NIOSH eNews - April, 2016

NIOSH eNews - April, 2016

In This Issue

Director’s Desk New NIOSH Web Resources on Zika NEW Fact Sheet—Older Drivers in the Workplace: How Employers and Workers Can Prevent Crashes Hazardous Drugs Publication Notes NIOSH Leadership Get the Second Issue of Behind the Wheel at Work eNewsletter NIOSH in the News

Volume 13 Number 12 April 2016

From the Director’s Desk John Howard, M.D., Director, NIOSH Stand-Down for Safety and Preventing Construction Worker Falls! For the third year in a row, NIOSH has combined efforts with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), CPWR—The Center for Construction Research and Training, and other partners, including members of the NORA Construction Sector Council, to take part in the National Safety Stand-Down. Held during the week of May 2–6, the Safety Stand-Down focuses on preventing falls in construction. This event offers a unique opportunity for employers and workers across the nation to ‘stand down’ by pausing work on their construction sites and dedicating time toward activities that promote the prevention of injuries and fatalities from falls.  Employers are encouraged to speak directly to their workers about fall hazards through talks, demonstrations, and trainings and to reinforce the importance of fall prevention requirements. In many workplaces, falls are a real, persistent, yet preventable hazard. Given the nature of the work, it is perhaps not surprising that the construction industry has the highest frequency of fall-related deaths and serious, sometimes debilitating injuries. Lack of fall protection remains the most frequently cited violation, according to data from OSHA. However, deaths and injuries from falls remain a notably preventable public health problem. Read More... New NIOSH Web Resources on Zika NIOSH recently released an updated mosquito-borne disease topic page that includes information for workers and employees on the risk of such diseases, including Zika. NEW Fact Sheet—Older Drivers in the Workplace: How Employers and Workers Can Prevent Crashes The NIOSH Center for Motor Vehicle Safety released a new fact sheet to provide information on how changes associated with aging may affect older workers’ driving and ability to recover from a crash injury. Older workers bring extensive skills, knowledge, and experience to their jobs. However, those aged 55 or older are at a higher risk of dying in a motor vehicle crash at work than are younger adult workers. Use the provided checklists of action steps and resources to help you, your co-workers, and your employees continue driving safely. Hazardous Drugs Publication Notes NIOSH Leadership The U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) published General Chapter 800, Hazardous Drugs–Handling in Healthcare Settings. The chapter is based on theNIOSH guidelines for handling hazardous drugs and presents the most stringent requirements to date for the safe handling of hazardous drugs in healthcare settings. The focus of the chapter is to protect the safety of the patient, the healthcare worker, and the environment. NIOSH subject matter experts reviewed and commented on the draft chapter in 2014. The USP web page notes the new chapter and acknowledges the NIOSH leadership. The chapter takes effect July 1, 2018, and will be enforceable by the State Boards of Pharmacy. Get the Second Issue of Behind the Wheel at Work eNewsletter The NIOSH Center for Motor Vehicle Safety recently released the second issue ofBehind the Wheel at Work, a quarterly eNewsletter covering work-related motor vehicle safety topics. This issue features many user-friendly resources to help employers improve safety, including distracted driving–related tips, how to keep older drivers safe in the workplace, and ways to check your knowledge of advanced vehicle safety features. NIOSH in the News Wall Street Journal References NIOSH Research on Corrections Work A March 21 article, from the Wall Street Journal, Prison Guards Are Hard to Capture as Jobless Rates Fall, cites NIOSH research. The article states, “Corrections work is dangerous. A 2013 report by researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health found correction officers have one of the highest rates of nonfatal workplace injuries, due largely to assaults and other violent acts.” The report points out a major way to improve safety is to address staffing shortages. CBS News Features NIOSH Research on Worker Heart HealthA CBS news article on the correlation between heart health and risky jobs highlighted NIOSH research in this area. Capt. Leslie MacDonald, lead researcher and senior scientist in the U.S. Public Health Service at NIOSH, provided details on the research. She noted that NIOSH researchers found “workers employed in the broad category of ‘service’ occupations were less likely to have ideal cholesterol, blood pressure, and body mass index” than were those in less risky jobs. NPR Highlights NIOSH Oil and Gas ResearchNIOSH oil and gas research is highlighted in a recent NPR blog related to risks in federal oil fields rules. The blog states that “a pattern was uncovered: nine oil workers found dead on oil pads in the past six years, many of them young and otherwise healthy.” The article continues that sources believe “they passed out after they opened oil-tank hatches and were engulfed in large amounts of petroleum gases.” Read More...