CDC updates recommendations on building ventilation

Original article published by Safety+Health

Washington — Occupied buildings should undergo at least five clean air changes an hour, according to updated ventilation guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The agency says air changes can be accomplished via “any combination of central ventilation system, natural ventilation or additional devices that provide equivalent [air changes per hour] to your existing ventilation.” CDC explains on its website how to calculate air changes per hour.

Another updated recommendation: installing air filters with a minimum efficiency reporting value of 13 or higher. The revised guidance also addresses post-occupancy flushing of building air and details cost considerations for ventilation strategies.

CDC also added to its list of answers to FAQs, as well as revamped all of the FAQs “to include a concise answer, followed by more detail.”


McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

Mark your calendars for the National Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-By Incidents

Original article published by Safety+Health
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Photo: CPWR

Washington — An annual event intended to raise awareness of struck-by hazards – and how to prevent them – is set to take place April 17-21.

The National Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-By Incidents, scheduled in conjunction with National Work Zone Awareness Week, will kick off with a webinar hosted by CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training.

OSHA says the four most common struck-by hazards involve falling, flying, swinging or rolling objects.

“The national stand-down encourages employers and workers to pause voluntarily during the workday for safety demonstrations; training in hazard recognition and fall prevention; and talks about hazards, protective methods, and the company’s safety policies, goals and expectations,” states the National Work Zone Awareness Week website, managed by the American Traffic Safety Services Association.

Resources related to work zone, lift zone and heavy equipment safety are available from CPWR.

NIOSH’s National Occupational Research Construction Sector Council coordinates the stand-down, while partnering with OSHA, CPWR, and the American Road and Transportation Builders Association.


McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

American Heart Month

Original article published by CDC

American Heart Month Toolkits 2023

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February is American Heart Month, a time when all people can focus on their cardiovascular health. This Heart Month the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention is expanding the reach of the Million Hearts® and CDC Foundation’s “Live to the Beat” campaign, which focuses on encouraging and empowering Black adults ages 35 to 54 to take small steps to reduce their risks for cardiovascular disease (CVD).

CVD and CVD mortality are increasing in working-age adults, and Black adults are among those bearing the highest burden of CVD and the related health consequences, particularly in the United States. Black adults in the United States die from heart disease at a rate two times higher than White adults.

We encourage individuals, health care and public health professionals, and our partners to help close the disparities gap.

Using this website’s tools and “Live to the Beat” resources, help your patients, family, and friends learn how to control their blood pressure, manage their cholesterol and blood glucose levels, move more, eat healthier, stress less, work with their health care team, and quit smoking.


Protect your heart! During American Heart Month, follow NIOSH on FacebookInstagramTwitter, and LinkedIn for the latest research and information related to workplace safety and health and your heart.


McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

April Is Workplace Violence Awareness Month

First published by CDC.Workplace violence

Workplace violence is any type of violence or threat of violence against workers. It generally occurs in the workplace but can also happen away from it. Workplace violence can range from threats and verbal abuse to more serious events that lead to physical assaults, homicides, and mass casualty events, such as those that occurred recently at workplaces in Atlanta, Georgia, and Boulder, Colorado. Because April is Workplace Violence Awareness month, we would like to share resources on what we know based on research and also where research gaps still exist.

Workplace violence can occur anywhere and at any time, but certain groups of workers are at increased risk. These groups include those who exchange money with the public; transport passengers, goods, or services; work alone or in small groups late at night or early in the morning; and come into close contact as they treat and provide patient care. Examples include retail workers, nurses, taxi drivers, and others who commonly interact with customers, clients, or patients. However, workplace violence doesn’t have to involve workers and customers or clients. Threats and assaults can also come from other employees, supervisors or managers, a domestic partner, or a current or former spouse.

The risk of workplace violence has not decreased during the pandemic—in fact, many incidents have occurred in the past year. The pandemic has intensified feelings of stress and created uncertainty about the future for many, including employers, workers, customers, and clients. Workers were threatened and assaulted as businesses implemented new disease prevention policies and practices. In response, CDC has developed guidance for employers and employees in retail and service industries to address workplace violence during this time of uncertainty. Over the last year, there were other violence incidents, including ones affecting healthcare workers, public health professionals, and other frontline workers who experienced stigma, threats, and assaults. Some CDC guidance may be applicable to these groups of workers as well.

NIOSH researchers have studied this complex issue since workplace violence was identified as a public health concern in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Employers and employees in large and small businesses, as well as healthcare settings, can use these resources and trainings to help reduce workplace violence. While we have learned a lot about workplace violence prevention over the years, knowledge gaps still exist. And with that, NIOSH continues to prioritize the need for additional research to improve violence prevention for workers through non-pandemic and pandemic-relatedpdf icon research.


McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

‘No compelling evidence’ ibuprofen makes COVID-19 worse, CDC says

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Photo: miflippo/iStockphoto

Washington — Taking ibuprofen or similar anti-inflammatory painkillers does not “worsen the course of disease” for people who contract COVID-19, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official recently said in response to conflicting information shared on social media.

“We review the scientific literature regularly and speak to colleagues, and at the present time, there’s no compelling evidence that ibuprofen and other drugs like it can make you sicker if you have COVID-19,” John Brooks, chief medical officer for CDC’s COVID-19 emergency response, says in a video statement posted April 10 on the agency’s Twitter account.

On March 14, three days after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, French Health Minister Olivier Véran wrote on his Twitter account that taking anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen may exacerbate infection.

According to reports, a WHO spokesperson on March 17 recommended that individuals not take ibuprofen. However, the organization backtracked on its position a day later, tweeting, “Based on currently available information, WHO does not recommend against the use of ibuprofen.”

Brooks says questions regarding anti-inflammatory drugs are common, and the agency will give any updates if necessary. He recommends frequent handwashing and maintaining physical distancing. “That way, you don’t infect other people, and they can’t infect you.”