Labor

Washington – The Environmental Protection Agency has extended to Aug. 18 the comment period for revisions to a proposed rule aimed at protecting farmworkers from pesticide exposure.

Washington – NIOSH has developed a new five-year research and prevention plan aimed at reducing work-related deaths caused by motor vehicle crashes – the leading cause of worker fatalities.

Boston – Workers who are exposed to paint, glue or degreaser fumes may experience cognitive issues such as memory loss during retirement, according to a recent study from the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies.

Washington – Firefighters who work for federal agencies and contract certain diseases on the job would be ensured federal workers’ compensation coverage under newly introduced bipartisan legislation.

Washington – Federal oversight of the oil and gas extraction industry should be rethought and potentially changed to a model used in regulating the coal mining industry, one workplace safety advocate said following the release of the AFL-CIO’s annual “Death on the Job” report.

Washington – The safety of temporary workers will be the topic of discussion during a meeting, scheduled for May 9, of a National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health workgroup.

Washington – Certain smartphone and tablet applications designed to measure sound levels are accurate and reliable enough to assess occupational noise exposures, according to a new NIOSH study.

Anacortes, WA – The Chemical Safety Board on May 1 approved what board chair Rafael Moure-Eraso called a “landmark” report on an April 2010 explosion at the Tesoro refinery in Washington state.

Arlington, VA – As the Mine Safety and Health Administration announces its intent to work with the mining industry on implementing the agency’s recent final rule on coal dust, some mining companies and organizations are actively pushing back.

Washington – NIOSH’s Office of Mine Safety and Health Research is seeking proposals for robotic technologies or systems that can help improve self-escape and rescue efforts in the event of a mine disaster.