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The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has announced the formation of the NIOSH Center for Workers’ Compensation Studies (CWCS) that will coordinate data in an effort to reduce the burdens of work-related injuries and illness on workers, their families and communities and the economy.

An illness which originated in September in the Middle East and has killed at least 30 of the 54 people infected appears to be raising alarms in the U.S.  – but a move by public health officials may just be a strategy to prevent its spread.

Wind Energy workers are exposed to hazards that can result in fatalities and serious injuries. Many incidents involving falls, severe burns from electrical shocks and arc flashes/fires, and crushing injuries have been reported to OSHA. One example:

You’ll soon be able to calculate how much particulate matter you’re inhaling with the Conscious Clothing system, a wearable breathing analysis tool that uses groove strips, stretchy, conductive strips of knitted silver material wrapped around the ribcage, to measure breath volume, and collects and transmits data in real time, via Bluetooth, to any Bluetooth-capable device.

In 2004,OSHA issued citations and proposed penalties to Pieper Electric, Inc., of Milwaukee, Wis., for failing to protect workers from electrical hazards. The penalty and OSHA citations are based on an inspection initiated in September 2003 following an incident at a Racine, Wis., wastewater treatment facility where Pieper Electric was contracted to furnish and install various electrical equipment.

The death toll from Monday’s poultry plant fire in China has reached 119. Sources say the fire was caused by leakage in tanks of ammonia used as a coolant. In a scene reminiscent of New York’s fatal Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911, there were reports that workers trying to escape the fire found exits locked – to prevent theft and to keep them from stepping outside for breaks.

With warm weather upon us and home cooks eagerly firing up the grills, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is recommending that grillers be mindful of safety. June and July are the peak months for grilling fires.

In a 2010 enforcement case, OSHA cited the U.S. Postal Service for workplace safety violations related to electrical hazards found at the Capitol Heights, Maryland, Processing and Distribution Center. Proposed penalties total $272,000.

Final rules related to employment-based wellness programs have been published, representing the last step in implementing the Affordable Care Act. Assistant Secretary of Labor Phyllis C. Borzi answered three frequently-asked questions about the rules:

Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., died Monday at the age of 89 from viral pneumonia. First elected to the Senate in 1982, Lautenberg was the oldest member of the Senate.