Labor

Washington – OSHA’s Injury Tracking Application will be available Aug. 1, allowing employers to electronically enter their required 2016 injury and illness data from Form 300A, the agency announced July 14.

Washington – The Chemical Safety Board is a step closer to avoiding elimination after, at a July 11 meeting, the House Appropriations Committee allocated $11 million for the agency for fiscal year 2018.

Augusta, ME – A new law in Maine makes more jobs open to workers as young as 14 and aligns the state’s provisions with federal safety regulations to protect those workers.

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration has launched its annual campaign intended to promote roof and rib fall hazard awareness among coal miners and mine operators, while also focusing on continuous mining machine operator safety.

Greenbelt, MD – Seeking to promote healthier eating habits among volunteer firefighters, emergency responders and their families, the National Volunteer Fire Council is collaborating on a study with researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Washington – A group of House Democrats, led by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), is urging Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to reject a renewed call to increase line speeds in poultry-processing plants.

Iowa City, IA – Health officials should adapt suicide prevention programs for the agricultural industry, researchers from the University of Iowa say, citing their recent study that shows the suicide rate among U.S. farm operators and workers is higher than the overall U.S. workforce.

Boston – Going to bed later and waking up later on weekends than during the week – also known as social jet lag – may be linked to poor health and higher levels of sleepiness and fatigue, according to the preliminary results of a study conducted by researchers at the University of Arizona.

Montreal – Factories with plastic injection molding machines that interact with peripheral equipment – such as robots or conveyors – could do more to improve safety, Canadian scientific research organization IRSST concluded in a recent study.

Washington – OSHA has launched its annual summer campaign to remind employers and employees about the dangers of working outdoors in hot weather.