Workplace exposures

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Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency is requesting public comment on a draft revised final risk evaluation that states methylene chloride, as a whole chemical substance, poses “unreasonable risk” to workers under certain conditions.

Gaithersburg, MD — “In many buildings, ventilation is often misunderstood or infrequently assessed,” says the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which has created an online tool designed to help determine indoor air quality.

Washington — The creation of a website with heat- and health-related information is one of several measures recently taken by the Biden administration in response to extreme heat being experienced across the nation.

Tumwater, WA — Health care workers should rely on their clinical recognition skills, workplace safety protocols and personal protective equipment to avoid contracting and spreading monkeypox, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries advises.

Washington — The House Education and Labor Committee on July 27 approved the Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness and Fatality Prevention Act of 2021, with a 27-19 vote.

Washington — In an effort to learn more about long COVID-19 in workplaces, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, along with the Department of Labor and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is asking the public to weigh in via a national online dialogue.

Silver Spring, MD — The rate of nonfatal illnesses in the construction industry jumped 81.4% during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the annual average for the previous four years, according to a new report from CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training.

Washington — NIOSH will offer a series of free, confidential health screenings for current and former coal miners as part of the agency’s Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program.

East Lansing, MI — A recent study of workers at sand, gravel and stone mines in Michigan found a higher number of doctor visits for shortness of breath compared with workers in other production industries.

Durham, NC — Researchers at Duke University have identified a new tool they say can help doctors and public health officials track firefighters’ exposures to cancer-causing chemicals, as well as determine when and where the risks may be greatest.