Hazards

Washington — The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences’ Worker Training Program has published Spanish-language versions of its resources on COVID-19’s impact on mental health and substance use.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency will designate as hazardous two cancer-causing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, with wide industrial and consumer use, under a new final rule.

Genoa, Italy — A new video from the Italian Institute of Technology showcases potential uses of collaborative robots, or cobots, to help prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

Washington — OSHA’s national competition to raise awareness of the dangers of heat exposure is back with a new element – a photo contest.

Portland, OR — Responding to the 19 fatal falls involving construction workers in the state since 2018, the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences has issued a hazard alert.

Sacramento, CA — The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health recently launched a campaign to increase awareness of the dangers of silica dust in the engineered stone industry.

Walking has been a leading cause of workplace injury for many years, the National Safety Council says, adding that “we need to watch out for all of the hazards tied to walking just as we would any other part of our jobs that poses a safety risk.”

Secaucus, NJ — The percentage of U.S. workers whose drug test showed signs of tampering skyrocketed in 2023 to its highest level in over 30 years, according to Quest Diagnostics’ annual Drug Testing Index.

Trenton, NJ — New Jersey’s Senate Labor Committee has advanced a bill that would require the state to establish a heat stress standard by June 1, 2025.

Waltham, MA — The higher outdoor temperatures climb, the more likely it is that a worker will be injured, according to a recent study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute.