Workplace Solutions

What are some of the underlying reasons why hand injuries are still so common?

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.

If someone has a serious cut and gets blood on the floor, how do we treat the cut? And how do we safely clean up the blood?

Washington — The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has denied the Department of Labor’s request for the dismissal of a lawsuit stemming from OSHA’s suspension of its deadline for employer submission of data from Forms 300 and 301 – part of its Improved Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses final rule.

Washington — Reusable respirators could prove a “viable option” for health care facilities’ respiratory protection programs, especially in preparation for a public health emergency, a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine concludes.

Washington — OSHA area offices must apply a four-part test before issuing General Duty Clause citations for respiratory hazards that do not have a permissible exposure limit, the agency states in a memorandum sent to regional administrators.

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.

Snow-covered or icy roads, and slick driving surfaces resulting from heavy rain – these are just some of the weather-related conditions that workers may encounter. All this severe weather potential raises the question: Should workplaces have severe weather policies?

Amsterdam — The Global Reporting Initiative has updated its occupational health and safety reporting standard, GRI 403, in an effort to address concerns over a lack of robust management, the organization recently announced.

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.”