Hazards

Sacramento, CA – Days after two nurses were stabbed at two separate Los Angeles-area hospitals, a California Senate committee has passed a bill intended to better protect hospital and health care workers from work-related violence.

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration on April 23 released a final rule intended to lower miners’ exposure to coal mine dust and help end the prevalence of deadly diseases collectively known as black lung.

The Center for Public Integrity recently was honored with its first Pulitzer Prize for its reporting on the scourge of black lung disease in miners. And just this week, steps were taken to end the deadly disease.

Washington – The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is extending the comment period to May 21 for a proposal that would establish a national database of commercial truck and bus drivers’ drug and alcohol testing results.

Washington – NIOSH Director John Howard is accusing the U.S. Department of Agriculture of misinterpreting a recent NIOSH study on increased poultry-processing line speeds and the effect on worker safety.

Washington – Stakeholders are invited to participate in an informal OSHA hearing on May 19 in Washington to discuss a proposal to extend the compliance date for crane operator certification requirements.