Agriculture, forestry and fishing

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Washington — Ototoxicants – chemicals that can cause hearing loss and balance issues when inhaled, ingested or absorbed through the skin – are found in certain pesticides, solvents and medications, and the risk of their adverse effects increases when workers are exposed to elevated noise levels, OSHA cautions in a Safety and Health Information Bulletin published March 8.

Boston — Workers frequently exposed to diesel exhaust may face a higher risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and the risk may increase with length of exposure, a preliminary study from Harvard University suggests.

Washington — Although work-related hearing loss in the agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting sector is lower overall than most other industries, three specific subsectors “would benefit from continued hearing conservation efforts,” according to researchers from NIOSH.

Londonderry, NH — Fatalities among tree care workers dipped nearly 22 percent in 2017, while incidents decreased about 16 percent, according to a recent analysis from the Tree Care Industry Association.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency has released a draft of its human health and ecological risk assessments for glyphosate, a commonly used herbicide, and stated that it intends to seek public comment on the draft.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency on Dec. 14 announced its intentions to publish, by the end of fiscal year 2018, separate notices of proposed rulemaking for public comment on potential revisions to the Agricultural Worker Protection Standard and the Certification and Training Rule.

Washington — More than half of recordable injuries in commercial fishing are preventable with proper housekeeping and sanitary practices, OSHA states in a recently released fact sheet.

Washington – The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will issue guidance intended to “ease the transition” to full implementation of its rule – set to go into effect Dec. 18 – on electronic logging devices in commercial motor vehicles, the agency announced Nov. 20.

Washington — A new fact sheet from OSHA is intended to help protect workers from hazards associated with shipboard pedestal cranes.