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National EMS advisory council to meet in May

Washington — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s National Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council has scheduled a public meeting for May 1-2.




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More time to comment on OSHA’s proposed rule for emergency responders

Washington — Comments on proposed updates to OSHA’s emergency response standard are now due July 22.




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OSHA hearing on emergency response standard set for Nov. 12

Washington — OSHA has scheduled a public hearing on proposed updates to its emergency response standard.




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Lawsuit challenges MSHA’s removal of mine’s POV status

Triangle, VA — The United Mine Workers Association is suing the Mine Safety and Health Administration and its administrator, David Zatezalo, over the legality of the agency’s removal of a Sophia, WV, mine from Pattern of Violations status.




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Steelworkers sue EPA over changes to chemical safety rule

Washington — United Steelworkers is suing the Environmental Protection Agency and its administrator, Andrew Wheeler, over the agency’s recent changes to the Obama-era Chemical Disaster Rule.




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Coronavirus pandemic: Nurses union calls on OSHA to issue emergency standard

Silver Spring, MD — In response to the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19), the nation’s largest union and professional association of direct care registered nurses is petitioning OSHA to issue an emergency temporary standard to protect frontline workers, patients and the public from the potentially deadly respiratory illness.




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AFL-CIO calls for emergency standards, additional worker protections before reopening the economy

Washington — The AFL-CIO has outlined steps it says all levels of government should take to protect workers from exposure to COVID-19 before reopening the economy.




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AFL-CIO sues OSHA in effort to force emergency standard

Washington — The AFL-CIO has filed a lawsuit against OSHA and the Department of Labor, asking a federal court to require OSHA to issue an emergency temporary standard on infectious disease amid the evolving COVID-19 pandemic.




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Court rejects AFL-CIO lawsuit to force OSHA to issue an emergency temporary standard

Washington — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on June 11 rejected an AFL-CIO lawsuit calling on the Department of Labor and OSHA to issue an emergency temporary standard on infectious diseases amid the evolving COVID-19 pandemic.




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COVID-19 pandemic: Labor unions sue MSHA to force an emergency temporary standard

Washington — The United Mine Workers of America and the United Steelworkers are suing the Department of Labor and the Mine Safety and Health Administration in an effort to compel MSHA to issue an emergency temporary standard on infectious diseases amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.




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COVID-19 pandemic: Survey shows majority of nurses feel unsafe

Silver Spring, MD — More than 3 out of 4 nurses say their employer isn’t providing a safe workplace during the COVID-19 pandemic, results of a recent National Nurses United survey indicate – a finding the labor union claims underlines the impact of businesses “reopening too soon.”




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More hospital safety cuts could exacerbate COVID-19 pandemic, nurses union warns

Silver Spring, MD — Pushing back on calls to roll back certain workplace safety rules, National Nurses United contends hospital industry cost-cutting has put health care worker safety at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the “current staffing and capacity crises.”




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COVID-19’s full effect on workers will likely remain unknown, AFL-CIO’s ‘Death on the Job’ report claims

Washington — The full extent of the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on the nation’s workforce will likely remain unclear because of the lack of a comprehensive national system to gather such information, according to the AFL-CIO’s annual report on the state of safety and health protections for U.S. workers.




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Annual ‘Death on the Job’ report part of Workers’ Memorial Week

Washington — “The nation must renew its commitment to protecting workers from job injury, disease and death, and make this a high priority,” the AFL-CIO says in its annual report on the state of safety and health protections for U.S. workers.




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Workers Memorial Day: OSHA to host ceremony; AFL-CIO releases report

Washington — OSHA and the Mine Safety and Health Administration have scheduled a national Workers Memorial Day ceremony for April 27 at the Department of Labor headquarters.




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Chemical storage

What are some common chemical storage compatibilities?




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GHS chemical labeling requirements

The chemicals I ordered over a year ago that are still on the shelf … do I need to re-label them?




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EPA evaluations for TSCA chemicals

How is the Environmental Protection Agency prioritizing chemicals for risk evaluation under the amended Toxic Substances Control Act?




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Chemical exposures and PELs

Is our company at risk of litigation (i.e., employee health concerns) regarding chemical exposure in the workplace, provided we are following OSHA’s permissible exposure limits?




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Chemical exposure pathways

How can hazardous chemicals enter the human body? What should safety professionals know about each avenue of entry?




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OSHA launches initiative on temporary workers

Washington – OSHA has launched an initiative to help ensure temporary workers are better protected.




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Coalition issues safety recommendations for temp workers

Boston – A coalition of workplace safety groups has released a set of recommendations for OSHA to help improve safety for temporary workers.




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NACOSH temporary-worker workgroup set to meet May 9

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.




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Temp workers in construction need separate OSHA guidance, staffing association says

Washington – OSHA should consider developing separate guidance for the construction industry on best practices pertaining to temporary workers, stakeholders suggested to an advisory committee workgroup that met May 7.




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OSHA issues memo on temporary worker safety

Washington – OSHA recently sent a memo about its Temporary Worker Initiative to regional administrators.




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NIOSH, OSHA release temp-worker guidance document

Washington – Staffing firms and host employers looking to better protect temporary workers from job hazards can now review recommended practices in a guidance document issued Aug. 25 by NIOSH and OSHA.




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NSC provides advice on safety of temporary workers

Temporary and contractor workers should be included in all efforts employers take to ensure the safety of workers, according to National Safety Council recommendations released Dec. 18.




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New bill would change recording requirements for site-controlling employers

Newly introduced legislation would mandate site-controlling employers to record all worker injuries and illnesses, regardless of who employs the worker.




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NACOSH to discuss initiative on temp worker safety

Washington – The National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health is scheduled to meet June 18 in Washington to discuss key OSHA initiatives, including best-practice language for protecting temporary workers.




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New fact sheets from Cal/OSHA detail worker rights, temp worker requirements

Oakland, CA – Two new fact sheets from the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, also known as Cal/OSHA, outline worker safety rights and employer requirements for protecting temporary workers.




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NACOSH workgroup on temporary worker safety to host four meetings

Washington – An OSHA workgroup tasked with examining temporary worker safety issues is scheduled to meet monthly through November, the agency announced Aug. 18.




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OSHA video focuses on temporary worker safety

Washington – Both host employers and staffing firms are responsible for protecting temporary workers, OSHA administrator David Michaels stresses in a recently released video.




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Temp worker safety: New OSHA bulletins clarify training, hazcom requirements

Washington – As part of its Temporary Worker Initiative, OSHA has released guidance documents intended to clarify training requirements and hazard communication responsibilities for employers of temporary workers.




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Stricter rules, increased corporate responsibility needed to protect temp workers: report

Philadelphia – Staffing agencies that hire temporary workers need to be regulated more vigorously, and employers that use those agencies should carry a heavier load of responsibility for workers’ safety, a trio of Temple University law students concluded in a recent report examining how staffing agencies and host employers may “pass the buck” to get around proper safety training and other requirements.




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Temp workers file lost-time claims twice as often: study

Olympia, WA – Temporary workers file lost-workday claims about twice as often as permanent workers, according to a recent study from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries.




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Protecting temp workers

Safety remains a challenge for this often-vulnerable segment of the workforce, which may account for at least 15 percent of the nation’s on-the-job deaths.




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Washington state law aimed at protecting temp workers in construction, manufacturing

Olympia, WA — A new Washington state law will require construction and manufacturing employers who use temporary workers to identify and document workplace hazards, communicate those hazards to staffing agencies, and make sure workers are informed and properly trained.




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NIOSH teams with staffing association to promote temp worker safety and health

Washington — NIOSH and the American Staffing Association have announced a multiyear partnership agreement to advance protections for temporary workers.




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Temp worker safety: NIOSH partners on best practices for host employers

Washington — NIOSH, together with several partners, has developed a set of best practices to help employers protect temporary workers from injury and illness.




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NLRB proposal continues tug-of-war over what defines a ‘joint employer’

Washington — The National Labor Relations Board is requesting public comment as it seeks to return to its previous definition of a “joint employer.”




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Partisan clash continues over what defines a ‘joint employer’

Washington — Federal lawmakers are divided down party lines over a proposed rule from the National Labor Relations Board that would restore the board’s previous definition of “joint employer.”




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New Jersey governor signs law aimed at protecting temp workers

Trenton, NJ — A new law in New Jersey will provide temporary workers with additional rights and protections against unsafe working conditions.




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NLRB again revises definition of ‘joint employer’

Washington — For the second time in less than four years, the National Labor Relations Board has changed its definition of a “joint employer.”




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NLRB delays effective date for revised ‘joint employer’ rule

Washington — The National Labor Relations Board has pushed to Feb. 26 the effective date of its revised “joint employer” rule, saying the move will “facilitate resolution of legal challenges.”




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Employees or independent contractors? DOL publishes final rule

Washington — The Department of Labor has issued a final rule that targets “employee misclassification” of workers as independent contractors.




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Federal judge delays effective date of NLRB’s joint employer rule

Tyler, TX — The National Labor Relations Board’s joint employer rule, originally set to go into effect Feb. 26, has been put on hold until at least March 11.




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Federal judge strikes down NLRB’s joint employer rule

Tyler, TX — A federal judge in Texas has vacated the National Labor Relations Board’s joint employer rule, but NLRB Chair Lauren McFerran says the decision is “not the last word.”




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Biden blocks CRA resolution seeking to repeal NLRB’s ‘joint employer’ rule

Washington — President Joe Biden has vetoed a Congressional Review Act resolution intended to repeal the National Labor Relations Board’s “joint employer” rule, which remains in legal limbo.




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NLRB halts appeal of court decision that struck down revised joint employer rule

Washington — The National Labor Relations Board has withdrawn its appeal of a federal court decision that blocked the board’s joint employer rule.




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Manhole cover remover

The Lifter is an automated manhole cover remover.