Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis resigns; Walmart faces concerns about poor safety in warehouses and factories supplying its products; and Campylobacter infections in poultry-plant workers are more common among new employees and those working in certain jobs.
“Pneumocystis Pneumonia — Los Angeles,” in the June 5, 1981 edition of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, was an economical seven paragraph clinical report cataloging five observed cases, accompanied by an explanatory editorial note on the rarity of this fungal disease. It seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary from MMWR, but turned out to be medical literature’s first report of the disease we now know as AIDS.
With five days left in calendar year 2012, the Obama Administration released its current regulatory plan and agenda, including new rules addressing health and safety hazards in workplaces. Neither OSHA nor MSHA have a good track record predicting when such rules will actually be completed.
Public Health Practice
New study explores the healthy immigrant effect, casting doubt on the current school of thought
It’s often noted that immigrants to the United States experience a decline in health after adopting American lifestyle habits. However, a recent study has found that new immigrants might not be arriving in such good health after all.
The OSHA staff responsible to modernizing the agency’s chemical right-to-know regulation with global standards deserve credit for completing the rule itself. Unlike other federal agencies, they also create a meaningful public record documenting who said what about the proposed changes to labeling and safety data sheet requirements. (Re-post)
A study on use of new cookstoves in India finds that solving soot problems isn’t as simple as just giving people new stoves. Long-term use of equipment provided by aid groups is also an issue in water and sanitation projects.
In December 2011, the Department of Labor’s Wage & Hour Division published a proposed rule that would extend minimum-wage and overtime pay protections to the home care workers who assist elderly and disabled patients with their daily needs. (Re-post)
While we’re on vacation, we’re re-posting some of our past content. Kim Krisberg’s series of posts on worker centers in Texas is well worth a second read.
In looking back at the year 2012, one of the most momentous occasions was the Supreme Court decision on the Affordable Care Act. Here are a few of our posts on the topic.
Food Safety & Nutrition
Public health officials urge USDA to withdraw plan to “modernize” poultry inspection, worker and food safety will suffer
The Obama Administration’s quest to appease businesses’ claims about burdensome regulations awoke a giant in the form of the civil rights, public health and workers’ safety communities. From the Southern Poverty Law Center and the National Council of LaRaza, to the American Public Health Association, the feedback on USDA’s proposal to “modernize” the poultry inspection process is loud and clear: scrap the idea because faster line speeds will take a grave toll on poultry plant workers. (Re-post)