Labor

Austin, TX — Women injured on the job have a better chance of qualifying for workers’ compensation disability payments and receiving higher payouts when a female doctor evaluates their claim, according to a recent study.

Geneva — As telework grows more common, the World Health Organization and the International Labor Organization are encouraging employers to develop programs to help make the practice “healthy and safe.”

The U.S. Supreme Court issued a stay of OSHA's emergency temporary standard on COVID-19 vaccination, testing and masking, with a 6-3 decision Jan. 13. In response, the agency withdrew its ETS on Jan. 26.

Washington — OSHA has issued a proposed rule to update design and construction requirements in its powered industrial trucks standards for general industry and construction.

Washington — Evaluating and controlling hazards that stem from preservative coatings during hot work on maritime vessels is the subject of a new fact sheet from OSHA.

Boston — Common types of N95 respirators – widely used by health care professionals providing direct care to patients with COVID-19 – can be safely reprocessed up to 25 times to help augment supplies during future pandemics, results of a recent study by Boston researchers suggest.

Los Angeles — Nearly a quarter of the fast-food workforce in Los Angeles County tested positive for COVID-19 during the first 18 months of the pandemic, a likely result of adverse working conditions and shaky compliance with safety measures, a recent report from the University of California, Los Angeles and UC Berkeley suggests.

Oakland, CA — The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health is requesting nominations for members to serve on its recently established advisory committee focused on the safety and health of household domestic service workers.

Bilbao, Spain — Promoting good musculoskeletal health among remote workers and their employers is the goal of a new fact sheet from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, also known as EU-OSHA.

Washington — The National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health has scheduled a public meeting for Feb. 22, followed by the initial meeting of the committee’s work group on heat injury and illness prevention on Feb. 25.