OSHA penalties haven’t been updated since 1990. A new bill in Congress would change that.
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Tags: David Michaels, OSHA penalties, Protecting America's Workers Act, Sen. Patty Murray
Back injuries are the most expensive and most prevalent workplace injuries in the U.S. But up until now, no one has looked at what factors might contribute to back reinjury for employees who return to work.
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Tags: back reinjury, health insurance, whole-body vibration, workplace injuries
Do supervisors listen when employees come to them with safety concerns? Ignoring them can be costly, as this company recently found out.
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Tags: employee safety complaints, lock out machines, repeat citations, unintended machinery startup
Imagine for a moment being one of the half dozen local police officers who were the first responders to the shooting massacre at the Sandy Hook Elementary School. Now consider that those officers, under current law, may not qualify for workers’ comp for counseling.
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Tags: Newtown massacre, post traumatic stress disorder, Sandy Hook, Workers' comp
The election has produced status quo in Washington DC: President Obama re-elected, Democrats control the Senate, Republicans control the House. However, don’t expect the status quo at OSHA in the next four years.
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Tags: Obama OSHA, OSHA inspections, serious violation, significant cases
The state that had the most expensive workers’ comp rates for employers in 2010 managed to improve its ranking somewhat in the last two years. Click through to see how your state’s premiums compare:
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Tags: Alaska, California, Connecticut, most expensive workers' comp rates, workers' comp premiums
The cost of poor worker health; best and worst states for getting workers off comp; the history of safe driving via an infographic; and how many days has it been since your last dinosaur incident? Click through to find out more about these topics in this week’s Safety News Summary.
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Tags: car safety, insurance fraud, poor health, Workers' comp
A new study takes a look at the relationship between paid sick leave and workplace injuries. The results point to potential cost savings for employers.
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Tags: high-risk occupations, NIOSH, paid sick leave, workplace injuries
Here’s proof that allowing employees to talk on cell phones for business purposes while they’re driving can be costly.
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Tags: cell phone driving, Coca-Cola, hand-held cell phone, hands-free cell phone
Wal-Mart has decided to manage its own injury benefits program in one state. That’s led proponents and opponents of such an option to weigh-in on whether it’s a good idea for businesses or not.
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Tags: Oklahoma, Texas, Walmart, workers' comp opt out
