A vast majority of Americans, both Democrats and Republicans, consider access to health care in rural communities an important issue, according to a new poll released by the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) and the American Heart Association (AHA). At the same time, people in rural communities say they have difficulty getting quality health care due to a lack of available facilities, a shortage of doctors and other factors.

Food services operations where workers received free highly slip-resistant shoes showed a large reduction in workers’ compensation claims for slip injuries compared to food service operations where workers did not receive the shoes, according to research published in the Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health.

According to recent figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 16.5 million people in the US have ‘alternative work arrangements’, and in 2017 they also reported that around 55 million participate in the gig economy; estimated to be 43% of the US workforce by 2020. The gig economy is broadly defined as ‘alternative work arrangements’ – ranging from independent contractors to those who work as freelancers or with online companies such as Uber.

The US Chemical Safety Board’s (CSB) investigation into an Oklahoma blowout that killed five workers blames the incident on a lack of regulations governing onshore drilling safety as well as shortcomings in safety management systems and industry standards utilized by the industry. The CSB’s final investigation report into the Pryor Trust gas well explosion in Pittsburgh County calls on regulators, industry groups, the state of Oklahoma and companies to address such gaps.

In a state v. federal fight regarding worker protections, California and the bus industry are butting heads over hours of service (HOS) regulations. The latest salvo was fired this week, when California Attorney General Xavier Becerra urged the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to deny a petition by the American Bus Association (ABA) that claims California labor protections for bus drivers are preempted by federal law.

The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) has introduced the FASSP designation for Society Fellows. Used after an individual’s name, FASSP is a recognizable way to identify recipients of the Society’s highest honor. The announcement was made by ASSP President Rixio Medina, CSP, CPP, FASSP, during Sunday night’s Past Presidents and Fellows Reception at the Safety 2019 Professional Development Conference and Exhibition.

The American Industrial Hygiene Association® (AIHA®) inducted its new Board of Directors during its annual business meeting at the American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition (AIHce EXP) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 23. The Board of Directors for 2019-20 includes the following officers:

Canada will follow the European Union in banning some single-use plastics like straws, bags and cutlery, according to an announcement yesterday by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. A statement by the government accompanying the announcement notes that without such a prohibition, Canadians will throw away an estimated $8.3 billion worth of plastic materials each year by 2030. Less than 10 percent of the plastic used in Canada gets recycled.

It’s National Forklift Safety Day, designated as such by The Industrial Truck Association (ITA), which uses it as an opportunity for the industry to educate customers, policymakers, and government officials about the safe use of forklifts and the importance of proper operator training.