OSHA Notifies Workplaces with High Injury and Illness Rates
from OSHA
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has notified more than 13,500 employers nationwide that their injury and illness rates are considerably higher than the national average More

Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance
from CDC via MMWR
Work-related lead exposure remains a national occupational health problem, the research by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) points to the need to strengthen prevention efforts by industry, government, labor, and a dedicated effort to strengthen the public awareness. More

Multifaceted Approach to Assess Indoor Environmental Quality
from NIOSH
It has been estimated that indoor environmental quality-related health issues cost businesses in the range of $20–70 billion annually due to lost productivity, decreased performance, and sick absences. Some of these health effects include respiratory issues that could fall under the classification of work-related asthma. More

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NIOSH Will Measure Atmospheres of Sealed Areas
from Occupational & Health Safety
NIOSH asked coal mining companies to provide a list of mine sites where the agency can conduct studies on the composition of atmospheres within sealed areas. This research will test whether potentially explosive methane mixtures are present in those areas, how gas concentration changes over time and is affected by barometric pressure changes, and whether methane layering exists. More

NIDA Launches Drug Use Screening Tools for Physicians
from NIH
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health, today unveiled its first comprehensive Physicians’ Outreach Initiative, NIDAMED, which gives medical professionals tools and resources to screen their patients for tobacco, alcohol, illicit, and nonmedical prescription drug use. More

Uproar Among the Molecules
from The Australian
Trade unions normally mount a picket over job losses or workers rights, but this week members of the ACTU hit the airwaves about a tiny matter: nanotechnology. For ACTU assistant secretary Geoff Fary, nanoparticles may be the asbestos of the 21st century. And he wants the federal Government to take notice. More

Study Reveals Cancer Culprits in Tobacco Smoke
from Reuters via MSNBC
Scientists have detected two substances in tobacco smoke that directly cause lung cancer, and they said on Sunday the finding may help one day predict which smokers will develop the disease. More

Using GPS to Track Down Asthma Triggers
from Scientific American
Global positioning system (GPS) devices are everywhere these days -- in cars, cell phones, dog collars -- and now, even in asthma inhalers. Researchers from the University of Wisconsin in Madison recently launched a study using GPS devices to monitor where and when patients use their inhalers, a technology they hope will uncover unrecognized triggers of asthma symptoms. More

FDA Approval of Expanded Age Indication for a Tetanus Toxoid, Reduced Diphtheria Toxoid and Acellular Pertussis Vaccine
from CDC via MMWR
On Dec. 4, 2008, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an expanded age indication for the tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid and acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap) Boostrix (GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, Rixensart, Belgium). Boostrix is now licensed for use in persons aged 10-64 years as a single-dose booster immunization; the vaccine initially was licensed for persons aged 10-18 years. This announcement summarizes the indications for use of Boostrix. More