Labor

Arlington, VA – Mine Safety and Health Administration inspectors will be visiting mines to conduct “walk and talks” with miners and mine operators, the agency has announced.

Waterloo, Ontario – Coffee shop workers often experience pain in their shoulders and lower backs caused by preparing and serving beverages, according to a recent study from Wilfrid Laurier University in Canada.

Washington – Prompted by the 2013 fire and explosion that killed 12 firefighters at a Texas fertilizer facility, as well as other recent incidents, OSHA is considering the development of a standard on emergency response and preparedness.

Washington – NIOSH is seeking to extend a study assessing the effectiveness and cost benefit of interventions intended to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders in the workplace.

Washington – Workers in distant-water tuna fishing fleets face a greater risk of death and injury than workers in almost all other types of fishing fleets, according to a new report from NIOSH.

Washington – Comprehensive safe patient-handling and mobility programs can decrease staff injuries and increase patient safety by nearly 95 percent, the American Nurses Association told congressional staff members May 28.

Washington – A rule listed on the Department of Labor’s spring 2014 regulatory agenda is intended to address problems with the administration of the Black Lung Benefits Act, through which miners receive compensation for disabilities related to pneumoconiosis – also known as “black lung” disease.

Baltimore – Traditional risk-factor assessments might not be enough to detect cardiovascular disease in firefighters, according to a study from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Washington – NIOSH is asking oil and gas workers for information on occupational health hazards experienced during hydraulic fracturing operations, commonly known as fracking.

Washington – OSHA intends to issue final rules on personal protective equipment; confined spaces; and slips, trips and falls by the end of the year, according to the recently published semiannual regulatory agenda.