Labor

Honolulu — Four workers in Hawaii were killed and seven were seriously injured during a 20-day span in May, according to the state’s Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, prompting further investigation from the Hawaii Occupational Safety and Health Division.

Washington — OSHA has released initial enforcement guidelines for the Respirable Crystalline Silica Standard for general industry and maritime, a couple of weeks before many of the rule’s provisions are scheduled to go into effect.

Ft. Lauderdale, FL — In 2017, positive tests for illicit drugs in the American workforce remained at their highest level in more than a decade, according to the annual Drug Testing Index from lab services provider Quest Diagnostics.

Washington — The Chemical Safety Board faces two significant managerial challenges, the Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General contends in a report released June 4.

Washington — Lawmakers have proposed bipartisan legislation that would create a committee to advise Secretary of Labor R. Alexander Acosta on ways the Department of Labor could help combat opioid misuse and addiction in the workforce.

Albany, NY — Attorneys general from New York, California and Maryland have filed a lawsuit challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to indefinitely delay a requirement for employers to provide enhanced training intended to protect farmworkers, pesticide handlers and their families from exposure to pesticides.

Washington — In response to multiple studies showing that firefighters are at an increased risk for many types of cancers, the National Volunteer Fire Council and four other organizations have developed a poster intended to help firefighters understand their risks and take action to protect themselves.

Washington — Fires and explosions from flammable atmospheres in confined spaces are the most common causes of hot work-related fatalities among workers, the Chemical Safety Board states in a recently released fact sheet.

Boca Raton, FL — The number of paid sick days workers have may determine whether they will get a flu shot or use other preventive health care services, according to a recent study from Florida Atlantic University and Cleveland State University.

Washington — Legislative action is needed to clarify the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s authority to issue mine closure orders, the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General states in its semiannual report to Congress.