Alan Ferguson

Advances in technology are expected to turn a stream of data into “a giant flash flood.” That future is arriving sooner than you think, but what might it mean for the world of occupational safety? Five experts weigh in.

OSHA needs better methods to prevent and detect underreporting of worker fatalities and certain injuries, while the Mine Safety and Health Administration "lacks a consistent approach to logging, assessing and responding to complaints of hazardous mine conditions," the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General concludes in its recently released semiannual report to Congress.

Washington — OSHA’s efforts to require employers to report occupational fatalities and certain injuries in a timely manner lack “sufficient guidance on how to detect and prevent underreporting,” the Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General states in its semiannual report to Congress.

In a memo sent Oct. 11 to regional administrators and state designees, the agency outlines examples of acceptable drug testing, and states that incentive programs that withhold prizes because of an injury are compliant “as long as the employer has implemented precautions to ensure that employees feel free to report an injury or illness.”

Washington — OSHA’s $5 million budget increase became official Sept. 28 after President Donald Trump signed a “minibus” appropriations bill that includes funding for the Department of Defense and a continuing resolution to keep the government open until Dec. 7.

Federal regulations often take years – sometimes decades – to come to fruition. In the current presidential administration, the focus is on deregulation – and experts say the process of rolling back a rule can prove just as slow.

Once relegated to science fiction and other works of popular culture, exoskeletons are showing promise in providing ergonomic support and preventing injuries among people who work physically demanding jobs.

OSHA aims to rescind two major parts of its Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses final rule. Under the proposal, covered establishments with 250 or more employees – or those with 20 to 249 employees in certain high-hazard industries – no longer would be required to submit injury and illness data Forms 300 or 301.

The Centers of Occupational Health and Education program – part of the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries – is designed to get injured workers back on the job while curbing long-term disability rates.

OSHA is set to move ahead on four standards previously relegated to “long-term action” status, according to the Spring 2018 regulatory agenda, released May 9.