NEW SOLUTIONS: A Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy

In January 1946, the Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology published “A Health Survey of Pipe Covering Operations in Constructing Naval Vessels.” This cross-sectional epidemiological study is one of the most consequential in the history of industrial hygiene and occupational medicine as it errantly concluded that insulation work on ships using asbestos-containing materials was “…not a dangerous occupation.” As a consequence of this innocuous conclusion, the U.S. Navy and others neglected to protect insulators and other employees from asbestos dust for the next 25 years, leading to an epidemic of asbestos-related diseases in active and retired workers. Subsequently, attorneys and expert witnesses used this exculpating conclusion to mount “state of the art/science” defenses for asbestos manufacturers in tort actions, arguing that their clients relied on this publication when they failed to protect their own employees from asbestos or warn their customers of the hazard. Both the industrial hygiene and the medical components of this study were deeply flawed. The successor publisher to the original journal has refused to consider retracting this paper, so this catastrophic blunder may remain a part of the literature, available to asbestos tort defense attorneys and their experts. Publishing industry policies and precedent related to retracting very old articles are reviewed.

MATES in Construction originated in Australia as a workplace suicide prevention program for predominantly male, blue-collar industries with high suicide rates. Accreditation criteria were developed for the purpose of providing recognition for participating sites and promoting the program. Arising from an internal review of the MATES accreditation criteria, this article presents the purpose and history of MATE's accreditation criteria; the rationale and evidence underpinning the accreditation criteria; and the evolving practice of accreditation in the MATES context.

Four accreditation criteria are specified, addressing the 3 levels of the prevention and early treatment spectrum for mental health and illness interventions (universal/selective/indicated): (1) All the available workforce on a work site must be offered General Awareness Training (GAT, universal); (2) Following initial GAT training, at least 80% of the workforce is GAT trained (universal); (3) All workers must have a “line of sight” to a worker/volunteer trained in how to connect people to help (selective); (4) the work site must be able to access an Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Trained person during operational hours (indicated).

MATES programs continue to evolve, possibly warranting additional accreditation criteria in the future to acknowledge the implementation of increasingly comprehensive programs.

The extent to which the MATES justification for and approach to accreditation is generalizable to other contexts is not known; however, the underlying principles and rationale provided are likely adaptable in other contexts.

Escalated pesticide use in Latin America has increased the number of people exposed to these substances. There are controversies about their health risks in rural contexts. This study, conducted 2018–2021, analyzed local perceptions and discourses on pesticide health risks in the Uruguayan agro-city of Guichón. We conducted 16 semi-structured interviews with agricultural, health, educational, and social actors. In addition, we visited the city and observed activities related to pesticide use. This study identified two discourses in tension. On the one hand, we observed statements that minimized pesticide risks and avoided responsibility for protecting health, safety, and the environment. These discourses contrast with those from a health-environmental perspective. They focused on several diseases and the loss of fauna, using complaints as the primary response. In conclusion, it is necessary to promote preventive practices in local workplaces, increase municipal control, and involve community-based actors in the analysis of pesticide health risks.

Improper and unsafe insecticide handling in India remains a concern due to limited awareness and training, despite existing regulations. Using a phenomenological approach, the study gathered insights through semistructured interviews with seven farmers and farm workers in Odisha, India. The study identified environmental change, increasing crop vulnerability to pests, financial burdens, and modern cultivation methods as drivers leading to increased usage of insecticides. Farmers often relied on vendors for guidance rather than label instructions, highlighting the need for clearer communication and improved presentation of instructions to aid comprehension. Disposal practices such as releasing contaminated water into fields or canals and discarding containers by burying, burning, or selling pose risks to human health and the environment. The findings indicate there are systemic barriers to good practice, such as inadequate training or education, a lack of enforcement of regulations on safe handling, and a lack of infrastructure and financial resources for pesticide safe use and disposal. Addressing these issues requires comprehensive reforms, such as stronger policy implementation, more effective enforcement mechanisms, and sustained awareness-raising initiatives. Specific policy recommendations include clearer insecticide labeling, mandatory PPE provision, vendor training, promotion of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and biopesticides, safe disposal practices, and stronger enforcement of pesticide regulations.

In this qualitative study, we sought to understand the experiences of Hanford nuclear workers who navigated health care and compensation systems after exposure to chemical vapors. In 2016, we conducted semi-structured interviews with six workers who had experienced chemical vapor exposure. Our grounded theory inductive analysis produced five themes. In light of Washington State's 2018 Hanford Presumption Law, we added a longitudinal component to our investigation. In 2021, we reconnected with original participants to assess whether their experiences navigating systems had changed. Our analysis produced four themes.

Safe Patient Handling and Mobility (SPHM) programs address the tasks associated with lifting, moving, transferring, and/or assisting patients in healthcare-related settings. Manual patient handling tasks are a major source of occupational injury among healthcare workers, often resulting in harm to the back and musculoskeletal system. We systematically used legal epidemiology policy surveillance methods to capture and evaluate all state-level SPHM policies for US healthcare settings, recording their scope of coverage and enforceable elements. Since 2006, eleven states have enacted SPHM policies to reduce healthcare worker injuries. Two states repealed them later. These policies tended to target higher acuity settings rather than lower acuity or long-term residential settings and favor administrative controls over engineering controls. Specifically, the most common policy interventions included mandatory training and SPHM committees, while interventions targeting SPHM equipment availability or use were less common. Researchers, labor unions, and policymakers should prioritize engineering controls that impact physical workplace safety when crafting SPHM policy interventions.

Between 1917 and 2007, Alcoa operated an aluminum smelting plant in Badin, North Carolina, resulting in hazardous occupational and environmental exposures in West Badin, a predominantly Black community. We partnered with the Concerned Citizens of West Badin Community to document the experiences of prior employees and their families. We used a community-engaged survey approach to summarize residents’ workplace and community-level experiences. Fourteen interviews were coded for recurring themes. Potroom work was the most frequently reported job. Occupational exposures included asbestos, extreme heat, and dust inhalation. Additional workplace stressors included take-home exposures and racism. Most participants expressed concerns about environmental exposures as well. Health conditions most frequently reported included cancer, heart disease, and lung disease. Badin residents experience cumulative impacts of occupational and environmental hazards resulting from Alcoa's operations. This survey served as a tool for documenting their experiences, identifying ongoing environmental concerns, supporting community organizing, and highlighting the resilience of the West Badin community.

In summary: (a) surgical masks provide inadequate protection against airborne pathogens; (b) the current WHO guidelines are harming healthcare workers (HCWs) and patients; and (c) WHO as a global healthcare safety leader has the power to reduce disease burden in healthcare settings through more effective advocacy. WHO should lead decisively toward safer healthcare by establishing respirators as the universal default for all healthcare encounters, with clearly defined, locally-determined off-ramps based on transparent risk indicators and the use of effective engineering controls. This recommendation would align WHO policy with science and existing safety standards and would improve safety for both patients and healthcare providers.

Since September 21, 2023, Government Accountability Project, a whistleblower protection and advocacy organization, has been investigating the federal response to the February 2023 Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Through resident accounts, Freedom of Information Act requests, and whistleblower disclosures, the organization has revealed contradictory information and actions from the federal government with drastic public health impacts while residents continue to suffer from serious health conditions which they were originally told were not going to be a concern. One whistleblower, certified industrial hygienist Stephen Petty, has been a critical asset to the investigation. Though he was originally hired by the plaintiffs’ attorneys to conduct testing in East Palestine, he encountered discrepancies in the Environmental Protection Agency's post-disaster response protocol and, consequently, the data it collected. Petty is not under discretion to share his testing results, but he has vindicated the testing results of independent scientist whistleblowers that have provided them with reason to believe that the effects of environmental contamination in East Palestine is much more serious than what government agencies and Norfolk Southern have told the public.

Silicosis is a devastating, deadly, and thoroughly preventable disease. It literally takes your breath away. In California alone, hundreds of workers have recently been diagnosed with silicosis. At least 27 have died. 52 have undergone lung transplants. Passage of H.R.5437, “The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Stone Slab Products Act,” would prohibit lawsuits against corporations that manufacture or distribute artificial stone. Lawsuits play an important role in public health protection; if lawsuits by workers with silicosis are prohibited, these manufacturers will make no effort to prevent more workers from dying or becoming disabled by silicosis. There are safe substitutes that can make equally fashionable countertops. Shifting to a substitute will result in no loss of American jobs. With new cases on the horizon, the artificial stone industry is asking Congress to prohibit all lawsuits by workers sickened by their products. They blame fabricators who don't follow OSHA's silica standard. The manufacturers know their product is being used unsafely, but do absolutely nothing to stop it. Other industries that manufacture hazardous products practice Product Stewardship. Responsible firms in high–hazard industries consider the risks faced by downstream users of their products and endeavor to limit or mitigate those risks. Passage of this misguided legislation will ensure this doesn't happen – it promises to be a death sentence for workers who fabricate these countertops in the USA.