Healthcare workers are the most assaulted workers in the US. A report from the Government Accountability Office provides the numbers, notes which states have laws on the books to address the problem, and highlights the modest actions taken to-date by federal OSHA.
This week’s snapshot of just one work-related fatality in the US. This one occurred on Thursday, March 24 in Springfield, MO.
Reveal investigates fraud in California’s workers’ comp system; workers face unnecessary hazards in the recycling industry; anger over union exemptions in Los Angeles’ new minimum wage law; and two miners win their retaliation case against Murray Energy.
A peek inside the life of Miami’s hotel housekeepers during spring break; a tie vote at the Supreme Court is a win for labor unions; California on track to adopt statewide minimum wage of $15; and Los Angeles nurses go on strike for safer working conditions.
A new OSHA report recaps the agency’s first year receiving reports of amputations and hospitalizations. OSHA shields the companies from scrutiny by not mentioning their names.
In another example of the value of investing in public health, a recent study finds that PulseNet, a national foodborne illness outbreak network, prevents about 276,000 illnesses every year, which translates into savings of $507 million in medical costs and lost productivity. That’s a pretty big return on investment for a system that costs just $7.3 million annually to operate.
Vox explores the mental health impact of medical errors on health care workers; California policymaker announces efforts to protect women janitors from sexual assault; farmworkers call on fast food chain Wendy’s to join the Fair Food Program for better wages; and a judge upholds a worker’s social media rights.
This week’s snapshot of just one work-related fatality in the US. This one occurred on Friday, March 4 in McCalla, AL.
In the U.S., just a tiny fraction of the chemicals used in consumer products have been tested for human health effects. And with the current climate in Congress, it feels unlikely that we’ll see any true reform of the nation’s terribly outdated chemical safety rules anytime soon. In the meantime, scientist Thomas Hartung may have created the next best thing.
The fatal work-related injuries that killed Ascencion Molina Medina, 44, could have been prevented had his employer followed worker safety regulations.