Tallahassee, FL — Legislation in Florida that would strengthen criminal penalties for assault or battery on hospital workers has advanced out of two Senate committees.

Washington — Newly introduced legislation would direct OSHA to issue a standard requiring employers in the health care and social services sector to develop and implement a workplace violence prevention plan.

Arlington, VA — Hospital units that consistently follow standard safety precautions experience nearly 40% fewer needlesticks and other sharps injuries than other units, a new study has found.

Washington — OSHA is requesting feedback as it considers developing a possible standard aimed at preventing workplace violence in the health care and social assistance industries.

Washington — An OSHA standard on safe patient handling and mobility could reduce musculoskeletal disorders among health care workers, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society says in a new policy statement.

Washington — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s National Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council has scheduled a hybrid meeting for next month.

Queensland, Australia — Patient aggression toward receptionists in general medical practices has become a “serious workplace safety concern,” a recent research review concludes.

Edmonton, Alberta — A recent study of workers’ compensation claims filed by workers in long-term care facilities shows that the majority involved care aides and musculoskeletal injuries.

Morgantown, WV — A recent study of work-related sharps injuries shows that health care workers had a sixfold higher risk than all other workers – but other workers are at risk, too.

New York — Registered nurses, social and other behavioral health workers, and people in health care support face a significantly higher risk of drug-overdose death, according to the results of a recent study.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency wants feedback as it considers a training program for health care providers on recognizing, treating and reporting pesticide-related illnesses and injuries.

Toronto — Most workers who use cannabis to treat work-related injuries and illnesses do so without medical guidance or authorization, a recent study out of Canada suggests.

New York — Registered nurses, health technicians and health care support workers face an elevated risk of suicide compared with workers in non-health care fields, results of a recent study indicate.

Washington — Health care workers are reporting burnout and poor mental health at levels higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Cambridge, MA — The median time from a worker’s injury to “first medical service” was either unchanged or shorter early in the COVID-19 pandemic relative to prior years, a new report shows.

Kuopio, Finland — Being excluded from social interactions on the job can have cascading negative effects on health and well-being, a recent study of Finnish health care workers shows.

Bannockburn, IL — Around 1 out of 4 health care workers don’t feel safe on the job, according to the results of a recent survey.

Bozeman, MT — Industries in which workers are prone to sleep loss should develop and adopt policies that prioritize sleep to ensure better daytime function and well-being, researchers say.

Denver — Legislation recently introduced in Colorado would require hospitals, freestanding ERs, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and federally qualified health centers to establish a workplace violence prevention committee.

Salem, OR — Bipartisan legislation recently introduced in Oregon would strengthen the penalty for assaulting a hospital worker and require hospitals to work harder on preventing violence.

Washington — NIOSH has published a step-by-step process for improving the mental health of hospital health care workers.

Pittsburgh — Respiratory Protection Week, intended to promote proper respiratory protection practices via the sharing of related research findings and educational tools, is set for Sept. 3-6.

Washington — NIOSH is seeking respirator manufacturers and other participants for a new project aimed at determining how well the devices protect workers who have facial hair when beard bands are used.

Washington — NIOSH is encouraging health care industry employers to craft mental health-related communications in a way that helps reduce the stigma around seeking support.

Boston — Intended to give small health care employers an “easy-to-use format” for a written exposure control plan, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has published sample written plans for a respiratory protection program and bloodborne pathogen exposure control.

Washington — OSHA’s proposed rule on infectious diseases in “health care and other high-risk environments” has been submitted to the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs for final review.

The SparxLift Welding Helmet, designed for use with Bullard’s EVA Powered Air-Purifying Respirator, provides welders and grinders with NIOSH-approved respiratory protection and ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2010 high-impact face protection in a single package.

The PUREFLO range provides combined head, eye, face, welding and positive powered respiratory protection with Assigned Protection Factors up to 1,000.

Designed for demanding industrial welding and grinding applications, the Titanium 9400i Welding Helmet’s integrated grind shield allows users to weld and grind without removing the helmet, providing a 180-degree view for increased versatility and safety.

Backed by a three-year warranty, the new generation of VIKING Auto-Darkening Welding Helmets offers better optical quality and durability.

As with most personal protective equipment, comfort is paramount for workers who use head and face protection. Manufacturers know this and have responded.

The Loner Safety Monitoring Device provides instant emergency alerting accompanied by real-time location information, allowing organizations to exceed worker safety regulations.

The X-am 2500 gas monitor accurately detects O₂, CO, NO₂, SO₂ and H₂S, and is the only 1-4 gas monitor you need in industrial, mining and refinery applications.

The G460 multi-sensor atmospheric monitor features completely automatic calibration, one-button operation, top-mounted display and interchangeable battery packs.

The ALTAIR 2X line of gas detectors features the first one- or two-gas detector that incorporates industry-leading XCell Sensor technology.

The Tango TX1 single-gas monitor features a three-year run time and DualSense Technology that increases worker safety – regardless of bump-test frequency – while reducing overall maintenance costs.

The IAQPoint2 is an indoor air quality monitor distinguished by touchscreen user operation and single-unit monitoring of three IAQ parameters (CO₂ or volatile organic compounds, temperature, and humidity).

The Meridian Universal Gas Detector is designed to support a full range of toxic and combustible sensors, including Scott’s standard and Rock Solid electrochemical, catalytic bead, infrared and metal oxide semiconductor sensors for H₂S detection.

Workers who consider gas detectors and monitors “just another tool” are making a mistake, according to industry experts.

Annapolis, MD — Legislation recently introduced in Maryland would allow multiple speed cameras in work zones and raise fines for speeding offenses.

Washington — The National Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-By Incidents is set for April 15-19.

Washington — NIOSH will continue to research how construction sites that use robotics can be kept safe for workers, agency Director John Howard says.

Washington — A coalition of attorneys general is re-petitioning OSHA to issue an emergency temporary standard aimed at protecting workers from heat exposure.

Washington — OSHA is encouraging employers to take a break and raise awareness of fall hazards and the importance of fall protection during the National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction.

Washington — Artificial intelligence in construction is the subject of a new technology guide from Associated Builders and Contractors.

Rockville, MD — Mental health is “just as important for your safety as that harness or anything else that you’re wearing,” Mechanical Contractors Association of America member Ricky Reams says in a new video.

Washington — OSHA and the Department of Labor Women’s Bureau have scheduled a free webinar exploring gender-based violence and harassment in the construction industry.

Park Ridge, IL — A recently published voluntary consensus standard is intended to reduce the risk of “heat stress due to heat exposures” among construction and demolition workers.

New York — The New York State Supreme Court has indicted a company for operating a “sham safety training school” connected to the death of a “trainee” on a construction site.

Washington — Now available: a collection of new resources for the 11th annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, set for May 6-10.