Fatal work injuries rose in 2010, new data show
The Department of Labor reported today that 4,690 U.S. workers suffered fatal injuries in 2010, a 3 percent increase from 2009. The higher number in part reflects a string of high-profile disasters in 2010: An explosion at the Upper Big Branch coal mine in West Virginia that killed 29; BP’s Deepwater Horizon blowout in the Gulf of Mexico, which killed 11; and a blast at the Tesoro Corp.’s oil refinery in Washington State that killed seven.
http://www.iwatchnews.org/2012/04/25/8755/fatal-work-injuries-rose-2010-new-data-show
US Labor Department’s MSHA releases first quarter mine fatality update
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration today released a first quarter summary of mining deaths across the country. Ten miners died in work-related accidents at the nation’s mines during the first three months of 2012.
http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/msha/MSHA20120763.htm
OSHA’s Michaels commemorates Workers’ Memorial Day in audio message
Every year on April 28, the nation recognizes Workers’ Memorial Day to remember and honor the workers who lost their lives while on the job. This year, in advance of Workers’ Memorial Day, OSHA Administrator Dr. David Michaels recorded an audio message about worker safety and rights.
http://ehstoday.com/standards/osha/Michaels-workers-memorial-day-0426/
New rules set on background checks for job seekers
Federal regulators Wednesday approved new rules that could make it easier to find work for convicted criminals and others who have gotten into legal trouble. By a 4-1 vote, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission approved the rules for employers who use criminal background checks, calling for careful consideration of how and when such reviews can be used in pre-employment screenings and in the workplace because of their potential to be biased against certain groups, such as racial minorities.
http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/25/11394190-new-rules-set-on-background-checks-for-job-seekers
Bloomberg vetoes wage bill, pledges to sue
This time, he didn’t bring up the former Soviet Union. But in a strongly-worded speech Wednesday morning, Mayor Michael Bloomberg railed against two City Council bills that would raise wages for workers on city-subsidized projects. He promised to sue if they become law.
http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20120425/LABOR_UNIONS/120429928#ixzz1t9so5qHz
Sarah Palin attacks Obama on farm work
Sarah Palin lashed out at the Obama Administration in a Facebook post on Wednesday, attacking regulations she says would ban children from working on family farms. Tapping into her Alaska roots and 4-H past, Palin called the rules a “nonsensical intrusion into our lives and livelihoods.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/26/sarah-palin-obama-farm-work-_n_1455315.html
Tetris-PTSD study suggests video game curbs flashbacks, other symptoms
A seemingly trivial task – playing a particular video game – may lessen flashbacks and other psychological symptoms following a traumatic event, according to research presented here at the British Psychology Society Annual Conference. Researchers are now corroborating what some trauma sufferers have happened upon by chance: Focusing on a highly engaging visual-spatial task, such as playing video games, may significantly reduce the occurrence of flashbacks, the mental images concerning the trauma that intrude on the sufferer afterward.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/25/tetris-ptsd-study-flashbacks_n_1453465.html
Gary Stein, Marine who criticized Obama on Facebook, will receive other-than-honorable discharge
The Marine Corps said Wednesday it has decided to discharge a sergeant for criticizing President Barack Obama on Facebook. The Corps said Sgt. Gary Stein will be given an other-than-honorable discharge for violating Pentagon policy limiting speech of service members.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/25/gary-stein-marine-obama-facebook_n_1453031.html
AA Foundries hit with safety violations
San Antonio’s AA Foundries Inc. is facing $107,600 in proposed penalties by the federal Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration for various health and safety violations. OSHA said in statement Wednesday that AA Foundries exposed employees to excessive noise levels, lead and copper.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/article/AA-Foundries-hit-with-safety-violations-3510614.php
Identity of brewery worker killed in accident released
The identity of a worker killed in a keg explosion at a brewery Tuesday has been released, as an investigation into the accident continues. The Redhook Ale Brewery said Ben Harris was killed when a keg he was cleaning exploded.
http://www.wmur.com/news/30954022/detail.html
