A fire at a Bangladesh factory increases the death toll of workers in that country and increases pressure on retailers who sell clothing made in Bangladesh; fast-food workers in St. Louis walk off the job, demanding higher pay and the right to unionize; and retired football players often face high healthcare costs after their NFL insurance has expired.
Worker Health & Safety
“Enough is enough” – Asian labor rights advocates call for change as death toll mounts in Bangladesh
The Asia Network for the Rights of Occupational and Environmental Victims (ANROEV), meeting in Bangkok this week, called for changes in the system that has led to disasters that have killed more than 1300 workers in the past eight months.
The AFL-CIO’s “Death on the Job” report shows why U.S. workers deserve much better protections than they are getting.
In the early 1990’s, the American Dental Association put up quite a fight to oppose an OSHA regulation requiring dentists to provide gloves, masks and goggles to employees who could be exposed to blood-contaminated saliva.
Media outlets across the country covered Workers’ Memorial Week events; the death toll in the Bangladesh factory collapse has passed 400; and OSHA has launched a new initiative to protect temporary workers.
This week’s MMWR describes cases of bronchiolitis obliterans diagnosed in two individuals who worked— not at a microwave popcorn plant—-at a Texas coffee bean processing company.
Environmental Health
Will Tom Vilsack’s USDA keep its promise to poultry plant workers about their grueling, disabling work?
The USDA Secretary tells Congress that his agency still plans to implement a new poultry slaughter inspection system that will allow producers to drastically increase line speeds, while a disturbing new report on poultry workers in Alabama explain the harmful effects of the current working conditions.
Construction is the US industry sector with the most worker fatalities. Designing buildings with construction and maintenance workers in mind can make buildings safer, and green buildings truly sustainable.
CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has a special role in the West Fertilizer plant explosion. Its Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program will be investigating the factors that led to the deaths of the 10 volunteer fire fighters.
This week is Workers’ Memorial Week, when we remember the thousands of men and women who die on the job each year and work to prevent future deaths by improving workplace health and safety. Events are happening across the US and around the world.