APHA wants more to have sick days, paid family & medical leave
November 8, 2013
The Governing Council of the American Public Health Association (APHA) has approved a policy statement expressing APHA’s support for expanding U.S. workers’ access to earned sick days and paid medical and family leave.
OSHA today issued a proposed rule to improve workplace safety and health through improved tracking of workplace injuries and illnesses. The announcement follows the Bureau of Labor Statistics' release of its annual Occupational Injuries and Illnesses report, which estimates that three million workers were injured on the job in 2012.
A Senate effort to reform the decades-old Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) is scheduled for a hearing next week in the House. The controversial legislation, which was introduced in May by Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) and the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), will likely get a hearing by the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee.
In this case, it does much more than merely hurt. “This case” refers to last Thursday’s (October 24, 2013) rather extraordinary admission by OSHA chief Dr. David Michaels that hundreds of OSHA’s permissible exposures limits (PELs) are far out of date, basically useless, and in fact dangerous.
Millions of businesses and workers required to comply with new GHS Standard by December 1, 2013
October 31, 2013
Grainger (NYSE: GWW), the leading broad line supplier of maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) products serving businesses and institutions, is offering support and tools to help customers meet December 1, 2013 training requirements for the new Globally Harmonized System (GHS) standard.
As economy improves, construction activity, fatalities are increasing
October 29, 2013
The New York City Council Committee on Economic Development today holds a hearing on bill 1169-2013, which would set worker training and transparency requirements for certain city development projects receiving city financial assistance.
Stakeholders get additional time with complex materials
October 28, 2013
Aaron Trippler called it: OSHA is extending the public comment period for for its proposed silica standard. The Government Affairs Director for the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) had said that even before the government shutdown shortened the comment period, some stakeholders felt that 90 days was too short a time period, given the complexity of the proposal.
A bill passed recently by the House Small Business Committee would increase regulatory delays and allow regulated industries “undue” influence, according to an advocacy group comprised of public interest, business, consumer, labor and community organizations.
A new national poll released by a coalition of more than 100 health, labor, community, environmental and public interest organizations shows that, in the wake of the West, Texas, chemical plant explosion, American strongly support new federal requirements to prevent disasters at facilities that store hazardous chemicals.
On May 17, 2002, Mr. Carl VanDusen, safety manager for Cable Constructors, Inc., Iron Mountain, MI, wrote OSHA asking for an interpretation the following question:
Question: Does the OSHA interpretation letter (June 9, 1999) that provided guidance on training non-electrical workers for entry and work within restricted areas such as generating stations and substation also apply for training employees who open restricted equipment for visual inspection only?