Workplace Exposures

Sacramento, CA – Lawmakers in the California Assembly on May 19 approved a bill intended to improve protections for health care workers and patients exposed to toxic fumes in surgical settings.

Washington – NIOSH has released the fifth edition, and first exclusively electronic version, of its Manual of Analytical Methods.

Washington – More than one out of eight workers exposed to on-the-job noise suffer from some form of hearing impairment, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Washington – Newly released interim guidance from OSHA and NIOSH urges employers to train employees on the risks of exposure to the Zika virus and outlines protective measures.

Washington – Climate change may increase the frequency and severity of occupational hazards and exposures – and create new ones, according to a report from the U.S. Global Change Research Program.

Wellington, New Zealand – New research has identified certain occupations and industries that may contribute to the risk of workers developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a group of related cancers affecting part of the body’s immune system.

Washington – OSHA has released its final rule on protecting workers from exposure to silica, marking the agency’s first updated regulation for the material since 1971.

Washington – NIOSH and the Environmental Protection Agency are seeking public comments on worker exposure to 1-Bromopropane, a potentially hazardous chemical found in certain industries.

Pittsburgh – Some N95 respirators are resistant to fluid penetration, potentially increasing the amount of respirator options that could protect health care workers from occupational exposures during emergencies such as influenza outbreaks, according to a study from NIOSH.

London – In an effort to help protect health care workers who work with patients carrying the Zika virus, the journal BMJ has released a set of free online resources.