Hazardous Drugs in Health Work Updated

With NIOSH’s recently published Hazardous Drugs in Healthcare Settings, 2024 list showing a 2015 cutoff date for FDA-approved medications, facilities should include other sources when using the document to guide safe handling policies and procedures, according to experts.
The list guides employers in providing safe and healthy workplaces by identifying FDA-approved drugs that meet the NIOSH definition of a hazardous drug, however the actions recommended by NIOSH are voluntary and not legally required.
“This list is an invaluable resource for millions of workers in healthcare settings who may potentially be exposed to hazardous drugs in the course of their work,” said NIOSH Director John Howard, in a statement. “The updates to the list … [complete] a suite of tools that we encourage workers and their employers to use to manage risk and be protected from potentially hazardous exposures.”
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Separately, the agency has updated its policies to prod employers to use “individual, qualitative fit testing” to assess the effectiveness of workers’ hearing protection devices.
While recommending the use of individual hearing protector fit testing in the field as a best practice for employers, NIOSH doesn’t favor any particular fit-testing method.
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The Department of Health and Human Services is including fentanyl in its drug testing panels for federal workplace programs.
Under a rule published Jan. 15 and set to go into effect July 7, the agency is revising its panels for Schedule I and II drugs and biomarkers authorized for urine and oral fluid testing.
HHS hasn’t approved any biomarker tests for use with federal workplace drug testing specimens.
It’s estimated that 0.1-0.3% of submitted federal workplace urine specimens will test positive for fentanyl and/or norfentanyl, HHS said, based on information from non-regulated workplace drug testing and studies.
The agency did not remove methylenedioxyamphetamine and methylenedioxymethamphetamine from the testing panels, as had been expected.
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Protex AI has secured $36 million in a Series B round that the AI-driven workplace safety firm said will speed up its U.S. expansion.
The Ireland-based startup claims its tech solutions help customers make measurable safety improvements, including an average 64% reduction in risk within just three months of deployment.
The firm’s generative AI tool, Protex Copilot, enables safety professionals to quickly analyze large datasets, extract actionable insights, and deliver tailored recommendations, according to its statement on Wednesday.
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