workplace safety News

New Safety Alert Issued in Response to Tesoro Refinery Blast

Federal investigators have issued new safety recommendations aimed at preventing accidents similar to the 2010 explosion that killed seven workers at the Tesoro refinery in Anacortes, Washington. The U.S. Chemical Safety Board released the safety alert Thursday after concluding that …

Trade Secret Protection Blocks Sick Samsung Workers From Data

As a high school senior, Hwang Yu-mi went to work bathing silicon wafers in chemicals at a Samsung factory that makes computer chips for laptops and other devices. Four years later, she died of leukemia. She was 22. After Yu-mi’s …

Shooting Death of State Worker Sparks Call to Speed Up Workplace Safety

A year after a Vermont social worker was shot and killed outside a state office building, the state says it’s making security enhancements to buildings, but the employees’ union says Vermont hasn’t moved quickly enough to protect workers from violence. …

Hot Weather Can Be Hazardous to Workers

With an extended heat wave gripping the nation, employers and workers are being reminded of the hazards associated with working in the heat. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), high temperatures and increased humidity will continue throughout …

OSHA Penalties to Rise Nearly 80% Beginning August 1

Businesses that are found in violation of federal occupational safety and health laws will pay more in penalties starting Aug. 1. Under a law passed by Congress last year, penalties that were last adjusted in 1990 are going up nearly …

Planning for the Worst: Terrorism and Workplace Violence

Several recent manmade events, including the attack at Pulse nightclub in Florida and the Belgium airport terrorist bombing, highlight the vulnerability of the workplace. Workplace violence costs employers over $120 billion a year, according to the National Institute for Occupational …

OSHA’s Final Rule to Improve Injury Reporting/Transparency Takes Effect August 10

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a final rule to modernize injury data collection to better inform workers, employers, the public and OSHA about workplace hazards. With this new rule, OSHA is applying the insights …

Washington Workplace Deaths Fall to Near Historic Low in 2015

Workplace deaths in Washington declined to a near-historic low in 2015, according to a new Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) report. Last year there were 58 work-related deaths in the state — 18 fewer than in 2014. L&I data …

OSHA’s New Reporting Rules Lead to Better Focus on Employers, Resources

One year after the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s new reporting requirements went into effect, the agency reports that prompt reporting has allowed them to connect with employers it otherwise might never had contact with, said David Michaels, assistant secretary …

Pennsylvania Announces Workers’ Comp Insurance Rate Decrease

Pennsylvania businesses will see another decrease in workers’ compensation insurance rates, while benefit levels for injured workers will be maintained, according to an announcement by Gov. Wolf’s office. Workers’ comp insurance rates will drop 0.90 percent, effective April 1, reducing …