Hazards

Washington – Ninety-five law enforcement officers died on the job in 2012, according to FBI data released Oct. 28.

Silver Spring, MD – A new online tool from the Center for Construction Research and Training (better known as CPWR) allows users to confidentially save, retrieve and edit plans for reducing worker exposure to silica.

Washington – OSHA is extending until January the comment period for its notice of proposed rulemaking on crystalline silica, the agency announced Oct. 25.

Washington – Calling current permissible exposure limits “antiquated” and “dangerously out of date,” OSHA administrator David Michaels unveiled two web-based resources he said will help companies keep workers safer around chemicals.

State College, PA – Workers whose alertness has been reduced through lack of sleep may not be able to fully recover merely by sleeping in on weekends, concludes a study from Penn State University.

Morgantown, WV – Butter flavorings used as an alternative to diacetyl may not be safe, concludes a new study from NIOSH.

Montreal – A recent publication from the scientific research organization IRSST focuses on work-related cancer.

Want to know what OSHA is up to? You might need to search beyond the usual channels.

Falls Church, VA – Workers may be exposed to a group of synthetic chemicals used in building materials without realizing it, according to a new white paper from the American Industrial Hygiene Association.

New York – A new study from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health concluded that drivers who test positive for drugs were 3 times as likely as those who test negative to be involved in a fatal crash.