

Washington – Workers who gauge tanks during oil and gas extraction flowback procedures may be exposed to dangerous levels of benzene and other volatile chemicals, according to NIOSH.

Washington – A coalition of health, labor and environmental groups has filed a petition seeking to end chemical manufacturers’ ability to indefinitely maintain “confidentiality claims” for information submitted under the Environmental Protection Agency’s Toxic Substances Control Act.

Laws and attitudes are changing rapidly regarding medical marijuana, which has been legalized by nearly half of the states in the country. But each state’s law varies, leaving more questions than answers when it comes to employers with safety-sensitive positions.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced July 11 that it had immediately stopped shipment of biological materials – pending review from an advisory committee – after incidents of anthrax exposure and shipment of bird flu.