This week, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) announced about 50 types of cancer had been added to the list of 9/11-related illnesses that would be covered by health care costs for responders and victims exposed to toxic debris at ground zero. Previously, the program only covered…
A government report on job creation that was published last week has economists worried that wages are rising very quickly. The problem: sluggish economic growth and high unemployment. According to an article on CNN.com, the unemployment rate could be hindering workers from getting raises. Heidi Shierholz, an economist at the…
According to an article on KTICRadio.com, a federal appeals court panel ruled in favor of Tyson Foods Inc. this week in a case brought on my meat packing workers over whether they should be compensated for the time they spend putting on and taking off safety gear and preparing for…
The city of Struthers in the neighboring state of Ohio has received 10 citations resulting from a methane explosion at the city’s waste water treatment plant that killed two workers. The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation issued the citations after findings from an investigation of the explosion that took place…
An Ashland man is in serious condition after the truck he was driving went into a 150-foot pit at a surface mining operation between Centralia and Mount Carmel. There are no details yet as to how the accident happened, but the coal company and Mine Safety and Health Administration officials…
This week the HumanResourcesJournal.com published an interesting article for those applying for or currently using time from the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). You should be aware that some companies are taking measures to combat excessive employee absenteeism and to ensure that employees are not abusing FMLA leave. The…
Earlier this summer, Connecticut’s governor signed into law a bill that would allow firefighters with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to receive workers’ compensation benefits. The new legislation includes firefigthers who are diagnosed with PTSD after witnessing the death of a fellow firefighter while in the line of duty. This…
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited a Willowbrook, IL company with five health violations, four of which were repeat violations of OSHA’s respiratory protection and hearing conservation standards. An inspection done in April of this year focused on OSHA’s National Emphasis Program on…
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has placed a Chicago manufacturer in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program due to serious violation that put workers’ lives in jeopardy. OSHA cited specialty metal forgings company A. Finkl & Sons with 26 safety violations, including two willful violations…
An article on CNNMoney.com is reporting a new concern among U.S. factories: as they create new jobs, owners can’t find skilled workers to fill them. In the article, Rob Akers, vice president at the National Tooling and Machining Association, explained that there is a critical shortage of machinists, a common…