Labor

Atlanta — Citing the availability of numerous tools that help reduce COVID-19 severity, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has modified its guidance on preventing transmission of the disease.

New York — Employees in fields with higher workplace injury rates are generally less likely to be covered by employer-provided health insurance plans, results of a recent survey show.

Washington — A State Plan covering Massachusetts’ state and local government employees is now a reality after OSHA announced its initial approval.

Washington — The National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health has scheduled a virtual public meeting for Sept. 13, a day after its work group on heat injury and illness prevention is slated to convene.

College Station, TX — Adverse health effects of shift work – including increased risk of stroke – may persist even after workers resume traditional, 24-hour circadian cycles, according to a recent study by researchers from Texas A&M University.

Washington — Seeking to “best assess” the impact of increased line speeds on worker safety in poultry-processing plants, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service plans to study the effects.

Washington — The Senate is calling for an 11.1% funding increase for OSHA in fiscal year 2023, under a recently released series of 12 appropriations bills that includes other federal safety agencies.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency is accepting comment until Aug. 8 on a draft revised final risk evaluation that states the toxic chemical trichloroethylene, as a whole chemical substance, poses “unreasonable risk” to workers under certain conditions.

Washington — NIOSH, along with the National Hearing Conservation Association and the Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation, has extended to Aug. 15 the nomination deadline for the 2023 Safe-in-Sound Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention Award.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency is requesting public comment on a draft revised final risk evaluation that states methylene chloride, as a whole chemical substance, poses “unreasonable risk” to workers under certain conditions.