Injury Control & Violence | The Pump Handle

Government Massachusetts extends OSHA protections to state workers: It’s about ‘creating an infrastructure that supports health and safety’

June 5, 2015 Kim Krisberg

Back in 1970 when the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration was established, local policymakers could choose whether or not to extend OSHA protections to state employees. Unfortunately, Massachusetts took a pass. But decades later — and after years of advocacy, organizing and research on the part of worker advocates — employees of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts can now look forward to safer and healthier workplaces.

farm workers Occupational Health News Roundup

June 2, 2015 Kim Krisberg

Family-friendly workplace policies can have unintended consequences for women; building owner charged with murder in collapse of garment factory in Bangladesh; new standing recommendations proposed for office workers; and a famous food journalist calls for improved working conditions for food workers.

Education Chicago organizers take on domestic worker health and safety: ‘We start with the idea that everyone deserves dignity and respect’

May 26, 2015 Kim Krisberg 1Comment

After 18 years as a professional house cleaner in the suburbs of Chicago, Magdalena Zylinska says she feels very lucky. Unlike many of her fellow domestic workers, she hasn’t sustained any serious injuries.

Injury Control & Violence Fatal work injury that killed Tito Hernandez was preventable, OSHA cites Scott Materials

May 23, 2015 Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH 3Comment

The fatal work-related injuries that killed Milton “Tito” Rafael Barreto Hernandez, 22, could have been prevented had his employer followed worker safety regulations.

Environmental Health OSHA gives DuPont a 50% discount on penalty for death of 4 workers

May 22, 2015 Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH 3Comment

OSHA gave DuPont a 50 percent discount on a repeat violation that contributed to the death in November 2014 of four workers at the company’s LaPorte, TX plant. Instead of a $70,000 penalty, the company got off cheap with an even cheaper $35,000 one.

Environmental Health Occupational Health News Roundup

May 19, 2015 Kim Krisberg

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.

Environmental Health Thumbs up and down for House bill to reform toxics law

May 18, 2015 Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH

A draft bill to reform the 40 year old Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) received bi-partisan unanimous support on May 14 by a House subcommittee. Health and environmental groups say lawmakers are moving in the right direction toward a bill the groups may be able to support.

Injury Control & Violence Not an “accident”: Selvin Lopez-Castillo, 43, suffers fatal work-related injury in Franklin Township, NJ

May 14, 2015 Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH

This week’s snapshot of just one work-related fatality in the US. This one occurred on May 4, 2015 in Franklin Township, NJ

Injury Control & Violence “His boss never told OSHA”

May 6, 2015 Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH 3Comment

A powerful storm last week in eastern Texas illustrate why a new OSHA injury reporting requirement can stimulate prevention.

Department of Labor Occupational Health News Roundup

May 5, 2015 Kim Krisberg

The Department of Labor proposes a new rule to help miners with black lung disease; federal lawmakers introduce new hike to the minimum wage; worker safety outreach in Houston highlights the impact of new reporting rules; and a new museum is opening in honor of coal miners.