The latest statistics on workplace injuries and illnesses contain good news for U.S. workers and their employers, particularly in these challenging economic times.

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Tags: Bureau of Labor Statistics, construction, direct and indirect cost of injuries, illness and injury rate, manufacturing, nonfatal workplace injuries

A worker with chemical sensitivity who is also called “a fairly heavy smoker” by a doctor says exposure to substances at work caused her to be permanently and totally disabled. Can she prove that, and can she get workers’ comp?

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Tags: anhydrous ammonia, bleach, chemical sensitivity, methyl bromide, pesticides, Russell Stover, smoker, Workers' comp

More than one out of every five OSHA inspections result from employee complaints. Is your industry one of the top 10 that generate the most complaints?

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Tags: employee complaints to OSHA, general contractors, injury, OSHA inspections, Recordkeeping, roofing, United States Postal Service, violation of an OSHA standard

An eight-month investigation reveals 80 employee deaths at companies in OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) between 2000 and 2008. What may be even more shocking: 65% of these companies have maintained their VPP status.

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Tags: Center for Public Integrity, David Michaels, Government Accountability Office, Voluntary Protection Program, VPP

A Baltimore man has won an $814,500 judgment after he developed popcorn lung from workplace exposure.

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Tags: bronchiolitis obliterans, diacetyl, Kenneth McClain, popcorn lung

As part of a public health initiative, the federal government is calling on all states to enact laws that prohibit smoking in all indoor business areas to protect workers’ health.

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Tags: casinos, CDC, secondhand smoke, state smoking laws

An employee says she should receive permanent disability benefits because mold at work was a significant factor in her chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). But she also smoked for 33 years. How did a court rule in this case?

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Tags: COPD, indoor air quality, permanent partial disability, smoking, Workers' comp, workplace mold

An administrative law judge with the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission has upheld fines against an Ohio company. An inspection revealed several employees had symptoms of a potentially fatal respiratory disease after sweeping up pigeon droppings.

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Tags: fatal respiratory disease, histoplasmosis, Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, pigeon droppings, worker struck in head

OSHA’s General Duty Clause says employers have to furnish places of employment free from hazards that are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees. Does that include a smoke-free workplace? One casino faces a lawsuit.

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Tags: casino, class action lawsuit, General Duty Clause, provide safe workplace, second-hand smoke

A lot of debate will occur between this week’s announcement of President Obama’s proposed budget, including funding for OSHA, and the start of the new federal fiscal year on Oct. 1. Forget about that debate for now. Instead, take a look at what OSHA plans to do with its funding, especially if you own a small business.

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Tags: enforcement, inspections, OSHA budget, severe violators, small business

A new report recommends OSHA look to the European Union (EU) for a system to manage workers’ exposure to hazardous chemicals.

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Tags: European Union, hazardous chemicals, PELs, REACH

What new and updated OSHA regulations will companies face in 2011 and beyond?

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Tags: confined spaces, hazard communication, musculoskeletal disorders, OSHA's top priorities, reuglatory agenda

Researchers at OMB Watch have released their take on the first 20 months of rulemaking under the Obama administration, including a status check on OSHA.

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Tags: ergonomics, injury and illness prevention programs, Obama's OSHA, OMB Watch

How far should the “exclusive remedy” provision of workers’ comp go?

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Tags: court, criminal charges, Workers' comp

Here’s the latest workplace health hazard: keyboards. And part of the problem is what mice (the animal kind) are doing on your keyboards at night while you’re not around.

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Tags: E. coli, health hazard, keyboard

Today (April 28) is Workers’ Memorial Day. U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis suggests we take time to reflect on making jobs safe.

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Tags: Hilda Solis, workers' memorial day, workplace fatalities

Imagine a workplace safety and health lawsuit involving more than 9,000 plaintiffs, 90 government agencies and private companies, tons of pages of court documents, and several hundred lawyers. It’s the 9/11 Ground Zero case.

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Tags: 9/11, Ground Zero, safety and health lawsuit

A healthcare group has called on California to require use of condoms in the production of adult films.

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Tags: adult film industry, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Cal/OSHA, condoms, HIV

Disinfectants can be useful in limiting spread of any type of influenza, including swine flu. But what exactly can these products do, and what can’t they do?

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Tags: disinfectants, EPA, H1N1, swine flu

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates almost 4,000 deaths in the U.S. were related to swine flu between April and mid-October.

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Tags: flu deaths, H1N1, swine flu

Nonfatal workplace injuries among private industry employers in 2008 fell 8% from the previous year.

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Tags: Hilda Solis, injury and illness rate, workplace injuries drop

Public health experts say company sick-time policies may be helping H1N1 (swine) flu spread more easily.

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Tags: H1N1, paid sick days, swine flu

As states pass non-smoking laws, fewer service employees are exposed to customers’ second-hand smoke. But should companies be liable for their workers who still encounter it on the job? Some businesses are facing lawsuits.

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Tags: lawsuit, non-smoking laws, second-hand smoke

The world isn’t fair. Some people can eat Twinkies all day, every day and never gain an ounce.

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Tags: healthcare costs, obesity and safety

California wants to toughen and clarify its heat-illness prevention standard.

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Tags: California heat standard, heat illness, shade water for workers

The World Health Organization has declared a swine flu pandemic, the first global flu epidemic in 41 years.

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Tags: CDC, pandemic, swine flu

California officials have more than fines to use against companies that expose employees to extreme outdoor heat without adequate protection — and they’re using these measures against violators.

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Tags: expose employees to extreme outdoor heat, heat illness prevention regulations, Merced Farm Labor

A few weeks ago, cable news seemed saturated with news about the swine flu outbreak in Mexico and its spread to the U.S. Did government officials and the media over-react?

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Tags: new strain of the flu, protect your employees from flu, swine flu overblown

With the recent swine flu scare, we’ve heard the plea once again for ill employees to stay home instead of spreading sickness at work. Now you can send the message anonymously, “Stay home when you’re sick,” specifically to those who ignore that advice.

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Tags: CDC, e-cards, stay home when you're sick

Companies face two new workplace health and safety rules: one on food flavorings, another on combustible dust.

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Tags: bronchiolitis obliterans, combustible dust explosions, diacetyl

Just as people are being asked to stay home from non-essential work in Mexico to stop the spread of the swine flu, a pandemic in the U.S. might require similar steps.

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Tags: businesses prepare for flu pandemic, germ control, workplace access and security

As someone in charge of safety and health at your workplace, here’s what you need to know about the swine flu outbreak:

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Tags: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, facemask and respirator recommendations, swine flu

Nurses Call for Broader Action to Combat Swine Flu:
Boost Public Health, Moratorium on Closures, Layoffs,
Suspend Insurance Charges that Discourage Prevention

The nation’s largest organization of registered nurses today called for broader, national action to promote containment and prevention of a broader swine flu pandemic.

While welcoming the Obama administration’s call on Congress Tuesday to allocate $1.5 billion for combating the virus, the 86,000 member California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee said more is needed to bolster a healthcare infrastructure badly eroded after years of neglect in the public safety net.

“From SARS to avian flu to the current escalating outbreaks of swine influenza, it has become increasingly clear that we are risking a major catastrophe unless we act to restore the safety net, and devote the resources that are needed to protect the public,” said CNA/NNOC co-president Deborah Burger, RN.

The CNA/NNOC action plan includes:

• Reinstate the $870 million for pandemics that was cut from the economic stimulus bill.
• Recruit and mobilize teams of scientists to create the appropriate effective vaccine for the virus.
• Cease and desist any reductions in public health programs at federal, state, and local levels. Lift any freezes on public health funding currently in place.
• Implement a moratorium on any closures of emergency rooms, layoffs of direct healthcare personnel, and reductions of hospital beds.
• Allocate funding for recruitment and retention of school nurses, public health nurses.
• Expand the network of community clinics, especially in medically underserved areas.
• Add thousands of additional ventilators/respirators, which are critically needed in the event of epidemics.
• Assure the availability of protective equipment for all healthcare personnel.
• Require all insurance companies to suspend or waive all out-of-pocket expenses, including co-pays, deductibles, or co-insurance that discourage individuals from seeking preventive care for early signs of infection.

More than three years ago, CNA/NNOC warned that the “firewalls for stopping the next great pandemic are getting thinner,” and cited cuts in public health funding and decreased capacity within the system needed to protect public safety. (see calnurses.org for article)

In a November 2005 article in the CNA/NNOC national magazine, written at the time of avian flu warnings, CNA/NNOC noted the escalating cuts in public health funding then, and shrinking of capacity. For example, at the time, there were only 105,000 mechanical ventilators, of which 75,000 to 80,000 were in constant use, an alarming shortage of capacity in the event of acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Recalling the 1918-1919 global influenza which killed as many as 100 million people worldwide, and 675,000 Americans, the article noted that the world’s population “was less than a third of what it is today and populations were far more isolated.”

It also noted a major lesson of that pandemic was the enormous mitigating effect adequate nursing care has on mortality. “We need to rededicate our nation to expanding the supply of nurses and safe patient care in our hospitals and clinics, which is a central component of the healthcare safety net that is especially vital at times of public health crises,” Burger noted.

Eliminating barriers to care based on ability to pay is another central priority, Burger added.

Recent reports have emphasized the growing number of Americans who are skipping routine medical screenings, exams, and general preventive care due to the skyrocketing co-pays, deductibles, and other use charges imposed by insurance companies.

“Price gouging by the healthcare industry has already put tens of millions of families in healthcare jeopardy, especially in an economic crisis,” said Burger. “At a time when untold numbers are already exposed to a dangerous virus, we need to be removing any barriers to medical care that would exacerbate the spread of contagion.”

Representing some 86,000 RNs in all 50 states, the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee is the largest and fastest-growing association of direct-care RNs in the nation. Learn more at www.calnurses.org.

Tags: swine flu

One Call Now is continuing their history of community service with the offer of free phone notification to any group who feels they may be affected by the outbreak of swine flu, no strings attached. The 90-day free calling plan is meant to keep schools, government agencies, religious organizations, sports teams and businesses in constant communication as the situation continues to evolve.

One Call Now Offers Notification Service at NO CHARGE for Governments, Schools, Businesses, Religious Organizations and Others in Response to Swine Flu Outbreak.

Troy, OH-In response to outbreaks of swine flu across North America, One Call Now, America’s leading emergency notification service, has issued professionally-written influenza notification scripts for use by its 35,000 clients to inform and protect the millions of families currently receiving One Call Now Notification Messages.

The company has also announced a NO-Charge, proactive emergency calling plan for any government emergency management agency, school district, business, religious or community organization that lacks an emergency communication system but will find it essential to inform their citizens, families, staff and congregations should the situation change.

One Call Now’s various comprehensive service plans include clear voice, SMS text and email messages, enabling you to reach tens of thousands of recipients a minute to protect lives and keep people informed.

For Government Agencies, the NO-charge service will provide a database of all published and unpublished numbers for every household to be used by government emergency agencies to immediately send a clear, digitally recorded voice message to an entire town, city or county.

For Schools, the NO-Charge service will dial every family in the school’s student database in moments with updates, instructions and details to keep children safe and parents informed.

For Businesses, the NO-charge business continuity plan will allow company management to reach every employee, stakeholder and customer with emergency communications and plans for staff and clients alike.

For Churches, Youth Sports Leagues and Community Organizations, instant communications to keep families safe and informed is vital; and now easy, and at NO charge.

“We have been providing emergency services to tens of thousands of organizations nationwide for eight years, and reach millions of people every day with voice or text messages that inform and protect. In this uncertain time, with the World Health Organization issuing an unprecedented Phase IV pandemic alert, it is incumbent upon every organization to have the ability to contact their people immediately; even if there is no budget or funds available. That’s why we are offering a no-strings, no-charge emergency communications plan for any organization. Our company mission statement, ‘When messages matter, we deliver’ is not just a phrase, it is part of our DNA, and why this no-charge service is so vital for any organization to have in place if the worst should happen. ” said Leib Lurie, CEO of One Call Now.

“The company can have most new clients ready to send their first test message in a matter of hours, and our 24/7 support team is always ready to train and assist with fast, professional implementation. This includes scripts issued to all clients to be used to inform and help keep every family safer from this lethal form of Influenza. ” said company President Angela Kirchner.

For details and immediate implementation for your emergency communications plan, organization administrators are urged to call 877-698-3262.

About One Call Now
Troy, Ohio-based One Call Now has grown rapidly to become a leading provider of community notification solutions for time-sensitive communications. More than 35,000 schools, colleges, municipalities, government agencies, religious organizations, youth leagues and businesses rely on One Call Now services to distribute critical information to millions of people across the United States every day. Whether for emergencies, event changes, reminders for activities, events, games and practices, or to poll people for instant responses, One Call Now is committed to delivering the highest quality service and support to its customers. Please visit us at www.onecallnow.com.

Tags: swine flu