Labor

Washington — The National Employment Law Project and the Economic Analysis and Research Network recently released a policy brief intended to advise incoming governors and state legislators on best practices “to protect workers in their states so that all communities can thrive and grow.”

Boston – Nearly half of the teen workers in Massachusetts who were injured on the job between 2011 and 2015 said they did not receive health and safety training from their employer, according to a Massachusetts Department of Public Health annual report on teen worker safety.

Tokyo — Long-term exposure to powdered toner or toner-using machines has no significant impact on lung health, concludes a recent study of copier industry workers by researchers at Japan’s Showa University.

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 — Potential elimination of the agency and a lack of leadership authority are among the key managerial challenges facing the Chemical Safety Board in the new year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Inspector General Annual Plan for Fiscal Year 2019.

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.

Sacramento, CA — California Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) has introduced legislation intended to strengthen employee rights and define the role of an independent contractor.

London — Although a larger percentage of workers in the United Kingdom say their managers are genuinely concerned for their well-being, “the prevalence and impact of mental health issues are severe, and employers need to urgently ramp up the breadth and quality of support they’re providing,” concludes a recent report from nonprofit group Business in the Community.

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.

Montreal — Noise exposure in the workplace can accelerate presbycusis – the normal loss of hearing as a result of aging – according to a literature review conducted by researchers at the Canadian scientific research organization IRSST.