Labor

Washington – Assaults on national forest and range workers increased significantly in 2015, according to watchdog group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.

Washington – Members of Congress and several fire service organizations are supporting a bill that would require the Department of Health and Human Services to create and maintain a voluntary registry for data on cancer occurrence among firefighters.

Washington – The National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health has scheduled a meeting for June 14-15 in the nation’s capital.

Sacramento, CA – Lawmakers in the California Assembly on May 19 approved a bill intended to improve protections for health care workers and patients exposed to toxic fumes in surgical settings.

Washington – Critics of OSHA’s recently released recordkeeping rule, which would make worker injury and illness data public, voiced their concerns during a May 25 hearing convened by the House Workforce Protections Subcommittee.

Washington – The Chemical Safety Board hinders transparency when it fails to post public meeting transcripts and does not place transcripts in easily accessible locations, according to an audit conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General.

Uppsala, Sweden – A study of current and former shift workers shows that shift work may contribute to cognitive difficulties that take years to recover from, according to researchers at Uppsala University and Malmö University.

Hartford, CT – Injuries related to material handling account for nearly one-third of total workers’ compensation claims, while strains and sprains are the most common type of work-related injury, according to a report from insurance provider Travelers Companies.

Washington – Simple changes to the store environment can help convenience store owners protect their employees from work-related violence, NIOSH researchers claim in a recent blog post.

Washington – OSHA’s final rule on preventing slips, trips and falls is scheduled for publication in August, according to the spring regulatory agenda released May 18.