Petrochemical companies spend millions to undermine the science on benzene; in-depth series sheds light on the horrific working conditions in Mexico’s agricultural sector; National Labor Relations Board rules in favor of worker organizing; and federal officials grilled on response to West fertilizer explosion.
Child Labor
San Francisco passes nation’s first Retail Workers Bill of Rights, addressing erratic scheduling and part-time work
The week of midterm exams is stressful for any college student. For San Francisco State student Michelle Flores, it was another stress-filled example of the unfair conditions she and millions of other retail workers face on a regular basis.
Injury Control & Violence
Study: Americans trading more work for less sleep, putting their health and safety at risk
Feeling tired? You’re not alone. A new study finds that many U.S. workers aren’t getting enough sleep, which is essential to optimal health, and that people who work multiple jobs are at heightened risk of getting less than the recommended hours of nightly rest.
Environmental Health
OSHA announces new effort to protect oil & gas workers: Industry investigates silica exposure
“Too many oil and gas industry workers are being hurt or killed on the job,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, David Michaels in remarks delivered to the more than 2,000 people who gathered last week in Houston for the 2014 OSHA Oil & Gas Safety and Health Conference. As part […]
Government
Fatal work injury that killed Ricardo Ramos, 49, was preventable, Michigan OSHA cites Hillshire Brands
The fatal work-related injuries that killed Ricardo Ramos could have been prevented had his employer followed worker safety regulations.
The latest edition of the Labor Department’s regulatory agenda offers a mixed bag of unaddressed workplace hazards and slipped deadlines, as well as a few new topics for possible regulatory action to protect workers.
Injury Control & Violence
Not an “accident”: Jesus Mendizabal, 43, suffers fatal work-related injury on Staten Island, NY
This week’s snapshot of just one work-related fatality in the U.S. This one occurred on November 28 on Staten Island, NY.
New Mexico dairy farm workers face dangerous workplace conditions and fears of retaliation; Chicago passes minimum wage increase; worker dies at Staten Island car dealership; and Philadelphia task force supports paid sick leave.
Wouldn’t it be something if the President’s annual pardoning of a turkey be replaced with an annual Thanksgiving recognition of workers along the food chain?
Four workers from DuPont’s La Porte, TX facility are dead. Their employer makes hundreds of millions on its behavior-based, blame the worker safety program. Federal investigators will find that the catastrophe occurred because of decisions made far up the chain of command, not unsafe behaviors by the victims.