State investigations at New York nail salons uncover widespread violations; Oklahoma regulators rule that state law allowing employers to opt out of workers’ compensation is unconstitutional; EPA proposes new safety rules for chemical facilities; and reporters at Reuters investigate labor brokers who recruit and exploit foreign workers.
Federal laws fail to protect workers left out of state workers’ comp systems; electronics recycling workers and their families face dangerous lead poisoning risks; California farmworkers join forces with low-wage food service workers for better pay; and a worker who died during preparations for the Super Bowl is remembered.
The Center for Public Integrity investigates occupational illness and the workers’ compensation system; federal officials accuse coal mining operator of worker retaliation; OSHA penalties finally rise to meet inflation; and low-wage workers go on strike across the nation for better wages.
Injured workers testify before Illinois lawmakers on preserving the workers’ comp system; OSHA fines DuPont for failing to prevent the deaths of four workers; journalists arrested in Qatar while trying to investigate migrant working conditions; and a new report finds that service members who report sexual assault are likely to face retaliation.
OSHA releases new report on injury, inequality and workers’ compensation; fast food sues to stop Seattle minimum wage increase; California lawmaker proposes fund for farmworker health; and federal employees can sue for late payments during the government shutdown.
Recent pieces address the 50-year-old Older Americans Act, Ebola’s lasting impact on maternal health, day laborers’ fights for fair treatment, and more.
The workers’ compensation system doesn’t always work as intended. The new Workers’ Comp Hub has information for injured workers and for those advocating to improve the system.
Researchers studying workers’ compensation claims have found that almost one in 12 injured workers who begin using opioids were still using the prescription drugs three to six months later. It’s a trend that, not surprisingly, can lead to addiction, increased disability and more work loss – but few doctors are acting to prevent it.
A News & Observer series on employers who break workers’ compensation laws spurs a promise of action from North Carolina’s governor; safety initiatives address hazards in Northeast fisheries; and seven former General Motors workers sew their mouths shut as part of a hunger strike over the company’s treatment of workers.
Worker Health & Safety
Using Workers’ Compensation Data for Occupational Safety and Health: A Work in Progress
A National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health workshop featured excellent research on using workers’ compensation data to study occupational safety and health — but will policymakers and other non-experts be able to understand and use this information?