There is a new “pox” on lab safety—monkeypox. Like the most recent novel virus (COVID-19), the unknowns about the monkeypox virus are creating new safety concerns for laboratorians, and it is now time to nip unnecessary fears in the bud. Safety leaders can accomplish this through preparation and...
The fire began in the university chemistry laboratory and quickly got out of hand. The local fire department was called as the flames became too much for extinguishers to handle. When the fire trucks arrived, the battalion chief asked for a chemical inventory so that his crew would be aware of...
Risks in the laboratory can be split into two categories, says Sean G. Kaufman, CEO and founding partner of the lab safety company Safer Behaviors. First, he says, are the physical and environmental risks that will always be a part of the job no matter what. These represent...
The latest rollback of COVID-19 safety guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a serious risk for prolonging the pandemic, says National Nurses United (NNU), which is calling on the CDC to reverse the new guidelines.
With the spread of the delta variant of COVID-19, mask and vaccine mandates are coming back, and hospitals are reaching or exceeding capacity in some regions. That may mean higher demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) and a new rise of fraudulent or black market N95 masks and other...
The United States is seeing a 16% increase in daily new cases over the previous week and more than 40 states have an increase in daily new cases over the previous two weeks as well as 25 states seeing an increase in hospitalizations, according to NNU. The rise in cases is not surprising due to “...
The hazard communication standard (29 CFR 1910.1200)—sometimes referred to as the HazCom standard or “worker right-to-know”—remains one of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) most frequently cited standards.
Be aware that as COVID-19 cases decline and vaccination rates climb, the emergency waivers and measures approved to get through the public health emergency will be changing.
