President Trump’s pick for new labor secretary is, predictably, drawing support and opposition from the right and left segments of the U.S. political spectrum. Trump announced his selection last week via Twitter, naming Eugene Scalia, son of the late Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia. Tweeted Trump: “Gene has led a life of great success in the legal and labor field and is highly respected not only as a lawyer, but as a lawyer with great experience....”

Is flu on the rise among workers? Those working in public health track the number of flu-related hospital and doctor visits, but many people suffer symptoms and don’t seek medical treatment. So, how do we know how many people are sick with the flu during a flu pandemic or a seasonal epidemic? Each year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) uses a mathematical model to estimate the total number of flu illnesses in the United States, but this is not done until the end of the flu season.

California employers are going to have to move fast in order to comply with an emergency occupational safety regulation expected to go into effect in early August. The rule adopted last week by the state’s Department of Industrial Relations’ (DIR) Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board is aimed at protecting workers from hazards associated with wildfire smoke.

A health problem that has plagued astronauts returning from space – and some earthbound people as well – is lessened by daily exercise, researchers have found. Orthostatic hypotension - a temporary drop in blood pressure occurring when a person stands up after sitting or lying down - has caused newly returned astronauts to faint or feel dizzy.

Workers toiling in a trench in St. Louis, Missouri were in danger because their workspace was unprotected by a trench box or some other trench protection, according to OSHA, which cited R.V. Wagner Inc for multiple violations. The citations issued to the Affton, Missouri-based company were for a project involving the installation of concrete storm water pipes. Proposed penalties for violations of trench safety standards: $212,158.

The Center of Visual Expertise presents a one-hour free webinar on Wednesday July 24: “Learning to SEE: A New Perspective on Risk Utilizing Visual Literacy. In this webinar, COVE Chairman and Managing Director Doug Pontsler introduces concepts that help enable workers to process visual information more clearly.

More than 1,200 miners could lose their healthcare by the end of the year, unless Congress takes action on the American Miners Act of 2019. Sponsored by Senator Joe Manchin D-W.Va., the measure, Senate Bill 27, would amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to transfer funds to the 1974 United Mine Workers of America Pension Plan. Bankruptcy laws are expected to free the Westmoreland Mining Company of its responsibilities under the coal act, leaving miners – including those suffering from black lung disease – in the lurch.

The 2016 case of a worker killed by an electric shock while repairing a ceiling light fixture came to a close recently, with an administrative law judge affirming OSHA citations issued to the man’s employer. The fatality involved a worker who was untrained in electrical safety work practices. The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC) judge ruled that Jersey City Medical Center willfully failed to train the employee for the hazardous electrical work he was directed to perform.

Slips, trips, and falls are the second most common type of fatal work-related injuries and the third most common type of non-fatal work-related injuries in the United States (1, 2). Although falls from heights are more likely to result in a fatality, falls on the same level (which often start as a slip or trip) occur more frequently and can cause injury. Recent US Bureau of Labor Statistics data show that 50% of all same-level falls resulted in more than 10 days away from work (1, 2, 3).