Weekly E-Newsbrief
April 26, 2024
The E-Newsbrief of the National Clearinghouse is a free weekly newsletter focusing on new developments in the world of worker health and safety. Each issue provides summaries of the latest worker health and safety news from newspapers, magazines, journals, government reports, and the Web, along with links to the original documents. Also featured each week are updates from government agencies that handle hazmat and worker safety issues such as DOE, EPA, OSHA and others.
Subscribing to the National Clearinghouse Newsbrief is the best way to stay on top of the worker health and safety news.
- Top Stories
- Calendar Features
- On The Web This Week
- Federal Agency Update
- Awardee Highlights/Online Learning
- Job Openings
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| Top Stories | Back to Top |
COVID Ignited a Global Controversy Over What Is an Airborne Disease. The WHO Just Expanded Its Definition
Public health advice in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic focused on sanitizing surfaces, not protecting against a virus that could be spread through the air. Much of that guidance could be traced back to the World Health Organization (WHO), which stated early on, and unequivocally, that COVID-19 was not an airborne disease, and the WHO didn’t acknowledge that COVID was airborne until late 2021. To address the confusion and the controversy that resulted from the early guidance, the WHO recently released a report outlining a new set of definitions that more accurately reflect the state of the science of disease transmission. The updated guidelines don’t rely on droplet size or distance spread and the changes could have big and expensive consequences for how countries set infection control standards and prevention measures going forward.
STAT News [Author: Megan Molteni]
U.S. Bans Noncompete Agreements for Nearly All Jobs
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently voted to ban nearly all noncompetes, employment agreements that typically prevent workers from joining competing businesses or launching ones of their own. The FTC estimates about 30 million people, or one in five American workers, from minimum wage earners to CEOs, are bound by noncompetes. It says the policy change could lead to increased wages totaling nearly $300 billion per year by encouraging people to swap jobs freely.
WBUR [Author: Andrea Hsu]
Department of Labor Releases 2023 Injury, Illness Data
The Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released 2023 injury and illness data collected under the agency's new Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses regulation published July 2023. The data include specific information submitted by more than 375,000 establishments, and individual injuries and illnesses for employers with 100 or more employees in select high-hazard industries. Providing access to injury and illness data will help identify unsafe conditions and workplace hazards that may cause occupational injuries and illnesses.
130 Million Americans Routinely Breathe Unhealthy Air, Report Finds
Over one-third of Americans, or about 130 million people, routinely breathe in unhealthy air, according to the newest State of the Air report from the American Lung Association (ALA). That number is larger in 2023 than in years past, despite significant long-term and ongoing efforts to clean the nation's air. Climate change, the report says, is making the job harder. This year's State of the Air report reiterates that most of the country, most notably the eastern U.S., has gotten cleaner over time as industrial pollution sources have been reined in, but in the West, 2023 had the most days ever recorded with dangerous or very dangerous air quality, measured by the Air Quality Index.
NPR [Author: Alejandra Borunda]
Rural Jails Turn to Community Health Workers to Help the Newly Released Succeed
Nationally, 63% of people booked into local jails struggle with a substance use disorder, at least six times the rate of the general population. The incidence of mental illness in jails is more than twice the rate in the general population. Of those incarcerated, 25% are booked two or more times, and among those arrested twice, more than half had a substance use disorder and a quarter had a mental illness. In most places, people are released from county jails with no health care coverage, no job, nowhere to live, and no plan to stay off drugs or treat their mental illness. Community health workers can help connect recently released people to government and health care services in efforts to improve rehabilitation post-release.
Kaiser Health News [Author: Lillian Mongeau Hughes]
| Calendar Features | Back to Top |
Superfund Research Program 2024 Progress in Research Webinar Series
The NIEHS Superfund Research Program (SRP) is kicking off their 2024 Progress in Research webinar series, Emerging Technologies in Occupational Health and Safety. The first session will take place on April 26, 2024, at 1 p.m. ET and will feature three researchers from SRP’s portfolio developing curricula and educational programs focused on emergent technologies in occupational health and safety, including projects hosted by the City University of New York, Purdue University, and the University of California – Los Angeles. The series will continue on May 3 and 17, 2024, and include more SRP-funded researchers as well as a WTP grant recipient and a representative from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Expanding Equitable Access to Green Jobs: A Framework for Collaborative Action
The Urban Institute is hosting a webinar to discuss how local communities can help workers from historically marginalized communities access jobs that are emerging from federal funds to mitigate the effects of climate change. The webinar will feature a presentation of research from the Urban Institute on the quality of jobs, followed by practitioner panelists who will share their experiences in the field, promising strategies, and insights to inform program and policy implementation. It will take place on April 29, 2024, at 12 p.m. EDT.
Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization Webinar: Legacy Asbestos: Understanding Risks, Prevention, and New Regulations
This session will provide essential resources for preventing asbestos exposure and fostering safer environments in homes, schools, and workplaces. The experts will also discuss the recent Environmental Protection Agency Chrysotile Asbestos Rule, which bans one form of asbestos in six specific conditions of use. This webinar is designed to deepen understanding of the risks associated with asbestos, help recognize asbestos in different settings, and offer guidance on necessary prevention strategies. It will take place on April 30, 2024, from 1 – 2 p.m. EDT.
Total Worker Health Trends Expert Webinar Series: Building a Stronger Front: Union Leaders Unite for Member Well-being in the Workplace
This webinar will feature a panel discussion with union leaders in education, healthcare and corrections, as they delve into strategies for fostering worker health, safety, and well-being within their memberships. From innovative approaches to traditional methods, panelists will explore practical tactics, share success stories, and address challenges faced in engaging members in crucial aspects of their welfare. It will take place on May 30, 2024, at 1 p.m. EDT.
| On The Web This Week | Back to Top |
They Clean Up After Natural Disasters. Now They’re Getting Sick.
The Center for Public Integrity has been investigating how prolonged exposure to dangerous toxins affects the health of the workers who clean and rebuild American cities after natural disasters. No federal or state data shows how many disaster restoration workers get sick every year, but disaster workers have reported hospitalizations following work accidents and health symptoms consistent with exposure to asbestos, lead, and mold. In this episode of “Toxic Labor,” workers who have cleaned and rebuilt multiple cities post disasters share how that work has impacted their health.
The Center for Public Integrity [Authors: María Inés Zamudio, Nour Saudi, & Roxana Aguirre]
Natives Have Worst Health System Outcomes in States with Highest Native Populations
States with the largest American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations have the worst health system outcomes for Native peoples, according to a new study. The report comes from the Common Wealth Fund, a private foundation that examines health care in the U.S. to advance equitable outcomes. It collected data for 25 indicators of health system performance, which found the most significant disparities among Black and AI/AN people. Native peoples in Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota had among the highest rates of any group in any state for pre-mature avoidable mortality or death before the age of 75 from conditions considered to be preventable and treatable.
Native News Online [Author: Elyse Wild]
Union Strong Episode 108: Workplace Injury Treatment & Prevention
Every year, thousands of workers are injured or become ill on the job. In New York State there is a unique network of occupational health clinics available to workers to prevent injuries and illnesses. In this podcast, hosts talk to the medical director at one of the clinics to learn about the services available and how workers can access them.
New York State American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations
| Federal Agency Update | Back to Top |
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $7 Billion Solar for All Grants to Deliver Residential Solar, Saving Low-Income Americans $350 Million Annually and Advancing Environmental Justice Across America
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced 60 selectees that will receive $7 billion in grant awards through the Solar for All grant competition to deliver residential solar projects to over 900,000 households nationwide. The 60 selections will provide funds to states, territories, Tribal governments, municipalities, and nonprofits across the country to develop long-lasting solar programs that enable low-income and disadvantaged communities to deploy and benefit from distributed residential solar, lowering energy costs for families, creating good-quality jobs in communities that have been left behind, advancing environmental justice and tackling climate change. This $7 billion investment will generate over $350 million in annual savings on electric bills for overburdened households.
NOAA Expands Availability of New Heat Forecast Tool Ahead of Summer
The National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is expanding the availability of a new experimental heat tool called HeatRisk ahead of the hot summer months. A collaboration with the National Weather Service and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HeatRisk provides information and guidance for those who are particularly vulnerable to heat and may need to take extra precautions for their health when the temperature rises. HeatRisk provides historical context for high temperature forecasts, identifying how unusual the heat will be for any given time of year across a spatial area with coverage across the contiguous U.S.
Biden-Harris Administration Takes Historic Action to Increase Access to Quality Care, and Support to Families and Care Workers
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued three final rules to support family caregivers, boost compensation and job quality for care workers, expand and improve care options, and improve the safety and quality of care in federally funded nursing homes. These rules will help improve the quality of nursing home care, support older adults, people with disabilities, and care workers; and strengthen the economy. The rules establish minimum staffing standards for nursing homes, ensure access to Medicaid services, and improve the access, accountability, and transparency of the Medicaid and children’s health insurance program.
EPA Finalizes Stronger Chemical Risk Evaluation Process to Protect Workers and Communities
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule that strengthens its process for conducting risk evaluations on chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). These improvements to EPA’s processes advance the goals of this important chemical safety law, ensure that TSCA risk evaluations comprehensively account for the risks associated with a chemical, and provide a solid foundation for protecting public health, including workers and communities, from toxic chemicals. The rule also includes changes to enhance environmental protection in communities overburdened by pollution.
| Awardee Highlights/Online Learning | Back to Top |
New Guide Addresses Burnout in The Health Care Industry
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has published a step-by-step process for improving the mental health of hospital health care workers. The number of health care workers reporting harassment on the job doubled from 2018 to 2022, the agency said. In 2022, 46% said they often felt burned out, up from 32% four years earlier. The guide features six action steps employers can take to implement and accelerate professional well-being that will help make system-level changes and build trust between leaders and health care workers.
| Job Openings | Back to Top |
MassCOSH Seeking Executive Director
The Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (MassCOSH) seeks an executive director to build on the organization’s exceptional record of advocating for safe, healthy workplaces. MassCOSH’s mission is to ensure that all workers can go to work and return home with their health and well-being intact. The incoming executive director will provide effective and visionary leadership that actively engages the board, staff, and volunteers in implementing the organization’s strategic plan and maximizing the organization’s impact. They will be responsible for overseeing operations including finance, human resources, program development and fundraising.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Gulf Research Program Looking to Fill Two Fellowship Positions
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Gulf Research Program is currently accepting applications for two Early-Career Research Fellowship opportunities. The Early-Career Research Fellowship supports emerging scientific leaders as they take risks on research ideas not yet tested and pursue unique collaborations. There are two tracks available for this fellowship: the Environmental Protection & Stewardship track, and the Education Research track. Applications for both fellowships are due by May 22, 2024.
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