New state law protects health care workers from violence
This spasm of violence astonished the state — hospitals are supposed to be places where people are healed, not gunned down. But for nurses, who have long been on the front line in health care and have been punched, slapped, cursed and kicked as they tried to help patients, Hull’s shooting was an escalation of the violence they live with regularly. Now, there’s a level of protection against such attacks, provided by a new law — An Act Concerning Workplace Violence Prevention and Response in Health Care Settings — that Gov. Dannel P. Malloy signed into law last week.
http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/New-state-law-protects-health-care-workers-from-1472488.php
No matter what mining industry reps say, MSHA’s proposed rule to address black lung is easily achievable
Thanks to Ken Ward at Coal Tattoo for alerting me to a hearing conducted last week in the House Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Overight and Government Spending, of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform called “EPA’s Appalachian Energy Permitorium: Job Killer or Job Creator?” The majoirity of the witnesses were at the ready to sing the praises of King Coal and complain that the Obama Administration is trying to cripple the industry. The target of the oversight hearing was the EPA, with Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) serving as lead-off witness and insisting that the Obama Administration’s EPA “puts ideology first, and hardworking West Virginians, who are working to put food on their family’s tables, last.”
http://scienceblogs.com/thepumphandle/2011/07/no_matter_what_mining_industry.php
GAO seeks information about federal workers comp cheats
On the street, they are called snitches. To law enforcement, they are informants. The Government Accountability Office consider them good citizens. These are the folks from whom the GAO wants to get information about people who are cheating the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act, which provides benefits to those injured on the job.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/post/gao-seeks-information-about-federal-workers-comp-cheats/2011/04/15/gIQA59ctPI_blog.html?wprss=federal-eye
Ensuring competitive employment opportunities for youth with disabilities, here and abroad
There’s a question that young people with disabilities deal with every day when entering the workforce: “How can I find and keep a job?” It’s one I’m looking at right now, as are many of my friends and not just in the U.S., but worldwide.
http://social.dol.gov/blog/ensuring-competitive-employment-opportunities-for-youth-with-disabilities-here-and-abroad
What you can do about bed bugs in the workplace
If 2010 was the year of the bed bug, 2011 may be the year most people realize that these blood-sucking insects are far more widespread than homes and hotels. These bugs have hitchhiked from where people live to where they work, study, and play. Bed bugs have increasingly been reported in major office buildings, hospitals, retail stores, colleges, and K-12 schools.
http://safety.blr.com/workplace-safety-news/employee-health/employee-health/What-You-Can-Do-About-Bed-Bugs-in-the-Workplace-/
Rigger in deadly NYC crane collapse loses licenses; ruling calls him responsible
A rigger who worked on a construction crane that collapsed and killed seven people has been stripped of his licenses. An administrative judge says the rigger’s sloppy work was to blame for the collapse, despite his acquittal on all criminal charges.
http://www.680news.com/news/world/article/256306–apnewsbreak-rigger-in-deadly-nyc-crane-collapse-loses-licenses-ruling-calls-him-responsible
Troy company faces OSHA fine
A Troy, Ohio, company is being cited for safety violations after a worker suffered crushing injuries. A 25-year-old man’s fingers were crushed by a 100-ton power press in May at West Troy Tool and Machine on Marybill Drive. The violations could total more than $52,000.
http://www.whiotv.com/news/28599317/detail.html
Death immediate in rice field blast
The Grimes man who died in an explosion Saturday while turning on an irrigation pump at a rice field south of Colusa died of shrapnel wounds and electrocution, the Colusa County Coroner’s Office reported Tuesday.
http://www.colusa-sun-herald.com/news/field-6905-died-colusa.html
2 workers in serious condition after falling 3 stories
2 workers for the Great Northwest Gutter Company fell 3 stories after a gutter they were installing came in contact with an electrical wire.
http://www.kxl.com/kxl-news/2-Workers-In-Serious-Condition-After-Falling-3-Sto/10397716
Watch for signs of heat-related illnesses
With the excessive heat watch issued for Thursday, there is the possibility of heat-related illnesses. For those who work outside, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends taking frequent breaks in shaded or air conditioned areas.
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=41&sid=2462628
