Workplace Exposures

Washington – OSHA’s latest initiative on chemical hazards will involve more than updating outdated permissible exposure limits and could include control banding or task-based approaches, an agency official said Oct. 21.

Silver Spring, MD – Hospitals should put in place the “highest standards” for protective equipment and hands-on training to protect health care workers from Ebola, National Nurses United said in a statement issued Oct. 12.

Washington – OSHA would like to hear from stakeholders about how to prevent work-related illnesses caused by exposure to hazardous substances.

Washington – The Environmental Protection Agency has added content and updated other features on ChemView, the agency’s online resource for information about chemicals regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act.

Washington – NIOSH has announced the next step in its efforts to learn more about occupational exposures at electronic scrap recycling facilities.

Washington – The Department of Health and Human Services has added four substances to its list of cancer hazards, according to the agency’s 13th Report on Carcinogens.

Washington – A review of OSHA’s proposal on chemical management and permissible exposure limits is now complete, allowing the agency to move forward on the rulemaking process.

Chapel Hill, NC – Nearly half of hog workers may carry drug-resistant bacteria in their noses after they leave work, potentially spreading the bacteria to their families and others, according to a recent study from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and John Hopkins University.

Atlanta – Health care workers who administer certain toxic cancer drugs do not always adhere to recommended safety guidelines, according to a new NIOSH study.

Washington – Watchdog group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility has filed a lawsuit intended to prompt the Environmental Protection Agency to strengthen its corrosive dust standard to better protect first responders.