Scientific Integrity & Ethics | The Pump Handle

Addiction & Substance Abuse Study: Flavoring chemicals linked to occupational illness found in electronic cigarettes

December 16, 2015 Kim Krisberg 1Comment

In a recent study, Harvard public health researchers decided to test a few dozen types of electronic cigarettes for diacetyl, a flavoring chemical associated with a severe respiratory disease known as “popcorn lung.” The researchers found diacetyl in a majority of the e-cigarettes they tested. News outlets jumped on the findings, with some announcing that e-cigarettes could cause the often-debilitating respiratory disease.

Consumer Product Safety Commission ANSI’s Nail Gun Safety Standard ignores safety research, ANSI process criticized

December 16, 2015 Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH 5Comment

ANSI new safety standard for nails guns ignores a decade of injury research. It’s process largely excluded those directly affected—consumers and workers—and was dominated by groups with an interest in the unsafe status quo.

Government California poised to adopt violence prevention standard for health care workers: ‘Violence shouldn’t be part of the job’

December 14, 2015 Kim Krisberg 1Comment

In 2010, Donna Gross, a psychiatric technician at Napa State Hospital for more than a decade, was strangled to death at work by a mentally ill patient. While on-the-job violence in the health care sector was certainly nothing new at the time, the shocking and preventable circumstances surrounding Gross’ death helped ignite a new and coordinated movement for change. Now, just a handful of years later, California is set to become the only state with an enforceable occupational standard aimed at preventing workplace violence against health care workers.

Environmental Health Occupational Health News Roundup

December 9, 2015 Kim Krisberg

The importance of protecting vulnerable workers in efforts to combat climate change; Dallas officials vote for mandatory rest breaks; University of Chicago’s nontenured instructors vote to form a union; and Cal/OSHA launches investigation into porn production company.

Environmental Health New report investigates chemical safety inside the fragrance industry, calls for stronger oversight and disclosure

December 4, 2015 Kim Krisberg

Take a quick look around your home and chances are you’ll find at least one product with an ingredient simply described as “fragrance.” But what exactly does that mean and is there anything harmful in the ubiquitous chemical cocktails we refer to as fragrance? Maybe. But the real answer is that it’s hard to know for sure — and that, say advocates, is bad for public health.

Government Trial of Mining CEO Blankenship: “Guilty” say the jurors

December 4, 2015 Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH

The criminal trial of Don Blankenship ended this week with a guilty verdict on one of the three charges against the former Massey Energy CEO. The reaction from family members and reflections from Charleston Gazette reporter Ken Ward make up my favorite quotes from this final week of the trial.

Government Trial of Mining CEO Blankenship: Quotes from Week 8

November 27, 2015 Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH 2Comment

The criminal trial of former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship is in its eighth week. Ken Ward, Jr. of the Charleston Gazette continues to provide updates from the courtroom, but far fewer now that most of the action is behind closed doors where the jury is deliberating.

Child Labor Occupational Health News Roundup

November 24, 2015 Kim Krisberg

Manufacturing workers in the border city of Ciudad Juárez organize for better working conditions; a stretched OSHA struggles to ensure safe workplaces in Houston; Fight for $15 makes it to the U.S. Capitol; and OSHA investigates the death of a FedEx worker in Memphis.

Government Trial of Mining CEO Blankenship: Quotes from Week 7

November 20, 2015 Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH

The criminal trial of former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship went into its seventh week. The jurors heard from the prosecution’s 27th (and final witness) and heard the defense team rest its case without calling any witnesses.

Child Labor 7-Eleven workers organize against workplace violence: ‘Convenience store workers deserve to be safe’

November 20, 2015 Kim Krisberg 2Comment

In February 2015, a group of 7-Eleven night shift workers in Buffalo, New York, filed a complaint with OSHA. Sick of enduring regular bouts of verbal harassment, racial slurs and even death threats from customers — threats they often experienced while working alone with no security guard — they hoped OSHA could help bring about safer working conditions. Unfortunately, the agency decided not to investigate.