It’s been 15 years since worker safety advocates in Puerto Rico first began fighting against a proposal to dilute the qualifications associated with being a professional industrial hygienist. As part of their efforts, such advocates developed their own proposal to protect the livelihoods of those with the knowledge and experience to properly protect workers. And after years of work, they may finally cross the finish line victorious.
Injury Control & Violence
Not an “accident”: Henry William Gray, 56, suffers fatal work-related injury in Denver, IA
This week’s snapshot of just one work-related fatality in the US. This one occurred on Monday, May 2 in Denver, IA
Government
Fatal work injury that killed J.D. Jorgensen was preventable, Iowa-OSHA cites JRS Excavating
The fatal work-related injuries that killed Justin ‘J.D.’ Jorgensen could have been prevented had his employer followed worker safety regulations.
Reporter Andrew Schneider has written a sequel to his 2004 book “An Air That Kills: How the Asbestos Poisoning of Libby, Montana Uncovered a National Scandal.” The new book covers the unsuccessful criminal trial against W.R. Grace, and the legacy of a deadly form of asbestos from Libby that fills millions of attics across the U.S.
Injury Control & Violence
Fatal work injury that killed Tim Cooper, 49, was preventable, OSHA cites Independence Tube
The fatal work-related injuries that killed Tim Cooper, 49, could have been prevented had his employer followed worker safety regulations.
“Bad math” and “slippery language” is how Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) characterized some of the testimony at this week’s congressional hearing on OSHA’s new silica regulation.
Government
Not an “accident”: Joshua Halphin, 25 suffers fatal work-related injury in Springfield, MO
This week’s snapshot of just one work-related fatality in the US. This one occurred on Thursday, March 24 in Springfield, MO.
I’m marking Global Awareness Asbestos Week by shaming some companies in San Antonio, TX for exposing workers and the community to asbestos.
Government
Leaked poll shows business execs overwhelmingly support paid leave, higher wages and fair scheduling
You know how opponents of paid sick leave and raising the minimum wage always cite resistance in the business community? Well, in turns out that such resistance might be closer to a marketing gimmick rather than a genuine reflection of employer sentiment.
In debates over air pollution control, it’s always a tug-of-war between the cost to business and the cost to public health. Late last month, a study emerged with new data for the public health column: the cost of the nation’s nearly 16,000 annual preterm births linked to air pollution is more than a whopping $5 billion.