Workplace safety
OSHA releases updated safety guidance for all industries
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Thursday updated its guidance for all industries, closely mirroring what is currently in place in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines.
Pharma, biotech manufacturer cited in deaths
An Eatontown, New Jersey, manufacturer has been fined $13,653 for allegedly failing to protect employees adequately from workplace exposure to COVID-19 following two deaths.
Roofing company faces $1.2M in fines for fall violations
A Washington roofing company faces fines of $1.2 million from the Washington Department of Labor & Industries for allegedly repeatedly putting its workers at risk, the department said in a statement Thursday.
NY legislature passes bill to change workers comp attorneys fees
The New York Assembly on Thursday passed legislation that would tie attorneys fees to the weekly compensation awarded to workers or a percentage of the worker’s compensation.
NSC, Amazon partner on musculoskeletal disorders
The National Safety Council and Amazon.com Inc. announced a five-year partnership on Thursday aimed at creating new ways to prevent musculoskeletal disorders among workers.
Revisions to Cal/OSHA emergency temporary standard withdrawn
The California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board unanimously voted Wednesday night to withdraw revisions to the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health’s COVID-19 emergency temporary standard seven days after they were approved.
OSHA’s long-awaited ETS only applies to health care workers
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Thursday released the details of its long-awaited Emergency Temporary Standard, which it says will only apply to health care workers.
OSHA plans to tackle infectious disease standard in 2022
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s stalled infectious disease standard could get a boost next year with the agency seeking to increase its budget for rulemaking by more than 50%.
NFL to pay $1M for research on cannabinoid impact on players
The National Football League and the NFL Players Association Pain Management Committee announced a request for proposals for medical researchers to investigate the effect of cannabinoids on pain management in football players.
Houston Methodist announces nearly 100% vaccination rate
One of the first major hospital systems to publicly require all employees receive a COVID-19 vaccination has announced a nearly 100% vaccination rate among its staff.
OSHA to release virus emergency temporary standard
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will release its long-awaited COVID-19 emergency temporary standard on Thursday.
N.J. Senate passes COVID dependent bill
The dependents of essential workers in New Jersey who die from COVID-19 in the course of employment may receive enhanced benefits if a bill that passed the state’s Senate becomes law.
AFL-CIO push for OSHA to issue temporary rule denied
A circuit court denied on Thursday a petition filed by labor unions that would have forced the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration to issue an emergency safety rule to address COVID-19.
Ranch hand’s family may sue for wrongful death
The family of a ranch worker crushed to death by a bull is not precluded from seeking wrongful death and survival claims from the ranch, the Texas Supreme Court held Friday.
Bill asks safety committees to give opioid risk information
The Pennsylvania Senate unanimously passed a bill Wednesday to require employers who have certified safety committees as part of their workers compensation programs to include information about the risks associated with opioid use.
Pot users no more likely to be injured on job: Study
Marijuana users are no more likely to suffer injuries on the job than their coworkers who abstain, according to a study published in the May issue of the medical journal Substance Use and Abuse and conducted by researchers at the University of British Columbia.
Insurer failed to prove cause of guard’s fall unexplained
A workers compensation insurer failed to prove that a security guard’s fall that resulted in a hospital treatment for a brain injury was “idiopathic,” or unexplained, the Workers’ Compensation Court of Montana ruled Tuesday in denying a summary judgment to the insurer.
Quest Diagnostics launches COVID workplace testing products
Quest Diagnostics on Wednesday announced a new suite of COVID-19 workplace testing products aimed at helping employers ensure safety among workers.
