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The E-Newsbrief of the National Clearinghouse for Worker Safety and Health Training is a free weekly newsletter focusing on new developments in the world of worker health and safety.
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More than 250 people across the country have died over the last decade when trenches they were working in collapsed, according to an investigation by NPR, Texas Public Radio and 1A. In every instance, the deaths were preventable, experts say. All but one of the victims were male; the youngest was 16. In many cases, the companies failed to follow basic government rules for making trenches safe. Deaths from trench collapses in the U.S. have fluctuated over the last decade, with the number peaking at 40 in 2022, up 60% from the previous year. These deaths come despite the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s measures to help prevent collapses.
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Nearly 70 poultry workers are being tested for H5N1 bird flu at a chicken farm in Colorado after multiple confirmed cases. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) had previously confirmed four cases and one probable case of the highly pathogenic bird flu at the farm in northeast Colorado, where workers were culling and disposing of infected chickens. Another 69 workers, all of whom had direct contact with the sick birds, are now being tested after reporting mild symptoms and have been instructed to isolate until their results come back.
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More than 356,000 people have a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital setting every year in the United States. Most people are at home when it happens, and about 90% die because they don’t get immediate help from first responders or bystanders. A 2017 study found it takes an emergency medical services unit seven minutes, on average, to arrive on the scene following a 911 call, though response times vary considerably by region, and rural wait times can be much longer. A new drone program in North Carolina is one of a growing number of efforts by public safety and health care organizations across the country to use drones to speed up lifesaving treatment in situations in which every second counts.
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Extreme heat can raise the danger of heat-related illnesses and threaten health by amplifying the side effects of many common medications. Hot weather, too, can damage medicines such as insulin that require refrigeration. Inhalers can explode. Epinephrine injectors such as EpiPens can malfunction. Meds delivered in the mail can deteriorate. Some medicines, such as antibiotics, antifungals, and acne drugs, can heighten sensitivity to the sun, causing rashes and sunburns. Some researchers say some of the common warnings about heat and drugs don’t have a lot of scientific evidence behind them, but as climate change accelerates, there’s a need to know which medicines are the riskiest in the heat.
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Highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza viruses spread mostly among birds, but occasional infections in mammals do occur. The first documented outbreak of H5N1 in cattle occurred in the United States in spring 2024. During this outbreak, the virus has spread within and between cattle herds. If the virus spread through the human population, it could pose a great risk to public health. Yet how the cow H5N1 virus transmits between mammals isn’t well understood. Recent research suggests that H5N1 in cows can infect other mammals, including humans, via raw milk, but they also suggest that airborne transmission isn’t very efficient.
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As the risk of natural disasters continues to increase, the Department of Health and Human Services and other organizations have committed to providing tools and resources to help communities better prepare for, respond to, and recover from these events. The NIEHS Worker Training Program is hosting an Environmental Justice and Natural Disasters webinar aimed to provide resources and tools for communities to better prepare for, respond to, and recovery from disasters. The webinar will take place on July 29, 2024, from 2:30 – 4:00 p.m. EDT.
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The CPWR – Center for Construction Research and Training data center director will share information about work-related fatalities and how they impact different sectors and populations of workers in this upcoming webinar. They will review information from and answer questions about the new Data Bulletin on Fatal Injury Trends in the Construction Industry from 2011-2022 and will also share the latest efforts from the data center to develop a new interactive CPWR Construction Chart Book. The webinar will take place on July 31, 2024, at 2 p.m. EDT.
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Hosted by the World Cares Center, this lunch and learn will help managers identify their stress and implement strategies that protect themselves and the workers they are responsible for. They will understand techniques to reduce and manage stress, time management actions to reduce negative impact, and how to utilize a personal resiliency advisory board to help them navigate the stressors specific to management. This lunch and learn will take place on August 6, 2024, from 1 – 2 p.m. EDT.
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The National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) is hosting a meeting to discuss NEJAC recommendations for cumulative impacts and presentations from EPA programs, among other topics. Public comments on the NEJAC Title VI change are welcome. Please be prepared to briefly describe your comments; including your recommendations on what you want the NEJAC to advise the EPA to do. Submitting written comments for the record are strongly encouraged. The virtual meeting will take place on August 8, 2024, from 1:00 – 6:30 p.m. EDT.
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The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) has developed a heat stress app that uses cutting-edge science to keep outdoor workers and laborers all over the world safe. Leveraging real-time weather information, the application calculates Wet Bulb Globe Temperature and associated risk scoring and makes recommendations based on the real weather conditions users might be experiencing, or a location that they might want to track. The new WTP resource, Building Blocks for a Heat Stress Prevention program, is featured as a resource under the “Signs/Symptoms of Heat Illness” section of the app.
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Princeville, North Carolina, the oldest community in the United States founded by formerly enslaved people, has been trapped in a cycle of disaster and disinvestment for decades. In the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, which submerged the town under more than 10 feet of water eight years ago, Princeville, North Carolina residents debated three distinct options: staying put on the town’s historic land, taking government buyouts to relocate individual families elsewhere, or moving the town itself to higher ground. Princeville has just received millions of dollars in new funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to build a new site on higher ground, offering hope for a large-scale relocation.
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Construction employers can help stem the industry’s elevated suicide rates by enhancing their crisis managements skills via training, as well as providing flexible leave policies and counseling. Recent research explores the importance of mental health in construction. Researchers found that physical strain, cultural expectations, opioid abuse, and demographics are among the characteristics that contribute to suicide in construction, which can create a potential “domino effect” between a worker’s physical and mental health.
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California has had heat standards on the books for outdoor workers since 2005, but the state recently announced that a set of rules for indoor workers had been finalized following an expedited review. California is among a few states responding to the growing impacts of climate change and extreme heat with worker safety standards. The new standards require indoor workplaces to be cooled below 87 degrees Fahrenheit when employees are present and below 82 degrees in places where workers wear protective clothing or are exposed to radiant heat.
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The Department of Energy (DOE) announced its intent to issue a $325 million funding opportunity for the new Programa de Comunidades Resilientes. The program aims to improve community-level energy resilience for vulnerable populations across Puerto Rico, funding solar and battery storage installations for community healthcare facilities as well as community centers and common areas within subsidized multi-family housing properties.
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is working with federal, state, local, and non-governmental partners in response activities related to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), including public health outreach among dairy/cattle farms and their workers. In light of these circumstances, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection remind the public that testing and vaccination sites are considered protected areas. DHS is committed to ensuring that every individual who seeks medical or public health aid, testing, or other assistance as part of the HPAI investigation efforts can do so regardless of their immigration status.
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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced selected recipients of over $4.3 billion in Climate Pollution Reduction Grants to implement community-driven solutions that tackle the climate crisis, reduce air pollution, advance environmental justice, and accelerate America’s clean energy transition. The 25 selected applications will fund projects in 30 states, including one Tribe, that target reducing greenhouse gas pollution from six sectors: transportation, electric power, commercial and residential buildings, industry, agriculture/natural and working lands, and waste and materials management.
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The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), has announced grant awards totaling $45.1 million. Youth wellness continues to be a key focus area for HHS and SAMHSA, and $15.3 million of these funding awards will go specifically to serve children through supporting their mental health in school settings and providing services specific to young people who are at risk for or have serious mental health conditions. These grant awards align with SAMHSA’s mission to lead public health and service delivery efforts that promote mental health, prevent substance misuse, and provide treatments and supports to foster recovery while ensuring equitable access and better outcomes.
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Oregon Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) is offering for free its latest training course on keeping workers safe in confined spaces. The two-hour course features information on protecting workers from hazards in confined spaces, requirements for safely working in these spaces and ways to improve safety. It includes an explanation of permit-required confined spaces, along with details about equipment, rescue and training requirements. The course will be available in Spanish soon.
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There are almost 70 suspected cases of H5N1 (also known as avian flu or bird flu) in workers at a Colorado poultry farm. The extremely high heat conditions in which workers find themselves are abnormal, leading to the potential for greater exposure. Some reports from the poultry farm in Colorado noted that the workers with suspected H5N1 were culling an infected flock while large fans were operating, which may have decreased the effectiveness of personal protective equipment (PPE). Since the beginning of the outbreak of H5N1 on dairy farms, the importance and challenges of PPE use have been at the forefront of conversation around prevention. Even in ideal temperature conditions, correct and effective use of PPE is difficult.
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The Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics is seeking a national coordinator and program manager to help lead a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health-funded nationally recognized program designed to recruit diverse students into the occupational health professions. This position will coordinate the ongoing operations of the occupational health internship program with the leadership team, faculty mentors, and site coordinators in 8 to 12 cities each summer.
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The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), located in Silver Spring, Maryland, has an immediate opening for a health and safety coordinator. The ATU international health and safety department provides support and training to ATU locals across the United States and Canada. They provide training modules, regulatory information, guidance for safety committees, and direct support to all ATU International members regarding workplace health and safety. Responsibilities include collecting and analyzing survey data, providing comprehensive reports and data analysis, and developing hazard specific survey tools, among others.
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Past Issues of the e-Newsbrief and Other Information Is Available on the National Clearinghouse Website
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