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Saturday, July 11, 2015

Perspectives in Biological Monitoring of Inhaled Nanosized Particles

Given the results of experimental studies, occupational or environmental exposures to manufactured nanoparticles or to unintentionally produced ultrafine particles may result in health effects or diseases in humans.

In this review, the authors synthesize published data of experimental studies on the distribution of inhaled nanoparticles and the first case reports to discuss the potential usefulness of their biological monitoring for clinical purposes.

Toxicokinetic studies suggest that nanoparticles may be absorbed predominantly by respiratory and oral routes with possible systemic translocation, leading to accumulation in the peripheral organs or excretion in feces or urine.

Some methods used in these studies may be applied successfully in retrospective evaluation of exposure or in follow-up of occupational exposure in the workplace. Biological monitoring of nanoparticles should be based on imaging methods that are essential to confirm their presence and to characterize them in tissue associated with analytical quantitative methods.

The first case reports reviewed emphasize the urgent need for the development of standardized procedures for the preparation and analysis of biological samples with a view to characterizing and quantifying nanoparticles.

Ann Occup Hyg (2015) 59 (6):669-680.doi: 10.1093/annhyg/mev015First published online: March 20, 2015

Friday, October 31, 2014

Right to Die Debate Heating Up

Today's post by Brett Gowen of the California Bar is shared from fbgslaw.com

Brett Gowen

You may have heard about and seen the recent news coverage about Brittany Maynard, a 29 year old woman who is choosing to end her life after she was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor last spring. Recently the Editorial Board of the Sacramento Bee advocated enactment of a “death with dignity law” similar to that adopted by Oregon 20 years ago. The Editorial Board contends that the Oregon model fully answers the concerns of those who have opposed “death with dignity” efforts in the past in the California.

View the Opinion piece at: http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/editorials/article3358507.html

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Thursday, August 28, 2014

Public Comment Sought on Draft Document for Workplace Tobacco Policies

NIOSH is seeking public comment on a draft Current Intelligence Bulletin,Promoting Health and Preventing Disease and Injury through Workplace Tobacco Policies. The public comment period is open for 30 days, closing on September 15. Occupational safety and health practitioners, healthcare professionals, and the general public are encouraged to review the document and provide comments. https://federalregister.gov/a/2014-19384.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Ask Well: Nanoparticles in Sunscreens

Today's post is shared from nytimes.com. Workers' in an outdoor environment are exposed the the sun's rays. The question arises as to whether present protective measures, ie. sunscreens are more harmful than helpful.

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles have been used increasingly in sunscreens in the last decade to protect the skin because the tiny particles directly absorb the radiation from sunlight, especially in the UVB range. But because the articles are so tiny — generally about 100 nanometers across, compared with about 3,000 to 9,000 nanometers for a speck of dust — some scientists have raised concerns about whether they might do harm by seeping through the skin and into the bloodstream.

Concerns grew when studies in mice showed that when injected under the skin, titanium dioxide caused inflammation . In addition, the International Agency on Cancer Research, part of the World Health Organization, decided in 2006 to classify titanium dioxide as a potential human carcinogen, based mostly on inhalation studies in animals, though the group called the evidence “conflicting at best.”

But research has largely dismissed such concerns about absorption, and most experts say that sunscreens containing nanoparticles can be safely used.

More recently, concerns have focused on the possibility that these nanoparticles could promote skin aging....

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Thursday, July 3, 2014

Reaching Towards a Healthier, Safer Workplace:NIOSH looks at healthcare worker familiarity with recommended respiratory protection practices

Today's post was shared by Safe Healthy Workers and comes from blogs.cdc.gov

Every day healthcare workers (HCWs) make decisions about the best way to protect themselves. What would you do if you entered the room of a new patient and noticed symptoms such as fever and a mucus-producing cough? As a HCW, you must then ask yourself, “What type of disease does the patient have? What sort of precautions should I take to protect myself because the patient may have an infectious disease?” While it is your employer’s responsibility to provide policies, programs, training, and guidance on respirator use, it is the health care workers who implement these procedures. Do you know when to use respiratory protection? If so, do you understand what type of protection to choose and how to use it properly?

NIOSH Research – the REACH II Study

Researchers at NIOSH conducted a study to determine HCW familiarity with recommended respiratory protection practices[i], [ii] including the selection of respiratory protective devices. NIOSH collaborated with several state health departments and universities for the Respirator Use Evaluation in Acute Care Hospitals (REACH II) study. REACH II involved 98 hospitals in six states, and surveyed over 1,500 HCWs, Hospital and Unit Managers. Research staff observed respirator donning (i.e., putting on) and doffing (i.e., taking off) demonstrations by more than 300 HCWs. To determine HCWs’ knowledge about which respiratory protection to use, both HCWs and managers were given six scenarios...

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Tuesday, April 15, 2014

ND workers' comp agency sues over computer project

Yet another reason for a universal integratable workers' compensation docketing program. Today's post is share from http://www.sacbee.com/.

BISMARCK, N.D. -- North Dakota's workers' compensation agency has sued a Chicago company over a failed $17 million computer system overhaul.
The Workforce Safety and Insurance agency filed its lawsuit last month in state court against Aon eSolutions Inc. to recoup costs associated with the system that was never delivered.
WSI hired Aon eSolutions in 2007 for a software system upgrade. The work was to cost $14 million, but it was plagued by delays and cost overruns and was never finished.
The contract with the company expired in 2012, and WSI did not renew it. The state Legislature last year gave WSI $750,000 for potential litigation.
WSI, which provides coverage for businesses when employees are hurt or killed on the job, alleges, among other things, negligence, fraud and deceit against the company in court papers. The agency has requested a jury trial.
"Aon promised to deliver a state-of-the-art integrated software package that would replace WSI's existing software system and meet all of the agency's business needs," said WSI Director Bryan Klipfel said in a statement. "WSI intends to prove that Aon did not follow through on its promise. We are acting in the best interest of our stakeholders as we try to recover the money that was spent on this desired product."
Aon said in a statement that it is "disappointed that WSI chose this course. We delivered substantial value to WSI and we did nothing wrong. We look forward to telling our side of...

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Workers' Compensation: Privacy Went Out the Window

Feb 08, 2009

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Workers Compensation and Nanotechnology - The New ...

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Patent Awarded for Compensatory Patient Invoicing

Oct 21, 2010

In one implementation, the system may comprise a computer system, and the computer system may further host, interface with, or otherwise enable access to a billing management application for tracking information/contracts ...

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Wednesday, November 20, 2013

What Does Cancer Smell Like?

Nanotechnology is giving rise to concern for the safety of workers. The lack of regulation, statutes, Iand safety precautions result in deciduous and latent exposures. Today's post was shared by The New York Times and comes from www.nytimes.com

On a lab bench in Philadelphia sits a tiny box lined with nearly invisible nanotubes and gold. A clear plastic pipe runs through it, and a thicket of pins, each sprouting a red or blue wire, protrudes from its end. As air from the pipe wafts over the nanotubes, electrical signals surge out of the box along the wire threads. The whole apparatus is situated near a vial of blood, “sniffing” the air above it through the pipe.

The box, an electronic nose, is a key part of a theory being explored by George Preti, an organic chemist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center, and an interdisciplinary team that includes physicists and veterinarians at the University of Pennsylvania. Preti is an expert on human odors, having studied them for more than 40 years. He has sniffed — both with machines and with his nose — breath, sweat and other secretions in search of answers about why we smell the way we do. This latest project seeks to answer a question others might have never thought to ask: Does ovarian cancer have a smell?

In modern cancer medicine, doctors tend to rely on advanced imaging techniques and the detection of lumps. The widely acknowledged problem with these methods, though, is that by the time doctors have reason to order a scan or feel something, it’s often too late. Ovarian cancer has usually spread to other organs by the time it’s detected. If it is caught early — which happens only 15 percent of the time, often by accident when...

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Monday, July 29, 2013

Caregivers for Cancer Patients and Survivors

Over the years I have come to realize that support for both cancer patients and their caregivers is very important. The disease affects not only the patient but the patient's entire constellation of family and friends. Today's post was shared by CDC Cancer and comes from

Caregiving Resources

If you are a cancer patient or survivor, please see our Links Related to Cancer Survivorship.
Find a nursing home, assisted living, or hospice; check your eligibility for benefits; get resources for long-distance caregiving; review legal issues; and find support for caregivers using this comprehensive list from USA.gov.

General Information About Caregivers and Caregiving

Framing the Public Health of Caregiving (American Journal of Public Health)
Family Caregivers in Cancer (National Cancer Institute)
Who Is a Caregiver? (National Cancer Institute)
Coping with Cancer: For Caregivers, Family, and Friends (National Cancer Institute)
Caregivers (Medline Plus)
Caregiving: A Public Health Priority (CDC)
Caregivers (American Cancer Society)
Caregivers as Partners and Clients of Behavioral Health Services [PDF-578KB] (Administration on Aging)

Agencies and Organizations

National Family Caregiver Support Program (Administration on Aging)
Support for Caregivers (Medicare)
Caregiver Action Network
Family Caregiver Alliance
National Alliance for Caregiving

Helpful Resources for Caregivers

CDC

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For over 3 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.

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Sleep, Pain, and Hospital Workers

Today's post was shared by Safe Healthy Workers and comes from blogs.cdc.gov

Orfeu M. Buxton, PhD; Glorian Sorensen, PhD, MPH

We know that decreased sleep duration and extended shifts in healthcare workers are linked to workplace injuries. The effects of decreased sleep on pain in the workplace are less clear.

New research from the Harvard Center for Work, Health and Wellbeing –one of four NIOSH Centers of Excellence funded to explore and research the concepts of Total Worker Health™- examines the question: Does lack of sleep increase pain and limit function among hospital care workers?

The study, published in the American Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, finds that sleep deficiency (including short sleep duration, insomnia symptoms, sleep insufficiency, or all three) is significantly associated with pain, functional limitations of daily living tasks due to that pain, and difficulty performing work tasks due to that pain, among hospital care workers.

Fashion Safety: US Endorses Bangladesh Action Plan

The following is a joint statement from the Department of Labor, Office of the United States Trade Representative, and the State Department:

"Today, the United States is outlining next steps in a longstanding effort to address in a meaningful way worker safety problems in Bangladesh — the severity of which were exemplified in the tragedies of the November 2012 Tazreen Fashions factory fire and the April 2013 Rana Plaza building collapse — and, more broadly, the ability of Bangladeshi workers to exercise their full range of labor rights.

On June 27, 2013, President Obama announced his decision to suspend Bangladesh's trade benefits under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) in view of insufficient progress by the Government of Bangladesh in affording Bangladeshi workers internationally recognized worker rights. That decision followed an extensive, interagency review under the GSP program of worker rights and worker safety in Bangladesh during which the U.S. Government encouraged the Government of Bangladesh to implement needed reforms. At the time of the announcement, the Administration provided the Government of Bangladesh with an action plan which, if implemented, could provide a basis for the President to consider the reinstatement of GSP trade benefits.

FDA Closes Down Illegal On-Line Pharmacies

Operation Pangea VI combats online sale and distribution of unapproved prescription medicines

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in partnership with international regulatory and law enforcement agencies, took action this week against more than 9,600 websites that illegally sell potentially dangerous, unapproved prescription medicines to consumers. These actions include the issuance of regulatory warnings, and seizure of offending websites and $41,104,386 worth of illegal medicines worldwide.

The action occurred as part of the 6th annual International Internet Week of Action (IIWA), a global cooperative effort to combat the online sale and distribution of potentially counterfeit and illegal medical products. As part of this year’s international effort – Operation Pangea VI – the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations, in coordination with the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado, seized and shut down 1,677 illegal pharmacy websites. The effort ran from June 18 to June 25, 2013.

Many of these websites appeared to be operating as a part of an organized criminal network

that falsely purported its websites to be “Canadian Pharmacies.” These websites displayed fake licenses and certifications to convince U.S. consumers to purchase drugs they advertised as “brand name” and “FDA approved.” The drugs received as part of Operation Pangea were not from Canada, and were neither brand name nor FDA approved. These websites also used certain major U.S. pharmacy retailer names to trick U.S. consumers into believing an affiliation existed with these retailers.

Distracted Walkers Are a Workplace Hazard

Over the last 2 days I watched at least a half-a-dozen people walking in the streets with a cellphone in their hands, and totally ignoring all traffic signals and vehicles around them. We are too quick to blame workers for causing all accidents through the use of cellphones. Pedestrians on many occasions ignore all reason and logic, and walk in front of vehicles oblivious to the world.

Read: Distracted Walking: Injuries Soar for Pedestrians on Phones

Cell Phone Use Not Just Dangerous for Drivers, Study Finds

"More than 1,500 pedestrians were estimated to be treated in emergency rooms in 2010 for injuries related to using a cell phone while walking, according to a new nationwide study."

Carbon Nanotubes Exposure Linked to Lung Tumor Formation in Mice

"Earlier today, at the annual meeting of the Society of Toxicology, NIOSH researchers reported preliminary findings from a new laboratory study in which mice were exposed by inhalation to multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). The study was designed to investigate whether these tiny particles have potential to initiate or promote cancer.

By “initiate,” we mean the ability of a substance to cause mutations in DNA that can lead to tumors. By “promote,” we mean the ability of a substance to cause cells that have already sustained such DNA mutations to then become tumors. "

See the NIOSH Science Blog

The threshold length for fibre-induced acute pleural inflammation: shedding light on the early events in asbestos-induced mesothelioma

Recent research implicates nanoparticles or nanofibres as a potential health hazard:

"Suspicion has been raised that high aspect ratio nanoparticles or nanofibres might possess asbestos-like pathogenicity. The pleural space is a specific target for disease in individuals exposed to asbestos and, by implication nanofibres. Pleural effects of fibres depends on fibre length, but the key threshold length beyond which adverse effects occur has never been identified up to now since all asbestos and vitreous fibre samples are heterogeneously distributed in their length. Nanotechnology advantageously allows for highly defined length distribution of synthetically engineered fibres which enable for in depth investigation of this threshold length. We utilised the ability to prepare silver-nanofibres of five defined length classes to demonstrate a threshold fibre length for acute pleural inflammation. Nickel-nanofibres and carbon nanotubes were then used to strengthen the relationship between fibre length and pleural inflammation. A method of intrapleural injection of nanofibres in female C57Bl/6 strain mice was used to deliver the fibre dose and we then assessed the acute pleural inflammatory response. Chestwall sections were examined by light and by scanning electron microscopy to identify areas of lesion; furthermore cell-nanowires interaction on the mesothelial surface of the parietal pleura in vivo, were investigated. Our results showed a clear threshold effect demonstrating that fibres beyond 4 µm in length are pathogenic to the pleura. The identification of the threshold length for nanofibre induced pathogenicity in the pleura has important implications for understanding the structure-toxicity relationship for asbestos-induced mesothelioma and consequent risk assessment with the aim to contribute to the engineering of synthetic nanofibres by the adoption of a benign-by-design approach."

Toxicol. Sci. (2012)doi: 10.1093/toxsci/kfs171First published online: May 12, 2012

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For over 3 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.

Read more about nanotechnology

US CDC Publishes Safety Nanotechnology Guidance

Sep 20, 2011

U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative. Nano.gov: size of the nanoscale [http://www.nano.gov/nanotech-101/what/nano-size External Web Site Icon ]. U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative. Nano.gov: Nanotechnology and ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

NIOSH Schedules Conference on Safety of Nanoparticles

Aug 25, 2009

... following the publication of the September issue of the “European Respiratory Journal, the first medical case series of workers with serious disease that the study authors associate with exposure to nano-sized particles has ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Nanomaterials: NIOSH Publishes Safe Practices Guide

NIOSH (The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) has published safety recommendations on engineering controls and safe practices for handling engineered nanomaterials in laboratories and some pilot scale operations. This guidance was designed to be used in tandem with well-established practices and the laboratory’s chemical hygiene plan. The introduction of nanoparticles into the workplace has created a new dimension in workers' compensation occupational exposure claims.

"Nanotechnology, the manipulation of matter at a nanometer scale to produce new materials, structures, and devices having new properties, may revolutionize life in the future. It has the potential to impact medicine through improved disease diagnosis and treatment technologies and to impact manufacturing by creating smaller, lighter, stronger, and more efficient products. Nanotechnology could potentially decrease the impact of pollution by improving methods for water purification or energy conservation. Although engineered nanomaterials present seemingly limitless possibilities, they bring with them new challenges for identifying and controlling potential safety and health risks to workers. Of particular concern is the growing body of evidence that occupational exposure to some engineered nanomaterials can cause adverse health effects.

"As with any new technology or new material, the earliest exposures will likely occur for those workers conducting discovery research in laboratories or developing production processes in pilot plants. The research community is at the front line of creating new nanomaterials, testing their usefulness in a variety of applications and determining their toxicological and environmental impacts. Researchers handling engineered nanomaterials in laboratories should perform that work in a manner that protects their safety and health. This guidance document provides the best information currently available on engineering controls and safe work practices to be followed when working with engineered nanomaterials in research laboratories.

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For over 3 decades the Law Offices of Jon L. Gelman1.973.696.7900 jon@gelmans.com have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered work related accident and injuries.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Nanomaterial Requires More Regulation by the EPA Inspector General Reports

EPA Report Recommends More Regulation

A recent report by the Inspector General of the US Environmental Protection Agency found that EPA does not currently have sufficient information or processes to effectively manage the human health and environmental risks of nanomaterials. EPA has the statutory authority to regulate nanomaterials but currently lacks the environmental and human health exposure and toxicological data to do so effectively. The Agency proposed a policy under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act to identify new pesticides being registered with nanoscale materials. After minimal industry participation in a voluntary data collection program, the Agency has proposed mandatory reporting rules for nanomaterials under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, and is also developing proposed rules under the Toxic Substances Control Act.

Nanomaterials are currently being used in many applications including: consumer products, health care, transportation, energy, and agriculture.

Read the EPA Report: EPA Needs to Manage Nanomaterial Risks More Effectively

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Thursday, November 3, 2011

US Announces Effort to Prevent Emergency Responders From Occupational Illness

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and partners in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today announced revised and updated resources to help prevent exposures of emergency response employees to potentially life-threatening infectious diseases in the line of duty.

The resources include:

A list of potentially life-threatening infectious diseases, including emerging infectious diseases, and specifying those diseases routinely transmitted through airborne or aerosolized means.
Guidelines describing the circumstances in which emergency response employees may be exposed to such diseases while attending to or transporting victims of emergencies.
Guidelines for medical facilities making determinations whether such exposures have occurred.

The action was taken as a result of provisions in the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009. In the reauthorization, Congress directed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to update resources originally compiled under the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act, enacted in 1990.

The Secretary of Health and Human Services delegated the task to CDC. NIOSH and CDC’s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP) worked together to develop the required list and guidelines, incorporating input from stakeholders that was received via a public comment process. NIOSH was created under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 and is a part of CDC.

The updated list of potentially life-threatening infectious diseases which emergency response employees occupationally may be exposed include all that were in an earlier list under the 1990 Ryan White Act:

Diphtheria
Hepatitis B
HIV, including AIDS
Tuberculosis
Viral hemorrhagic fevers
Meningococcal disease
Plague, pneumonic
Rabies

New additions include:

Anthrax, cutaneous
Novel influenza A and other influenza strains with pandemic severity index greater than or equal to 3.
Hepatitis C
Measles
Mumps
Pertussis
Rubella
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV)
Smallpox
Vaccinia
Varicella disease
Select agents

The notice of the action and further details can be found at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-11-02/html/2011-28234.htm

Friday, October 21, 2011

Deadly Delay: The Chemical Industry's Game Play

The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) is in desperate need of reform. Its weaknesses have allowed chemical companies to exploit the act by thwarting the EPA's attempts to finalize health assessments and delaying regulation of chemicals -- sometimes for decades. The chemical industry's roadblocks often follow predictable patterns:

Attack early drafts of health assessments
Force new reviews
Hold workshops populated with industry-funded panelists
Introduce new industry-funded studies when assessments are close to final
Force more reviews
Enlist elected officials to assist with political interference
Attack new assessment drafts

Using these tactics, the chemical industry has effectively prevented the EPA from achieving its mission to protect human health.

This report details how the U.S. legal system and TSCA itself have helped the chemical industry to be effective in its efforts to delay regulations. Congress needs to reform TSCA to make it a more effective regulatory tool. The chemical industry should not be able to endlessly postpone regulatory decisions while profiting from unregulated chemical sales until all scientific controversies and uncertainties, large and small, have been eliminated. With good public policy, the EPA should be empowered to make the best decisions it can on a timely basis using existing information, and apply new science to update its evaluations as it becomes available.

Full Report: The Chemical Industry Delay Game : How the Chemical Industry Ducks Regulation of the Most Toxic Substances. By Jennifer Sass. October 2011

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Caregiving Resources

On This Page

General Information About Caregivers and Caregiving

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Helpful Resources for Caregivers

CDC

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Saturday, July 20, 2013

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The following is a joint statement from the Department of Labor, Office of the United States Trade Representative, and the State Department:

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For over 3 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.

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