Category: Health and Wellness

Lung disease, COPD

CDC Notes COPD May Be Caused by Workplace Exposures

Researchers have found a prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) among nonsmoking workers in the information industry and in office and administrative occupations, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Marijuana and opioids, drug use

EHS on Tap: E43 Safety in the Stoned Age: Discerning ‘Impairment’ from ‘Under the Influence’

More and more states are legalizing traditionally illegal substances such as marijuana, and legal substances such as alcohol or prescription medication still have a high potential for abuse. It’s a special concern for environment, health, and safety professionals, as on-the-job use or abuse of any drug can potentially have devastating, even life-threatening consequences. However, safety […]

Stress

Safety Summit 2019: How Must EHS Address Fatigue, Stress, and Well-Being?

At BLR’s Safety Summit 2019, taking place April 8-10 in Austin, Texas, Sionnain McNally, OSH Services Manager for the Manufacturing Safety Alliance of British Columbia, presented a session on the need for safety professionals to broaden their perspective on workplace safety to encompass mental health, stress, fatigue, and other factors affecting employee well-being.

Particulate matter (PM)

PM-2.5 Report Is Flawed, Science Committee Concludes

A 1,880-page draft report on the risk particulate matter (PM) imposes on human health may undergo extensive revisions because the EPA’s powerful Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) has concluded that the methods used by the authors of the report are flawed and that the authors’ estimated impact PM has on mortality is overstated.

Holiday Hazards: Stress

The World Health Organization has called stress “the health epidemic of the 21st century.” According to the annual StressPulse Survey conducted by employee assistance program (EAP) provider ComPsych Corporation, stress and personal relationship issues are the most common reasons for employee absence, accounting for nearly half (47%) of employee absences—handily beating out medical issues. Given […]

Cleaning equipment with cart on the floor in office building

Norovirus Protection Starts with Proper Cleanup

When temperatures drop, people start to head indoors to keep warm. But with close quarters comes a dramatic uptick in communicable disease, including norovirus. While often mistakenly referred to as the “stomach flu,” it is a completely different virus. It is the leading cause of gastroenteritis, and with its rapid onset, norovirus can quickly overwhelm […]