Labor Division

RSS

Washington – OSHA is scheduled to lead a public meeting on Nov. 14 in advance of the 34th session of the United Nations Sub-Committee of Experts on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals.

Hong Kong – Night shift workers are at an increased risk of becoming obese or overweight, according to new research by Chinese and Dutch scientists.

Ann Arbor, MI – “You learn something new every day,” an old adage suggests. And people who apply that saying at work may be more effective at dealing with stress than their co-workers who take coffee breaks, walk or listen to music to relax on the job, according to researchers at the University of Michigan.

Washington – Adults with occupational asthma face a higher risk of developing pneumococcal disease, but only 54 percent of them are vaccinated to help ward off an infection, according to a new study from NIOSH.

Philadelphia – Staffing agencies that hire temporary workers need to be regulated more vigorously, and employers that use those agencies should carry a heavier load of responsibility for workers’ safety, a trio of Temple University law students concluded in a recent report examining how staffing agencies and host employers may “pass the buck” to get around proper safety training and other requirements.

Washington – Concerned about the pace at which OSHA is hiring new inspectors, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) is requesting information on the agency’s staffing levels.

Washington – Senators on both sides of the aisle are again seeking to make OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programs a permanent fixture.

Atlanta – About 79 percent of health care providers received an influenza vaccination during the 2016-2017 flu season, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Washington – Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA) says lawmakers who cite concerns about worker safety when opposing his call to increase poultry-processing line speeds are willfully ignoring scientific data.

Washington – OSHA has stated that it will change some of the processes in its Voluntary Protection Programs, after a Department of Labor Office of Inspector General audit uncovered several weaknesses in recording and reporting systems involving contract workers.