It’s time for public institutions to set a high bar in selecting firms to provide them with goods and services. Off limits should be companies with repeat or willful violations of OSHA regulations.
Environmental Health
Salmonella, crippled workers, tortured chickens, and toxic chemicals: Surely USDA is now ready to ditch its plan to “modernize” poultry inspection
How much more evidence does Secretary Vilsack need before he scraps the USDA’s ill-conceived proposal to “modernize” the poultry slaughter inspection process?
Environmental Health
Despite shutdown, journalists finding plenty to report on coal miner fatalities
Reporters were shut out during the shutdown of access to agency information. That situation didn’t stop two of them from continuing to report on deaths of workers in the U.S. mining industry.
Last year, Caitlin O’Dell’s 27 year-old husband was crushed between two pieces of mobile mining equipment. A proximity detection device could have saved his life, but the coal industry insists the devices need more study before mine operators are required to install them.
The federal government shutdown has put a halt on most workplace safety inspections. It’s another important public health program adversely affected by the spending showdown.
A fourth official formerly associated with Massey Energy was sentenced to 3 ½ years in prison for conspiring to thwart federal mine safety laws. Massey Energy was the operator in 2010 of the site where the worst coal mine disaster in 40 years occurred.
Environmental Health
Labor Day review of significant efforts by states and localities to address (or not) workers’ rights and safety protections
Section 3 of the second annual report on US worker health and safety offers a review of activities at the State and local scene, as well as reports from non-profits and investigations by journalists.
Environmental Health
Labor Day assessment of federal efforts to improve (or impede) worker safety protections
The second annual report on US worker health and safety offers a review of activities and new policies at the federal scene, and a recap on the best reporting about it by the nation’s journalists.
For older workers, the most dangerous occupational move may be getting behind the wheel.
Government
Safety equipment installed after the fact, too little, too late for Army veteran coal miner
Three months after a WV coal miner is killed on the job, the company decides to install safety equipment that could have saved his life.