NIOSH Updates Guides for Hurricane, Flood Workers

• NIOSH has published an updated guidance document of its Hurricane and Flood Key Messages for Employers, Workers, and Volunteers.
• The Emergency Responder Health Monitoring and Surveillance (ERHMS) framework provides information for protecting response and recovery workers during small and large emergencies in any setting. ERHMS covers the pre-deployment, deployment, and post-deployment phases of a response.
• The guide includes a link to the Emergency Responder Health Monitoring and Surveillance National Response Team Technical Assistance Document, which describes how to implement activities in each phase of response and recovery.
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Silica Rule Delay Prompts Protest

• Retired coal miners angry over delays in enforcing a 2024 rule to protect miners from rock dust exposure mounted a protest at the U.S. Labor Department on Tuesday.
• The rule was designed to protect all U.S. surface and underground miners from rock dust generated as coal operations and find themselves and miners cutting through more rock to reach thinner coal seams.
• The new silica rule has faced a series of implementation delays during the Trump administration, including a pending U.S. Eighth Circuit appeal by the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association to block it.
• A court decision is expected on Oct. 23.
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Teladoc Launches AI Workplace Safety for Hospitals

• Teladoc has introduced a workplace safety feature within its AI-driven Clarity monitoring solution, designed to assist health systems and hospitals in tackling violence in the workplace.
• The solution comprises hardware, software, and services that enable care teams to monitor resources and care environments.
• It supports a variety of applications, including workplace safety interventions and virtual sitting.
• As an incident unfolds, the solution promptly alerts staff and care teams, facilitating early intervention. It detects particular safety risks such as an individual invading a nurse’s personal space or interfering with medical equipment.
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BC Manufacturing Serious Injury Rate 44% Higher Than Average

• The serious injury rate in manufacturing over the past five years has been 44% higher than the average across all industries in British Columbia, according to the province’s occupational safety agency.
• During that time, more than 26,000 manufacturing workers lost time from work due to injury, including over 4,300 serious injuries.
• The most common types of accidents were overexertion, being struck by or against objects, falls on the same level, and getting caught in machinery or equipment.
• The agency, WorkSafeBC, conducted over 7,700 inspections in the manufacturing sector last year.
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