Workplace Exposures

Washington – OSHA has scheduled a webchat for Jan. 14 on the agency’s proposed rule on respirable silica.

Washington – Results of a NIOSH study of workers at a former IBM plant could not establish a definitive link between chemical exposures and cancer risk.

Washington – NIOSH is requesting feedback on a draft update to its criteria for a recommended standard on occupational exposure to heat.

Bilbao, Spain – Lack of safety data and information is one of the largest challenges facing the wind turbine industry, according to a new report from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work.

Atlanta – Stronger regulations and early-detection efforts are necessary to prevent and diagnose occupational lung illnesses related to silica exposure, according to a new research review from Emory University and the American Cancer Society.

Washington – Screening data for nearly 2,000 chemicals is available through the Environmental Protection Agency’s new Interactive Chemical Safety for Sustainability Dashboard.

New York – As part of an effort to reduce potential exposure to a toxic chemical found in some older fluorescent light ballasts in schools, the Environmental Protection Agency has issued guidance on the proper maintenance and management of the ballasts.

Calling current permissible exposure limits “antiquated” and “dangerously out of date,” OSHA administrator David Michaels unveiled two web-based resources he said will help companies keep workers safer around chemicals.

New York – Exposure to toxic dust at Ground Zero on 9/11 may have caused kidney damage among first responders, according to a new study from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Washington – OSHA recently issued a fact sheet about protecting workers from abrasive blasting materials.