Weekly E-Newsbrief
March 15, 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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Apply Now for The Women’s Health Awareness, Environmental Justice Community Scholarship Program
NIEHS Women’s Health Awareness is providing scholarships for up to 20 environmental justice community leaders from across North Carolina. Scholarship recipients will attend the 2024 Women’s Health Awareness Conference on April 13, 2024, at Hillside High School in Durham, North Carolina, and host a local event in their community. Applications are due by midnight on March 21, 2024.
WTP Spring Grantee Meeting and Workshop Registration Page Is Now Live!
The registration page for the Worker Training Program (WTP) Grantee Meeting and Workshop, titled “Closing the Gaps: Designing Training with Occupational Health Disparities in Mind,” is now available. The grantee meeting will be held on April 30, 2024, from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. EDT. The workshop will take place on May 1, 2024, from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. EDT, and May 2, 2024, from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. EDT. Registration will close on Friday, April 12, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. EDT.
Wildfire Smoke: State Policies for Reducing Indoor Exposure
The Environmental Law Institute recently released a report, supported by a cooperative agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency, titled Wildfire Smoke: State Policies for Reducing Indoor Exposure. The report highlights recent state policies and programs for reducing wildfire smoke exposure and improving air quality in homes, schools, and other buildings. The examples included in the report illustrate several key policy strategies: interagency coordination and emergency planning; information, outreach, and education; cleaner air centers; material assistance; and regulatory requirements.
ASSP Publishes First Standard on Heat Stress in Construction
The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) has published the first national voluntary consensus standard addressing heat stress for workers in construction and demolition operations. Hundreds of thousands of workers frequently face outdoor hazards such as high heat and humidity. The new standard, Heat Stress Management in Construction and Demolition Operations, offers guidance on protecting workers; explains how to acclimate workers to high heat conditions and provides requirements for training employees and supervisors. The standard contains checklists and flowcharts designed to help companies develop clear and effective heat stress management programs that bridge the regulatory gap.
Why Covid Patients Who Could Most Benefit from Paxlovid Still Aren’t Getting It
Since late December 2023, Americans who have been prescribed Paxlovid have been shocked by the price tag. Before then, the federal government covered the cost of the drug, but now Pfizer has shifted to commercial sales. The price is one reason Paxlovid is not reaching those who need it most. Patients who qualify for free doses, which Pfizer offers under an agreement with the federal government, often don’t realize it or know how to get them. Public and medical awareness of Paxlovid’s benefits is low, and putting people through an application process to get the drug when they’re sick is a non-starter.
Kaiser Health News [Author: Arthur Allen]
Rigid Rules at Methadone Clinics Are Jeopardizing Patients’ Path to Recovery from Opioid Addiction
As over 80,000 Americans die each year from opioid overdoses, patient advocates, public health experts, and doctors have increasingly come to question why methadone is accessible only at some 2,000 specialized clinics, many of which enforce outdated rules and offer low-quality care. The immense time commitment that daily clinic visits require, they argue, can also prevent patients from focusing on aspects of life that could aid their recovery, like their work, family, or education. The strict protocols create a fundamental paradox: People with the most severe addictions are probably the least able to show up at a clinic each morning, and the least able to pay for treatment. As a result, those who need methadone the most are often the people who can access it the least.
STAT News [Author: Lev Facher]
What’s Missing from Railroad Safety Data? Dead Workers and Severed Limbs.
The Federal Railroad Administration requires companies to report incidents where employees are injured on the job, because knowing about them allows officials to spot broader lapses and hazardous working conditions. The agency’s statistics are the main way the public can view the businesses’ safety records. Railroad companies can go to extreme lengths to portray themselves as safer than they really are, such as retaliating against workers who report defects and silencing those who get injured. Investigations into lawsuits against the nation’s largest freight carriers have revealed that the companies have failed to report countless incidents to regulators.
ProPublica [Authors: Topher Sanders, Dan Schwartz, Danelle Morton, & Gabriel Sandoval]
| Calendar Features | Back to Top |
National Environmental Justice Community Engagement Call
The purpose of these calls is to inform the public about the Environmental Protection Agency's environmental justice work and to enhance opportunities to maintain an open dialogue with environmental justice advocates. Topics to be covered in this call include National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants, a community spotlight, and an external civil rights update. The call will take place on March 19, 2024, from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. EDT.
Celebrating Women who Advocate for Change
In honor of Women’s History Month, please join Acting Secretary Julie Su and Women’s Bureau Director Wendy Chun-Hoon for a fireside chat with women workers who are advocating for change in their industries. Co-hosted by the Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau and Chief Diversity and Equity Office, this event will shine a spotlight on the remarkable achievements of women workers. This event will be held online and in-person at the Department of Labor Frances Perkins Building on March 25, 2024, from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. EDT.
Hazardous and Universal Waste: Cradle-to-Grave, Are You in Compliance?
Every organization’s environmental, health and safety team should have a good understanding of its hazardous waste streams and how to properly manage them. Rules concerning waste that’s hazardous to human health and the environment can make compliance more complex. This webinar will review the fundamentals of hazardous waste identification and generation, regulations for specific wastes, and best practices to optimize hazardous waste programs. It will take place on April 18, 2024, from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. CDT.
Essential Health Care Services Related to Anxiety and Mood Disorders in Women: A Workshop
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine planning committee will organize and host a public workshop to identify essential health care services related to anxiety and mood disorders in women. Topics will include identifying and defining essential health care services related to anxiety and mood disorders in women and describing associated health disparities. The workshop will take place on April 29, 2024, from 8:30 – 4:15 p.m. EDT, and April 30, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. EDT both online and in-person at the Keck Center in Washington, D.C.
| On The Web This Week | Back to Top |
Free Resources for Workplace Eye Wellness Month
Eye safety and protection should be a workplace priority. A recent report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that U.S. workers suffered nearly 19,000 eye-related injuries and illnesses in 2020. The use of eye safety equipment can protect against flying shards, wood splinters, metal shaving, chemicals, and other hazards. For Workplace Eye Wellness Month, observed every March, the advocacy group Prevent Blindness is offering free resources, such as fact sheets, graphics, and an educational series.
Immigrant Dairy Workers Often Endure Substandard Housing Conditions. The Law Doesn’t Protect Them.
A new lawsuit filed by the Minnesota Attorney General alleges labor abuses, unpaid wages, and substandard housing for immigrant workers at a large dairy farm. According to the attorney general’s complaint, workers at Evergreen Acres Dairy lived in “squalid” conditions, including in converted barns and a garage, that did not meet Minnesota’s standards for habitability. Several living spaces lacked heat. There was no toilet in one barn where workers lived. While the lawsuit targeted a single farm operation outside the Twin Cities, the reality is that substandard housing is widespread on dairy farms across the country.
The Daily Yonder [Authors: Melissa Sanchez & Maryam Jameel]
The Warmest Winter in U.S. History Leaves Its Mark
The nation’s third warmest February on record secured a place for winter 2023-24 as the warmest in U.S. records going back to 1895, according to the monthly climate update issued by NOAA on March 8. Using the climatological definition of the season, winter 2023-24 averaged 37.6°F for the 48 contiguous U.S. states, soaring 0.82°F above the previous record from winter 2015-16. This stands as the biggest margin from one year to the next-warmest year across the entire 129-year database of winter temperatures.
Yale Climate Connections [Author: Bob Henson]
‘Breakthrough’ Study Ties Microplastics to Strokes, Heart Attacks
A new study ties micro- and nano-plastics, which are easily ingested or inhaled breakdown products of plastics, to cardiovascular disease. The researchers followed 312 patients who underwent a procedure known as carotid endarterectomy, in which plaque in one or both carotid arteries in the neck is removed to deliver more blood to the brain and reduce the risk of stroke. Micro- and nano-plastics were found in the plaque excised from 58% of these patients putting them at significantly elevated risk of non-fatal stroke, heart attack, or death from any cause.
Public Health Watch [Author Jim Morris]
| Federal Agency Update | Back to Top |
U.S. Department of Labor Releases Research on Continued Economic Effects of Job Segregation, Pay Disparities on Black, Hispanic Women
New research released by the Department of Labor (DOL) reveals that Black women lost $42.7 billion in wages compared to white men in 2023, and Hispanic women lost $53.3 billion in wages. These losses are driven entirely by the fact that Black and Hispanic women are concentrated disproportionately in jobs that, on average, pay lower wages than those held by white men. Job segregation is a long-standing driver of the persistent pay inequities experienced by women in the U.S. In 2022, compared to white, non-Hispanic men, the wage gaps were 20% for white, non-Hispanic women; 31% for Black women; and 43% for Hispanic women.
Bearing The Cost: Black and Hispanic Women Lose Billions Due to Job Segregation
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $425 Million to Decarbonize and Manufacture Clean Energy Products in Former Coal Communities as Part of Investing in America Agenda
The Department of Energy (DOE) announced $425 million in funding to reduce industrial emissions and advance clean energy manufacturing essential to the U.S. energy supply chain. The program will strengthen America’s energy security, create good paying jobs, cut climate pollution, and help ensure that the communities that powered our nation for generations reap the economic benefits of the clean economy. The funding will support small and medium-sized manufacturers in current and former coal communities focused on producing and recycling clean energy products and investing in decarbonization at their facilities.
Biden-Harris Administration Takes Major Step to Boost Domestic Manufacturing in Transportation, Create Good-Paying American Jobs
The Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to discontinue its general waiver of Buy America requirements for manufactured products used in federal-aid highway projects. In the rulemaking, the agency proposes discontinuing the waiver and creating standards that would apply to manufactured products if the waiver were discontinued. This rulemaking will change outdated policy and bolster American manufacturing while creating good-paying jobs.
EPA Expands Wastewater Infrastructure Program, Invites Rural Communities to Apply for Assistance
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the expansion of its successful Closing America’s Wastewater Access Gap Community Initiative to 150 communities across Rural America. Originally launched in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Closing America’s Wastewater Access Gap Community Initiative partners with underserved communities across the country to provide technical assistance on accessing federal wastewater funding. Interested communities can request assistance by completing the WaterTA request form.
| Awardee Highlights/Online Learning | Back to Top |
The Recovery-Ready Workplace: The Next Frontier for Employee Wellness
Substance use disorders (SUDs) cost employers an average of $81 billion annually. Creating a recovery-ready workplace can help break down the barriers that prevent employees with SUDs from seeking help. The concept of employee wellness has evolved significantly from a traditional focus on physical health to a newfound emphasis on mental health. Supporting employees with SUD means offering them access to resources and treatment options. Employers can educate their workforce about addiction as a mental health condition, reducing stigma within the workplace.
| Job Openings | Back to Top |
UAW Health and Safey Department Seeking Certified Industrial Hygienist
The United Auto Workers (UAW) is seeking a certified industrial hygienist to join their health and safety department. The role of the certified industrial hygienist is to support the needs of the UAW membership by working closely with leadership from national departments (Ford, General Motors, Stellantis and all other sectors of the UAW), as well as health and safety managers from the companies of the members we represent. This position is full-time and based in-person in Detroit, Michigan.
NOVA Southeastern University Seeking Service Program Specialist
The NOVA Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine is seeking a service program specialist to serve Fort Lauderdale and Davie, Florida. The program specialist will be asked to plan trainings, communicate with trainers, record completed training hours, issue certificates, and collaborate with potential clients. The position is full time and is looking for candidates that have customer and personal service and English language skills.
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