Labor

Washington – NIOSH will be offering free, confidential health screenings to coal miners to help detect the occupational lung disease known as black lung in its early stages.

Boston – Hospitals and other health care facilities in Massachusetts would be required to develop and implement workplace violence prevention programs to protect their workers as part of legislation advancing through the state House and Senate.

Washington – Climate change may increase the frequency and severity of occupational hazards and exposures – and create new ones, according to a report from the U.S. Global Change Research Program.

Wellington, New Zealand – New research has identified certain occupations and industries that may contribute to the risk of workers developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a group of related cancers affecting part of the body’s immune system.

Charleston, WV – Don Blankenship, the former Massey Energy Co. CEO who was convicted of willfully violating safety standards leading up to the deadly 2010 explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine, has been sentenced to one year in prison for his crimes.

Schaumburg, IL – The American Foundry Society and the National Association of Manufacturers have requested that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit review OSHA’s recently released final rule on silica.

Washington – OSHA is seeking nominations for membership on its Whistleblower Protection Advisory Committee.

Arlington, VA – The Mine Safety and Health Administration is calling for increased focus on safety during April, one of the deadliest months of the year for the mining industry.

Washington – Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez faced sharp scrutiny during a recent Senate subcommittee hearing over accusations that OSHA ignored “congressional intent” regarding the agency’s enforcement policy for retail establishments under the Process Safety Management Standard.

Philadelphia – A Pennsylvania-based roofing contractor who lied to OSHA in the aftermath of an employee death was sentenced March 29 to 10 months in prison.