We are pleased to present the 8th edition of The Year in U.S. Occupational Health & Safety (2019). It recaps the most significant happenings in the U.S. related to workplace health and safety and is filled with original photos. The images show workers and their allies making demands for safer workplaces and celebrating accomplishments.

The yearbook is divided into four sections. The first one covers happenings at the federal level, including legislation moving in the U.S. House of Representatives on workplace violence prevention, an asbestos ban, and heat-illness protections. It also includes a two-page spread celebrating Peg Seminario—the recently retired director of the AFL-CIO’s safety and health department.

The second section of the yearbook takes note of occupational health and safety action in the states. This includes Cal/OSHA’s emergency standard to protect workers from wildfire smoke; changes in Florida law to make it easier for firefighters to secure workers compensation following a cancer diagnosis; and changes by Michigan OSHA to improve medical removal protections for workers with elevated blood lead levels. We top this section with seven pages of photos from Worker Memorial Day events around the country.

The yearbook’s third section profiles our picks for the best reporting from the past year. The Center for Public Integrity takes the top spot for the number and variety of OHS topics investigated by reporters. There are stories from local papers, such as the Times Union (Albany, NY) and the Detroit Free Press, as well as those from new media outlets, including the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting, Side Effects Public Media, and ProPublica.

The final section of the yearbook highlights some of the best research papers published in the peer-reviewed literature. We highlight, for example, several papers on climate change and worker health; papers on occupational health and opioids; and studies related to home care aides. We also summarize more than 20 reports and studies prepared by non-profit organizations.These reports address a wide range of topics, from the impact of Marriott’s “green” hotel program on hotel housekeepers, and hazards faced by workers at American Airlines, to OSHA enforcement under the Trump administration, and working conditions for women in the U.S. Fire Service.

The best part of the yearbook is…..the PHOTOS!  Special thanks to the COSH groups, worker centers, and other allies who contributed images throughout the year so we could include them in the OHS Yearbook 2019.  You’ll see people—some you may know—who are on the front lines of making change to improve workplace health and safety. They capture the energy and commitment of the OHS community, and do it better than any words.

P.S. Look here for the 1st through the 7th editions of the OHS Yearbook.