The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidelines tightening its previous infection control guidance for healthcare workers caring for patients with Ebola. The guidelines also address concerns about what constitutes proper personal protective equipment for healthcare workers and the correct way to don and doff PPE, among other protocols.  

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL) is seeking information on commercially available Air Purifying Escape Respirators (APER) approved for use in Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) hazards. 

What You Need to Know About PELs

OSHA launched a national dialogue on preventing occupational illness through improved approaches to managing exposures to hazardous chemicals. 

CDC Preparing Ebola Guidance for Wastewater Collection

The guidance, titled Interim Guidance for Workers Handling Untreated Sewage from Ebola Cases in the United States, will address basic hygiene practices, PPE use, and PPE disposal actions for workers who perform sewer maintenance, construction workers who repair or replace live sewers, plumbers, and workers who clean portable toilets. 

Working Together for a Future of Safe Jobs
 

In recent years, the Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration have worked hard to expand their outreach and communications with industry stakeholders, including the metal and nonmetal mining sectors. 

The messy handling of the first Ebola case in the U.S. prompted the nation's largest nurses' union to urge stricter federal safety standards for hospitals.