September 9, 2010 Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH 4Comment

In early August OSHA proposed citations and penalties to 17 employers involved in the explosion at the Kleen Energy plant that killed six workers. (See previous post here.) The deadly blast was caused by ignition of natural gas being used to clean out debris from pipes, a process called a “gas blow.” OSHA Assistant Secretary […]

September 3, 2010 Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH 8Comment

Public Citizen, the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) and other worker advocates petitioned the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue a regulation limiting the number of hours worked by medical residents. The petitioners argue that the excessive hours expected by the employers (hospitals) of these physicians-in-training cause chronic sleep deprivation and stress, which […]

August 30, 2010 Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH 1Comment

Just in time for the Labor Day holiday, the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center (NORC) released a study indicating 85 percent of workers rank safety on the job as their top labor standard. NORC’s report, Public Attitudes towards and Experiences with Workplace Safety, assembled the results of dozens polls and surveys to assess […]

August 27, 2010 Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH 8Comment

A classic tool used in public relations is a news release. Companies and other organizations craft these statements to announce new products, activities or accomplishments. Well-written news releases offer the what, where, when, who and why, and are often used “as-is” in trade publications and other print media. A collection of an organization’s news release […]

August 25, 2010 Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH 1Comment

My temporary home for the last week has been a hotel just off of I-64 at Exit 44 in Beckley, West Virginia. The immediate exit-ramp neighborhood consists of a Hooters, Dairy Queen, IHOP, McDonalds, and several gas stations. When I’m on the road, I try to keep up my daily walking routine, but the sidewalk […]

August 19, 2010 Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH 6Comment

Earlier this month, Labor Secretary Solis proposed more than $16 million in penalties to 17 employers involved in the construction of the Kleen Energy Systems power plant in Middletown, Connecticut. The construction site was the scene of a massive explosion on the morning of February 7 in which Peter Chetulis, Ronald J Crabb, 42, Raymond […]

August 13, 2010 Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH 4Comment

Updated (8/15/10 2:00 pm EST) below Mine rescue teams continue their search to rescue or recover two workers struck by a “large surge of pressure” as they were being lowered into a mine shaft at Barrick’s Meikle mine near Elko, Nevada. As the Associated Press reports, the incident occurred on Thursday, August 12 at 1:15 […]

August 2, 2010 Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH 5Comment

“They were rushing because they had to get the equipment to another jobsite,” said the widow. “The boss tapped him to do the work because they were short-handed. He wasn’t trained to do it” said the grieving mother. “Yeah, I used equipment that I knew was unsafe. You’re shunned if you complain,” noted the disabled […]

July 22, 2010 Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH 1Comment

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) are today’s version of David, as in David and Goliath. CIW started in 1993 as a small group of southwest Florida farm workers discussing ways to better their lives. CIW has evolved into a 4,000 strong membership organization of Haitian, Mayan and Hispanic agricultural workers. They’ve tangled with industry […]