Trenton, NJ — A coalition of state attorneys general has written a letter supporting OSHA’s proposed changes to the agency’s injury and illness recordkeeping rules.

Tampa, FL — Fatal workplace injuries are most likely to occur on Thursdays and in the month of August, according to a recent analysis.

Boca Raton, FL — Management commitment, communication and the setting of clear expectations are common elements of successful return-to-work programs for injured employees, according to a new report from the National Council on Compensation Insurance.

Cambridge, MA — Early screening for psychosocial risk factors may aid in a worker’s recovery from an on-the-job injury, a new white paper from the Workers Compensation Research Institute suggests.

Chicago — A group of researchers is calling for an increase in occupational health and safety research focused on Indigenous people.

Iowa City, IA — Organizations seeking better safety results should adopt a more precise accounting system, a group of international researchers suggests.

Washington — OSHA is reminding employers of the upcoming window to submit 2022 Form 300A data.

Washington — OSHA is revising its Site-Specific Targeting inspection program to update the Form 300A data it requires.

Washington — OSHA is reminding employers of the March 2 deadline to submit their 2022 Form 300A data electronically.

Washington — OSHA has published 2022 injury and illness data submitted by more than 300,000 establishments and says it’s working to identify employers who haven’t complied.

Washington — OSHA’s changes to which workplaces are required to submit annual injury and illness data are undergoing final review, according to an Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs dashboard.

Washington — OSHA is asking for input on leading indicators – how they’re being used and their impact on safety and health management systems.

Washington — The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is now accepting charges of discrimination under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.

Washington — OSHA has finalized its revised rule on submitting annual injury and illness data.

Washington — Six states are dropping their lawsuit against OSHA after the agency finalized changes to its revised rule on submitting annual injury and illness data.

Tampere, Finland — Deaths caused by workplace injuries and illnesses spiked an estimated 26% globally over a recent six-year period, results of a recent study indicate.

To learn more about how safety and health metrics can be used more effectively to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses, OSHA has asked the National Safety Council to conduct a survey.

Washington — OSHA is set to host a two-part webinar series on recordkeeping and the electronic submission of workplace injury and illness data.

Washington — Reminder to employers: If you’re required to submit to OSHA a yearly summary of injury and illnesses data, you must send your 2023 data by March 2.

Washington — A recent letter of interpretation from OSHA clarifies whether a fatal motor vehicle incident involving an employee would be considered work-related.

Quincy, MA — Eighty-nine firefighters died while on duty or within 24 hours of duty last year, according to the National Fire Protection Association’s annual report.

When a building burns down, a lawsuit arises around a contract waiver between an alarm company, a building owner, and the insurance company.

An insurer sues an alarm company for failing to respond when a subscriber’s pipes burst, but a lack of a contract negates the claim.

A woman alleged a defective smoke alarm led to severe burns on her hand while frying chicken. An appellate court decided otherwise.

Website operators who seek to bind visitors to the terms of an arbitration agreement must make those terms “reasonably conspicuous” under the law.

A man trapped for five days after a fire tore through an apartment building filed a suit seeking compensation to punish the defendant.

A worker claiming unsafe working conditions sought unemployment benefits after quitting is role as a technician with a fire services company.   

A decision recently rendered in Illinois involved a requirement that a property be retrofitted with an automatic sprinkler system. The municipality had previously mandated that commercial buildings be retrofitted with the fire/life safety solutions. The ordinance excluded multiple residence dwellings from the retrofit sprinkler requirement.

In Michigan, an arsonist set the plaintiff’s liquor store on fire.

A California rule is used in deciding cases of workplace safety.

A U.S. District Court decision clarifies why the defendants’ conduct was not the legal cause of a plaintiff’s death. 

A state trooper dispatched to a burglar alarm activation at a warehouse leads to litigation over whether or not the defendant was legally apprehended.

An Illinois state law ensures that individuals are in control of their own biometric data and prohibits private companies from collecting it unless they meet certain consent criteria.

A plaintiff entered into a negotiated plea agreement under which he agreed to reimburse his victim for a video surveillance camera and other security equipment.

A plaintiff argued that the terms of an original alarm services agreement were immaterial because it wasn’t suing on the contract, but on tort and implied warranty theories.

State legislatures are enacting consumer data privacy laws, which provide consumers with more choice over how companies acquire and utilize their personal data.

An alarm company allegedly failed to obtain the required approvals before disarming a customer’s video surveillance system.

Guest columnist James D. Berkeley details why a U.S. federal court dismissed an inventor’s attempt to copyright artwork produced by an image generator he designed.

At issue is a contractual provision whereby an insured waives the right of their insurance carrier to seek redress or seek compensation for losses from a negligent third party.

Following the unfortunate death of a woman who had activated a PERS alarm, a jury will decide the damages. 

A party that signs a document is conclusively bound by its terms absent a valid excuse for having failed to read it.

Before entering the house from the garage, the defendant announced his and the K-9’s presence and ordered anyone in the house to surrender or they would be bitten by the dog.

A court has to decide whether or not a malfunctioning smoke alarm was the fault of the manufacturer or intentional disablement.

A home invasion case recently decided by the Court of Appeals in the State of Michigan involved the use of video from a security camera entered into evidence.

A court has to decide if a police officer’s actions rise to the level of reckless disregard for the safety of others.

A class action lawsuit against a law firm for alleged negligence in safeguarding personal data highlights the growing importance of confidentiality in security practices amid rising cyber threats.

A court affirmed an insurer’s decision to deny a fire damage claim due to the absence of an automatic extinguishing system.

A court ruled that a security contractor was not liable for a carjacking incident, citing the absence of a special relationship and the unforeseeable nature of the crime.

A female defendant, convicted for using aluminum foil to bypass retail anti-theft sensors, challenged the conviction by arguing the foil’s common household use.

A court ruled that an employer’s reasonable and good faith belief in compliance with wage statement laws precludes penalties for failing to report unpaid meal break premiums as wages.