Labor Division

RSS

Atlanta – About 5.5 million working adults in the United States used electronic cigarettes in 2014, with the prevalence highest among workers in the accommodation and food services industry, according to research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Washington – OSHA has scheduled an informal stakeholder meeting to discuss the hazards associated with tree care operations, as it considers creating a proposed rule to protect workers in the industry.

Washington – NIOSH has developed a mobile app to help miners assess the ergonomics of three mining tasks: bagging, maintenance and repair, and haul truck operations.

Quincy, MA – Sixty-eight firefighters died while on duty in 2015 – the fourth time in the past five years that the number of firefighter deaths totaled fewer than 70 – according to an annual report released June 9 by the National Fire Protection Association.

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration is seeking information on ways to monitor and regulate miner exposure to diesel exhaust in underground mines.

Washington – NIOSH has developed a database it calls a “comprehensive tool” for searching “relevant standards, associated product types, target occupational groups, basic conformity assessment specifications and accredited lab information” related to personal protective equipment.

Kansas City, MO – OSHA has launched a pilot program targeted at employers in Region 7 who “engage in egregious behavior and blatant retaliation against workers who report unsafe working conditions and violations of the law.”

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued a proposed rule intended to improve the quality of workplace examinations in metal and non-metal mines.

Washington – Thomas M. Galassi, director of OSHA’s Directorate of Enforcement Programs, on May 11 sent a memorandum to regional administrators regarding the Process Safety Management Standard’s recognized and generally accepted good engineering practices requirements, also known as RAGAGEP.

College Station, TX – The lack of a consistent eating and sleeping schedule may disrupt the circadian rhythms of shift workers and make them more likely to suffer a severe stroke, according to a recent study from Texas A&M University.