Washington – Newly released draft guidance an OSHA advisory committee recommends that staffing firms and host employers implement a safety and health program describing the responsibilities of both entities to protect temporary workers.

Washington – As part of its Temporary Worker Initiative, OSHA has released guidance documents intended to clarify training requirements and hazard communication responsibilities for employers of temporary workers.

Olympia, WA – Temporary workers file lost-workday claims about twice as often as permanent workers, according to a recent study from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries.

Washington — The Department of Labor has issued a final rule that targets “employee misclassification” of workers as independent contractors.

Washington — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has filed a lawsuit challenging the Department of Labor’s rule on determining if a worker is an employee or an independent contractor.

Washington — President Joe Biden has vetoed a Congressional Review Act resolution intended to repeal the National Labor Relations Board’s “joint employer” rule, which remains in legal limbo.

Washington — Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) is threatening acting Labor Secretary Julie Su with a subpoena over her “failure to provide the requested information” on the Department of Labor’s independent contractor rule.

The precision-engraved acrylic copolymer guard-opening scale is a valuable tool to use during the design, installation and inspection of guards to ensure they comply with OSHA, ANSI and CSA safety standards.

The Pocket Blade Dispenser helps reduce worker injuries by safely dispensing one blade at a time.

SmartBob HM is an innovative weight- and cable-based level sensor for mounting on the side of a bin, tank or silo. It can be used when installing a sensor on top of a bin is not possible.

Washington — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has set a deadline of Sept. 30 for certified medical examiners to submit the results of physical qualification exams of commercial truck and bus drivers that were completed while the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners was offline from Dec. 1, 2017, through Aug. 13, 2018.

Washington — State driver’s licensing agencies will have 60 days to initiate mandatory downgrades of commercial driver’s licenses and commercial learner’s permits once notified that a commercial motor vehicle operator has failed a drug or alcohol test, under a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration final rule set to go into effect Nov. 8.

Greenbelt, MD — Law enforcement officials issued more than 27,000 citations and warnings to drivers during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s annual Operation Safe Driver Week.

Washington — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a final rule intended to protect drivers and passengers on motorcoaches and large buses during rollovers by enhancing the structural integrity of the vehicles.

Washington — Truck drivers who operate in interstate commerce no longer will be required to annually submit to their employer a list of their convictions for traffic violations.

Washington — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is moving forward with – and seeking comment on – a proposed rule that would require the installation of speed-limiting devices on trucks, buses and multipurpose passenger vehicles weighing more than 26,000 pounds.

Washington — Responding to stakeholder requests, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has extended until July 18 the comment period on a proposed rule that would require the installation of speed-limiting devices on trucks, buses and multipurpose passenger vehicles weighing more than 26,000 pounds.

Washington — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is seeking comment on potentially expanding a program intended to determine to what extent crashes involving commercial trucks and buses are preventable.

Washington — Legislation recently introduced in the House would prohibit the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration from requiring speed-limiting devices on large trucks and buses.

The Speedglas Auto-Darkening Filter Kit 9100XXi gives welders superior visibility in both dark and light states.

The Peak View Translucent Hard Hat is an improved modern design on the traditional hard shell protective helmet and allows wearers maximum peripheral vision.

In combination with the MSA V-Gard Protective Cap, the VoltCap offers maximum protection against arc flash.

The HH-F1-B Bullhead Safety Blue Unvented Full Brim Style Hard Hat with Six-Point Ratchet Suspension is reversible and made with HPPE material to provide a lightweight product that is weather and chemical resistant.

What are some recent innovations in women’s footwear that workers and safety pros should consider?

Falls Church, VA – The average salary for industrial hygienists has increased more than $10,000 in the past five years, according to survey results released May 30 by the American Industrial Hygiene Association.

Instituting industrial hygiene controls can help protect workers from exposure to toxic chemicals in the workplace.

The SM1R Industrial Headset was designed specifically to enhance two-way radio communication in high-noise environments.

The Sena Tufftalk Bluetooth Integrated Earmuff offers protection from harmful noise, while the ambient mode feature allows users to amplify external sounds – generating a greater sense of awareness so important alarms or calls can be heard while hearing remains protected.

The HL400 Dispenser can distribute all Honeywell Howard Leight disposable foam earplugs, including MAX, MAXLite, Laser Lite, FirmFit, X-TREME and MultiMax.

The FPD-500L is a refillable dispenser that arrives prefilled with 500 pairs of foam earplugs. It can be quickly placed on a counter or mounted on a wall in high-traffic areas.

The TouchFree EcoStation is a 100% hands-free earplug dispenser. Users place their hand under the automatic sensor and a pair of earplugs will drop right into their palm.

The ATLAS Resonate App and Online Tool are designed for safe listening of environmental and audio streaming (headphone) sources. The app provides instant, color-coded noise exposures vs. safe listen times and daily/weekly total exposures vs. safe listen dose.

Basel, Switzerland – Health care professionals’ judgment varies significantly when they conduct medical evaluations to determine whether workers should receive disability benefits for an injury or illness, and standards are needed to improve the process, according to researchers from the University of Basel.

Austin, TX – Shorter words and sentences, clearer headings, and less jargon are among the changes the Texas Department of Insurance Division of Workers’ Compensation has made to its form letters for injured employees.

Indianapolis — Indiana Rep. Martin Carbaugh (R-Fort Wayne) has introduced legislation that would dramatically increase maximum fines for on-the-job fatalities.

Cambridge, MA — More than half of U.S. states have not adopted medical treatment guidelines for workers’ compensation cases, a recent study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute shows.

Cambridge, MA — Workers who receive larger quantities of opioids shortly after an injury, as well as those who are prescribed higher doses, are at increased risk of longer-term opioid use, according to a recent study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute.

Cambridge, MA — Certain programs and policies may help curb the excessive prescribing of opioids and potential misuse, results of a recent study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute suggest.

Austin, TX — The Texas Department of Insurance’s Division of Workers’ Compensation has published a plain language glossary intended to make workers’ comp insurance easier to understand.

Austin, TX — Women injured on the job have a better chance of qualifying for workers’ compensation disability payments and receiving higher payouts when a female doctor evaluates their claim, according to a recent study.

Cambridge, MA — Few workers receive chiropractic care for low back pain in states where employers or insurers control the selection of medical providers, a recent study of workers’ compensation data shows.

Washington — The House has passed legislation that would expand the types of medical professionals who can treat injured employees under the Federal Workers’ Compensation Program.

Waterloo, Ontario — Understanding the emotions injured workers experience – and the actions they take – when going through injury and claims processes they believe are unfair can be helpful to everyone involved in the workers’ compensation system, results of a recent study by Canadian researchers suggest.

San Francisco — The California Department of Industrial Relations’ Division of Workers’ Compensation has suspended 178 medical providers from its workers’ comp system during the first eight months of the year.

Melbourne, Australia — People who are unable to work because of a disabling on-the-job injury or illness are at greater risk for suicide or self-harm, according to the results of a recent research review.

Cambridge, MA — The percentages of injured workers who visited an ER – instead of physician offices or urgent care clinics, which are less costly alternatives – for their initial medical treatment varied across 28 states, according to a recent study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute.

Bardavon Health Innovations recently has expanded into injury prevention to protect workers from musculoskeletal disorders in addition to helping with recovery. In this endeavor, they have acquired the leading workplace injury prevention company, Preventure.

Austin, TX — In Texas, 69% percent of employees who returned to work within six months of being injured in 2020 remained on the job for at least nine months.

Boca Raton, FL — To help commemorate its 100th anniversary, the National Council on Compensation Insurance has published a list of the 10 most significant workers’ compensation appellate decisions since 1923.

Morgantown, WV — A permanent disability caused by a work-related injury can increase the risk of other serious health disorders and even premature death, results of recent study suggest.