Workplace Exposures

Washington — Calling for stronger public protections to help make summertime activities “safe, healthy and affordable,” the Coalition for Sensible Safeguards is highlighting 11 worker, health, safety and transportation standards it says are needed.

Springfield, IL — A new Illinois law permits workers who have developed latent injuries or illnesses from on-the-job exposure to toxic substances to pursue legal judgments against employers beyond the previous statute of limitations.

Boulder, CO — The amount of air pollutants in nail salons can make working in one comparable to working at an oil refinery or in an auto repair garage, according to a study from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Boston — A group of researchers from the Boston University schools of medicine and public health has developed what it calls a “fast, accurate and cost-effective approach” to test whether certain chemicals increase people’s cancer risk.

For millions of workers, the effects of sustained on-the-job exposure to vibration – whether hand-arm or whole-body – may lead to various health problems.

One of the biggest hurdles for teen workers is speaking up about potential hazards. “They’re trying to put their best foot forward and appear as adult and knowledgeable as possible,” one expert says.

East Lansing, MI — Estimating that up to half of the 600,000 or so adult cases of asthma in Michigan may be caused or aggravated by on-the-job exposure, the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine has launched a campaign intended to raise awareness of work-related asthma.

Tumwater, WA — The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries has published a hazard alert on the risks of worker exposure to silica dust.

Sacramento, CA — Legislation introduced in the California State Assembly is aimed at protecting outdoor workers from harmful levels of wildfire smoke, after one of the worst wildfire seasons in the state’s recorded history.

Washington — A coalition of groups representing worker rights has filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency and Administrator Andrew Wheeler for not including workers in the agency’s final rule banning methylene chloride for consumer use.