News - Articles - Page 195

Most dangerous jobs in the U.S.: The top 20

April 1, 2019

Logging is not only the most dangerous job in America – it’s 31 times more dangerous than the average job nationwide. That’s one of the findings of a study recently completed by AdvisorSmith, which used data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries and the Current Population Survey to determine the most hazardous jobs, based on fatal injury rates.

Two companies earn massive fines for OSHA violations

April 1, 2019

Despite a drop in enforcement and staffing under the Trump administration, OSHA has issued some massive fines in recent violations cases. Dowa THT America Inc., a metal heat treatment company based in Bowling Green, Ohio faces $1,326,367 in penalties for exposing its employees to atmospheric, thermal, electrical, and mechanical hazards as they performed maintenance inside heat-treating furnaces.

Do you live in a stressed-out state?

April 1, 2019

With April being Stress Awareness Month and millennials reporting the highest average stress levels of any generation, the personal-finance website WalletHub has released its report on 2019's Most & Least Stressed States as well as accompanying videos. To determine the states with the highest stress levels, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 40 key metrics.

Worker crushed by a stack of plywood; company cited by Cal/OSHA

March 28, 2019

Cal/OSHA has cited a Bay Area contractor for serious safety violations after a worker was fatally crushed at a San Rafael construction site on September 18, 2018. Investigators determined that West Coast Land and Development, Inc. did not follow regulations when it stacked plywood vertically without securing it. The accident occurred when two employees of the Concord company were framing and installing a shear wall on the third floor of a house under construction.

Does Obamacare make injured workers wait longer for treatment?

March 28, 2019

A recent survey of 30 metropolitan areas showed a 30% increase from 2014 to 2017 in the average wait time for a new patient to be seen by a doctor. Did the subset of workers seeking treatment for workers comp (WC) injuries experience the same delays? A recent study by the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) yielded some surprising results. The NCCI research was designed to answer the question: “Did the Affordable Care Act (ACA) stress the healthcare delivery system and make it more difficult for workers compensation claimants to get medical care?”

No way out for workers in Georgia trench

OSHA: A trench can collapse "in a matter of seconds"

March 28, 2019

Employees of a Georgia contractor who were installing water and sewer lines had no safe means to enter and exit the excavation in which they were working, nor did the trench have a protective cave-in system. Those were among the excavation hazards OSHA investigators found at a Corley Contractors, Inc. worksite in Acworth, Georgia. The Dallas, Georgia-based company faces $106,078 in penalties.

American Psychological Association recognizes 8 organizations for healthy workplace practices

March 27, 2019

From a symphony orchestra in Maine to an architectural firm in Hawai’i, eight organizations across the United States and Canada have been named winners of the American Psychological Association’s (APA) 2019 Psychologically Healthy Workplace Awards. The annual award recognizes employers who implement workplace practices, backed by psychological science, that advance employee health and well-being while increasing performance and productivity.

After MAX 737 crashes-

DOT to review aircraft certification process

March 27, 2019

In the wake of two airline crashes and an emergency landing involving the Boeing 737 MAX plane, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has established what it says is an expert Special Committee to review the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) procedures for certifying new aircraft. A March 10, 2018 crash involving an Ethiopian Airlines flight claimed the lives of all 157 people aboard. The October 29 crash of a Lion Air plane into the Java Sea off Indonesia killed its 189 passengers and crew. Both incidents occurred shortly after takeoff.

Night shift work may contribute to miscarriage risk

March 27, 2019

Pregnant women who work two or more night shifts per week have an increased risk of miscarriage, according to a study published online yesterday in online in Occupational & Environmental Medicine. Researchers in the department of occupational and environmental medicine at Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital in Copenhagen analyzed pregnancy outcomes in nearly 23,000 workers, most of whom were employed in Danish hospitals.

From NIOSH:

Study focuses on community to improve worker health

Total Work Health concept extended into neighborhoods

March 27, 2019

Workplaces can play a large role in improving worker health, resulting in improved community health. But, how can workplaces and communities interact to influence the overall health of workers? Can workers in precarious work arrangements, often characterized by low wages and few or no benefits, rely on their communities to help them in protecting and promoting safer and healthier work?