Midwest Consortium for Hazardous Waste Worker Training - MWC

09/07/2026

This Labor Day, we celebrate the workers who keep our communities moving, growing, and thriving. Their work supports the systems, services, and industries we rely on every day, and every worker deserves to return home safe and healthy.

MWC is proud to support safer workplaces through education and training.

🔗 mwc.umn.edu

09/02/2026

👃 Your nose can get used to an odor surprisingly quickly. When that happens, you may stop noticing the smell even though the substance is still present. Don’t rely on your sense of smell alone to determine whether the air is safe, especially around chemicals or other potentially hazardous substances.

🔗 mwc.umn.edu

08/28/2026

🧊 A new ice island roughly the size of Manhattan has broken away from Greenland’s Petermann Glacier, marking its largest floating ice loss since 2012. Researchers are using satellite imagery to monitor the glacier’s 43-mile floating ice tongue, track the newly formed ice island, and watch for future calving events. like Petermann help scientists better understand changes in the Arctic, Icebergs, and the broader polar .

🔗 mwc.umn.edu

The calving event marked the largest loss of floating ice in over a decade.

08/26/2026

👂 Hearing damage from workplace noise often happens gradually, so you may not notice the effects right away. Repeated exposure to loud equipment like power tools, heavy machinery, lawn equipment, construction equipment, and sirens can contribute to permanent hearing loss over time. Using proper hearing protection and reducing noise exposure can help protect your hearing on the job.

🔗 mwc.umn.edu

08/24/2026

⚠️ Australia’s federal government alleges that 3M knew for decades that -containing firefighting foam could harm people, animals, and the . The lawsuit focuses on contamination at 28 defense bases and raises ongoing concerns about “forever chemicals,” groundwater , cleanup costs, and long-term risks.

🔗 mwc.umn.edu

Exclusive: Federal government court filings claim internal company documents included warnings about products being toxic

08/21/2026

🦗 Researchers at Michigan State University found that neurons can detect and distinguish multiple compounds at environmentally relevant levels. The discovery could help lead to portable biological sensors that screen for “forever chemicals” more quickly and broadly outside the lab.
mwc.umn.edu

Researchers at Michigan State University have discovered that neurons in a locust's brain can distinguish among multiple PFAS compounds, including PFOS, one of the world's most common "forever chemicals," at environmentally relevant concentrations.

08/19/2026

🌿 Just because something is “natural” doesn’t mean it’s safe. Poison ivy, arsenic, and mold all occur naturally but can still pose health risks.

When evaluating a product or substance, look beyond labels like “natural” and consider the actual ingredients and potential hazards.

🔗 mwc.umn.edu

08/18/2026

🎓Real-world training. Real-world impact.🎓

Participants in a University of Minnesota Emergency Response Refresher course shared how previous training has helped improve safety on the job and in the community, from reducing lithium-ion battery fire risks when handling electric vehicles to using lead-testing skills to identify potential exposure sources in a family’s home.

These experiences show how practical safety training can support better decisions when they matter most.

🔗 mwc.umn.edu

08/17/2026

🌊 Warming waters are expanding the range of *Vibrio vulnificus*, a rare but dangerous that can infect open wounds or contaminate raw shellfish. experts warn that even small cuts, scrapes, new tattoos, or piercings can create a risk when swimming, fishing, or wading in warm coastal or brackish waters.

mwc.umn.edu

Rising ocean temperatures are creating new habitats for this type of bacteria, including along the East Coast.