"The decision to declare an influenza pandemic will fall on my shoulders," Dr. Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization, said Friday. "I can assure you, I will take this decision with utmost care and responsibility."
According to the Department of Labor, the budget ends the Work Incentive Grants program, saving $17 million, because the program has accomplished its mission and the lessons learned are being incorporated into other programs.
Recipient Erik P. Delaney, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who specializes in EH&S, hazmat, and safety management, "has distinguished himself by the breadth and depth of his knowledge regarding the management of hazardous materials, and through the professionalism he exhibits in dealing with the public, his co-workers, and other industry professionals," said IHMM Board of Directors Chair Elizabeth Pfeiffer.
WorkCover New South Wales, the workplace safety authority in Australia's most populous state, has designated May 2009 as Slips, Trips and Falls Month as it tries to raise awareness of the issue.
The Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission are alerting the public to be wary of Internet sites and other promotions for products that claim to diagnose, prevent, mitigate, treat, or cure the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus.
The U.S. Fire Administration has completed its review of a recently released study conducted by the TriData Division of the System Planning Corporation, analyzing firefighter presumptive cancer legislation and attempting to prove or disprove a correlation between firefighting activities and the occurrence of cancer. According to USFA, while this study is considered thoughtful and well-presented, its results are scientifically inconclusive and indicate that more expansive study is in order.
"There's a common misconception about who's at risk. Many people think that occupations like miners and chemical workers are at high risk. But in fact, hairdressers, dental hygienists, industrial bakers and even teachers are at risk, too," said Dr. Susan Tarlo, a respirologist at the University of Toronto and a spokesperson for the Ontario Lung Association for World Asthma Day (May 5).
"Planning for pandemic influenza is critical, and the business community must not delay in considering the impact of a pandemic and to adjust their company's employee health and safety plans accordingly," says AIHA President Lindsey Booher, CIH, CSP.
There are currently no products authorized for sale in Canada that are indicated specifically for the treatment of H1N1, the federal department says.
A new study by University of Maryland researchers suggests that the potential for an avian influenza virus to cause a human flu pandemic is greater than previously thought. Results also illustrate how the current swine flu outbreak likely came about.
The annual seven-day event will be observed in multiple countries and will include the awarding of the annual "safety-on-the-job" children's poster contest winners, one of whom is Abigail Helser, 8, of Portage, Wis., whose work is shown here.
People with swine influenza virus infection should be considered potentially contagious as long as they are symptomatic and possible for up to 7 days following illness onset. Children, especially younger children, might potentially be contagious for longer periods.
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius also announced her agency has begun moving 400,000 treatment courses to Mexico to help slow the spread of the H1N1 virus there.
The significance of surface RH is that it "bridges the gap between HVAC people's understanding of humidity issues and their relationship to mold problems," consultant and author Lew Harriman says.
The promise and potential hazard of nanotechnology are both being explored at a rapid pace, Acting NIOSH Director Christine M. Branche reported recently.
In the 10 years since the American Industrial Hygiene Association and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists last held their annual conference and exposition in Toronto, the world has changed—often dramatically, more often subtly. One subtle change is that American attendees of AIHce 1999 did not have to carry their passports just to return home from the event, as they will for AIHce 2009, which convenes at the Toronto Convention Centre May 30 through June 4.
Manager Carlos Mondragon, who heads Dimension Data Mexico, explains here how the company's Mexico City office is coping with flu-related disruptions while striving to keep its employees well and informed.
The U.S. Fire Administration and the International Association of Emergency Medical Services Chiefs have both issued detailed guidance for EMS and other responders to use during the flu.
The Maritime Advisory Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (MACOSH) will meet May 19-20, 2009, at the Sheraton Anchorage Hotel in Anchorage, Alaska, to discuss topics such as speed limits and safety zones in marine terminals and commercial fishing, among other issues. Notice of the meeting appears in the April 27, 2009, Federal Register.