The Pump Handle

Occupational Health News Roundup

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has called distracted driving a “deadly epidemic,” but people can’t seem to ignore their cell phones while behind the wheel. The New York Times’ Matt Richtel points out that bosses often require their workers to check...

Published Fri, Oct 02 2009 2:26 PM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Confined Space @ TPH

Worker right-to-know in post-industrial America

By Myra Karstadt During World War II, the United States was the “Arsenal of Democracy,” and American manufacturing literally won the war. After World War II and through approximately 1970, Americans manufactured and exported more goods than any other...

Published Mon, Nov 23 2009 7:04 AM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Occupational Health & Safety

“Coal’s Assault on Human Health”

The title of a new report from Physicians for Social Responsibility (via the Charleston Gazette’s Ken Ward) doesn’t pull any punches – it’s called Coal’s Assault on Human Health. While noting that coal mining presents risks to miners and local communities...

Published Tue, Nov 24 2009 11:53 AM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Environmental Health, Global warming

Sign of bad things to come from Obama’s OMB: Sunstein hires staunch anti-reg economist

I’ve already complained about the slow pace of regulatory change on OHS issues in the now 10-month old Obama Administration, but my mind sunk when I heard yesterday this news: OMB/OIRA’s regulatory czar Cass Sunstein has hired for his reg...

Published Wed, Dec 02 2009 10:25 AM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Occupational Health & Safety, Confined Space @ TPH, Regulation, Environmental Health

Ozone from China

by revere, cross-posted from Effect Measure It used to be my job to teach the environmental health survey course for public health students and air pollution was a topic I spent a lot of time on because it interested me and intersected some of my research...

Published Mon, Jan 25 2010 7:33 AM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Environmental Health

Faces of diacetyl danger

Reporter Anietra Hamper of Columbus (OH)’s WBNS puts names and faces to the serious health consequences linked with exposure to the butter-flavoring agent diacetyl. In part I of her six-month investigation, Common Food Flavoring Changed Lives Forever...

Published Fri, Feb 12 2010 10:27 AM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Occupational Health & Safety, Confined Space @ TPH, Flavoring Workers' Lung (Popcorn/Diacetyl), OSHA

Your home is your (dangerous) castle

by revere, cross-posted from Effect Measure Most people feel safe at home, but statistically it’s not the safest place to be, at least in terms of being injured (here injury includes not only trauma but poisoning, but if we restrict it to trauma...

Published Tue, Feb 09 2010 8:38 AM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Safety

The Growing Global E-waste Problem

We’ve written before about the problem of e-waste (see here and here), and a new report from the United Nations Environment Programme underscores the urgency of the situation. In a nutshell, discarded electronics contain valuable substances that are worth...

Published Tue, Feb 23 2010 6:27 AM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Occupational Health & Safety, Environmental Health

EPA Takes on Chemical Confidentiality

Although the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act requires chemical manufacturers to alert the government about new chemicals they plan to market, companies can keep that information a secret from the public by claiming that disclosure could harm their business...

Published Mon, Jan 11 2010 6:57 AM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Environmental Protection Agency, Chemicals Policy

EPA Fights Smog

Back in 2008, the EPA went against the advice of its Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee and set the limit for ground-level ozone at 75ppb. Today, the agency has announced it will set the primary standard at between 60 and 70 ppb measured over eight...

Published Thu, Jan 07 2010 2:36 PM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Environmental Health, Environmental Protection Agency

IG slams Bush’s OSHA, twice in one day

The Dept of Labor’s Inspector General issued not one, but two reports yesterday criticizing OSHA’s management practices, and fueling calls for the prompt appointment of competent, worker-safety committed leaders to get the agency back on track...

Published Thu, Apr 02 2009 9:25 AM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Occupational Health & Safety, Confined Space @ TPH

Health and Safety in Healthcare

As is always the case at APHA, there are far too many fascinating presentations for one person to see – so I hope those of you who are also here in Philly will add comments about some of the sessions you’re attending and what you’re...

Published Tue, Nov 10 2009 11:40 AM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Occupational Health & Safety, Healthcare

New study finds early success of anti-addiction vaccine

On the phone last night with my mom, I started complaining about how late in the season my office would be providing its employees with flu shots. She asked me if I was planning to get one, and like any good graduate of public health school, I answered...

Published Tue, Oct 06 2009 8:48 AM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Infectious diseases, Research, Tobacco

Good Moves from EPA on Toxic Substances

Jennifer Sass at NRDC’s Switchboard blog takes a look at the good things that the Obama administration EPA, headed by Administrator Lisa Jackson, is doing on toxic substances. Three of the ones she pointed out particularly caught my eye; she writes...

Published Thu, Oct 29 2009 2:46 PM by The Pump Handle

Filed under: Environmental Health, Environmental Protection Agency, Nanotechnology

Earth Day, Labor, and Me

By Joe Uehlein, cross-posted from Common Dreams The approach of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22 provides us an opportunity to reflect on the “long, strange trip” shared by the environmental movement and the labor movement over...

Published Tue, Apr 20 2010 6:33 AM by The Pump Handle