More than two decades have passed since OSHA promised to issue a rule to protect construction workers from confined space hazards. What did OSHA do during that time to fulfill that promise?
Today, nearly every state in the country has a law that bans texting while driving. But do these laws make a difference?
Advocates work to expand consumer concern from humanely treated food to humanely treated workers; workers with children face struggles in Silicon Valley; Texas lawmakers introduce bill aimed at fertilizer plants; Microsoft to require paid leave policies at its suppliers; and the McDonald’s wage hike is too small for too few.
Injury Control & Violence
Not an “accident”: Jeffrey Shannon, 49, suffers fatal work-related injury in Marcus Hook, PA
This week’s snapshot of just one work-related fatality in the US. This one occurred on March 30, 2015 in Delaware County, PA.
April 5, 2015 will mark the fifth anniversary of the Upper Big Branch mine disaster. Since then, some things have change in coal mine safety, especially by MSHA. But more than 200 US miners have died on-the-job since UBB.
Environmental Health
Meaningful gains or huge setbacks?: Congress weighs two bills aimed at reforming the Toxic Substances Control Act
For years, advocates have been calling on policymakers to reform the nation’s outdated chemical safety laws. Today, two such bills stand before Congress — one that advocates say better protects the public’s health and another that advocates warn is a dangerous step backward.
Reporters investigate the state of safety at oil refineries following the 2005 Texas City explosion; fast food workers file OSHA complaints; farm workers go on strike in Baja California; and San Francisco officials vote in support of fair working conditions for shuttle bus workers.
This week’s snapshot of just one work-related fatality in the US. This one occurred on March 11, 2015 in Jal, NM
Injury Control & Violence
Fatal work injury that killed Jose Isagirrez-Mejia was preventable, OSHA cites Structural Prestressed Industries
The fatal work-related injuries that killed Jose Alfredo Isagirrez-Mejia could have been prevented had his employer followed worker safety regulations.
In the first study of its kind, researchers have found that improved air quality in southern California had a direct effect on children’s respiratory health. The findings point to the effectiveness of smart public health policy — in other words, even as southern California experienced increases in traffic and commerce, aggressive air pollution policies resulted in cleaner air and healthier kids.