Category: Health and Wellness

First responders, ambulance corps

AIHA Launches Site for First Responder Health Resources

AIHA (formerly the American Industrial Hygiene Association) launched a new website—https://www.workerhealthsafety.org/first-responders—with occupational health resources about the long-term health risks faced by emergency responders. The website includes a case study of training to prepare first responders for rail emergencies and a directory of industrial hygienists and occupational and environmental health and safety (OEHS) professionals.

Workplace masks and distancing

COVID-19: Keep Your Workforce Safe and Healthy During the Pandemic

There is no federal emergency temporary standard for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) exposures, and guidance from federal and state officials seems to change daily. There are a lot of decisions to make and a lot of boxes to check, with incomplete information.

Safely Reopening During a Pandemic: A Q&A with Eric Glass, Senior Risk and Safety Advisor for Building Life and Safety Technologies at UL

For many years, the role of environment, health, and safety (EHS) managers was mainly behind the scenes. For EHS managers, simply developing and overseeing their organization’s safety programs reduced risk, but COVID-19 has changed the stakes, with risks played out center stage. Eric Glass, senior risk and safety advisor at UL, a leading global safety […]

Disinfectant cleaning

NIOSH Compiles Disinfectant Safety, Health Hazard Info Amid COVID-19

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently collected safety and health information on cleaners and disinfectants that employers can use in their hazard communication programs. The NIOSH material includes a table of health hazards and protective measures for chemicals used as disinfectants.

Health, healthcare, total worker health

Safety 2020 (Virtual): Broadening Safety Programs with Total Worker Health

At Safety 2020, the annual conference of the American Society of Safety Professionals, delivered virtually amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Jenn Cavallari, Associate Professor at UConn School of Medicine, encouraged safety professionals to implement the principles of Total Worker Health, an initiative of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), to improve safety performance […]

Substance abuse, mental health, safety

NSC Urges Employers to Brace for Employee Substance Misuse Amid Pandemic’s Impact on Mental Health

According to the American Medical Association, at least 30 states are reporting spikes in fatal opioid overdoses and ongoing concern about mental illness or substance use disorders, all in connection with COVID-19. To help employers address these interconnected issues, the National Safety Council (NSC) is calling on employers to prioritize employee stress and emotional and mental […]