Occupational Health News and Research

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Declining biodiversity may contribute to rise in asthma, allergies

Declining biodiversity may be contributing to the rise of asthma, allergies, and other chronic inflammatory diseases among people living in cities worldwide, a Finnish study suggests. Emerging evidence indicates that commensal microbes inhabiting the skin, airway, and gut protect against inflammatory disorders. However, little is known about the environmental determinants of the microbiome.

8 May 2012

Canadian Solar receives OHSAS 18001 certification for occupational health and safety

Canadian Solar Inc., one of the world's largest solar companies, today announced that it has passed the OHSAS 18001 international standards for occupational health and safety after auditing by TUV Rheinland.

23 Apr 2012

ACOEM releases 10 point Agenda for Change

The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) has released its 10 point Agenda for Change - an advocacy plan intended to improve the health of America's workers and at the same time integrate workplace health more closely with the nation's overall health improvement strategies.

21 Apr 2012

Emotional and instrumental support likely to play a critical role in recovery from mental illness

Does the growing number of psychiatric disorder diagnoses have an effect on people with mental illnesses? According to a new study, as definitions of mental illnesses become broader, people who show signs of depression and other common mental illnesses are less likely to evoke a supportive response from friends and family members as are people with other severe mental disorders.

10 Apr 2012

Early administration of corticosteroids reduces ED stay for children with asthma

Children with moderate or severe asthma attacks who are treated with systemic corticosteroids during the first 75 minutes of triage in the Emergency Department (ED) were 16% less likely to be admitted to hospital.

5 Apr 2012

AABB issues new RBC transfusion guidelines

The transfusion of red blood cells is a common treatment in clinical practice. However, the level at which they are transfused varies based not only on a patient's health, but also is determined by what the administering physician deems appropriate. Today, the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) has issued new guidelines, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, recommending that transfusion of red blood cells be considered at a hemoglobin threshold of 7 to 8 g/dL for stable adults and children.

28 Mar 2012

Efforts must continue to bring clean water, sanitation, food to the world

In a post on Science Blogs' "The Pump Handle," Liz Borkowski, a research associate at the George Washington University School of Public Health's Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, recognizes World Water Day, discusses the importance of access to clean water and sanitation facilities.

23 Mar 2012

Drexel experts available to comment for news stories about autism

Experts at Drexel University are available to comment for news stories about autism for Autism Awareness Month in April. Drexel recently established the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, the nation's first autism center focused on public health science.

22 Mar 2012

Infection preventionists, healthcare epidemiologists play key roles in promoting antimicrobial stewardship

Infection preventionists and healthcare epidemiologists play key roles in promoting effective antimicrobial stewardship in collaboration with other health professionals, according to a joint position paper published today by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) in their respective peer-review journals, the American Journal of Infection Control and Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.

20 Mar 2012

High job strain decreases risk of mortality in white-collar women

Work defined by high job demand and also high control, a so-called 'active job', decreased the risk of mortality in white-collar women, the Finnish study published in BMJ Open found.

19 Mar 2012

Work stress soars with recession: Study finds

A latest study suggests that work-related stress has increased by 40 per cent as economic prosperity has declined. It shows that the number of people taking time off work has risen by 25 per cent between 2005 and 2009 as workers struggle with fears over job security, a lack of managerial direction and poor communication.

26 Feb 2012

AChemS recognizes Monell Center molecular biologist as outstanding junior scientist

Molecular biologist Ichiro Matsumoto, Ph.D., of the Monell Center, is the recipient of the 2012 Ajinomoto Award for Young Investigators in Gustation, awarded annually by the Association for Chemoreception Sciences (AChemS) to an outstanding junior scientist who is an emerging leader in the field of gustation.

22 Feb 2012

Work place carcinogens responsible for 5,000 cases of cancer annually

According to researchers carcinogens in the workplace are causing about 5,000 cancers each year and medical experts say not enough is being done to reduce the risks.

21 Feb 2012

Study examines mercury exposure in pregnant women

A new study published by researchers at SUNY Downstate Medical Center's School of Public Health assesses mercury levels in pregnant women and examines dietary and environmental sources of exposure to mercury. The research, which focuses on an urban immigrant community, examined risk factors that may be associated with elevated mercury levels, measured through urine and cord blood samples.

18 Feb 2012

Sandia's decontamination foam now used for meth lab cleanup

Sandia's decontamination foam, developed more than a decade ago and used to decontaminate federal office buildings and mailrooms during the 2001 anthrax attacks, is now being used to decontaminate illegal methamphetamine labs.

17 Feb 2012

CRT2012 conference to discuss PCI procedures using CorPath 200 System

Corindus Vascular Robotics, a leading developer of precision vascular robotics, today announced that Giora Weisz, M.D., Director of Clinical Cardiovascular Research at the Center for Interventional Vascular Therapy at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center and Associate Professor of medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, N.Y. will present his personal experience using the CorPath 200 System as part of the CorPath PRECISE Trial during a scientific presentation "Cath Lab of the Future: Robotics" at the Cardiovascular Research Technologies' annual meeting, CRT2012.

7 Feb 2012

Clorox launches new H2O2 cleaner disinfectant wipes and spray

Clorox Professional Products Company, a division of The Clorox Company announced today the introduction of Clorox Healthcare(TM) Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner Disinfectant Wipes and Spray, a new line of ready-to-use, one-step cleaner disinfectants engineered with a patented activated hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) formula.

31 Jan 2012