Workplace Exposures

Washington – The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing stricter training and certification rules for workers who apply “restricted use” pesticides.

Washington – OSHA is proposing to dramatically lower its 34-year-old permissible exposure limit for beryllium to one-tenth of its current level, the agency announced Aug. 6.

Cincinnati – Employers whose workers are exposed to diacetyl now can obtain guidance from a new NIOSH document.

Boston – Exposure to formaldehyde during the embalming process may put male funeral directors at increased risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, according to a study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Washington – A new OSHA directive based on public health guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updates procedures for carrying out inspections and issuing citations for workplace exposure to tuberculosis.

Atlanta – Multiple cases of melioidosis – a bacterial infection that has potentially fatal consequences – reinforce the need for researchers in laboratories to follow proper safety procedures when working with unknown pathogens, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Washington – Although the number of silicosis deaths has declined in the past decade, the occupational lung disease still kills about 100 people every year, according to a new study from NIOSH.

Albany, NY – New York lawmakers have agreed to legislation that will strengthen safety and health protections for the state’s nail-salon workers.

Washington – A simple solution could allow construction workers to reduce their exposure to crystalline silica when cutting fiber-cement siding, according to NIOSH.

Washington – NIOSH is looking for companies that use spray polyurethane foam to participate in a study about the health effects of occupational exposure to flame retardants.