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Sanders and DeLauro reintroduce bill on paid sick leave

Washington — Recently reintroduced legislation would allow certain workers to annually accrue up to 56 hours of job-protected paid sick leave.




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Report reveals large gap between worker and CEO views of empathy

West Des Moines, IA — Workers are far less likely than CEOs to describe their workplace as empathetic, suggesting that executives “are living very different work experiences than their employees, a new report contends.




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Rising Stars of Safety, Class of 2023

Meet the 2023 Rising Stars of Safety – 36 young safety professionals who are making an impact.




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Biden again taps acting Labor Secretary Julie Su to lead DOL

Washington — President Joe Biden has renominated Julie Su for labor secretary, but Su’s path to confirmation remains murky.




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Would you take a pay cut in exchange for a safer workplace?

Addison, TX — Nearly half of workers in a recent survey say they’d take a pay cut to work for an employer with a better safety culture.




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A collaborative approach to safety

The National Safety Council names ATS the recipient of the 2023 Robert W. Campbell Award.




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Julie Su’s renomination to lead Department of Labor clears Senate committee

Washington — The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee approved Julie Su’s nomination for labor secretary for a second time, with an 11-10 party-line vote on Feb. 27.




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Rising Stars of Safety, Class of 2024

Meet the 2024 Rising Stars of Safety – 38 young safety professionals who are making an impact.




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Guide provides information about carcinogens in the workplace

Montreal – A recent publication from the scientific research organization IRSST focuses on work-related cancer.




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More focus needed on preventing silica-related illnesses: report

Atlanta – Stronger regulations and early-detection efforts are necessary to prevent and diagnose occupational lung illnesses related to silica exposure, according to a new research review from Emory University and the American Cancer Society.




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Study of former IBM plant shows no conclusive link between exposures and cancer

Washington – Results of a NIOSH study of workers at a former IBM plant could not establish a definitive link between chemical exposures and cancer risk.




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Legislation aims to ensure workers’ comp for certain firefighter diseases

Washington – Firefighters who work for federal agencies and contract certain diseases on the job would be ensured federal workers’ compensation coverage under newly introduced bipartisan legislation.




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Airline crews twice as likely to develop melanoma: study

San Francisco – Pilots and cabin crew have about twice the incidence of melanoma – the most serious type of skin cancer – compared to the general population, a recent study indicates.




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Bladder cancer risk increasing in certain jobs: study

Sheffield, England – The risk of bladder cancer is rising in some occupations, a review of research from the University of Sheffield indicates.




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Survey of European workplaces reveals most frequent cancer-risk exposures

Madrid — Solar ultraviolet radiation and diesel engine exhaust emissions top the list of most frequent exposures that put European workers at risk for cancer, results of a recent survey show.




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OSHA releases electronic form for whistleblower complaints

Washington – Workers can now submit whistleblower complaints electronically, OSHA announced Dec. 4.




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Check workplace foot safety off your list

A new foot safety hazards checklist from Red Wing covers specific sources of foot injuries – with some more obvious than others. From slippery floors and automatic closing doors to uneven surfaces and puncture hazards, the list takes a proactive approach to avoiding foot-related injuries and keeping your business running safely.




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Final rule delays compliance date for crane operator certification

Washington – OSHA is delaying by three years its certification requirements for crane operators, the agency announced in a final rule published Sept. 25.




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Crane operator certification requirements: OSHA proposes one-year delay

Washington – OSHA is seeking a one-year delay on crane operator certification requirements scheduled to go into effect in November.




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OSHA issues long-awaited proposed rule to clarify crane operator requirements

Washington — OSHA is moving to finalize changes to its crane operator certification requirements, according to a proposed rule published in the May 21 Federal Register.




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Few changes for OSHA, MSHA in fall regulatory agenda

Washington — The Department of Labor’s regulatory agenda for fall 2018, released Oct. 17, contains few changes for OSHA and the Mine Safety and Health Administration.




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OSHA delays enforcement of crane operator documentation requirements for ‘good faith’ employers

Washington — Employers who make “good faith efforts” to document their evaluations of crane operators have an additional 60 days to comply with OSHA’s Cranes and Derricks in Construction: Operator Certification Extension, according to a Feb. 7 enforcement memorandum from the agency.




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OSHA issues temporary enforcement policy after crane operator certification organization’s accreditation lapses

Washington — OSHA has issued a temporary enforcement policy for the construction industry after being informed by the Sanford, FL-based Crane Institute Certification that the organization no longer is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency, as required under section 1926.1427(d) of OSHA’s Cranes and Derricks in Construction Standard.




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NIST researchers unveil mathematic formula for safe crane operation

Gaithersburg, MD — Using an equation they derived while studying the “motion of a so-called torsional pendulum,” researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology have found a “surprising link” between the equation and the work of crane operators on construction sites.




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CPWR: Construction industry accounts for about half of job-related electrical deaths

Silver Spring, MD — Roughly half of the fatal workplace injuries related to electricity exposure in a recent 10-year period occurred in construction, according to a new report from CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training.




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South Carolina OSHA plans to adopt an infectious disease standard

Columbia, SC — South Carolina OSHA has announced its plan to adopt a standard on infectious diseases in the workplace, including COVID-19.




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In effect: Oregon OSHA emphasis program on preventing heat-related illness

Salem, OR — Extreme heat in the Pacific Northwest this summer has spurred Oregon OSHA to launch a Local Emphasis Program aimed at preventing heat-related illness.




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Three states at risk of losing OSHA State Plan status over COVID-19 rules: reports

Washington — OSHA has warned Arizona, South Carolina and Utah to adopt their own version of the agency’s emergency temporary standard on COVID-19 for health care workers or face possible revocation of their State Plan status, according to multiple reports.




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California updates COVID-19 workplace rules

Sacramento, CA — Additional revisions to California’s emergency temporary standards on COVID-19 have been adopted by the state’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board, to include the California Department of Public Health’s latest recommendations for reducing the spread of the disease.




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Bloodborne pathogens: Oregon OSHA launches Spanish-language training course

Salem, OR — Oregon OSHA has launched a Spanish-language online training course on bloodborne pathogens for health care, emergency response, hospitality and other industries.




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OSHA proposes to revoke Arizona’s State Plan status

Washington — Citing Arizona’s “pattern of failures to adopt and enforce standards and enforcement policies at least as effective” as those used by OSHA, the agency is proposing to “reconsider and revoke” the final approval of the state’s State Plan for oversight of worker safety and health.




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Silica dust hazards: New Spanish-language training from Oregon OSHA

Salem, OR — Oregon OSHA has launched a free online training course on silica hazards for Spanish-speaking workers.




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OSHA extends deadlines for input on proposed revocation of Arizona’s State Plan status

Washington — OSHA has extended until July 5 the deadline to comment on its proposal to revoke Arizona’s State Plan status.




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OSHA invites comment on pending approval of Massachusetts State Plan

Washington — A State Plan covering Massachusetts’ state and local government employees is a step closer to reality after OSHA recently published a proposed rule outlining its initial approval.




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OSHA reopens comment period on its proposal to revoke Arizona’s State Plan status

Washington — OSHA will reopen, for an additional 60 days, the comment period on its proposal to revoke Arizona’s State Plan status, the agency has announced.




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OSHA grants initial approval of Massachusetts State Plan for public-sector workers

Washington — A State Plan covering Massachusetts’ state and local government employees is now a reality after OSHA announced its initial approval.




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Michigan OSHA launches emphasis program targeting heat hazards

Lansing, MI — Michigan OSHA has launched a state emphasis program aimed at identifying and reducing exposures to indoor and outdoor heat-related hazards.




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California adopts non-emergency COVID-19 regulations

Sacramento, CA — California’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board has voted to adopt non-emergency COVID-19 prevention regulations.




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OSHA says it won’t revoke Arizona’s State Plan status

Washington — Arizona’s State Plan for oversight of worker safety and health will remain in place after OSHA announced its plan to withdraw a proposed rule to “reconsider and revoke” the final approval status of the plan.




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Maine’s State Plan for state and local government workers gets OSHA approval

Washington — OSHA has certified a revised State Plan for Maine that covers state and local government workers.




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OSHA adds State Plan whistleblower info to webpage

Washington — OSHA has added two series of FAQs to its State Plan whistleblower information website.




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Maryland becomes 6th state to adopt a heat protection rule

Hunt Valley, MD — Maryland is the latest state to adopt a standard on heat illness prevention.




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Oil from Bakken Formation may be extra-flammable, pipeline safety agency says

Washington – Crude oil shipped from the Bakken Formation – located in North Dakota, Montana and nearby Canadian provinces – may be more flammable than “traditional” heavy crude oil, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration warned shippers, sellers and emergency responders in a Jan. 2 safety advisory.




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National Academies calls for enhanced regulation of liquefied petroleum gas systems

Washington — Federal regulation of small distribution systems for propane and other liquefied petroleum gas should be revised for clarity, efficiency, enforceability and applicability to risk, a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine concludes.




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Nearly half of workers with work-related asthma don’t receive pneumonia shot, study shows

Washington – Adults with occupational asthma face a higher risk of developing pneumococcal disease, but only 54 percent of them are vaccinated to help ward off an infection, according to a new study from NIOSH.




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Up to 21 percent of asthma-related deaths may be from on-the-job exposures: CDC report

Atlanta — Occupational exposures may have contributed to 11 percent to 21 percent of all asthma-related deaths among 15- to 64-year-olds between 1999 and 2016, according to a recently released report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.




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Severe black lung disease resurging among miners: study

San Diego — More than 4,600 coal miners have developed the most severe form of black lung disease since 1970, with nearly half of the cases emerging after 2000, according to a recent study from the University of Illinois at Chicago.




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Campaign aims to raise awareness of work-related asthma in Michigan

East Lansing, MI — Estimating that up to half of the 600,000 or so adult cases of asthma in Michigan may be caused or aggravated by on-the-job exposure, the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine has launched a campaign intended to raise awareness of work-related asthma.




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Lawmakers call for OSHA emphasis program after CDC report on silicosis among stone fabrication workers

Washington — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning of “an emerging public health threat” after researchers identified an increase in cases of silicosis – an incurable lung disease – among workers who handle engineered stone used to make household countertops.




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Doctors hired by employers to examine miner X-rays for black lung show ‘alarming’ bias: study

Chicago — Physicians contracted by mine operators to review chest X-rays of coal miners who file “totally debilitating disease” workers’ compensation claims with the Department of Labor’s Federal Black Lung Program may have a bias strongly related to financial conflict of interest, researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago suggest.