Occupational Health & Safety
The Pump Handle
Category archives for Occupational Health & Safety
Waiting for Obama Administration to deliver on new worker safety regulations, probably shouldn’t hold my breath
Posted by Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH of George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services on May 15, 2013 Spring 2013 looked like it would be a banner season for progress by the Obama Administration on new worker safety regulations; not so much anymore.
Occupational Health News Roundup
Posted by Liz Borkowski on May 13, 2013 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.
“Enough is enough” – Asian labor rights advocates call for change as death toll mounts in Bangladesh
Posted by The Pump Handle on May 10, 2013 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.
Death on the Job report: US workers deserve better protections
Posted by Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH of George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services on May 8, 2013 The AFL-CIO’s “Death on the Job” report shows why U.S. workers deserve much better protections than they are getting.
Flavored java, coffee bean workers, and deadly lung disease
Posted by Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH of George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services on April 30, 2013 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.
Will Tom Vilsack’s USDA keep its promise to poultry plant workers about their grueling, disabling work?
Posted by Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH of George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services on April 25, 2013 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.
Preventing worker deaths through better building design
Posted by Liz Borkowski on April 24, 2013 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.
Workers’ Memorial Week 2013: Mourning the dead, fighting for the living
Posted by Liz Borkowski on April 22, 2013 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.
US industrial sand production increases dramatically, yet industry says worker protection too costly
Posted by The Pump Handle on April 18, 2013 Since the White House Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) began reviewing the Labor Department’s proposed rule to reduce by one-half the permissible workplace exposure to respirable crystalline silica more than two year ago, the US has seen a dramatic increase in industrial sand mining, a major route of workers’ exposure to silica dust. Industry groups claim the more-protective standard would be too expensive.
Worker safety provisions in Senate immigration reform bill
Posted by Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH of George Washington University School of Public Health & Health Services on April 17, 2013 A quick review of the bi-partisan Senate immigration reform bill reveals a few provisions related to workplace safety.