New York — Employees in fields with higher workplace injury rates are generally less likely to be covered by employer-provided health insurance plans, results of a recent survey show.

Birmingham, AL — A recent study of health care workers in U.S. ERs shows masks, gloves, gowns and other personal protective equipment were highly effective at shielding them from infection during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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.

Sacramento, CA — New guidance from the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health is aimed at protecting workers from monkeypox – a viral disease that spreads mostly through close, intimate contact with someone who’s infected.

Washington — The National Academy of Medicine has unveiled seven priorities it says will help strengthen the well-being of the health care workforce and “restore the health of the nation.”

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.

Washington — In an effort to prevent work-related transmission of the monkeypox virus, OSHA is urging employers and workers whose jobs may involve skin-to-skin contact with infected people or animals to take precautions.

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.

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.

Washington — NIOSH has added all types of uterine cancer to the list of health-related conditions covered by the agency’s World Trade Center Health Program.

Washington — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has scheduled public meetings of its National Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council for May 10-11.

Washington — Two lawmakers have reintroduced a bill that would mandate nurse staffing levels in hospitals in an effort to create better working conditions.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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 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 Gastec dosimeter tube system delivers on-the-spot, time-weighted-average monitoring of air contaminants.

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).

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

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.

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.

Silver Spring, MD — The number of fatal falls to a lower level among construction workers jumped more than 50% over a recent 12-year period, according to a new report.

Albuquerque, NM — Even moderate outdoor temperatures may put construction workers at increased risk of heat-related illness, a recent study led by a University of New Mexico researcher suggests.