Workplace Exposures

Washington — NIOSH has released a video intended to assist first responders with understanding personal protective equipment protocol when facing potential exposure to fentanyl – a synthetic opioid considered up to 50 times more potent than heroin – and other illicit drugs.

Silver Spring, MD — Construction workers comprised 36% of all heat-related deaths on the job over a recent 25-year period – and climate change may be a contributing factor, according to a recent study from the Center for Construction Research and Training (also known as CPWR).

Washington — OSHA’s Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health has scheduled a teleconference/WebEx meeting for Sept. 9 to discuss potential changes to beryllium regulations, according to a notice published in the Aug. 8 Federal Register.

Washington — Nearly 1 out of 5 workers are exposed to secondhand smoke on the job, results of a recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show.

Sacramento, CA — An emergency regulation in California intended to protect outdoor workers from potentially dangerous wildfire smoke was enacted July 30 by the state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, also known as Cal/OSHA.

Washington — OSHA is requesting input on potential revisions to Table 1 of its respirable crystalline silica standard for construction, according to a Request for Information slated for publication in the Aug. 15 Federal Register.

During the summer months, outdoor workers are at heightened risk of heat-related illnesses, ranging from mild heat rash to potentially deadly heatstroke. “It’s not like you just provide them water and that solves the problem,” one expert says. “It starts with an effective plan.”

Washington — NIOSH has published a technical report intended to help safety and health professionals, employers, trade associations, labor organizations, and state-level programs control chemical exposures in the workplace.

Washington — The Mine Safety and Health Administration is extending to July 2022 the deadline for comment on a Request for Information concerning a retrospective study of the agency’s respirable coal mine dust rule.

What considerations need to be made when it comes to mitigating heat stress in outdoor vs. indoor work?