Archive for September 2020
Widespread distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine could take as long as 2024
Although it is increasingly likely that one of the COVID-19 vaccines currently being tested will be approved or receive Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) before the end of the year, experts are increasingly warning that widespread distribution may take a much longer time. Recently, Adar Poonawalla, chief executive officer of the Serum Institute of India, told the Financial…
Read MoreUVA parent reports mold-infested dorm
Jamie Scher says she was moving her son, a second-year University of Virginia student, into his dorm over the Labor Day weekend when she discovered the room was infested with mold, according to TV station CBS19. The moldy dorm room is located in the Lambeth dorm building. Furniture, cabinets, and walls were covered. She says…
Read MoreResearchers ask: how sustainable is your toothbrush?
Researchers at Trinity College Dublin have examined the sustainability of different models of the most commonly used oral health product – the toothbrush – to ascertain which is best for the planet and associated human health. Although the toothbrush is a widely recommended healthcare device worldwide, there is currently little quantitative data available for its…
Read MoreWildfires force shut down of construction sites in the West
Smoke from unprecedented wildfires across the West has halted construction projects over the past week while slowing others, as California, Oregon and Washington earned the dubious distinction of having the most polluted air on the planet, according to Construction Dive. In Oregon, where air quality index (AQI) levels hit 605 in Williams on Tuesday, well…
Read MoreCrane collision injures 22, hospitalizes 16 in East Austin, TX
Twenty-two have been injured after two cranes collided and became entangled near the Mueller development just east of Interstate 35 in Austin, according to KVUE. Initial reports indicated there was a crane collapse, the station said. Officials later described the incident in a news conference as a collision and entanglement of two cranes, and stressed it…
Read MoreGoogle announces new sustainability pledge
Google has announced a new sustainability pledge that [it says] will create a “carbon-free future for everyone,” as reported in the Everett Post. In a blog post , CEO Sundar Pichai says “The science is clear: The world must act now if we’re going to avert the worst consequences of climate change.” There are four parts to…
Read MoreAfter a decade, OSHA issues new railroad construction rules
Most railroad construction will be exempted from OSHA construction crane regulations when a federal final rule revision takes effect Nov. 16. The changes sought by the railroad industry were announced Monday following almost a decade of litigation and negotiation between OSHA and the Association of American Railroads. The revisions exempt railroad construction workers from having to pass OSHA-mandated…
Read MoreOSHA fines 3 hospital systems for PPE violations
OSHA has issued citations against hospitals and healthcare systems in New Jersey and Louisiana for failing to safeguard its employees with the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) during the coronavirus pandemic. OSHA said it would issue fines against Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, Hackensack Meridian Health and Christus Shreveport-Bossier Health System. According to OSHA, New Bridge Medical and Hackensack…
Read MoreWorker drug abuse hit new record
The number of workforce positive drug tests in the United States hit a 16-year high in 2019, according to Quest Diagnostics, a diagnostic testing and information services company. Specific regions, particularly the Midwest, experienced dramatic increases in positivity for cocaine and methamphetamine as well as marijuana. “There is no question that before COVID-19, rates of…
Read MoreCan plexiglass stop COVID?
When the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic in mid-March, the management at Milt & Edie’s Drycleaners in Burbank, CA, knew they needed to protect their workers and customers. They mandated masks and hung plastic shields at every workstation where customers drop off clothes. The shields allow customers and workers to see each other and talk…
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