The FDA, already under fire in the wake of widespread food- and drug-contamination problems, is now facing criticism for its failure to adequately guard against conflicts of interest in its assessment of the safety of bisphenol A. FDAâs draft assessment of the chemicalâs safety placed more weight on industry science â Sarah Vogel critiques the […]
The Union of Concerned Scientists has just released a report on the media policies at federal agencies, in order to assess âthe degree of freedom with which science is communicated at federal agencies.â The nonprofit organization analyzed 15 regulatory and science agenciesâ policies governing communication with the media and the public, and then surveyed a […]
By Ruth Long We, in the United States, generally feel safe when it comes to our water. Most people turn on their faucets at home without so much as a thought to where the water comes from or whether it is safe to use (consume). It would baffle us to no end if, for whatever […]
A long awaited OSHA proposed rule on crane safety was published in the Federal Register on Oct 9. The current OSHA safety standards on cranes and derricks dates back to at least 1971, and these proposed changes have been in the works for 10 years. I’ve criticized OSHA’s Asst. Secretary for the deadly delay in proposing this rule, and it is […]
by revere, cross-posted at Effect Measure Here’s some public health man-bites-dog news. George Bush’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) did something right:
Bloggers have more thoughts on the environmental and human-health impacts of the economic crisis: Sarah Rubenstein at WSJâs Health Blog explains why a sick economy can make the case for health reform more compelling. Joe Paduda at Managed Care Matters suggests a way to improve the health insurance situation that doesnât require a huge amount […]
Iâm repeating myself here, but itâs for a good cause. At the Project on Scientific Knowledge and Public Policy at George Washington University School of Public Health, weâve launched a multi-part study to understand the current policies surrounding scientistsâ work at government agencies and to create recommendations for policies that support strong science and the […]
Itâs open season at many workplaces, the time when employers who offer health benefits let employees choose among different health coverage options for the coming year. The Wall Street Journalâs Anna Wilde Matthews reports that companies are reluctant to raise workersâ share of premiums, given that wages are stagnant, and many are instead increasing deductibles […]
The United Steelworkers (USW) and the United Mine Workers (UMWA) have sent letters to Asst. Secretary of Labor Richard Stickler asking for additional hearings and a longer public comment period for its proposed rule on mandatory drug and alcohol testing for workers in the mining industry. In one press account, the public hearings yesterday were called […]
Last month, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) proposed a rule that would require all U.S. mine operators to adopt the Dept of Transportation’s 100-page regulation on drug- and alcohol-testing. Setting aside the fact that MSHA’s proposal is a poorly designed, substantiated and written, the following is a news account, reported by Mine Safety […]