Occupational Health

The Baltimore Postal Office is accepting applications for an indefinite period from Occupational Health Nurses.A register of eligibles will be created from which future vacancies will be filled.Applicants must be at least 18 and be certified as a registered nurse in a state or U.S. possession or territory.Interested applicants may call 301-347-4318 or write to Testing and Certification, 900 E. Fayette St., Room 300, Baltimore 21233, for an application form.

Researchers commissioned by the Defense Department said Monday that decades-old limits on lead exposure are inadequate to protect the health of workers on military firing ranges. Moreover, the National Academy of Science reported, lead from ammunition fired on Army, Navy and Air Force ranges in the last five years has "frequently exceeded" those limits, "in some cases by several orders of magnitude. " Sen. Ben Cardin expressed concern about the report's implications for workers at Maryland installations with firing ranges, such as Aberdeen Proving Ground in Harford County.

As hospitals look for new sources of patients and revenue, an increasing number are turning to occupational health. Baltimore's Mercy Medical Center provides a dramatic example.In a little more than two years, Mercy has built a network of a dozen affiliated centers from Cumberland to Cambridge, the majority run by other community hospitals. And Mercy was up to 2,871 visits in December (the most recent total available), an increase of more than 400 percent from the 561 visits in December 1993.

BP is a blatant repeat offender — a serial criminal. In 2005, BP's criminal conduct resulted in an explosion at its Texas City Oil Refinery that killed 15 people; this was followed by the Prudhoe Bay, Alaska pipeline oil spill in 2006. In both cases multi-million dollar criminal fines were imposed. BP also paid hundreds of millions of dollars in civil and administrative fines for Occupational Health and Safety Administration and environmental violations. And now, BP is responsible for yet even more deaths and an environmental disaster of devastating proportions.

An article in yesterday's Business section of The Sun LTC misstated the relationship between Concentra Medical Centers and CMC Occupational Health. Concentra has acquired CMC Occupational Health.The Sun regrets the errors.Pub Date: 6/14/96

Dr. Justin Maxhimer's HIV test came back yesterday, three months after he was accidentally poked by a needle while taking blood from an HIV-positive patient. It was negative. Maxhimer, a 31-year-old surgical resident at Johns Hopkins Hospital, sought immediate treatment through the hospital's occupational health office after he suffered the needle stick in March. "They were great," he said of the staff of the occupational health office. "They got me on the anti-retroviral drugs within an hour."

Roger Dean Posey, a retired railroader who was director of occupational health and safety for the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, died March 11 of pancreatic cancer at Gilchrist Hospice Care. The Eldersburg resident was 56. Mr. Posey, whose father was vice president of engineering for the Chessie System, was born in Ashland, Ky., and moved to Arbutus with his family in 1966. He was a 1971 graduate of Lansdowne High School and earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1979.

When you sit down to talk about occupational health with Dr. James D. Levy, a funny thing happens. There's a real transformation in him. His eyes light up. He moves to the edge of his seat.He talks a bit faster, pulling supportive material from here and there.This 50-year-old physician has added an MBA and parlayed that combination to claim the top spot at Baltimore's largest occupational health services firm, CMC Inc. And he's excited about the business.Just what is occupational health? Dr. Levy explains that it's "working with employers on how they can best take care of their employees."

SAN FRANCISCO -- Magnetic fields from household wiring and appliances such as hair dryers, black and white televisions, and electric blankets may increase risk of childhood leukemia, according to a partial report revealed by a utility-supported research agency.The report seems certain to intensify public confusion and worry over magnetic fields that arise from everyday electric currents in power lines, transformers, motors in appliances, televisions and computer video display terminals.Among the conclusions:* Certain kinds of wiring systems used in and around homes, especially if high-voltage power lines and transformers are nearby, seem to increase childhood leukemia risk.

Concentra Medical Centers announced yesterday that it is buying most of the business health program of Mercy Medical Center, further consolidating its position as the largest occupational medicine provider in the Baltimore area.Financial terms were not disclosed.Mercy will continue its contract to provide occupational health services to the Baltimore police and fire departments. Concentra will serve Mercy's other clients, and will close small centers Mercy had in Towson and Brooklyn Park.

Roger Dean Posey, a retired railroader who was director of occupational health and safety for the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, died March 11 of pancreatic cancer at Gilchrist Hospice Care. The Eldersburg resident was 56. Mr. Posey, whose father was vice president of engineering for the Chessie System, was born in Ashland, Ky., and moved to Arbutus with his family in 1966. He was a 1971 graduate of Lansdowne High School and earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1979.

Dr. Justin Maxhimer's HIV test came back yesterday, three months after he was accidentally poked by a needle while taking blood from an HIV-positive patient. It was negative. Maxhimer, a 31-year-old surgical resident at Johns Hopkins Hospital, sought immediate treatment through the hospital's occupational health office after he suffered the needle stick in March. "They were great," he said of the staff of the occupational health office. "They got me on the anti-retroviral drugs within an hour."

Representatives of several city labor unions criticized the contracted health services provided by Mercy Medical Center to public workers yesterday. They complained of cases in which police officers, firefighters and other employees are being forced to work despite suffering from health problems and job-related injuries. In other cases, employees who want to return to work are not being allowed to return to their jobs, the union leaders said during a City Council hearing. "There's so much distrust among my membership," said Rick Schluderberg, president of the Baltimore Fire Fighters Local 734, which has about 1,300 members.

Laurance Rockefeller, 94, a conservationist, philanthropist and leading figure in the field of venture capital, died in his sleep yesterday in New York City. The cause was pulmonary fibrosis, a spokesman said. Mr. Rockefeller -- the fourth of six children of John D. Rockefeller Jr. -- was No. 377 on this year's Forbes magazine list of 587 billionaires, with $1.5 billion. But he was perhaps best known for his environmental work: He served under five presidents in several capacities related to conservation and the outdoors.

ROCKVILLE -- A portion of a partially constructed parking garage in a commercial area collapsed yesterday afternoon, killing two workers and critically injuring a third, authorities said. A fourth worker was missing, and authorities last night were using canine units to search the wreckage. "We're still hopeful" the missing worker will be found alive, said Pete Piringer, a spokesman for the Montgomery County Fire Department. Early last night, the dogs picked up a scent, and rescue teams were bringing in heat and sound detectors in an effort to pinpoint the location, Piringer said.

Employees in the Howard County Clerk of the Circuit Court's office are not getting enough fresh air to breathe, state occupational health inspectors have concluded. A report from Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH), which was recently sent to Clerk of the Circuit Court Margaret D. Rappaport, says that carbon dioxide levels in her offices in Howard's Circuit courthouse are higher than they should be. It also notes other factors that might affect the air quality in the historic, 19th-century building - including dead pigeons decomposing on the roof near cooling fans and "mold growth" in the building.

The nation's largest physician-practice management company focusing on occupational health care has come to Maryland.This morning officials from Concentra Medical Centers will announce their plan to operate a total of 12 health care facilities in the state.Concentra recently bought nine local occupational health facilities, which employ 200 workers. The company will open three additional centers with 150 employees."It's the best thing for the employees, the employers and the state of Maryland, because we reduce the costs of occupational health care anywhere from 30 to 70 percent, and that makes Maryland more competitive for business," said Tom Ward, vice president for operations for the eastern region of OccuSystems Inc., Concentra's parent company.

AT&T touts 2nd Asia networkThree days after announcing that it would help build a $1 billion telecommunications network linking the United States and Japan, AT&T said yesterday that it would solicit investor interest in another $1 billion network linking America and 11 other Asian ++ countries, including South Korea and Taiwan.The expansion of phone service would increase the U.S.-Asia calling capacity by five times and lay undersea cable 10 times the length of the Roman Empire.Mack, UAW near 4-state accordMack Trucks Inc., an Allentown, Pa.-based truck manufacturer, has reached a tentative agreement with the United Auto Workers, covering 3,000 employees in Maryland, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Georgia.

Job fair expected to draw nearly 100 businesses, agencies Close to 100 businesses and government agencies are expected to take part in a job fair Thursday afternoon at Glen Burnie Mall. The free event offers opportunities for people seeking entry-level jobs and for those in the work force, and seminars to brush up on job-application skills. Interviewing techniques will be the subject of a program at 11:30 a.m. - half an hour before the fair formally opens - and a program on improving resumes will be offered at 1:30 p.m. The fair ends at 4 p.m. Among the employers registered to participate are Arundel Mills, the mall that is scheduled to open in November, retail businesses, banks, Verizon Wireless, hotels, temporary employment agencies, and police and prison agencies.

Free seminar to focus on `Managing Through Y2K'The Carroll County Chamber of Commerce and Women's Business Institute are sponsoring a free seminar on "Managing Through Y2K" from 6 p.m. to 8: 30 p.m. Aug. 31 at Westminster Comfort Inn.Participants will learn how to deal with Year 20002 computer problems.The seminar is being held in conjunction with the Maryland Y2K Coalition.Registration is required. Information: 410-628-0380.County seminar to cover employer health programsThe Carroll County Job Service Employer Committee will present a seminar on occupational health programs at 8 a.m. Sept.