Labor

Washington — The Department of Labor Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs has unveiled a four-point Opioid Action Plan intended to help combat opioid misuse among injured federal employees.

Washington — Workers who frequently drill concrete can experience reduced exposure to noise, silica dust and vibration if pneumatic rock drills are replaced with electric rotary hammer drills, according to researchers at the University of California, Berkeley.

Washington — OSHA is set to publish the long-awaited updates to its crane operator certification requirements in the Nov. 9 Federal Register.

Washington — The nonfatal injury and illness rate for private-sector U.S. employees continued to decline in 2017, as did the rate of nonfatal injuries and illnesses requiring days away from work, according to annual data released Nov. 8 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Washington — Proper emergency response training and planning – coupled with early, coordinated communication among companies, first responders and communities – can help prevent chemical incident-related injuries and fatalities, a new "Safety Digest" from the Chemical Safety Board states.

Washington — The Office of National Drug Control Policy, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has published a guide intended to help rural communities address opioid misuse and other substance abuse by providing a centralized list of federal programs and resources.

Oakland, CA — Certain employers in California must comply with OSHA’s electronic recordkeeping rule and submit their Form 300A data online to the federal agency.

Washington — The Chemical Safety Board is seeking to better understand why efforts to manage and control combustible dust hazards “have often failed” to prevent explosions.

Austin, TX — The presence of smartphones can significantly reduce users’ cognitive capacity – even when the devices are turned off – according to researchers from the University of Texas at Austin.

Menlo Park, CA — Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. office workers say they’ve quit a job because their commute was too much, according to the results of a recent survey conducted by global staffing firm Robert Half.