Thursday, May 17, 2012

NIOSH HHE Program Broadened Under Last-Minute Addition To Mine Bill

A NIOSH workplace evaluation program would be significantly expanded in scope under a provision added to the mine bill prior to its passage by the House labor committee last week, allowing physicians, former employees, and possibly OSHA inspectors to request such evaluations for the first time. The provision also formally expands the types of hazards that can be addressed to include non-toxic hazards, such as musculoskeletal disorders, NIOSH chief John Howard told Inside OSHA.
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Industry, Unions Divided Over DOL's 'Enterprise-Wide' Action Against USPS

Industry and union stakeholders are sharply divided over an unprecedented move by the Department of Labor calling for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to fix electrical violations at 350 facilities, as it is the first time that DOL has executed such an enterprise-wide effort and could portend the way it responds to such findings in the future.
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OSHA Leaves Door Open To Address Ergonomics In Upcoming Program Rule

OSHA won't rule out using an upcoming illness and injury prevention program rule to compel employers to address ergonomics and other areas lacking specific standards, in what amounts to a signal to industry groups that one of their top concerns about the planned rule may come to fruition.
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Stakeholders, OSHA Weigh Separate Program Rule For Construction

Stakeholders are floating the concept of detaching the construction sector from the planned OSHA rule on injury and illness prevention and creating a separate program rule for the industry, which the agency's Directorate of Construction would oversee. The idea provided new fodder for discussion as OSHA wrapped up one of its last stakeholder meetings on the upcoming rule.
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Unions: OSHA Program Rule Must Prevent 'Blame The Worker' Schemes

Both business and labor officials agree that workplaces must ensure training at every level for OSHA's planned illness and injury prevention program rule to be successful, but unions urge the agency to avoid a "worker behavior approach" and ensure safeguards that make it harder for employers to shift the blame for incidents to their employees.
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Inside OSHA

Inside OSHA is an exclusive biweekly on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

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