Government | The Pump Handle

Drug Safety Messaging study: Putting a human face on opioid addiction increases public support for naloxone

July 17, 2015 Kim Krisberg 1Comment

Every day in the U.S., more than 40 people die after overdosing on prescription painkillers. Deaths from a more notorious form of opiates — heroin — increased five-fold between 2001 and 2013. Addressing this problem — one that’s often described as a public health crisis — requires action on many fronts, from preventing abuse in the first place to getting those addicted into treatment. But when it comes to overdoses, there’s one answer we know works: naloxone.

Government Fatal work injury that killed Jason Strycharz was preventable, OSHA cites Kloeckner Metals

July 16, 2015 Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH

The fatal work-related injuries that killed Jason Strycharz, 40 could have been prevented had his employer followed worker safety regulations.

Environmental Health Occupational Health News Roundup

July 14, 2015 Kim Krisberg

Leaders in the domestic workers movement write about continuing challenges and forward progress; Wisconsin workers lose right to a living wage; OSHA designates DuPont a severe violator; and Michigan advocates organize for paid sick leave.

Affordable Care Act In wake of Affordable Care Act, dramatic declines in out-of-pocket spending on contraception

July 10, 2015 Kim Krisberg

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, American women are saving hundreds of dollars on birth control, according to the first study to document the impact of health reform on prescription contraception spending.

Environmental Health Report explores the dangerous work of recycling: ‘Recycling is the right thing to do, but we have to do it the right way’

July 7, 2015 Kim Krisberg

Recycling our garbage is good for the planet, but a new report finds that the workers who process our recyclable materials often face dangerous and unnecessary conditions that put their health and safety at serious risk.

Cancer Occupational Health News Roundup

June 30, 2015 Kim Krisberg

New investigative series examines the toll of occupational illness and the lack of federal protections; OSHA steps up its efforts to protect nurses; women janitors face sexual assault and rape risks on the night shift; and IKEA reports that raising wages worked so well, the company is set to raise them again.

Food Safety & Nutrition Crippled hands, strained bladders: OSHA cites Delaware poultry company

June 22, 2015 Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH

For the just the second time in 10 years, OSHA issued citations to a poultry company for repetitive motion hazards that cause musculoskeletal injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome.

Government Perspective on TPP in an unlikely place—a medical journal

June 18, 2015 Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH 1Comment

A new take on TPP, which appears in the New England Journal of Medicine, gives me another reason to give the TPP a thumbs down.

Agriculture Occupational Health News Roundup

June 16, 2015 Kim Krisberg

Historic agreement reached between farmworkers and agribusiness in Baja California; New York fast food workers testify in support of higher wages; Cal-OSHA to strengthen its heat exposure oversight; and labor advocates say an upcoming visit from Pope Francis could be a boost for workers.

Environmental Health Researchers find association between proximity to fracking sites and low birth weight newborns

June 12, 2015 Kim Krisberg

The science on the health effects of fracking is still very much emerging. Oftentimes, the growing body of research can’t make a conclusive link between the drilling technique and negative health impacts, but it certainly makes the case that more research is needed. Earlier this month, another study joined the pack.