Toronto — To increase health care workers’ knowledge, awareness and prevention of occupational hand dermatitis, the Center for Research Expertise in Occupational Disease has launched a free e-learning module.

Washington — A companion bill to the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (H.R. 1195), passed by the House in April 2021, has been introduced in the Senate.

Silver Spring, MD — Around 7 out of 10 recently surveyed nurses say staffing has gotten slightly or much worse recently, while nearly half of hospital nurses report an increase in workplace violence.

Washington — Echoing comments made by OSHA administrator Doug Parker during a hearing three weeks earlier, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh said a permanent standard on COVID-19 for the health care industry may be published sometime in the fall.

Columbus, OH — Legislation recently introduced in the Ohio Statehouse would direct health care employers to develop and implement a workplace violence prevention plan within six months.

Washington — Citing data that shows hospitalizations “may increase significantly in the coming weeks,” OSHA has extended its revised National Emphasis Program on COVID-19 until further notice.

Washington — Burnout among health care workers could make it more difficult for patients to get the care they need, cause a rise in the cost of care, worsen health disparities and weaken the ability to prepare for the next public health emergency.

Washington — The U.S. District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has ruled it doesn’t have the authority to order OSHA to issue a permanent standard on COVID-19 for the health care industry, denying an emergency petition filed by National Nurses United and other labor groups.

Pleasanton, CA — The transportation, health care and government sectors have experienced the greatest increases of “higher worker burnout risk” over the past year, according to a recently released report from software provider Workday.

Washington — Current NIOSH and industry regulations and professional guidelines aimed at preventing unintentional exposure to pathogens during the sterile processing of medical devices may not be sufficient to ensure provider and patient safety, results of a recent study suggest.

Schaumburg, IL — The Emergency Nurses Association and the American Organization for Nursing Leadership have updated their Guiding Principles on Mitigating Violence in the Workplace and related toolkit.

Washington — OSHA submitted its permanent standard on COVID-19 for the health care industry to the White House Office of Management and Budget for final review Dec. 7.

Washington — Do you have an idea for improving fit testing of respirators? NIOSH is offering $350,000 in total prize money as part of its Respirator Fit Evaluation Challenge.

Washington — The House has passed legislation that would eliminate a rule requiring health care industry employers who participate in Medicare and Medicaid to ensure their workers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Rockville, MD — A new report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality outlines ways that emergency medical service and 911 workers can be exposed to infectious pathogens and offers recommendations for infection prevention and control.

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.

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

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.

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 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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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 — The worst part of Shamaiah Turner’s job as a sheet metal worker hasn’t been the physical aspects, but instead “working with people who made me feel socially unsafe.”

Toronto — The Infrastructure Health and Safety Association has published a guide on reducing the risk of struck-by incidents in the workplace.

Washington — The fifth annual National Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-By Incidents begins April 15, providing employers with opportunities to raise awareness of struck-by hazard recognition and prevention.

Silver Spring, MD — Developing a strong safety climate on construction worksites can improve safety outcomes, CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training says in a new video.

Silver Spring, MD — Thirty-nine workers died while performing trench/excavation work in 2022, up from 15 in 2021, according to a new report from CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training.

New York — Although deaths at New York City building construction sites fell to their lowest level in nearly a decade in 2023, work-related injuries rose 25%, reports the city’s Department of Buildings.

Washington — Engagement of top management and substance misuse prevention programs are among four essential safety best practices of construction industry employers, Associated Builders and Contractors says.

Washington — Preventing harassment in the construction industry is the focus of a new guidance document from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Arlington, VA — Recent changes to an American National Standards Institute/International Safety Equipment Association consensus standard are intended to enhance worker and facility protections from dropped objects on jobsites.

Bilbao, Spain — A new video from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work highlights strategies to reduce the risks of heat stress on the job.

New York — The Building Trades Employers’ Association is calling on local, state and federal leaders to adopt reforms aimed at enhancing mental health awareness in the construction industry.

Silver Spring, MD — Creating a “culture of care” is among the topics to be discussed during an upcoming webinar on preventing suicide in the construction industry.

Silver Spring, MD — With the construction industry experiencing elevated suicide rates, employers can support workers by “reassuring them that help is available, that mental health is the same as physical health,” an expert on prevention says.

Silver Spring, MD — Nearly 1 out of 5 construction workers report having anxiety or depression, and the overwhelming majority of them haven’t sought expert help, a new report shows.