Hazards

Ann Arbor, MI — University of Michigan researchers have developed and tested a set of knee exoskeletons that they say help counteract fatigue during lifting and carrying tasks.

Dover, DE — More than half of public school teachers have been the target of verbal aggression or threats by a student in the past three years, according to a recent survey conducted by the Delaware State Education Association.

Washington — OSHA has unveiled the winners of its inaugural “Beat the Heat” photo contest, a national competition aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of heat exposure.

Washington — Employers can help prevent the spread of common respiratory viruses indoors by ensuring proper workplace ventilation and limiting the use of small, shared spaces, the Environmental Protection Agency says.

London — Around half of workers who’ve been harmed on the job in the past two years didn’t report it, according to a new report from Lloyd’s Register Foundation.

Boston — Intended to give small health care employers an “easy-to-use format” for a written exposure control plan, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has published sample written plans for a respiratory protection program and bloodborne pathogen exposure control.

Guaynabo, Puerto Rico — Seven out of 10 workers think employers should reconsider the 40-hour workweek, according to the results of a recent survey from job search website FlexJobs.

Adelaide, Australia — Exposing night shift workers to artificial light on the job may improve their sleep and reduce human error, a recent study shows.

Washington — A traveling NIOSH exhibit spotlights research that has advanced medical treatment and awareness of the health problems experienced by workers who responded to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

“Some people are not aware that they are dealing with a combustible dust because it might not have caused them any trouble in the past and is a seemingly innocuous material,” one expert says.