Clearing the Air about COPD No one disputes that smoking is the major cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the difficulty breathing that strikes so many Americans in their twilight years. A new study by Duke University and Â鶹ÊÓƵ researchers, however, reminds us that smoking is far from the only cause, and we still have a lot of work to do if we are going to protect construction workers. Investigators compared the work histories of 834 construction workers with COPD to 1243 controls who did not. Workplace exposures to an unhealthy combination of vapors, gases, dusts and fumes (VGDF) accounted for nearly one in five COPD cases. Many workers with COPD had never smoked a day in their lives; one-third of these cases were attributable to workplace exposure. A simplistic view of COPD in the workforce might lead employers to begin and end with smoking cessation efforts, but the evidence says otherwise. In construction, at least, occupational exposures remain a major cause of COPD in their own right, and we need to protect workers by getting VGDF under control. A summary of is available from Â鶹ÊÓƵ; the complete report appears in the . |
Â鶹ÊÓƵ WEBINARS Temporary Workers in the Construction Industry
August 5th @ 2:00pm (ET), 15 min. -- Presentation on Â鶹ÊÓƵ's recent Quarterly Data Report: , followed by Q & A. Hazard Communication Training for Construction Workers August 18th @ 1:30pm (ET), 20 min. -- Introduction to Â鶹ÊÓƵ's FREE English- and Spanish-language curriculum for a 4-hour program that complies with 29 CFR 1910.1200. |
Â鶹ÊÓƵ IN PRINTRecently Published Journal Articles by Â鶹ÊÓƵ Scholars
John Dement, Laura Welch, Knut Ringen, Patricia Quinn, Anna Chen and Scott Haas. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, published online ahead of print.
. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, August 2015. Issue includes:
. Laura Welch and Robin Baker.
. Everly Macario, Sandra Wills Hannon, Robin Baker, Christine M. Branche and Christina Trahan.
. Charlotte Chang, Laura Nixon and Robin Baker.
. Suzanne Teran, Hillary Blecker, Kelsie Scruggs, Javier GarcÃa Hernández and Barbara Rahke.
Laura Boatman, Debra Chaplan, Suzanne Teran and Laura S. Welch.
Laura Welch, Dustin Russell, Deborah Weinstock, and Eileen Betit.
.Robin Baker, Charlotte Chang, Jessica Bunting and Eileen Betit. |
| | ONLINE RESOURCES Find the latest on regulatory efforts and Create-A-Plan to control exposures at -- a one-stop source of information on how to prevent a silica hazard and protect workers is the premier online source for construction health and safety information, with research, training materials, fact sheets and more
is a safety and health database designed with construction contractors and workers in mind - an inventory of common industry hazards paired with common-sense solutions
Visit for information on our training programs, research findings, and resources for your health and safety or research initiatives |
ISHN, 6/25/2015 ISHN, 7/3/2015 
OH&S, 6/1/2015 |
| ABOUT US Â鶹ÊÓƵ -- Â鶹ÊÓƵ is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created by North America's Building Trades Unions, AFL-CIO. Working with partners like you in business, labor, government, and the universities, we strive every day to make work safer for the 9 million men and women who work in the U.S. construction industry! |
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