Workplace Exposures

Washington — NIOSH has unveiled a beta version of an online software tool designed to provide post-shift assessments of mine worker exposure to respirable crystalline silica.

Kansas City, MO — OSHA has launched a Regional Emphasis Program addressing hazards stemming from exposure to fertilizer-grade ammonium nitrate and agricultural anhydrous ammonia.

Boston — Higher levels of carbon dioxide in airplane cockpits may diminish commercial pilots’ ability to perform maneuvers, recent research from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health indicates.

Richmond, British Columbia — More Canadian oil and gas workers in the drilling sector are showing signs of job-related hearing loss, according to a recent study from WorkSafeBC.

Washington — The Bureau of Justice Assistance, part of the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, has released a video intended to protect first responders who face potential exposure to fentanyl, a synthetic opioid considered up to 50 times more potent than heroin.

Sacramento, CA — California has become the first state to require professional cosmetics manufacturers to disclose ingredients – including hazardous chemicals – on their product labels.

Tumwater, WA — A Washington State Department of Labor & Industries analysis of occupational exposures to hazardous substances found that, between 2008 and 2016, more than a quarter of the substances sampled in the state registered twice the recommended severity level – with some well beyond.

Dallas — A recent report from the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ Volunteer and Combination Officers Section and the National Volunteer Fire Council details 11 best practices for minimizing cancer risk among firefighters.

Washington — By publishing the availability of expanded pesticide safety training materials after previously resisting the move, the Environmental Protection Agency will reduce risks of injury and illness among employers, farmworkers, pesticide handlers and their families, the EPA Office of Inspector General asserts in an audit report released Aug. 30.

Philadelphia — Knowledge is power when it comes to outdoor workers protecting themselves from skin cancer, new research from the American Association for Cancer Research suggests.