Jordan Barab’s recent testimony before the House Education and Workforce Committee Subcommittee on Workforce Protections focused extensively on the importance of OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) standards in ensuring workplace safety.
Showing posts sorted by date for query formaldehyde. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query formaldehyde. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Thursday, July 25, 2024
Monday, March 25, 2024
Analysis of US EPA's Draft Risk Evaluation for Formaldehyde and Worker Health
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) draft risk evaluation of formaldehyde, released on March 15, 2024, raises significant concerns for worker health and worker compensation risk exposure.
Wednesday, November 8, 2023
Toxic Flight Attendant Uniforms Result in a $1.1 Million Verdict
Wearing an employer-designated work uniform shouldn’t result in severe and debilitating occupational exposures. Unfortunately, some American Airlines flight attendants suffered injuries from wearing the flight uniforms prescribed by their employer. The lawsuit that they filed lawsuit resulted in a $1.1 Million award.
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Furniture plant workers repeatedly exposed to safety and health hazards in Northern New Jersey
OSHA fines 2 employers more than $196K
The investigation was conducted at Sterling Seating Inc.'s furniture manufacturing plant at 9 Porete Avenue in North Arlington, New Jersey. On Target Staffing LLC, a staffing company that provided laborers for Sterling is located at 258 Clifton Avenue in Newark, New Jersey.
On July 1, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued 25 repeat, 15 serious and twoother-than-serious safety and health citations to Sterling Seating. On Target Staffing received one repeat and two serious health citations. OSHA initiated an inspection in January after receiving a complaint alleging unsafe working conditions at Sterling's plant. Inspectors observed hazards to temporary workers, resulting in a separate inspection of the staffing company.
The investigation was conducted at Sterling Seating Inc.'s furniture manufacturing plant at 9 Porete Avenue in North Arlington, New Jersey. On Target Staffing LLC, a staffing company that provided laborers for Sterling is located at 258 Clifton Avenue in Newark, New Jersey.
On July 1, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued 25 repeat, 15 serious and twoother-than-serious safety and health citations to Sterling Seating. On Target Staffing received one repeat and two serious health citations. OSHA initiated an inspection in January after receiving a complaint alleging unsafe working conditions at Sterling's plant. Inspectors observed hazards to temporary workers, resulting in a separate inspection of the staffing company.
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Drums with hazardous waste removed from industrial ruins near Paterson’s Great Falls
NJ's toxic legacy continues. Today's ppost is shared from morthjrtsry.com
A report by the United States Environmental Protection Agency said that at least 12 of the 37 drums among the industrial ruins at the ATP site that were deemed “hazardous for corrosivity.” The drums contained sodium hydroxide, oxidizers and peroxide, the report said.
The seven-acre site about 700 feet downstream from the Falls contains the ruins of what once were dozens mills and other manufacturing buildings, a location that produced Colt revolvers in the 19th century and later was the birthplace of Paterson’s silk industry. The mills were closed more than 30 years ago and were ravaged by fires after that.
"One of my historian friends says that part of the ATP site is for America's Industrial Revolution the rough equivalent of what the Roman Forum is to government,” said Leonard Zax, chairman of the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park Advisory Commission.
The ATP area is within the boundaries of the national park at the Great Falls, but federal park officials do not plan on taking over the land until the pollution is cleaned up.
“This area is enormously important...
[Click here to see the rest of this post]
"One of my historian friends says that part of the ATP site is for America's Industrial Revolution the rough equivalent of what the Roman Forum is to government,” said Leonard Zax, chairman of the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park Advisory Commission.
The ATP area is within the boundaries of the national park at the Great Falls, but federal park officials do not plan on taking over the land until the pollution is cleaned up.
“This area is enormously important...
[Click here to see the rest of this post]
Jon L. Gelman of Wayne NJ is the author of NJ Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson-Reuters) and co-author of the national treatise, Modern Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson-Reuters). For over 4 decades the Law Offices of Jon L Gelman 1.973.696.7900 jon@gelmans.com have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses.
Friday, February 6, 2015
No, Cancer is Not Mostly Bad Luck - The Role of Environmental Factors
No, cancer is NOT mostly bad luck. We've set the record straight in Science magazine (Ashford et al, 6 February 2015) after it published an article and accompanying editorial so full of misstatements that scientists around the world, including myself, felt compelled to correct the record with the facts. (See Science 2 January 2015 study by Drs. Tomasetti and Vogelstein and accompanying "bad luck of cancer" editorial by Jennifer Couzin-Frankel, with subsequent "backlash" editorial here).
Our letter to the editor of Science not only challenges the misstatements of the reports that most cancers are due to 'bad luck', but points out that such misstatements dangerously undermine successful efforts to prevent cancers. Many cancers are linked to diet, lifestyle factors, alcohol, tobacco, sexual activity, and environmental factors. There is overwhelming evidence that cancer and other life-threatening diseases can be prevented by improving diet and lifestyle habits, and limiting harmful exposures to environmental factors including some chemicals like formaldehyde and diesel exhaust, asbestos, some viruses, alcohol, radiation, and second hand smoke. People are exposed to carcinogens at work, home, school, and recreation areas. For example, there are cancer-causing chemicals in household products, building materials, personal care products, food and food additives, tobacco products, industrial emissions, and...
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Tuesday, November 4, 2014
U.S. Fines Automakers Hyundai and Kia for Misstating Mileage
| Today's post is shared rom nytimes.com/ WASHINGTON — In the largest-ever penalty for a violation of the Clean Air Act, the Korean automakers Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors will pay the federal government a combined $300 million as part of a settlement for overstating vehicle fuel-economy standards on 1.2 million cars, Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency officials said on Monday.  The action, announced by Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. and Gina McCarthy, the E.P.A. administrator, is part of a broader, more aggressive enforcement effort by federal regulators on the auto industry. Analysts said it was meant to send a clear message to automakers that they would be harshly treated for compromising federal rules.“This type of conduct quite simply will not be tolerated,” Mr. Holder said at a joint news conference at the Justice Department with Ms. McCarthy. The Justice Department, he added, “will never rest or waver in our determination to take action against any company that engages in such activities.” The settlement also signaled that the Obama administration intended to aggressively enforce new climate-change regulations. “Businesses that play by the rules shouldn’t have to compete with those breaking the law,” Ms. McCarthy said. Under the agreement, the automakers will pay $100 million in fines and forfeit an estimated $200 million in greenhouse-gas emissions credits, which auto companies earn by building vehicles with lower emissions than are... |
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Saturday Night Live interns settle NBCUniversal wage lawsuit
| NEW YORK (Reuters) - Thousands of former interns at NBCUniversal, including on the late-night TV show "Saturday Night Live," have reached a $6.4 million settlement of a class-action lawsuit claiming they should have been paid for their work. The settlement resolves claims that NBCUniversal, a unit of Comcast Corp, violated the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and state laws in New York, California and Connecticut by classifying the plaintiffs improperly as "non-employee interns," exempt from applicable wage and hour requirements. Court approval is required for the settlement, which was filed Wednesday night in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan. The average payout would be about $505, court papers show. "It was probably a good idea for NBCUniversal to settle," said Marcia McCormick, an employment law professor at Saint Louis University School of Law. "NBCUniversal ran the risk that its decision not to pay interns might be viewed by a court as willful, which could result in much higher damages." NBCUniversal denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle. A spokeswoman, Lauren Skowronski, declined to comment. Justin Swartz, a partner at Outten & Golden representing the plaintiffs, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The July 2013 lawsuit is one of dozens filed in the United States challenging private companies' longstanding practices of paying interns nothing, or less than minimum wage. Many were filed after U.S. District... |
Friday, August 22, 2014
Food additives on the rise as FDA scrutiny wanes
 Thousands of consumers say a protein-rich fungus in Quorn products has caused them to experience allergic reactions and severe bouts of vomiting and diarrhea. The manufacturer says allergic reactions are rare and that their vegetarian product line is safe and healthy. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post) The explosion of new food additives coupled with an easing of oversight requirements is allowing manufacturers to avoid the scrutiny of the Food and Drug Administration, which is responsible for ensuring the safety of chemicals streaming into the food supply. And in hundreds of cases, the FDA doesn’t even know of the existence of new additives, which can include chemical preservatives, flavorings and thickening agents, records and interviews show. “We simply do not have the information to vouch for the safety of many of these chemicals,” said Michael Taylor, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for food. The FDA has received thousands of consumer complaints about additives in recent years, saying certain substances seem to trigger asthmatic attacks, serious bouts of vomiting, intestinal-tract disorders and other health problems. At a pace far faster than in previous years, companies are adding secret ingredients to everything from energy drinks to granola bars. But the more widespread concern among food-safety advocates and some federal regulators is the quickening trend of companies opting for an expedited certification process to a degree never intended when it... |
Friday, August 15, 2014
National Toxicology Program deems formaldehyde carcinogenic
| Today's post by Jeremy P. Jacobs, E&E reporter is shared from eenews.net The National Toxicology Program (NTP) declared today that formaldehyde -- a common ingredient in home building products -- causes cancer in humans. NTP, which is administered by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), listed formaldehyde as "known to be a human carcinogen" in the 12th edition of its "Report on Carcinogens." Formaldehyde had been listed in previous editions as "reasonably anticipated" to cause cancer. The classification is sure to add to the current debate surrounding formaldehyde and whether it should be more tightly regulated. U.S. EPA has released a draft assessment on the substance that labeled it carcinogenic -- a step toward tougher formaldehyde standards. Aspects of that report, however, were criticized by a National Academy of Sciences review, and industry has launched a significant lobbying effort against new formaldehyde regulations (Greenwire, April 8). The NTP and NAS reports both agreed with EPA that formaldehyde exposure can lead to cancers of the nose, nasal cavity and upper throat. The NTP report breaks with the NAS review, however, in saying that there is sufficient evidence that formaldehyde exposure causes myeloid leukemia. NTP acknowledged that there appear to be questions surrounding how formaldehyde affects human cells to produce myeloid leukemia, which was a major reason NAS disagreed with EPA's assessment. However, NTP said there are... |
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
National Academy of Sciences agrees with EPA that formaldehyde causes cancer
 For years, the chemical industry has been winning a political battle to keep formaldehyde from being declared a known carcinogen. The industry’s chief lobby group, the American Chemistry Council, has persuaded members of Congress that the findings of both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services were wrong and should be reviewed by the National Academy of Sciences. In 2011, the academy did indeed criticize the EPA’s report on formaldehyde for being unclear. The chemical industry then used that critique to delay dozens of other ongoing evaluations of potentially toxic chemicals. But on Friday, the academy issued a second report, which found in effect that government scientists were right all along when they concluded that formaldehyde can cause three rare forms of cancer. “We are perplexed as to why today’s report differs so greatly from the 2011” report, Cal Dooley, president and chief executive officer of the American Chemistry Council, said in a statement titled “The Safety of Formaldehyde is Well-Studied and Supported by Robust Science.” Part of the disparity is that in the 2011 report, Congress asked the academy only to critique the EPA’s draft assessment rather than evaluate the dangers of formaldehyde itself. The panel concluded that the EPA’s report was too long, repetitive and lacked explanation. But after reviewing the scientific evidence itself, the academy concluded on... |
Saturday, August 9, 2014
National Academies fully supports Report on Carcinogens assessment - formaldehyde still causes cancer, despite industry arguments otherwise
The National Academies of Science (NAS) issued its assessment of the cancer risks from formaldehyde, a common and highly toxic chemical found in our furniture, home building materials, and clothing. The National Academies conducted a thorough and rigorous scientific review, and concluded that it posed a threat to humans for three types of cancer: nasopharyngeal cancer; sinonasal cancer; and myeloid leukemia. And, in 2009 the World Health Organization also confirmed the science that formaldehyde causes cancer in people. What makes this NAS review novel is not the cancer findings, because those had already been identified by various international and national government scientific assessments. No, this review was politically motivated, the result of a campaign by the chemical industry and its allies in Congress to protect formaldehyde and styrene, another common chemical linked to cancer. Part of that effort has been a vicious attack on government scientific assessments, to distort and discredit any evidence linking toxic chemicals to diseases, disabilities, or death. In a “kill the messenger” campaign, the Report on Carcinogens – the prestigious biennial government report that alerts the public to chemicals that may cause cancer in people – was compelled to undergo review by the National Academies after it listed formaldehyde and styrene as “known” and “reasonably anticipated” to cause cancer, respectively. This NAS formaldehyde... |
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Saturday, May 3, 2014
Nail salon UV lamps: Are they safe?
 A typical salon manicure involves drying freshly painted nails under a lamp that emits ultraviolet-A (UV-A) rays -- a spectrum of light long linked to skin cancers. But a new study suggests that the average visit to a nail salon carries little carcinogenic potential. "Considering the low UV-A energy exposure in an average manicure visit, multiple visits would be required to reach the threshold for potential DNA damage" that might spur cancer, wrote a team reporting their findings April 30 in JAMA Dermatology. In the study, researchers led by Dr. Lyndsay Shipp of the department of dermatology at Georgia Regents University, in Augusta, say that prior studies into the use of UV-emitting nail polish drying lamps have not had sufficient rigor to come to any reliable conclusions. In their study, Shipp's team used high-tech meters to measure the UV-A light exposures upon hands held in various positions under 17 different types of drying lamps. The researchers conducted the study at 16 nail salons. First of all, they said, there were "notable differences" in the amount of UV-A light emitted by the various devices, and the amount of exposure to the hands also varied depending on the positioning of the device. Overall, a single nail polish drying session under one of the lamps would not expose a person to a potentially cancer-causing amount of UV-A light, Shipp's team said, and "even with numerous exposures, the risk for carcinogenesis remains small." Still,... |
Friday, March 28, 2014
OSHA forms alliance with Concerned Beauty Professionals to reduce chemical hazards in the beauty industry
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has formed an alliance with the Georgia Concerned Beauty Professionals in Atlanta to provide hair salon owners and workers with information, guidance and training to protect employees from exposure to products that contain hazardous chemicals, such as formaldehyde.
The agreement will be signed between OSHA and the Concerned Beauty Professionals at noon on Monday, March 31 at the Georgia Institute of Technology, 250 14th St. NW, 5th floor, Atlanta 30318.
"OSHA and other federal, state and non-U.S. government agencies have taken action to address the emerging problem of formaldehyde exposure to hair smoothing products," said Teresa Harrison, OSHA's acting regional administrator in Atlanta. "This alliance demonstrates OSHA's commitment to the safety and health of workers in this industry."
OSHA requires manufacturers, importers and distributors of products that contain formaldehyde to include information about formaldehyde and its hazards on product labels and in the material safety data sheets sent to employers. Formaldehyde presents a significant health hazard if workers are exposed. It can irritate the eyes and nose; cause allergic reactions affecting the skin, eyes and lungs; and is linked to nose and lung cancer.
Federal OSHA has found formaldehyde in the air in salons where hair smoothing products were used. Some of these products have formaldehyde listed on their labels or on material safety data sheets, as required by law. However, through investigations, the agency's air tests showed formaldehyde at levels greater than OSHA's limits in salons, even though the products tested were labeled formaldehyde-free.
Companies and groups interested in learning more about OSHA's activities to improve employee safety and health in Georgia may contact OSHA's representatives in the Atlanta-West Area Office at 678-903-7301, the Atlanta-East Area Office at 770-493-6644, or the Savannah Area Office at 912-652-4393.
Through its Alliance Program, OSHA works with unions, consulates, trade and professional organizations, faith- and community-based organizations, businesses and educational institutions to prevent workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses. The purpose of each alliance is to develop compliance assistance tools and resources and to educate workers and employers about their rights and responsibilities. Alliance Program participants do not receive exemptions from OSHA inspections. For more information, visithttp://www.osha.gov/dcsp/alliances/index.html.
The agreement will be signed between OSHA and the Concerned Beauty Professionals at noon on Monday, March 31 at the Georgia Institute of Technology, 250 14th St. NW, 5th floor, Atlanta 30318.
"OSHA and other federal, state and non-U.S. government agencies have taken action to address the emerging problem of formaldehyde exposure to hair smoothing products," said Teresa Harrison, OSHA's acting regional administrator in Atlanta. "This alliance demonstrates OSHA's commitment to the safety and health of workers in this industry."
OSHA requires manufacturers, importers and distributors of products that contain formaldehyde to include information about formaldehyde and its hazards on product labels and in the material safety data sheets sent to employers. Formaldehyde presents a significant health hazard if workers are exposed. It can irritate the eyes and nose; cause allergic reactions affecting the skin, eyes and lungs; and is linked to nose and lung cancer.
Federal OSHA has found formaldehyde in the air in salons where hair smoothing products were used. Some of these products have formaldehyde listed on their labels or on material safety data sheets, as required by law. However, through investigations, the agency's air tests showed formaldehyde at levels greater than OSHA's limits in salons, even though the products tested were labeled formaldehyde-free.
Companies and groups interested in learning more about OSHA's activities to improve employee safety and health in Georgia may contact OSHA's representatives in the Atlanta-West Area Office at 678-903-7301, the Atlanta-East Area Office at 770-493-6644, or the Savannah Area Office at 912-652-4393.
Through its Alliance Program, OSHA works with unions, consulates, trade and professional organizations, faith- and community-based organizations, businesses and educational institutions to prevent workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses. The purpose of each alliance is to develop compliance assistance tools and resources and to educate workers and employers about their rights and responsibilities. Alliance Program participants do not receive exemptions from OSHA inspections. For more information, visithttp://www.osha.gov/dcsp/alliances/index.html.
Related Articles
Dec 04, 2013
A formaldehyde spill at Southern Ocean Medical Center on Monday caused three hospital employees to be treated for inhalation of the known carcinogen. At 10:14 a.m., Stafford Township Police responded to a report of a ...
Apr 19, 2011
A recent report published by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) reports, that formaldehyde based hair straighteners, used in many hair salons, are health hazards. The products are allegedly being used without ...
Apr 11, 2011
The hazard alert, available on OSHA's website at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/formaldehyde/hazard_alert.html, provides information about OSHA's investigations, the health hazards of formaldehyde and how to protect people ...
Sep 08, 2011
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited two Florida manufacturers and two Florida-based distributors of hair products containing formaldehyde for 16 health violations involving ...
Thursday, January 16, 2014
How the West Virginia Spill Exposes Our Lax Chemical Laws
The West Virginia chemical spill that left some 300,000 people without access to water has exposed a gaping hole in the country's chemical regulatory system, according to environmental experts. Much the state remains under a drinking-water advisory after the spill last week into the Elk River near a water treatment facility. As much as 7,500 gallons of the chemical 4-methylcyclohexane methanol, which is used in the washing of coal, leaked from a tank owned by a company called Freedom Industries. A rush on bottled water ensued, leading to empty store shelves and emergency water delivery operations. According to news reports, 10 people were hospitalized following the leak, but none in serious condition. The spill and ensuing drinking water shortage have drawn attention to a very lax system governing the use of chemicals, according to Richard Denison, a senior scientist at the Environmental Defense Fund who specializes in chemical regulation. "Here we have a situation where we suddenly have a spill of a chemical, and little or no information is available on that chemical," says Denison.
West Virginia store shelf.
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Thursday, December 26, 2013
Federal judge rules proof of direct causation unnecessary for BP oil spill claimants
Today's post is shared from jurist.org
[JURIST] US District Judge Carl Barbier for the US District Court Eastern District of Louisiana [official website] ruled [order, PDF] on Tuesday that BP [corporate website] could not require businesses to provide proof their economic losses were directly caused by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill [JURIST news archive] under the terms of their prior settlement agreement. Under the $9.2 billion settlement, BP had agreed that businesses in certain geographical regions were presumed to have economic losses from the oil spill if those losses followed a specific pattern. BP had challenged those terms [Bloomberg report], arguing that businesses could only recover if their damages directly linked to the spill, and stating that spill payments had been wrongly inflated through fake claims and poorly calculated economic losses. Barbier wrote that "the delays that would result from having to engage in a claim-by-claim analysis of whether each claim is 'fairly traceable' to the oil spill...are the very delays that the Settlement, indeed all class settlements, are intended to avoid" and that not only was the framework BP previously agreed "an efficient and 'economically appropriate' method of determining causation," but that a showing of direct causation "would bring the claims administration process to a virtual standstill." BP has indicated that it will appeal the ruling. However, Barbier did side with BP on one...
[Click here to see the rest of this post]
[JURIST] US District Judge Carl Barbier for the US District Court Eastern District of Louisiana [official website] ruled [order, PDF] on Tuesday that BP [corporate website] could not require businesses to provide proof their economic losses were directly caused by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill [JURIST news archive] under the terms of their prior settlement agreement. Under the $9.2 billion settlement, BP had agreed that businesses in certain geographical regions were presumed to have economic losses from the oil spill if those losses followed a specific pattern. BP had challenged those terms [Bloomberg report], arguing that businesses could only recover if their damages directly linked to the spill, and stating that spill payments had been wrongly inflated through fake claims and poorly calculated economic losses. Barbier wrote that "the delays that would result from having to engage in a claim-by-claim analysis of whether each claim is 'fairly traceable' to the oil spill...are the very delays that the Settlement, indeed all class settlements, are intended to avoid" and that not only was the framework BP previously agreed "an efficient and 'economically appropriate' method of determining causation," but that a showing of direct causation "would bring the claims administration process to a virtual standstill." BP has indicated that it will appeal the ruling. However, Barbier did side with BP on one...
[Click here to see the rest of this post]
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Formaldehyde Spill At Southern Ocean Medical Center; Three Treated For Inhalation
A formaldehyde spill at Southern Ocean Medical Center on Monday caused three hospital employees to be treated for inhalation of the known carcinogen.
At 10:14 a.m., Stafford Township Police responded to a report of a hazardous material spill at SOCH on Route 72 in Stafford Township. Investigation revealed that a small quantity of formaldehyde was spilled in a utility closet located in the Labor and Delivery area of the hospital. The spill was contained to the utility closet and no evacuations were necessary, police said. No patients were injured in this incident but three hospital employees were treated for minor inhalation injuries and released, police said. Responding agencies included the Stafford Township and Barnegat Township Volunteer Fire Companies as well as Stafford Township EMS. The Berkeley Township Haz-Mat Unit responded and neutralized and contained the spill which is being cleaned up by a private contractor engaged by Southern Ocean Medical Center. Questions concerning this release may be directed to Capt. Thomas Dellane at 609-597-1189 ext. 8299. |
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Jon L. Gelman of Wayne NJ is the author NJ Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson) and co-author of the national treatise, Modern Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson). For over 4 decades the Law Offices of Jon L Gelman 1.973.696.7900 jon@gelmans.com have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses.
Monday, October 14, 2013
When your symptoms don't tell the whole story
Instead of asking you to talk about the pain in your foot, or the ache in your chest, health care workers are starting to ask you about...your story. There’s an emerging idea in health care that social and psychological conditions -- like poverty and chronic stress -- change how your body and brain work, and that can have damaging long-term effects on your health. Doctors and nurses from northern California to Camden, N.J., are beginning to see that the first step in treating these patients is often treating the part of the illness that’s not on the surface. Patients like 30-year-old Elizabeth Philkill. |
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Improving Patient and Worker Safety: Opportunities for Synergy, Collaboration and Innovation
Today's post was shared by US Dept. of Labor and comes from www.osha.gov
What is healthcare?
Healthcare is involved, directly or indirectly, with the provision of health services to individuals. These services can occur in a variety of work settings, including hospitals, clinics, dental offices, out-patient surgery centers, birthing centers, emergency medical care, home healthcare, and nursing homes.
What types of hazards do workers face?Healthcare workers face a number of serious safety and health hazards. They include bloodborne pathogens and biological hazards, potential chemical and drug exposures, waste anesthetic gas exposures, respiratory hazards, ergonomic hazards from lifting and repetitive tasks, laser hazards, workplace violence, hazards associated with laboratories, and radioactive material and x-ray hazards. Some of the potential chemical exposures include formaldehyde, used for preservation of specimens for pathology; ethylene oxide, glutaraldehyde, and paracetic acid used for sterilization; and numerous other chemicals used in healthcare laboratories.
How many workers get sick or injured?More workers are injured in the healthcare and social assistance industry sector than any other. This industry has one of the highest rates of work related injuries and illnesses. In 2010, the healthcare and social assistance industry reported more injury and illness cases than any other private industry sector -- 653,900 cases (Table 2 [268 KB PDF, 29 pages]). That is 152,000 more cases than the next industry sector: manufacturing. In 2010, the...
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Thursday, August 8, 2013
Improving Patient and Worker Safety: Opportunities for Synergy, Collaboration and Innovation
Today's post was shared by US Dept. of Labor and comes from www.osha.gov
What is healthcare?
Healthcare is involved, directly or indirectly, with the provision of health services to individuals. These services can occur in a variety of work settings, including hospitals, clinics, dental offices, out-patient surgery centers, birthing centers, emergency medical care, home healthcare, and nursing homes.
What types of hazards do workers face?Healthcare workers face a number of serious safety and health hazards. They include bloodborne pathogens and biological hazards, potential chemical and drug exposures, waste anesthetic gas exposures, respiratory hazards, ergonomic hazards from lifting and repetitive tasks, laser hazards, workplace violence, hazards associated with laboratories, and radioactive material and x-ray hazards. Some of the potential chemical exposures include formaldehyde, used for preservation of specimens for pathology; ethylene oxide, glutaraldehyde, and paracetic acid used for sterilization; and numerous other chemicals used in healthcare laboratories.
How many workers get sick or injured?More workers are injured in the healthcare and social assistance industry sector than any other. This industry has one of the highest rates of work related injuries and illnesses. In 2010, the healthcare and social assistance industry reported more injury and illness cases than any other private industry sector -- 653,900 cases (Table 2 [268 KB PDF, 29 pages]). That is 152,000 more cases than the next industry sector: manufacturing. In 2010, the...
[Click here to see the rest of this article]
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