News

Washington – Texas and Wyoming earned the lowest possible scores from the American Lung Association when it comes to smoke-free workplaces, the association states in its annual “State of Tobacco Control” report for 2017.

Washington – Elaine Chao has returned to government service as secretary of transportation after the Senate confirmed her nomination Jan. 31.

Washington – The Department of Labor has renewed the charter of the Maritime Advisory Committee for Occupational Safety and Health, which advises the secretary of labor on safety in the maritime industry.

Washington – OSHA has delayed until March 21 the effective date of its final rule intended to protect workers from exposure to beryllium.

Washington – A final rule establishing national minimum training requirements for entry-level commercial motor vehicle drivers has been delayed until at least March 21.

East Lansing, MI – Hospitals that use unit-level data on violent events to create worksite interventions could help lower the risk of patient-to-worker violence and staff injuries, a recent study from Michigan State University suggests.

Basel, Switzerland – Health care professionals’ judgment varies significantly when they conduct medical evaluations to determine whether workers should receive disability benefits for an injury or illness, and standards are needed to improve the process, according to researchers from the University of Basel.

Paris – Insomnia “appears to be a strong clinical marker of burnout” when paired with demanding work schedules and should be taken into account in workplace mental health programs, according to a study of financial industry workers published Jan. 13 in the journal BMJ Open.

Washington – President Donald Trump has signed an Executive Order requiring federal agencies to eliminate two regulations for each new one introduced.

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued a final rule intended to improve pre-shift examinations of metal and non-metal mines.