Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency is seeking comment on problem formulation documents for the first 10 chemicals slated for evaluation for potential health and environmental risks under the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, as well as a systematic review approach document and a proposed significant new use rule for asbestos.

Washington — A pair of recent Environmental Protection Agency proposals regarding asbestos are cause for alarm, Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) is cautioning, while the agency contends it is attempting to expand restrictions on the substance.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency has issued a final rule on asbestos intended to keep manufacturers from reintroducing “discontinued uses” of the known human carcinogen into the market without EPA approval.

San Francisco — Attorneys general of 10 states and the District of Columbia are suing the Environmental Protection Agency and its administrator, Andrew Wheeler, over the agency’s refusal to issue a rule to further regulate asbestos – a known human carcinogen.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency is asking for public comment on a draft risk evaluation that states asbestos, a known human carcinogen, presents an unreasonable health risk to workers under certain conditions, as critics of the agency renew their call for a complete ban of the substance.

Washington — Claiming the Environmental Protection Agency is “rushing forward” with various regulations while much of the nation is focused on the COVID-19 pandemic, Reps. Bobby Scott (D-VA), Jerry McNerney (D-CA) and Mike Quigley (D-IL) recently sent a letter to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, calling on the agency to extend all comment periods for matters related to public and environmental health at least 45 days past the end of the declared national emergency.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency has moved to June 8-11 a Toxic Substances Control Act Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals virtual peer review of an EPA draft risk evaluation that states asbestos, a known human carcinogen, presents an unreasonable health risk to workers under certain conditions.

Washington — Critics of the Environmental Protection Agency are renewing their call for a complete ban on asbestos after the agency’s release of Part 1 of a final risk evaluation that concludes that the substance – a known human carcinogen – presents an unreasonable health risk to workers under certain conditions.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency is seeking comment on a draft of Part 2 of a final risk evaluation that concludes asbestos – a known human carcinogen – presents an unreasonable health risk to workers under certain conditions.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency is accepting comment until July 5 on a proposed rule that would establish reporting and recordkeeping requirements for asbestos – a known human carcinogen – under the Toxic Substances Control Act.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency has announced the availability of the final scope of Part 2 of the final risk evaluation to be conducted for asbestos.

Stockholm — Exposure to dusts and fumes from common workplace agents such as vapors, gases and solvents may increase workers’ risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, results of a recent study out of Sweden show.

Research Triangle Park, NC — To help protect workers who engage in mold cleanup and treatment, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences’ Worker Training Program has updated its guidance document.

Washington — OSHA will prioritize rulemaking for a standard on preventing workplace violence in health care and social settings, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh testified during a May 17 House subcommittee hearing.

Pre-COVID-19 pandemic work life may not return as quickly for employees in customer-facing industries. As some experts see it, the immediate future for workers in grocery, retail, hospitality and similar sectors still includes the risk of stress and anxiety stemming from interactions with angry or aggressive customers.

Washington — Workplace violence led to nearly 18,000 deaths over a recent 27-year period, according to a recently published report from NIOSH and two other federal agencies.

Itasca — New guidance from the National Safety Council is aimed at providing organizations with information and solutions to effectively mitigate and address workplace violence.

Geneva — Nearly a quarter of workers worldwide have endured workplace violence or harassment, but only half of the victims discuss their experiences, results of a recent survey show.

Provo, UT — Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) has signed a law allowing employers to petition for and obtain protective orders against anyone who poses a threat.

Cincinnati — A new guidance document from NIOSH outlines ways to reduce the risk of injuries and deaths associated with robbery-related violence at gasoline stations and convenience stores.

“The old methodology of, ‘Oh, it could never happen here’ – that has to go out of the window,” a workplace security expert says. “Because it can.”

Providence, RI — The Rhode Island Senate recently passed legislation aimed at protecting workers from psychological abuse – such as bullying – on the job.

Washington — New commercial passenger aircraft must have a secondary flight deck barrier to protect the cockpit from “unauthorized intrusion” under a Federal Aviation Administration final rule announced June 14.

Sacramento, CA — The California Senate has approved legislation aimed at preventing workplace violence, particularly by banning employer policies that direct non-security personnel to confront shoplifters.

Washington — Workplace-related strategies from the Department of Labor are part of a White House national plan to address gender-based violence.

San Mateo, CA — Nearly 2 out of 3 frontline workers don’t feel safe on the job, results of a recent survey show.

Iowa City, IA — Three out of 5 young employees have experienced some form of workplace violence, results of a recent study show.

Sacramento, CA — Employers in California will be required to establish, implement and maintain a workplace violence prevention program, under a new state law.

Washington — The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is asking for comment on proposed enforcement guidance aimed at preventing and addressing worker harassment based on sex, race and other protected traits.

Portland, OR — In light of the 29 workplace homicides that have occurred in the state since 2018, the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences has issued a hazard alert.

Washington — OSHA “continues to be hampered” by the lack of a permanent standard on infectious diseases and “needs to address worksite violence,” a new report states.

Buffalo, NY — What do workers do to recover when their boss or manager engages in “nonphysical aggression such as humiliating or threatening subordinates, or taking credit for their work”? A pair of researchers recently set out to answer that question.

Is your worksite ready to respond to an incident? Experts offer advice.

Cambridge, MA — Nine out of 10 customer service workers recently surveyed say they’ve experienced an increase in customer abuse and hostility over the past 12 months.

In Episode 46, the S+H team examines the December issue’s feature story on best practices for preventing workplace violence. Also, Atanu Das, owner of MSDS Writer, a consulting company, joins the podcast to discuss Safety Data Sheets in the “Five Questions With …” segment.

Victoria, Australia — “Transport workers are people too. Please respect them.” That request appears alongside the images of Public Transport Victoria workers clad in custom safety vests depicting their life stories.

Geneva, Switzerland — Around 20% of workers worldwide have reported some form of violence or harassment, according to a recent report from the International Labour Organization.

Washington — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration wants input from truckers as it shapes a study to analyze how common sexual assault and harassment are in the trucking industry.

Washington — To address a sharp increase in assaults against public transit workers, the Federal Transit Administration has published a proposed directive tasking public transit agencies with monitoring safety risks more closely.

Washington — Female workers in the service industry face an elevated risk of gender-based violence and harassment, but “there’s a variety of means that can mitigate that,” OSHA administrator Doug Parker says.

Chicago — Chronic workplace harassment may increase the risk of coronary heart disease, arthritic/rheumatic conditions and migraines, results of a recent University of Illinois Chicago study show.

Albany, NY — Assaulting a retail worker is now a felony in New York state, under a new law signed May 1.

Washington — New guidance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is intended to prevent and address worker harassment based on sex, race and other protected traits, outlining when such behavior is against the law.

Washington — A handful of potential OSHA standards have advanced in the rulemaking process, according to the Department of Labor’s Spring 2024 regulatory agenda – released July 5.

Columbus, Ohio — Do some bosses who are abusive toward employees get away with it simply because they’re “high performers?” A recent pair of studies took a look.

Orlando, FL — Although OSHA remains largely a regulatory and enforcement agency, it’s recently started prioritizing safety culture.

Washington — On the 30th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 becoming law, the Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau released three issue briefs on safe leave.

Dover, DE — More than half of public school teachers have been the target of verbal aggression or threats by a student in the past three years, according to a recent survey conducted by the Delaware State Education Association.

Orange Beach, AL-based Columbia Southern Universityhas been granted institutional accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges board of trustees.

Personal protective equipment manufacturer and distributor Magid Glove & Safety has been awarded a 2022 Chicagoland Top Workplaces honor for the second year in a row.