Boca Raton, FL — A new report from the National Council on Compensation Insurance provides an overview of key legislative, regulatory and other developments affecting the workers’ comp system.

Waterloo, Ontario — Understanding the emotions injured workers experience – and the actions they take – when going through injury and claims processes they believe are unfair can be helpful to everyone involved in the workers’ compensation system, results of a recent study by Canadian researchers suggest.

Lincoln, NE — A corrections worker who was injured during a self-defense training course wasn’t wrongfully terminated after her injury left her with permanent work restrictions, the Nebraska Supreme Court has ruled.

San Francisco — The California Department of Industrial Relations’ Division of Workers’ Compensation has suspended 178 medical providers from its workers’ comp system during the first eight months of the year.

Boca Raton, FL — A new report from the National Council on Compensation Insurance shows that about a quarter of workers’ comp claims involving COVID-19 were for patients who developed long COVID.

Cambridge, MA — The percentages of injured workers who visited an ER – instead of physician offices or urgent care clinics, which are less costly alternatives – for their initial medical treatment varied across 28 states, according to a recent study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute.

Cambridge, MA — Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, 7% of people who submitted workers’ compensation claims for the disease developed long COVID, according to a recent study.

Boca Raton, FL — The National Council on Compensation Insurance has released a new report detailing court cases and decisions that may affect workers’ comp.

Austin, TX — In Texas, 69% percent of employees who returned to work within six months of being injured in 2020 remained on the job for at least nine months.

Boca Raton, FL — To help commemorate its 100th anniversary, the National Council on Compensation Insurance has published a list of the 10 most significant workers’ compensation appellate decisions since 1923.

Waltham, MA — Injured workers are more likely to experience psychosocial risk factors that can lead to “poorer functional recovery,” according to a recent study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute.

Hartford, CT — More than a third of work-related injuries occur during people’s first year on the job – resulting in more than 6 million missed workdays, according to a new report.

Two 35-year-old workers using floor sanders were killed and two others were seriously burned in a house fire after the lacquer floor sealer they were using ignited.

Carson City, NV — Recently introduced legislation in Nevada would provide outdoor workers with additional protections against extreme heat and poor air quality.

London — A new report from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers details how industries can adapt to future heat waves and rising temperatures.

Raleigh, NC — The longer the heat index remains above 90° F, the more employers may pay in workers’ compensation costs for missed workdays, a recent study of North Carolina workers shows.

Washington — President Joe Biden is directing OSHA to “ramp up” enforcement to protect workers from extreme heat and to issue a hazard alert.

What is possible regarding evacuation management using connected safety technology?

Montreal – The scientific research organization IRSST recently released the second edition of its guide on safe use of isocyanates.

Washington – A new publication from NIOSH is intended to help public health researchers better understand workers’ compensation insurance and how records can be used to help prevent workplace illnesses and injuries.

Silver Spring, MD – A new website from the Center for Construction Research and Training aims to help construction workers and contractors prevent hand injuries and disorders.

Geneva – As the largest Ebola outbreak in history spreads across West Africa, the International Labour Organization and the World Health Organization have issued guidelines to help keep workers safe.

Washington – Employers should provide transgender workers with access to restroom facilities based on workers’ gender identity, OSHA stated in a guidance document published June 1.

Washington – Newly released interim guidance from OSHA and NIOSH urges employers to train employees on the risks of exposure to the Zika virus and outlines protective measures.

The RGX Gateway enables designated safety contacts to receive real-time alerts for gas hazards and panic and man-down situations.

This past summer, the Midwest and much of the East Coast experienced an unprecedented decline in outdoor air quality. Smoke from wildfires in Canada regularly sent air quality ratings well into to the unhealthy range – an Air Quality Index for the smallest particulate matter – PM2.5 – in excess of 151.

Washington — Health care workers will be the focus of OSHA’s emergency temporary standard on COVID-19, which will be issued June 10, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh told the House Education and Labor Committee during a June 9 hearing.

When a large aerospace manufacturer acquired gas detectors to protect against hazardous leaks, it decided to leverage its Metis Secure Emergency Notification and Communications System.

Springfield, IL — New guidance issued by the Illinois Department of Public Health is intended to help staffing agencies and employers protect temporary workers from exposure to COVID-19.

Detroit – Night-shift workers who experience insomnia but report low levels of sleepiness have higher levels of cognitive impairment than those with insomnia who say they experience “excessive” sleepiness, according to a recent study from the Sleep Disorders and Research Center at Henry Ford Hospital.

Madison, WI – Shift workers may be more likely to be overweight, have sleep problems, and develop diabetes or other metabolic disorders, according to a study from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

Groningen, Netherlands – The experience of being on-call is a major factor in worker fatigue, increasing the need for shift workers to recuperate, indicates a study from the University of Groningen.

Pittsburgh – Emergency medical services workers whose shifts last longer than 12 hours have double the risk of an occupational injury or illness, according to a study from the University of Pittsburgh.

Boston – Shift workers have a high risk for crashes due to drowsy driving after working a night shift, according to a study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Uppsala, Sweden – A study of current and former shift workers shows that shift work may contribute to cognitive difficulties that take years to recover from, according to researchers at Uppsala University and Malmö University.

Wuhan, China – Male night-shift workers who do not nap during the day or have worked the night shift for more than 20 years – as well as those who average more than 10 hours of sleep per night – may have a greater risk of developing cancer, according to a study from Huazhong University of Science and Technology.

Spokane, WA — Individual organs in the digestive system contain separate biological clocks that may influence the metabolism of people who work the night shift and help explain a link to shift worker health problems such as obesity and diabetes, a recent study from researchers at Washington State University suggests.

Uppsala, Sweden — Losing sleep, even for one night, can negatively impact metabolism and help trigger excess weight gain – possibly explaining a link between sleep deprivation and shift worker health problems – according to the results of a recent study conducted by researchers at Uppsala University.

Shift work is a way of life for nearly 15 million Americans, spurring numerous studies that link the practice to health problems and chronic conditions. “It’s really important to recognize these risks, and we need to understand them and we need to treat them,” a leading researcher says.

Vallejo, CA — Citing multiple studies that suggest shift workers are at increased risk of developing sleep disorders and metabolic syndrome – raising their chances for heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes – a recent analysis led by a researcher from the Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine concludes with actions both employers and workers can take to help improve shift worker health.

Spokane, WA — Night shift schedules “throw off the timing of expression of cancer-related genes in a way that reduces the effectiveness of the body’s DNA repair processes when they are most needed,” results of a recent study led by researchers from Washington State University show.

San Diego — Eating within set times while not skipping meals can reduce the cardiovascular health risks of firefighters and other shift workers, results of a recent study show.

Lansing, MI — Service sector workers with irregular schedules often experience greater levels of stress and exhaustion, according to a recent report.

Toronto — Middle-aged and older shift workers are more likely to be considered frail – particularly women who work rotating shifts, a recent study out of Canada suggests.

Chicago — If you’re unable to get more than six hours of sleep a night in the week before and after getting a vaccine, researchers say its effectiveness may be reduced – something shift workers should keep in mind.

Melbourne, Australia — Shift work and long hours can significantly raise the risk of preterm birth for pregnant workers, according to the results of a recent study.

Winston-Salem, NC – Housing for migrant farmworkers may not provide adequate relief from hot temperatures, reducing workers’ ability to rest and recover from work exposure to heat, according to a new study from the Wake Forest School of Medicine.

Washington – The Environmental Protection Agency on Feb. 20 proposed new safety measures intended to protect farmworkers from the harmful effects of pesticide exposure.

Washington – After a recent visit with workers in tobacco fields and labor camps in North Carolina, members of an international delegation said they were shocked and saddened to see widespread worker abuse.

Santa Fe, NM – The New Mexico Occupational Health & Safety Bureau has teamed up with the Consulate of Mexico to provide the state’s Spanish-speaking employees with workplace safety training.