Weekly E-Newsbrief
June 28, 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
- We Want Your Feedback
- Newsbriefs Past Issues
| Top Stories | Back to Top |
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences/Department of Energy Nuclear Worker Training Program Accomplishments and Highlights Report Now Available!
This report summarizes the activities of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)/Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Worker Training Program and its grant recipients in the 2022 program year, which spanned from August 1, 2022, to July 31, 2023. The report is now available on the WTP website and features an overview of the program, training data, program initiatives, and more.
NIEHS/DOE Nuclear Worker Training Program Accomplishments and Highlights
Therapists Learn How to Help Farmers Cope with Stress Before It’s Too Late
Studies have concluded that suicide is unusually common among farmers. It’s difficult to estimate how much of farmers’ increased risk of suicide is due to their profession. Part of the reason for the elevated rate could be that many farmers are middle-aged or older men, who tend to be more at risk in general. In rural areas, many farmers lack access to mental health care, and their suicide risk is also heightened by many of them owning guns, which provide an immediate means to act on deadly impulses. The tragic trend has caught the attention of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which sponsors training sessions to help health care professionals learn how to talk to farmers about the pressures they face in wringing a living out of the land.
Kaiser Health News [Author: Tony Leys]
As Dengue Fever Cases Ramp Up Worldwide, Health Officials Tell U.S. Doctors to Stay Alert
U.S. health officials have warned doctors to be alert for dengue cases as the tropical disease breaks international records. The virus, which is spread by mosquitoes, has been surging worldwide, helped by climate change. In barely six months, countries in the Americas have already broken calendar-year records for dengue cases. Dengue is caused by a virus spread by a type of warm weather mosquito that is expanding its geographic reach because of climate change. Many infected people don’t get sick, but some experience headaches, fever, and flu-like symptoms. Severe cases can involve cause serious bleeding, shock, and death.
PBS News [Author: Mike Stobbe]
100 Years Later, Asbestos Is Still a Modern-Day Threat
From personal protective equipment to improved training, workplace safety has made significant advancements, but asbestos is a durable substance able to withstand temperatures far more than 1000 degrees Fahrenheit, sustain enormous pressure, and resist rusting and chemical breakdown. Asbestos is still in the bodies of workers who breathed and swallowed it in the twentieth century. While significant progress has been made in regulating the use of asbestos, the reality is that this deadly substance remains an ongoing occupational hazard. Recent research has found that an alarming 38% of Americans have been directly exposed to asbestos in high-risk industries.
Occupational Health & Safety Online [Author: Justinian C. Lane]
AIHA and ASHRAE Sign Memorandum of Understanding
The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) formalizing the organizations’ relationship. The agreement defines parameters by which AIHA and ASHRAE will work cooperatively on common public affairs goals and the coordination of technical activities and emerging research to accelerate the transformation to more sustainable built environments.
| Calendar Features | Back to Top |
Strengthening Indigenous America: Building Resilience through Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery (A Workshop)
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Disasters and Emergencies will host a public workshop to explore opportunities to support the capacity of Indigenous American and Tribal communities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters and public health emergencies. Workshop discussions will examine public health authorities and agreements, innovative research collaborations with Indigenous American and Tribal communities, data sovereignty, and data governance within the context of disasters and public health emergencies. The workshop will be held online and in person at the National Academy of Sciences Building in Washington, D.C., on July 8, 2024, from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. EDT and July 9, 2024, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. EDT.
TRB Webinar: Impacts, Lessons, and Insights from Recent Roadway Structure Failures
Assessing critical infrastructure failures bolsters resilience against disruptive events, strengthens public safety, and maintains essential services vital for economic stability and societal functioning. The Transportation Research Board (TRB) is hosting a webinar that will deepen the understanding of critical road infrastructure failures’ transportation and social implications, including human casualties, infrastructure damage costs, traffic operations, business disruptions, and community impacts. The webinar will take place on July 16, 2024, from 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. EDT.
| On The Web This Week | Back to Top |
Facebook Study Shows Promise for Native Women Recovering from Opioid Addiction
A recent beta test of a Facebook group for Native American women in recovery for opioid-use disorder showed promising results, according to a new study. Researchers created a culturally centered Facebook support group to supplement medication for opioid use disorder. The beta test, involving ten Native American women from Minnesota who are in recovery, showed positive outcomes. All participants, ranging in age from 25 to 62 years old, remained opioid free for the entire 30-day study period. The test points to the potential of the group in fostering a sense of community and shared experience among participants.
Native News Online [Author: Elyse Wild]
Cancer Patients Can Face Treatment Disruptions During Extreme Weather
For people with cancer, climate disasters like wildfires or hurricanes can be especially disruptive. Some cancer treatments, like chemotherapy and radiation, require frequent doctor’s visits. If patients need to evacuate due to extreme weather, they may not be able to get this critical care. Patients can prepare for disasters by creating a medical card that they can give to new doctors with the details of their treatment. They can also identify shelters with medical staff on site and generators to run refrigerators that can keep medicine cold.
How to Protect Yourself During a Heat Wave If You Can’t Stay Indoors
It’s hot and getting hotter for workers and everyone else outdoors as the first significant heat wave of the year makes its way eastward across the United States. Emergency medical services across the U.S. already deployed for heat-related emergencies more than 2,400 times between June 1 and June 14, 2024, according to a government data tracker. From gardeners to builders, not everyone can stay indoors. Here’s some advice on how to cope from some of the people who will be working outside this week: watch yourselves, and others; do what you need early; and know your limits.
PBS News [Authors: Corey Williams & Jim Salter]
| Federal Agency Update | Back to Top |
Department of Labor Announces $12.7M Funding Opportunity to Support Delivery of Employee Safety, Health Training, Education
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) today announced the availability of more than $12.7M in training grants made by its Occupational Safety and Health Administration to support initiatives designed to create safer workplaces. The grants aim to advance job quality for the U.S. workforce by providing instructor-led training for workers, supervisors, and employers in small businesses; industries with high injury, illness, and fatality rates; and vulnerable, disadvantaged workers, many of whom have limited English proficiency or are employed in temporary jobs. Funds will support the delivery of training and education on hazard awareness, avoidance, and controls, and inform workers of their rights and employers of their responsibilities.
EPA, DOE Announce $850 Million to Reduce Methane Pollution from the Oil and Gas Sector
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) announced that applications are open for $850 million in federal funding for projects that will help monitor, measure, quantify, and reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sectors. Oil and natural gas facilities are the nation’s largest industrial source of methane, a climate “super pollutant” that is many times more potent than carbon dioxide and is responsible for approximately one-third of the warming from greenhouse gases occurring today. This funding from the Inflation Reduction Act will help mitigate legacy air pollution, create good jobs in the energy sector and disadvantaged communities, reduce waste and inefficiencies in U.S. oil and gas operations, and realize near-term emissions reductions.
DOE Leads Effort to Improve the Cybersecurity of Energy Supply Chains
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released new Supply Chain Cybersecurity Principles, which establish best practices for cybersecurity throughout the supply chain that supports energy infrastructure. Developed for manufacturers and end users alike, the principles create a framework to strengthen key technologies used to manage and operate electricity, oil, and natural gas systems around the world. Energy systems across the globe are going through a period of tremendous change as they become more digitized, integrate new sources of clean energy, and implement new communications pathways. A global effort can help secure equipment and technologies before they are exploited by cyber actors seeking to cause destruction or disruption to critical infrastructure.
U.S. Department of Labor Announces $10.5M Funding Availability to Support Mine Safety, Health Training, Education
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) today announced that its Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is making $10.5 million in grant funding available to help provide mine safety training for the nation’s miners. MSHA will award these grants as part of its fiscal year 2024 State Grants program to fund the delivery of federally mandated training and re-training for miners working at surface and underground coal and metal and nonmetal mines. State, tribal, and territorial governments are eligible recipients in the agency’s State Grants Program. The agency encourages state programs to use these grants to make training a priority for small mining operations and disadvantaged mines and miners.
HHS Publishes First Round of Inflation Reduction Act Case Studies on Health Sector Climate Investments
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OCCHE) published two case studies highlighting how Boston Medical Center and OhioHealth, a pair of nonprofit safety net health care providers, are using the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to reduce carbon emissions. The case studies are meant to offer health organizations in similar situations a roadmap to use the IRA to serve their core mission, reduce climate-related health impacts, and advance health equity. The case studies are part of OCCHE’s Catalytic Program on Utilizing the IRA, an ongoing effort to connect safety net health care providers to the billions of dollars the IRA makes available for energy efficiency, sustainability, and environmental justice.
| Awardee Highlights/Online Learning | Back to Top |
ASSP Introduces New Mobile Safety and Health Training Courses
The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) has partnered with global technology firm SafetyCulture to provide frontline workers with easy access to updated safety and health training that can be completed on-site in just 15 minutes using mobile devices. The 27 new courses aim to make compliance training widely accessible and highly interactive, even in remote locations. Topics include fall protection, machine guarding, heat stress, hazard communication, and respiratory protection. The training material is now available on SafetyCulture’s online platform with a free account.
Occupational Health & Safety Online [Author: Robert Yaniz, Jr.]
Nonpharmacological Pain Management Approaches Among U.S. Construction Workers: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study
U.S. construction workers experience high rates of injury that can lead to chronic pain. This pilot study examined nonpharmacological (without medication prescribed by healthcare provider) and pharmacological (e.g., prescription opioids) pain management approaches used by construction workers. This pilot study suggests specific factors related to training, job benefits, and worker familiarity with nonpharmacological pain management approaches influence use of these approaches.
American Journal of Industrial Medicine [Authors: Aurora B. Le, Abas Shkembi, Scott Earnest, Elizabeth Garza, Douglas Trout, & Sang D. Choi]
OSHA Video Asks, ‘Is Your Workplace Prepared for Severe Weather?’
A new video from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) provides tips on keeping workers safe before, during, and after extreme weather events. Among OSHA’s tips are not allowing workers to shelter-in-place in structures that don’t have appropriate protection and ensuring workers have the proper personal protective equipment for tasks such as using a chainsaw to remove debris or working with energized power lines. The agency details proper shelter-in-place procedures and preparations in an e-tool on its website.
| Job Openings | Back to Top |
NYCOSH Seeking Industrial Hygienist
The New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH) is seeking an industrial hygienist to provide technical services to workers throughout downstate Metropolitan New York. The job will entail working with a wide range of unions and worker organizations to provide technical assistance, industrial hygiene services, and training. NYCOSH is a coalition of over 200 local unions and 350 individual safety and health activists in the New York metropolitan area that uses training, education, advocacy, and organizing to improve health and safety conditions in our workplaces and communities. The job will be based in New York City.
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