Anniversaries of two deadly workplace disasters remind us of the hazards of combustible dust and gas blows; a former Cal/OSHA employee warns that the agency is dangerously understaffed; and CDC uses sugar-industry money to fund studies into the epidemic of chronic kidney disease striking Central American sugarcane workers.
After having delivered prime-time telecasts from the Olympic Games since 1988, NBC’s Bob Costas had to step aside due to a pink eye infection. For millions of US workers, missing work due to illness can mean losing pay or even being fired — which makes it hard for them to stay home and spare their co-workers from disease exposure. Several states are considering legislation to assure workers can earn paid sick leave.
Public Health Practice
Worth reading: Infant mortality in Detroit and what the ACA means in Kentucky
Foundations, hospitals, and government agencies work to reduce Detroit’s infant mortality rate, which is the worst among large US cities; newly insured residents of Breathitt County, Kentucky head to doctors to treat long-standing health problems; and an addiction researcher discusses why overdosing is the leading cause of accidental US deaths — and what we can do about it.
A judge questions whether the NFL’s proposed settlement will be enough to meet the needs of former football players suffering from neurological problems; the collapse of two cell towers in West Virginia kills two communications workers and one firefighter; and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health publicizes resources for preventing musculoskeletal disorders.
In last night’s State of the Union speech, President Obama addressed several ways to “make sure our economy honors the dignity of work, and hard work pays off for every single American.” Legislation already introduced in Congress would raise the minimum wage, expand access to paid sick days, and create a social insurance system for paid medical and family leave — but Congress hasn’t voted on the bills. In the absence of federal action, state and local governments are stepping up.
Three articles just published in the American Journal of Public Health address home-visit programs for expectant and new parents. As accumulating research finds these interventions to improve children’s health and development, will the Affordable Care Act’s funding for home-visit programs be renewed?
Workers at a Walmart-contracted warehouse walk off the job in sub-zero temperatures and demand heaters, while Walmart faces a federal complaint for retaliating against striking workers; lobbyists mount campaigns against worker centers; and OSHA offers new resources for hospital safety.
For the first time, Congress has specified how Prevention and Public Health Fund money will be allocated — a move that helps assure it won’t be shifted to other healthcare priorities that don’t significantly advance prevention.
Public Health Practice
Worth reading: West Virginia chemical release, antibiotics in agriculture, and using statistics to tackle substance abuse
Reporters and bloggers delve into the chemical release that tainted tap water for thousands of West Virginians; the problem of antibiotic overuse by livestock producers, and what to do about it; how one statistician is working to advance effective treatments for substance abuse; and more.
ProPublica investigates the hazards of temporary work, while the death of a temp worker at an Amazon warehouse underscores the severity of the problem; three California counties are recognizing nail salons with worker-friendly practices; and Bangladesh charges the owners of Tazreen Fashions factory, where 112 workers died in a fire, with culpable homicide.