The Year in US OHS Yearbook 2017

The Year in U.S.
Occupational
Health&Safety
Fall 2016 Summer 2017
By Kim Krisberg & Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH

Labor Day 2017
Kim Krisberg is a freelance writer who specializes in
public health. She was on the staff of the American
Public Health Association and continues to write for
the associations newspaper, The Nations Health.
She contributes several times a week to The Pump
Handle blog.
Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH, is project director
of Beyond OSHA, lecturer in the Department of
Health and Human Performance at Texas State
University, and a professorial lecturer at the George
Washington University Milken Institute School of
Public Health. She contributes weekly to The Pump
Handle blog.
The authors thank Liz Borkowski, MPH, for her
editorial assistance.
The full-page photos in the yearbook were taken
on Dec. 4-5, 2016, in Baltimore, MD at the National
Conference on Worker Safety and Health. In order
of appearance are Jessica Martinez of National
COSH; Susan Allen Samuel of New Hampshire
COSH; Luis Vasquez of the Intl Chemical Workers
Union; Mary Harrington of Rhode Island COSH;
and Shawn Scott, president of USW Local 1259 in
Minneapolis, MN.
This report was produced with funding from the
Public Welfare Foundation, but the views expressed
in it are those of the authors alone.
Graphic Design: TheresaWellingDesign.com

Table of Contents
Introduction and Overview........................................................................................1
I. The Federal Government and Occupational Health and Safety.........................3
Farewells and Changes with the Trump Administration................................................................3

OSHA..................................................................................................................................................6
Trump Administration and Undocumented Workers...................................................................10
MSHA................................................................................................................................................12
Chemical Safety Board....................................................................................................................13
NIOSH and EPA................................................................................................................................14
National COSH Fighting for and Winning Safer Workplaces.......................................................17
Companies Receive Millions Despite Safety Violations.................................................................20
II. Addressing Occupational Health and Safety at the State and Local Levels....23
Criminal Prosecutions......................................................................................................................23
New Worker Protections in California, New York and Elsewhere...............................................24
Workers Memorial Week...............................................................................................................28
III. News Coverage of Worker Health and Safety Topics........................................31

Investigative Reporting by National and Regional Press..............................................................31
Patterns of Harassment in Male-Dominated Industries................................................................38
IV. New Research on Worker Health and Safety Topics..........................................43

Peer-Reviewed Literature................................................................................................................43
Reports from Non-Profit Organizations.........................................................................................49
The Year Ahead..........................................................................................................54
Appendix: Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles..............................................................55

ii
The Year in U.S. Occupational Health & Safety: 2017 Report

Introduction and Overview
P
rotecting worker health and safety is always a challenge, no matter the administration in
charge. OSHA is and has always been the little agency that could there is perhaps no
other federal agency whose mission is more stacked against the odds. And yet OSHA has
made huge gains in its more than four-decade history.
Today, after eight years of steady and hard- National Institute for Occupational Safety and
fought progress, advocates are watching in Health.
dismay as the Trump administrations anti-
At the end of the day, its worrisome, but oddly
regulatory agenda goes to work inside OSHA.
familiar territory for safeguarding workers
Just a couple of examples from the first eight
rights, safety, and health. And its in that vein
months: elimination of the Fair Pay and Safe
that we present the sixth annual The Year in
Workplaces rule, which required those bidding
U.S. Occupational Health & Safety, our at-
for federal contracts to disclose prior labor
tempt to document and preserve the previous
violations; proposed elimination of OSHAs new
years successes, challenges, and losses into one
beryllium exposure standards for the maritime
easy-to-access package. While this report is not
and construction industries; and moves to roll
totally exhaustive and we had to make some
back an Obama-era rule expanding overtime
tough choices on what to include and cut, our
eligibility to millions more workers.
goal was to create a yearbook that activists,
Beyond the regulatory rollbacks, OSHA under regulators, researchers, workers, and anyone
Trump has quietly made itself less transpar- else can use as a source for education, connec-
ent, changing its everyday practices to make tion, motivation, and inspiration. While the 1
it harder for advocates to access worker safety future may be uncertain, this report shows that
data and easier for negligent employers to theres a nationwide community of advocates
break the law with little public notice. For and organizers ready for the challenge.
instance, in the first four months of the Trump
Appropriately released on Labor Day, this years
administration, OSHA issued just two enforce-
report, which spans August 2016 through July
ment-related news releases, even though the
2017, documents some of the most notable
agency had issued more than 200 citations
events, legislation, news stories, and research
exceeding $40,000. The shift was a big deal,
of the last year. The week of Labor Day, well
as the resource-strapped agency has typically
be publishing posts about this years report
used public notices as a low-cost, but poten-
on the public health blog The Pump Handle
tially persuasive, enforcement tool.
(www.scienceblogs.com/thepumphandle).
Most recently in late August, worker safety During that week, we hope youll chime in with
advocates noticed and quickly spread word your own stories on important worker health
about changes on OSHAs website, where a and safety happenings from the past year. In
link to Workplace Fatalities had disappeared the following pages, youll read about:
from the agencys home page. The fatality
Action on the federal level, including new
list had also been scaled back to only include
OSHA rules on fall protections; delays in injury
workplace deaths in which a citation was is-
reporting and mine inspection rules; the Envi-
sued. Both changes make it more burdensome
ronmental Protection Agencys new chemical
to access health and safety data, which in turn
safety assessment process; and notable OSHA
makes it harder to protect workers and hold
enforcement cases.
employers accountable. On top of all that, the
Trump administration is proposing elimination Action on the state and local levels, includ-
of the Chemical Safety Board and big funding new overtime pay rules for California farm
ing cuts to the Department of Labor and the workers; strengthened safety rules for New York
Introduction and Overview

City construction workers; a failed legislative New worker safety research and reports,
attempt to deny workers compensation to un- including information on fall-related fatalities
documented immigrant workers in Ohio; a new in the oil and gas sector; new NIOSH health
epidemic of black lung disease in Appalachia; hazard evaluations; injury rates inside auto-
and the adoption of state and local paid leave maker Tesla; and the conditions facing dairy
laws. farm workers in New York.
Outstanding news reporting on worker The following pages also include highlights
health and safety, including an investigation from this years Workers Memorial Week and
into the dangerous working conditions of coverage of grassroots actions from state COSH
Alabamas auto boom; the internal practices groups nationwide a particularly uplifting
putting firefighter lives at unnecessary risk; the reminder that regardless of whats happening
continued exploitation of immigrant workers federally, local action can make a critical differ-
within poultry processing companies; and sto- ence. To download this years report as well as
ries of wage theft and abuse in the Los Ange- its previous editions, visit http://bit.ly/2c7uKgs.
les restaurant industry.

The Federal Government and Occupational
Health and Safety
T
he past 12 months will be remembered for the Obama administrations final accomplish-
ments, the election of President Donald J. Trump, and the resulting obstacles and challeng-
es for workers rights and safety. Before Trumps inauguration, the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA) had completed rulemakings on beryllium and clarified require-
ments for employers on maintaining injury records. However, an emboldened Republican Con-
gress eventually revoked the latter, along with an executive order mandating that government
contractors provide fair wages and safe workplaces. Under the Trump administration, OSHA an-
nounced implementation delays and proposed changes to its final rules on beryllium and injury
reporting. The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) put off the effective date of new
requirements for mine operators on conducting pre-shift safety examinations, while the Environ-
mental Protetion Agency delayed implementation of rules to protect farmworkers from pesticide
exposure, as well as those to improve safety at chemical plants. The Trump administrations bud-
get proposed abolishing the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, a 40 percent cut to the budget of the
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and eliminating OSHAs Susan Harwood
training grants program. In the following section, we describe these topics and other noteworthy
federal activities on occupational health and safety in the past year.
Farewells follow-up inspections of severe violators; and

new regulations on silica, beryllium, crane 3
Secretary of Labor Tom Perez closed out his safety, and confined space. Highlights of
three-and-half years at the Department of Mains tenure include investigation of the
Labor with a 14-page Memorandum to the Upper Big Branch mine disaster; creation of
American People. He highlighted the Obama impact inspections; identifying repeat
administrations priorities and accomplish- violators for pattern of violation enforce-
ments, including stepped-up enforcement ment; record-low numbers of fatal mine
following the Upper Big Branch mine disas- worker injuries; and new rules to protect
ter, OSHAs severe violator program, and new miners from lung diseases related to coal
regulations on silica and coal dust from OSHA mining dust.
and MSHA, respectively. Perez challenged the
Courtesy: National COSH
Trump administration to address unfinished

protections, such as improving workers com-
pensation, addressing chemical exposures, and
strengthening protections for farmworkers.
MSHA chief Joe Main and OSHA chief David
Michaels completed their tenures as assistant
secretaries for their respective agencies. Both
served as Obama political appointees for more
than seven years the longest in the agen-
cies histories. Highlights of Michaels tenure
include expanded outreach to vulnerable
workers; improvements to the whistleblower (L-R) Cecelia Leto from New Jersey Work Environment
Council, OSHA chief David Michaels, and Peter Dooley
protection program; requirements for employ-
with National COSH at the United Steelworkers HSE
ers to report amputations and hospitalizations; conference, Sept. 2016.
The Federal Government and Occupational Health and Safety

New labor secretary tors in any one point fell to the point they
couldnt do their job.
President Trumps first choice for labor secre-
tary was Andrew Puzder, then-CEO of CKE Res- Acosta was confirmed on April 27, 2017, by a
taurants Holdings, the parent company to fast 60-38 vote that included the support of eight
food chains Hardees and Carls Jr. The chains Democrats. He reported the next day to DOL
had histories of wage and safety violations, and told staff: Supporting the ability of all
which worker advocates highlighted to mobi- Americans to find good and safe jobs is a pri-
lize opposition to Puzders nomination. He also ority for President Trump and for me.
ran into trouble with the Office of Govern-
ment Ethics for his plan to divest his consider-
able financial assets. Eight Republican senators
New leadership at OSHA
opposed Puzder, which led him to withdraw In July 2017, the Trump administration ap-
from consideration for the post. pointed Loren Sweatt as OSHAs deputy assis-
tant secretary. Since 2002, she has worked for
Trump then nominated Alexander Acosta,
Republican leadership on the House Commit-
dean of Florida International Universitys law
tee on Education and the Workforces Subcom-
school and former U.S. attorney and member
mittee on Workforce Protections.
of the National Labor Relations Board, for
labor secretary. During his confirmation hear- Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta told senators
ing, Democrats asked Acosta about defend- his personal goal was to have the vast major-
ing OSHAs silica rule and his enforcement ity of my subdepartment leadership identi-
philosophy. In response to a question from fied and in clearance at [my] 60 day mark.
Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Acosta said: My By Labor Day 2017, nominees for the assistant
4 background is a law enforcement background. secretaries to lead MSHA and OSHA had not
I would be concerned if the number of inspec- been announced.
U.S. Dept. of Labor
Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta poses with workers in June 2017 while at the Ford Motor Company truck plant in
Dearborn, MI.

Slashed budgets for worker The administrations plan for OSHA includes
deregulatory actions on Obama-era beryllium
safety and injury reporting rules. Withdrawn from
President Trumps proposed budget for fis- the agenda were eight regulatory topics of
cal year 2018 called for major funding cuts to interest during the previous administration,
public protection agencies. His plan, released including combustible dust and chemical expo-
in March 2017, recommended eliminating sure limits. Ten topics were listed for long-term
the Chemical Safety Board, cutting the Envi- action, including rules to address violence in
ronmental Protection Agencys budget by 30 health care, infectious disease exposure, and
percent, and stripping 40 percent from NIOSHs process safety management to reduce risks in
budget. Under the presidents plan, OSHAs workplaces that handle hazardous chemicals.
Susan Harwood training grants program The agenda included several pre-rulemaking
(about $10 million) would be eliminated and requests for information concerning fork-
the agencys enforcement budget reduced by lifts, mechanical power presses, and medical
10 percent. removal for lead poisoning, among others.
House and Senate appropriations committees,
WNYCOSH
which are not bound by a presidents budget,
proceeded with their own plans on funding the
government in the coming year. The House pro-
posed more drastic cuts to OSHA than Trump
and a 4 percent reduction in MSHA funding.
Appropriators in the Senate did not introduce a
spending bill before their August recess.
5
Trumps anti-regulatory
agenda
President Trumps first month in office was
Ann Converso with CWA Local 1168 addresses the crowd
marked by a flurry of executive orders. One
at the Western NY COSH rally outside of U.S. Rep. Chris
requires each federal agency to identify two Collins suburban Buffalo office.
existing regulations to revoke for every one
new rule it proposes. Business groups and
conservative lawmakers hailed Executive Order Congress repeals worker safety
13771, while Public Citizen, Natural Resources
Defense Council, and the Communications
rules
Workers of America filed a lawsuit in February Lawmakers used the Congressional Review
2017 challenging the order. Act to repeal more than a dozen environmen-
tal, consumer, and public health protections
In July 2017, the Trump administration released
that were adopted in the latter part of the
its regulatory agenda, which outlines its rule-
Obama administration. The list includes guid-
making priorities for the year ahead. The docu-
ance adopted by the Department of Labor in
ment indicates that MSHA will not seek public
August 2016 pursuant to Obamas 2014 Execu-
input on any possible regulatory topics and it
tive Order on Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces.
will not propose or finalize any rules, with the
Employers seeking government contracts val-
exception of one rule mandated by order of a
ued at $500,000 or greater would have been
U.S. court of appeals. The rule concerns train-
required to disclose previous labor law infrac-
ing requirements for miners who might use an
tions, including health and safety violations.
underground emergency refuge shelter.
Republican lawmakers called the Obama order
blacklisting.

NH COSH
(L-R) Janyce Bouchard, state Rep. Mark MacKenzie, Al Bouchard, U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, Samantha Wooten,
Brian Mitchell, Judy Stadtman, Susi Nord, and Rick Rothwell. The New Hampshire COSH delegation met in
August 2017 with Rep. Shea-Porter in her Dover, NH, office.
Congress also voted to repeal an OSHA rule pate on their behalf in an OSHA inspection.
that clarified employers obligation to make The policy stemmed from a 2013 OSHA re-
6 and maintain injury records. OSHA issued the sponse to a letter from the United Steelwork-
final rule in December 2016 in response to an ers union. The NFIB complained the policy was
adverse ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals being used for union organizing. In April 2017,
for the D.C. Circuit. In that ruling, referred to OSHAs director of enforcement programs
as Volks II and decided in 2012, the court held issued a memorandum rescinding the policy
OSHA could not cite employers for recordkeep- interpretation.
ing violations that took place more than six
months before the citation was issued. Over
the decades, some of OSHAs most significant Fall protection
enforcement cases involved employers who OSHA issued a final rule in November 2016 to
failed to accurately record injuries and illnesses protect workers in general industry from slips,
over the span of several years. With the rule trips, and falls on stairways, scaffolds, ladders,
having been revoked, OSHA is once again and near wall openings, pits, and platforms.
limited to citing employers for recordkeeping The rule gives employers the flexibility to
violations only when those violations occurred determine which protections to implement,
in the last six months. such as guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall
arrest systems. OSHA estimates that nearly 350
deaths and 200,000 lost-time injuries occur ev-
OSHA ery year from unsafe walking and working sur-
faces. In December 2016, a high-rise window
Walkaround rights
washing company filed a legal challenge to
The National Federation of Independent the rule with the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Businesses (NFIB) filed a lawsuit in September
2016 against OSHAs policy allowing non-union
workers to designate a representative of a
community organization or union to partici-

Walking and working surface safety In June 2017, OSHA indefinitely postponed the
effective date of the final rule for the construc-
In November 2016, OSHA published a final tion and shipyard industries. It also proposed a
rule on walking-working surfaces to prevent rule to eliminate many provisions of the rule,
injuries related to slips, trips, and falls. The including an exposure control plan, respiratory
rule applies to workers in general industry protection, and medical surveillance. Com-
and is consistent with existing requirements ments on the proposed rule were due at the
applicable to the construction industry as well end of August 2017.
as national consensus standards. The rule ad-
dresses safety protections such as personal fall
United Steelworkers
protection systems, fixed ladders, and design
performance. OSHA estimates the protections
will prevent 29 fatalities and 5,842 injuries an-
nually.
Employers obligation for injury

records
In December 2016, OSHA issued a final rule
clarifying an employers obligation to main- Jim Frederick of the United Steelworkers describes the
tain injury and illness records for five years. unions fight for an OSHA beryllium standard.
The rule was necessary because of an adverse
decision by the D.C. Circuit Court in 2012 (the
Volks II decision), which rejected an OSHA
Petition on workplace violence 7
recordkeeping policy dating back to 1993. In one of his last acts as OSHA chief, David
The court ruled that OSHA must cite an em- Michaels indicated the agency would grant
ployer for failing to record an injury within six a petition from health care workers for a
months of when the recording should have oc- standard to address workplace violence. His
curred. Because the new OSHA rule was issued January 2017 announcement was a response
late in the Obama administration, Republicans to two petitions submitted to the agency in
used the Congressional Review Act to void it July 2016 one from a coalition of unions
and bar the agency from issuing a substantially (e.g., AFL-CIO, SEIU, USW) and the other from
similar rule in the future. National Nurses United. Prior to Michaels an-
nouncement, the agency published a request
for information in December 2016 on the topic
Beryllium of workplace violence in the health care and
OSHA published a final rule in January 2017 social assistance sectors.
to protect workers who are exposed to the
carcinogen beryllium. The rule reduced the
permissible exposure limit for beryllium from
Injury reporting rule
2 ug/m3 to 0.2 ug/m3 and requires employers A new OSHA rule on injury reporting was
to provide personal protective equipment, scheduled to take effect in January 2017,
medical exams, and training. OSHA estimates but was delayed until December 2017 by
90 fewer beryllium-related deaths annually the Trump administration. The rule requires
because of the rule. Several producers and workplaces that are already required to keep
users of beryllium, including Materion Brush, OSHA injury records to submit their injury logs
filed petitions with the U.S. Courts of Appeals annually to the agency. Employers with 250 or
for review of the OSHA rule. The United Steel- more employees would also submit the related
workers is an intervenor in the case. OSHA incident reports (known as an OSHA

301). The rule also prohibits employers from Worker safety and sustainability
using practices that discourage workers from
reporting injuries. OSHA chief David Michaels and his predeces-
sor John Henshaw wrote a commentary that
Two lawsuits were filed in federal district urged employers to integrate workplace
courts against the injury reporting final rule, health and safety into their corporate and
one in Oklahoma and one in Texas, by the environmental sustainability programs. Their
U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Nat. Assoc. of article complemented a December 2016 OSHA
Manufacturers, and others. The AFL-CIO, the white paper, Sustainability in the workplace:
American Public Health Association, the Coun- A new approach for advancing worker safety
cil of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, and and health.
others filed a petition to be named intervenors
to defend the rule, but those requests were
denied by the court. In June 2017, OSHA an- Notable enforcement cases
nounced it would be proposing revisions to
Fraser Shipyards was cited by OSHA in
the rule. Following OSHAs announcement, the
August 2016 for 14 willful violations for
federal judge in Texas closed the industries
exposing workers to lead at levels as high as
legal challenge to the rule, while the judge in
20 times the permissible exposure limit. Of
Oklahoma ordered a stay on the case.
120 workers tested, 75 percent had elevated
blood lead levels. OSHA proposed a $1.4 mil-
lion penalty to the Wisconsin-based firm. The
War on regulatory protections employer settled the case in January 2017 and
paid a $700,000 penalty, but just a few weeks
The Trump administration, along with later, a worker at Fraser Shipyards was severely
8
the Republican leadership in Congress burned. He succumbed to his injuries in April
and their allies, have launched a war 2017.
on regulation. These efforts have been
advanced with bogus claims that regu- Atlantic Drain Services received citations for
lations cost jobs and impede economic 11 willful and repeat violations related to the
growth. It is a concerted effort to roll death of two workers in October 2016. Kelvin
back regulations and leave the public Mattocks, 53, and Robert Higgins, 47, drowned
unprotected. in a 12-foot deep trench that collapsed and
filled with water. In April 2017, OSHA proposed
This agenda should not come as a a $1.5 million penalty against the Boston firm,
surprise, as we were warned during the and the local district attorney charged the
Trump campaign that the real goal is company owner with manslaughter.
the deconstruction of the administrative
state to fundamentally change the role OSHA proposed a $2.5 million penalty in
of government in protecting the public, December 2016 against the automobile parts
and leave corporations and employers manufacturer Ajin USA for willful violations
unaccountable and unchecked. These related to a worker fatality. Regina Elsea, 20,
attacks threaten more than 50 years of was crushed in a robotic machine at the firms
labor, health, safety, financial, consumer, plant in Cusseta, AL. The victim was employed
environmental and other laws and by one of the two staffing agencies used by
safeguards that have protected working Ajin USA.
people on the job and made Americans OSHA proposed a $535,000 penalty in January
safer, healthier and more secure. 2017 against an Oklahoma truck-bed fabrica-
AFL-CIO Executive Council Statement, tor for repeat and willful violations. CM Truck
July 27, 2017 Beds violated standards related to respiratory
protection for employees working in spray

Credit: MassCOSH
The family of Kelvin Mattocks, 53, at a Workers Memorial Day event in Boston. In October 2016, Mattocks died with
Robert Higgins, 47, while working for Atlantic Drain.
booths and those using chain slings and other ministration, OSHA issued fewer than a dozen
hazardous equipment. enforcement-related news releases. Sens. Patty
Murray, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and 9
OSHA proposed a $1.9 million penalty in July
others sent a letter in May 2017 to the Depart-
2017 against Aluminum Shapes in Delair, NJ,
ment of Labors Inspector General asking him
for willful and repeat violations related to
to review several policy changes by OSHA,
confined space entry, fall hazards, and lockout/
including the one concerning news releases.
tagout (cutting power to machines before
conducting maintenance on them). Since 2011,
OSHA inspected the manufacturing plant eight Audits of OSHA activities
times, citing the employer for 60 violations
and assessing $516,000 in penalties. The Department of Labors Inspector Gen-
eral (IG) issued two reports over the last year
As of July 1, 2017, 511 employers were listed concerning OSHAs enforcement practices. In
in OSHAs Severe Violator Program. Thirty-nine September 2016, the IG reported that OSHA
employers were added to the list since last had not adequately implemented procedures
year, including Arrow Plumbing, Birdsboro Ko- to determine whether its special emphasis pro-
sher Farms, Cooperative Producers, Prinz Grain grams (SEPs) improve worker safety in the long
& Feed, Trinity Welding, and those marked run. The IGs criticism also extended to the 166
with an above. SEPs implemented by states that run their own
OSHA agencies (instead of relying on federal
OSHA). Moreover, the IG indicated that OSHA
News releases on enforcement cases
does not have clear risk-based guidelines for
In the final year of the Obama administration, determining which industries or occupations
OSHA issued nearly 500 enforcement-related should be the subject of a SEP. OSHA agreed
news releases. The agency saw the benefit to to develop procedures for establishing such
worker safety of publicizing the results of in- guidelines. The agency rebutted, however, the
spections, particularly in novel cases and those IGs criticism on assessing the effectiveness of
with $40,000 or more in proposed penalties. its SEPs. OSHA said the IGs preferred outcome
During the first seven months of the Trump ad- (Contd p.12)

Trump administration heightens fears among immigrant workers, emboldens
unscrupulous employers
President Donald Trumps policies toward immi- nity. Unlike more seasonal farming, dairy farms
grants in the U.S. reverberated into the work- produce all year long; however theres no year-
place over the last eight months, with immigrant round guest worker program that can facilitate
workers now fearing greater risks for speaking the workforce numbers that farms need. The
up about unsafe conditions and for pursuing result, Pager reported, is that between half and
rightful compensation after being injured on the 75 percent of workers on dairy farms may be
job. undocumented.
At Bloomberg BNA, Stephen Lee talked to un-
documented immigrant workers in Texas, includ-
Nixon Arias/NPR
ing Claudia, a 45-year-old electrician in Dallas,
who said: Theres always been a fear because
deportations have always been happening. But
now with Trump, theres added fear, because
hes not a man of his word. Were afraid that
anything we say can be used against us. In fact,
Claudia said she had begun fixing hazardous
work conditions on her own to protect herself
and her co-workers.
10 Former OSHA chief David Michaels told Lee that Nixon Arias worked off and on for a Florida landscaping
company for nine years before an injury at work resulted
OSHA didnt inquire into a workers citizenship
in his arrest, prosecution, and deportation to Honduras.
status under President Barack Obama, adding
that OSHAs safety rules apply to all workers,
Pager wrote that more than a dozen farmers
regardless of immigration status. Lee reported:
declined to talk with the newspaper for fear
Michaels said all workers must be protected
of becoming a target of deportation officials,
because otherwise employers will use undocu-
adding that farmers and experts maintain that
mented immigrants as stand-ins for their most
these labor issues have persisted for years, but
dangerous jobs. Michaels went on to say: Why
they say the new administration has exacerbated
should employers hire documented workers if
the problem. A 20-year-old farmworker from
protecting them requires an investment in safety,
Guatemala told Pager: I am scared because you
when they can hire undocumented workers?
hear and see on the news that immigration of-
Lee reported that researchers say the Trump ficers are taking people. In my country, theres no
administration has closed off access to even the work and theres no money.
crudest data on deportation numbers.
Advocates fear that the current policy climate
Fear is spreading to Americas farms, too. Tyler could make it easier for employers to skirt their
Pager at the Boston Globe reported that mi- workers compensation (WC) responsibilities as
grant workers in western New York, whove long well. For example, at NPR and ProPublica, How-
been essential to keeping the areas dairy farms ard Berkes and Michael Grabell exposed how
running, are afraid to leave their employers insurance companies and employers in Florida
farms to shop because they fear being appre- use a provision of WC law to get undocumented
hended by authorities and deported. Reports of workers deported after theyre injured on the
workers being picked off farms throughout the job. The businesses capitalize on one particular
country have only added to the atmosphere of and unusual definition of WC fraud using
fear hanging over the idyllic farming commu- fake identification during the hiring process. The

reporters analyzed 14 years of state insurance Wage and Hour Division was struggling to reach
data, finding nearly 800 cases in which employ- undocumented workers, which only makes it
ees were charged using that definition of WC easier for irresponsible employers to break wage
fraud, with at least 130 having suffered a work- law with impunity. An anonymous DOL employ-
related injury. The injured workers were denied ee said of workers: Theyre not just refusing to
medical care and lost wages or were required talk to us. Theyre running away from us.
to reimburse any benefits received. Florida law
Indeed, DOL emails obtained by The Guard-
states that all workers, including undocumented
ian confirmed that staff in multiple regions of
immigrants, are entitled to WC benefits.
the agency have raised concerns about workers
Grabell and Berkes write: However people refusing to accept back wages.
feel about immigration, judges and lawmakers
The federal crackdown has some state labor of-
nationwide have long acknowledged that the
ficials speaking out, reiterating the governments
employment of unauthorized workers is a reality
role in ensuring U.S. workplaces are free from
of the American economy. From nailing shingles
exploitation, abuse, and preventable hazards. In
on roofs to cleaning hotel rooms, some 8 million
May on International Workers Day, California
immigrants work with false or no papers nation-
Labor and Workforce Development Agency Sec-
wide, and studies show they're more likely to
retary David M. Lanier issued this official state-
be hurt or killed on the job than other workers.
ment: Just because the federal administration
So over the years, nearly all 50 states, including
has changed, our laws and policies have not. We
Florida, have given these workers the right to
will not tolerate the use of immigration status
receive workers' comp.
as a tool of retaliation against workers who are
11
In 2003 in Florida, however, state lawmakers pursuing their rights under California law. The
made it a crime to file a WC claim using fake Labor and Workforce Development Agency will
identification. Since then, Grabell and Berkes re- continue to work in partnership with commu-
port, insurers have avoided covering immigrant nity leaders, worker advocates and employers
workers who get hurt on the job by simply turn- to make sure immigrant workers know they are
ing them over to the state. In fact, since 2013, covered by our states workplace protections.
nearly 75 percent of the injured immigrants
Stephen Lee. Deportation fears keep un-
arrested in Florida for false identification were
documented workers from reporting hazards.
turned in by one company, Command Investiga-
Bloomberg BNA, March 8, 2017.
tions, and about half of the hurt workers worked
https://tinyurl.com/ya4qmksy
for SouthEast Personnel. Of course, the problem
isnt confined to Florida. For example, Republi-
Tyler Pager. Amid Trumps immigration crack-
can state lawmakers in Ohio pushed a bill earlier
down, theres fear on farms. Boston Globe,
this year that would have barred undocumented
March 14, 2017.
immigrants from receiving WC. As of August
https://tinyurl.com/kxmovsz
2017, the bill hadnt made it to the governors
desk.
Howard Berkes and Michael Grabell. They got
At The Guardian, Sam Levin interviewed multiple hurt at work, then they got deported. NPR and
current and former Department of Labor staff, ProPublica, August 16, 2017.
reporting that Donald Trumps anti-immigrant https://tinyurl.com/y85hngk
policies and rhetoric have caused panic among
exploited undocumented workers across indus- Sam Levin. Immigration crackdown enables
tries, preventing labor officials from conducting worker exploitation, Labor Department staff
investigations and enforcing employment laws. say. The Guardian, March 30, 2017.
For example, two DOL sources said the agencys https://tinyurl.com/ky26x99

measures are not feasible and that research shift safety examination. The final rule defines
already demonstrates that OSHA inspections a competent person and requires a written
have a causal effect on reducing injuries. record of the examination and any corrective
action taken. A comparable requirement has
The Government Accountability Office (GAO)
been in place for decades at coal mining op-
issued a report in February 2017 that compli-
erations. The rule was scheduled to take effect
mented OSHAs Outreach Training Program.
in May 2017 but was postponed until October
The auditors said it met all the attributes of a
2017 by the Trump administration.
well-designed training program, such as spe-
cific learning objectives and content require-
ments for trainers. About 30,000 authorized Chronic mine safety violators
safety professionals have completed a train-
the-trainer course at one of OSHAs Education Over the past year, MSHA conducted more
Centers. An estimated 900,000 workers were than 100 impact inspections at mining
trained in 2016 through the program. operations with particularly poor compliance
histories. Impact inspections involve several
In March 2017, the IG issued findings from an inspectors and often occur during atypical
audit that examined OSHAs monitoring of times of the day to catch mine management
hazard abatement by employers. The auditors off guard. The program was implemented
concluded that for 16 percent of violations, immediately after the 2010 Upper Big Branch
OSHA did not ensure the employer corrected mine disaster. Another reform implemented
the hazard in a timely manner. In addition, after the disaster was a rule to identify mines
the IG indicated that one-third of inspection with a pattern of violations (POV). In July
case files lacked evidence to demonstrate that 2017, MSHA announced that no mines met the
12 OSHA examined the employers past histories criteria for a POV designation. This continued
to determine if citations for repeat or will- a trend that began in June 2015.
ful violations were warranted. OSHA strongly
disagreed with the IGs conclusions.
Inspections versus outreach
The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA)
MSHA
alleged in July 2017 that MSHA was requiring
Diesel exhaust its inspectors to conduct compliance assistance
visits, which aim to help employers comply
In December 2016, MSHA and NIOSH an- with rules, rather than issuing citations, which
nounced the creation of a partnership with punish rulebreakers. A letter from UMWA
stakeholders to share information on the President Cecil Roberts to MSHAs acting chief
health risks of diesel exhaust and on control
technologies. MSHA had published a request United Steelworkers
for information earlier in the year, following

a policy statement adopted in 2014 by the
American Public Health Association. In 2001,
MSHA issued health standards to reduce un-
derground miners exposure to diesel particu-
late matter, but APHA indicated the standards
may be outdated.
Mine examination requirement Joe Main wraps up his tenure as MSHA chief with a
speech at the United Steelworkers (USW) annual HSE
MSHA issued a final rule in January 2017 ap- conference. (L-R) Dave LeGrande of the Communications
plicable to metal and aggregate mines that Workers of America and Mike Wright of the USW listen
to Mains remarks.
requires a competent person to conduct a pre-

asserted the agency was taking away inspec- cated that many of the ERPs had emergency
tors credentials to circumvent the Mine Safety contact phone numbers that were discon-
and Health Acts requirement to issue a viola- nected or otherwise inaccurate. MSHA took ex-
tion for every hazard observed and to involve ception with the IGs criticism and noted that
a miners representative in each inspection. a different regulation requires mine operators
keep emergency call lists, which are more up-
to-date than their ERPs. The IG attributed the
Inspectors not fit for duty problem to MSHA failing to have a consistent
In August 2017, MSHA revealed that an process for conducting reviews of the ERPs.
estimated 20 percent of its inspectors do not
meet the Office of Personnel Managements
fitness for duty standards, including hearing
Chemical Safety Board
and vision requirements. The agency called the President Trumps budget for fiscal year 2018
matter a longstanding issue and stated that calls for the elimination of the Chemical Safety
the problem had been growing over the past Board (CSB). The agency has 40 employees
several years. MSHA announced it would and a budget of $11 million. Trumps budget
develop individualized medical plans for each document, A New Foundation for American
affected employee and provide reasonable ac- Greatness, said the decision was part of
commodations when necessary. the administrations plans to move the nation
towards fiscal responsibility and to redefine
the proper role of the federal government.
Declining number of coal mines In a story for Metro newspapers, reporter Erin
The low cost of natural gas and its use for Tiernan pointed out that the agencys annual
budget is less than the estimated $15 million 13
electric power generation has reduced the de-
mand for coal as an energy source. Since 2008, cost to taxpayers of the five trips to his Mar-
the number of active underground and surface a-Lago estate that Trump had taken by the
coal mines has declined from 2,400 to 1,600. time he released his budget. In June 2017, the
As a result, the mining industry has called for House Appropriations Committee, chaired by
a smaller inspection workforce. State lawmak- Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), rejected the
ers in Kentucky and West Virginia introduced administrations proposal to eliminate the CSB.
plans to eliminate their mine safety agencies. Over the previous 12 months, the CSB held
public business meetings in September and
October 2016, and April and July 2017. In the
Audits of MSHA activities
open sessions, board members discussed open
The Department of Labors Inspector General investigations, the status of inspector gen-
(IG) conducted an audit of MSHAs procedures eral audits, organizational updates, and the
for handling safety complaints from miners. In agencys action plan.
a September 2016 report, the IGs office identi-
fied numerous inconsistencies in the way each
of MSHAs district offices interpret the agencys Completed and ongoing
procedures. MSHA agreed generally with the investigations
conclusions of the IG and responded favorably
In February 2017, the CSB released its final
to its recommendations.
investigation report on the January 2014 event
In March 2017, the IGs office released its audit involving Freedom Industries in Charleston,
findings of MSHAs oversight of mine opera- WV. The firm was responsible for the release
tors emergency response plans (ERPs). The into the Elk River of 11,000 gallons of a chemi-
ERP requirement was mandated following the cal mixture used in coal processing. The river is
2006 Sago mine disaster. The IGs report indi- the source of water for the local water utility,

CSB
The CSB board and staff receive comments during a 2017 public meeting. (L-R) Members Kristen Kulinowski and
Manny Ehrlich, with general counsel Kara Wenzel and chair Vanessa Allen Sutherland. (Not pictured is Rick Engler.)
which serves 300,000 residents. The CSB made Over the past year, the CSB deployed investiga-
recommendations to the American Water tion teams to a October 2016 chemical release
14 Works Association and others. An earlier ver- at MGPI Processing (Atchison, KS); a November
sion of the final report was approved by the 2016 fire at an ExxonMobil refinery (Baton
CSB in September 2016, but the agency agreed Rouge, LA); a February 2017 explosion at the
to revise it in response to public input. Packaging Corporation of America (Deridder,
LA); an April 2017 incident at the Loy-Lange Box
In April 2017, the CSB released its final report
Company (St. Louis, MO) in which a hot water
on the August 2016 nitrous oxide explosion at
tank launched into a nearby business, killing
Airgas in Cantonment, FL. Jesse Folmar, 32, an
four people; a May 2017 explosion and fire
Airgas employee, died from the blast. The CSB
at Didion Milling (Cambria, WI), which fatally
made safety recommendations to Airgas, the
injured five workers; and explosions in May
Compressed Gas Association, and others.
and June 2017 at Midland Resource Recovery
In May 2017, the CSB issued its final report (Philippi, WV) that killed three workers.
on the explosion at the ExxonMobil refinery
in Torrance, CA. The February 2015 incident
caused major damage to the facility and nearly NIOSH
involved tanks containing hydrofluoric acid,
which would have been catastrophic. Exxon- Hazardous drugs
Mobil refused to provide information to the In September 2016, NIOSH published a new
CSB for its investigation. The agency filed suit edition of its List of Antineoplastic and Other
in federal district court to obtain records from Hazardous Drugs in Healthcare Settings. The
the company and awaits a decision from the revision added 34 new pharmaceuticals to a
court. The CSBs report includes recommenda- list of more than 250 drugs that require spe-
tions for ExxonMobil, the Torrance Refinery cial precautions for health care workers who
Company, and the American Fuel and Petro- handle them because they are carcinogenic,
chemical Manufacturers. teratogenic, or have other organ-specific ad-
verse health effects.

Carcinogens policy In June 2017, as required by the amended
TSCA, EPA took several actions, such as issuing
In December 2016, NIOSH published an updat- a final rule on industry reporting of chemicals
ed Chemical Carcinogen Policy. The agency will manufactured or processed in the last 10 years
no longer use the term recommended expo- and publishing a scoping document on the
sure limit for carcinogens and recognizes that first 10 chemicals selected for risk evaluations.
there is no safe level of exposure to a carcino- EPA also issued two companion final rules. One
gen. The new policy document replaces one addressed the process and criteria for identify-
adopted by NIOSH in 1980. The revision began ing high-priority chemicals for risk evaluations
in 2010, and NIOSH provided several opportu- and low-priority ones for which an evaluation
nities for public input on the new policy. is not needed, and the other on procedures for
evaluating high-priority chemicals to deter-
mine whether they present an unreasonable
Budget
risk to health or the environment. In August
President Trumps budget for fiscal year 2018 2017, public interest groups, including the
recommended slashing NIOSH funding from Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization,
$338 million to $200 million, a reduction of the United Steelworkers, Earthjustice, and the
40 percent. The budget cuts would eliminate Union of Concerned Scientists, filed a lawsuit
grant funding to universities and other re- in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to chal-
search institutions, including NIOSHs 18 Educa- lenge the two rules. The groups argue that
tion and Research Centers. The budget docu- EPA is contradicting what Congress intended
ment asserts the majority of schools of public when lawmakers passed TSCA reform in 2016.
health include coursework and many academic
institutions have developed specializations in 15
these areas. Risk management rule
In December 2016, EPA amended its risk man-
agement plan regulations to improve the pro-
Health hazard evaluations
cesses by which chemical plants handle hazard-
Over the last 12 months, NIOSH researchers ous chemicals (process safety management).
have published reports on more than 20 health The rules also address emergency prepared-
hazard evaluations (HHEs). The workplace haz- ness between facilities and local communities
ards addressed by the HHEs include chemical and enhance public access to information
exposures at a forensic crime lab; disinfectant about chemical facilities. The agencys action
exposure at an indoor waterpark resort; diesel stemmed from President Obamas directive fol-
exhaust at two fire stations; and noise expo-
sure during total knee replacement surgeries.
Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization
EPA
Toxic substances
In November 2016, EPA announced the first 10
chemicals selected by the agency for risk re-
view pursuant to the significant amendments
adopted by Congress in 2016 to improve the
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The list
includes 1-bromopropane, asbestos, methylene (L-R) Richard Lemen, Christine Oliver, Brent Kynoch, Liz
chloride, and perchloroethylene. Hitchcock, Celeste Monforton, and Linda Reinstein at EPA
headquarters in May 2017. The group urged EPA officials
to use its new authority under TSCA to ban asbestos.

lowing the 2013 explosion at a fertilizer plant National Academy of Sciences
in West, TX, that killed 15 people.
EPAs risk management rule was scheduled to Respirators
take effect in March 2017. EPA administra- Both NIOSH and the Food and Drug Adminis-
tor Scott Pruitt announced the effective date tration (FDA) have responsibilities for evaluat-
would be delayed for 20 months while the ing and regulating respirators used by health
agency received further public comment. In care workers. The National Academy of Scienc-
June 2017, the Environmental Integrity Project, es hosted a workshop in August 2016, entitled
Earth Justice, the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, Integration of FDA and NIOSH Processes Used
and others filed a petition with the U.S. Court to Evaluate Respiratory Protective Devices for
of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit challenging the Health Care Workers. Proceedings from the
delayed effective date. workshop were published in February 2017.
Farmworker protections Coal mine dust

The United Farm Workers, Pesticide Action At the request of the House Committee on
Network, and other groups filed a petition Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy
with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to chal- and Mineral Resources and the Committee on
lenge EPAs decision in late January 2017 to de- Education and the Workforce, the National
lay the effective date of a rule to protect the Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute
health of pesticide applicators. The rule, Certi- of Medicine) commenced a study in February
fication of Pesticide Applicators, was scheduled 2017 on mine worker exposure to respirable
to take effect in March 2017. But the Trump coal mine dust. The investigation was a re-
16
administration changed the effective date to sponse, in part, to industry concerns about
May 2018. The protections include training for the sampling devices and analytical methods
workers to learn about the hazards of specific required under new MSHA regulations. By
pesticides, use of personal protective equip- September 2017, the committee had held five
ment, prevention of spills and drift, and ways meetings and expanded the study to include
to report pesticide safety violations. topics related to the epidemic of progressive
massive fibrosis complicated black lung
disease among Appalachian coal miners.
BSEE
The Department of Interiors Bureau of Safety
National COSH
and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) issued
a final rule in September 2016 to enhance
protections for workers involved in oil and gas
extraction on the Outer Continental Shelf. The
rule updates requirements for equipment de-
sign, maintenance, and repair, and adds new
requirements for firefighting and shutdown
valves. BSEE estimates the rule will prevent
more than 200 injuries per year and nearly Peter Dooley receives a COSH Special Recognition Award
for decades of work devoted to building a strong,
4,000 barrels of spilled oil. The rule takes full worker-centered safety movement. (Back row, L-R)
effect in March 2018. Barbara Rahke, Jim Howe, Andy Comai, Darius Sivin,
Luis Vazquez, and Mike Dooley. (December 2017.)

National COSH: Fighting for and
National COSH
winning safer workplaces
The National Council for Occupational Safety
and Health (National COSH) is a grassroots
advocacy organization with a network of 22
local organizations in 15 different states. Over
the last 12 months, COSH groups held worker
training events, pressed local district attorneys
to pursue criminal charges in worker fatality Gustavo Granillo and his daughter Jasmine speak at
cases, and engaged lawmakers to strengthen COSHCON16 about Roendy Granillo, 25, who died from
worker protections. Highlights of this years heat stroke in 2015.
COSH activities include:
injuries and illnesses. Eight goals to accomplish
Taking on the temporary staffing industry. that vision include increasing worker participa-
While the American Staffing Association was tion in decision-making, eliminating the wide-
holding its annual conference in October 2016, spread use of toxic chemicals, and implement-
National COSH briefed the media on safety ing measures to adapt to climate change. The
hazards prevalent in temporary work. Speak- Agenda for Action is at http://bit.ly/2nGj076
ers included Lina Hernandez, whose son Hugo
Tapia died in 2013 on a temp assignment; Dave Meeting with lawmakers. COSH groups held
DeSario, the producer of the award-winning meetings with their members of Congress in
film A Days Work; and Lou Kimmel, execu- March and April 2017 to present and discuss
tive director of New Labor. the networks Agenda for Action.
17
Building the OHS community. The National Western NY COSH (WNYCOSH) met in Buffalo
Conference on Worker Safety and Health with U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY) to describe
(COSHCON16) drew 300 participants to Balti- the adverse impact of the proposed budget
more, MD, in December 2016. The workshop cuts to OSHA. The delegation included WNY-
tracks, which were offered in both English and COSH Director Germain Harnden; Greg Stoner
Spanish, included organizing for worker health
National COSH
and safety rights and protecting worker rights
under the incoming Trump administration.
Featured speakers included author and activist
Bill Fletcher Jr. and Esther Lopez, international
secretary-treasurer with United Food and Com-
mercial Workers Union. The awards banquet
recognized Jordan Barab, Lee Clarke, Randy
Rodriguez, Nicole Marquez, and Jora Trang
for their contributions to the OHS movement.
Gustavo and Jasmine Granillo of Dallas, TX,
received the Family Activist award.
Promoting an OHS agenda. COSH groups col-
laborated to develop the policy brief Protect-
ing Workers Lives & Limbs: An Agenda for
Action, which was released in March 2017.
Nearly 100 worker, environmental, and civic
groups endorsed the agenda, which advances
a vision that all workers should be able to earn
a living without suffering from work-related (L-R) Felicitas Rosales, Omaid Zabih, and Gladys Godinez
at COSHCON16.

group originate from the Bay Area Committee
National COSH
on Occupational Safety and Health and the
Santa Clara Center on Occupational Safety and
Health. The groups initial mission focused on
empowering workers through safety training.
Today, its work is complemented by providing
OHS expertise to legal aid organizations and
worker organizations, such as advice on work-
ers compensation cases. Worksafes recent ac-
complishments on behalf of California workers
include successful campaigns to secure a heat-
illness prevention standard for indoor workers
as well as new regulations for refinery safety.
MassCOSH and labor allies pressed lawmak-
ers to adopt new permitting requirements
for construction projects in Boston. Effective
December 2016, the city has the authority
to revoke permits or initiate special require-
WNYCOSH
18
with District #4 of the International Union of
Painters & Allied Trades; and Denise Abbott,
health and safety director of Communications
Workers of America Local 1168.
Worksafe organized a meeting in March 2017
with Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) in his Rich-
mond district office. They discussed the Trump (L-R) Germain Harnden, U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins, Greg
administrations proposal to eliminate the Stoner, and Denise Abbott in March 2017 at the
Susan Harwood training grants program and congressmans district office.
other attacks on worker protections. The con-
Worksafe
gressmans assignment on the House Education
and the Workforce Committee makes him a
particularly important ally.
Learning from each other. National COSH host-
ed a series of webinars in the past year to help
OHS activists enhance their understanding of
OHS issues. Experts within the network pre-
sented information on several topics, such as
advocacy on criminal prosecutions for worker
fatalities, preparations for Workers Memorial
Week, and hazards for food production work-
ers exposed to flavoring chemicals.
Recognizing COSH accomplishments. In May (L-R) Nicole Marquez of Worksafe, U.S. Rep. Mark
2017, Worksafe celebrated its 35th anniver- DeSaulnier, Doug Parker of Worksafe, and Debra
Bernstein of Monument Impact, in April 2017 at the
sary. The roots of the Oakland, CA-based congressmans office in Richmond, CA.

ments for any employer with a poor safety
Worksafe
and health record. The successful advocacy by
MassCOSH followed the October 2016 death of
two Boston workers in a trench that flooded.
SoCalCOSH and other California advocates
spearheaded advocacy to force state agencies
to declare publicly that they would protect
workers rights no matter their immigration
status. The effort intentionally put worker
safety allies on the offensive against the Trump
administrations immigration enforcement pol-
Dr. Bob Harrison spoke at Worksafes 35th anniversary
celebration after being recognized for his contribution to icies, which can inhibit workers from reporting
workers and the OHS community. dangerous working conditions, injuries, and
wage theft.
Worksafe
Western NY COSH launched a multilingual ho-

tline to provide Buffalo area immigrants with
quality health and safety information, and
published a resource guide in 11 languages for
family members of workplace fatality victims.
In response to the March 2017 release of Presi-
dent Trumps proposed budget, WNYCOSH
rallied outside the office of Rep. Chris Col-
The Campaign to End Sexual Assault on the Night
lins (R-NY). Participants told personal stories 19
Shift was recognized at Worksafes 35th anniversary about the importance of government protec-
celebration. (L-R) David Huerta, SEIU-USWW President; tions, from ensuring safe workplaces and clean
Leticia Soto, janitorial worker and campaign leader;
Sasha Khokha, KQED; and Daffodil Altan, co-producer of air to mandating affordable health care and
the Rape on the Night Shift documentary. safe food.
WNYCOSH
Allies with Western New York COSH rallied outside the Buffalo-area office of U.S. Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY) on the
proposed slashing of the OSHA budget, drawing attention to how such cuts would impact vulnerable workers
employed in dangerous jobs. They created a giant Jenga game in which each block represented a different public
protection for workers and families. Speakers described the consequences of eliminating each of the programs or
regulations and then removed the block representing their topic. Ultimately, the structure weakened and crashed to
the ground.

Companies receive millions in federal contracts despite violations of safety,
wage laws
Violating labor law isnt enough to get some ever, months before OSHA had completed its
contractors kicked out of consideration for investigation but after the fatal incident
lucrative public contracts. had occurred the Navy granted VT Halter
Marine an $87 million contract.
Over the last year, news reporters have high-
lighted a number of employers with startling At ProPublica, Sean Kevin Campbell wrote
records of worker injury and wage theft about worker safety violators in New York
that continue to receive profitable federal who continue to receive state subsidies.
contracts and generous state tax breaks. For His story began with Craig Bernier, 24, who
example, at Reveal, Jennifer Gollan began worked bagging grain for Harbor Point
digging into the safety records of private Minerals in Utica, NY. In May 2011, his em-
shipbuilders who reap millions in contracts ployer sent him inside the silo to help walk
with the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, noting down the grain a task which is prohibited
that President Donald Trump announced by OSHA. The feed gave way, swallowing
plans for a significant expansion of the Navys and suffocating Bernier. An OSHA investiga-
fleet in his first weeks in office. According to tion ended with 21 violations against Harbor
Gollan, OSHA and the Navy have no formal Point, including acting with indifference to
system for sharing data on workplace inci- worker safety. That same year, Harbor Point
dents, and its not even clear if Navy officials received more than $110,000 in state tax
20 are aware of worker safety violations. When breaks; it received an additional $71,000 in
asked about the issue, Dale Eng, a spokes- tax breaks in the next two years.
person for the Navy division that oversees
Campbell and colleagues found that Harbor
shipbuilding, told Reveal: We are not the
Point was one of 74 companies in just one
overlords of private shipyards when it comes
industry sector that got more than $100
to workplace safety.
million in state and local subsidies over 10
Because the Navy can only rely on a handful years despite violations of health, safety, and
of U.S.-based shipbuilders, and because those environmental regulations. According to the
shipbuilders rely so heavily on federal con- article: Even with the significant sums of
tracts to be profitable, worker safety often money involved, state economic development
gets lost in the equation. Gollan began the authorities and local industrial development
story with Bram Ates, who worked for VT agencies do not comprehensively vet compa-
Halter Marine Inc.s shipyard in Escatawpa, nies applying for assistance. By contrast, the
MS. In 2009, he told two fellow workers to economic development agencies of neigh-
get out of an enclosed tank, where they had boring New Jersey and Connecticut conduct
been sent to wipe down the inside of the more thorough inquiries. Also, New York law
ship hull with paint thinner. Before the work- does not prohibit the awarding of subsidies
ers could escape, a fireball erupted, creat- to firms with a history of regulatory viola-
ing a boom heard miles away. Ates experi- tions or provide a mechanism to suspend or
enced third-degree burns over half his body; claw back subsidies if companies are cited by
the two men he tried to save lost their lives. regulators once the money has started flow-
An OSHA investigation revealed that the ing.
shipbuilder had sent its workers into what
it knew was a potential death trap. How-

A number of well-known companies are
Julie Dermansky (with permission)

benefiting from such subsidies despite their
questionable safety records. Campbell report-
ed that Wegmans Food Markets received $4.8
million in New York state subsidies between
2009 and 2014. The company has also been
hit with more than $500,000 in fines, most
related to worker safety violations.
Unfortunately, reaping the benefits of public
dollars while skirting labor law is much too
common. At the Center for Public Integrity,
Talia Buford and Maryam Jameel reported
that thousands of contractors who receive tax Bram Ates talks outside his Lucedale, MS, home about
dollars also break labor laws, with Depart- the shipyard explosion that killed two co-workers and
burned half of his body.
ment of Labor data showing that upwards
of 70 percent of all cases brought against
workers were owed slightly more than $50
federal contractors and investigated by DOL
million in back pay due to wage-law viola-
officials since 2012 resulted in substantive
tions.
violations.
President Barack Obama attempted to stop
Buford and Jameel examined data on more
violators from enriching themselves on the
than 1,100 egregious violators in DOLs Wage
public dime with the Fair Pay and Safe Work- 21
and Hour Division enforcement database as
places executive order, which would have
well as more than 300,000 contract records
required prospective federal contractors to
from the Treasury Department. They found
disclose wage or safety violations from the
that between January 2015 and July 2016,
prior three years when applying for contracts
federal agencies either granted or modified
of $500,000 or more. However, a few months
$18 billion in contracts to 68 contractors with
after taking office, Trump signed a bill killing
records of wage violations. The Department
Labor Department rules that would have
of Defense did business with the most viola-
implemented the order.
tors, who collectively owed $4.7 million in
back pay to thousands of workers. Among Jennifer Gollan. The deadly danger of
the 68 contractors who had broken wage Trumps naval buildup Plan. Reveal from the
law, the violations impacted about 11,000 Center for Investigative Reporting, Feb. 10,
workers nationwide. 2017.
https://tinyurl.com/yanqvlvy
According to the article: Last fiscal year, the
(DOL Wage and Hour Division) found 32,487
Sean Kevin Campbell. Firms cited for safety
violations of the Service Contract Act, which
violations still reap state subsidies. ProPubli-
sets prevailing wages and benefits for work-
ca, March 27, 2017.
ers on most service contracts, and 12,567 vio-
https://tinyurl.com/yard9299
lations of the Davis-Bacon Act. The Contract
Work Hours and Safety Standards Act, which
Talia Buford and Maryam Jameel. Workers
applies to construction contracts, accounted
cheated as federal contractors prosper. Cen-
for 4,044 violations in 389 cases. In all, the
ter for Public Integrity, April 6, 2017.
division found, nearly 32,000 federal contract
https://tinyurl.com/m2goxsj

22

Addressing Occupational Health and Safety at
the State and Local Levels
O
ver the past year, OHS advocates applauded local prosecutors for directing attention to
work-related fatalities. Cases in New York and Massachusetts resulted in criminal convic-
tions of employers who knowingly failed in their duties to provide a safe workplace. The
deaths of two workers in Boston led to a historic change in the citys permitting requirements,
while the state of California adopted the nations most progressive refinery safety regulations.
COSH groups, worker centers, and local allies organized a record number of Workers Memorial
Day events, including commemorations at which the governors of Pennsylvania and Washington
were the keynote speakers. Reporters with local and regional news outlets examined a range of
worker safety topics, which are profiled in Section III starting on page 33.
Prosecutions for worker According to the indictment, on Sept. 3, 2015,

Weiss ignored the workers repeated requests
fatalities for the equipment, which is also required by
OSHA. Vanegaz, who had been in the U.S. for
New York State v. Luke Park less than a year, died in the trench collapse
New York Attorney General Eric Schneider- two others were injured.
man brought felony charges in December 2016
against the owner of the Park Family Farm in
Homer, NY, related to the death Alex Smith, Suffolk County, MA v. Atlantic Drain 23
14. The teen was operating a skidloader to Services
move hay bales in July 2016 when he was fa-
The Suffolk County district attorney charged
tally injured. Child labor rules prohibit children
Kevin Otto, the CEO of Atlantic Drain Ser-
and young teens from operating certain dan-
vices, with manslaughter for the October 2016
gerous equipment. Schneidermans investiga-
deaths of Kelvin Mattocks, 53, and Robert
tion determined that Park also violated hours
Higgins, 47. The two men died in a trench that
of work restrictions for minors and was paying
flooded at an excavation site in South Boston.
workers off the books.
The district attorney also alleges that Otto mis-
led investigators and tampered with records.
Brooklyn, NY v. Michael Weiss
NYCOSH
Following an investigation into the work-

related death of Fernando Vanegaz, 18, the
Brooklyn, NY, district attorneys office charged
the laborers employer with manslaughter,
reckless endangerment, and other infractions.
The May 2017 indictment alleges that Michael
Weiss, 47, ignored workers complaints about
needing proper equipment to shore up an un-
stable wall on a construction project and told
them they were working too slowly. The wall
collapsed, burying the Ecuadorian immigrant
and injuring two other workers. Weiss pleaded
not guilty to all the charges and was released
on bail.
Addressing Occupational Health and Safety at the State and Local Levels
California Farmworkers win overtime pay
victory
Heat-illness prevention
In September 2016, Gov. Jerry Brown signed
In September 2016, Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation expanding overtime pay protections
into law a bill requiring Cal/OSHA to propose for farmworkers. At the federal level, farm-
a standard to address heat-related illnesses workers are specifically excluded from overtime
among workers in indoor settings. The law and pay protections in the Fair Labor Standards
requires the agency to propose a rule by Janu- Act. The new California measure requires time-
ary 2019 to the Standards Board. Cal/OSHA and-a-half pay for working more than eight
prepared discussion drafts in February and May hours a day and 40 hours a week in agriculture,
2017, and received public comment on them. phasing in overtime pay over four years begin-
The rule would require employers to integrate ning in 2019. Employers with 25 or fewer work-
a heat illness prevention plan into their injury ers will have three additional years for phasing
and illness prevention programs. Prevention in the overtime rules. By 2022, the law requires
steps would include acclimatization procedures, double-time pay for a 12-hour work day. Previ-
cool-down rest breaks, and worker training. ously, California law required overtime pay
California already has a heat-illness prevention for farmworkers if they worked more than 10
rule that applies to outdoor workers. hours a day or 60 hours a week.
Labor law compliance in nail salons Workplace violence prevention

In September 2016, Gov. Jerry Brown signed Cal/OSHAs Workplace Violence Prevention in
24 legislation that requires the Board of Barber- Health Care rule took effect in April 2017. The
ing and Cosmetology give nail salons written standard, which applies to private health care
information on basic labor law protections in facilities, requires hospitals and other health
English, Korean, Spanish, and Vietnamese. The professional employers to develop violence
materials were available in July 2017. The law prevention protocols and engage workers
also requires that every electronic application to in the process. In particular, the rule calls on
renew a salon license include a signed acknowl- employers to conduct risk factor assessments
edgement that the employer understands his and correct any hazards in a timely manner.
or her responsibility to comply with labor laws. Under the rules, employers would not be li-
Lawmakers cited the 2015 New York Times able for every act of violence against a worker,
investigation that found widespread abuse and but they could receive Cal/OSHA citations for
wage theft in the nail salon industry. violating protocol. In a news release from the
California Nurses Association/National Nurses
United, Bonnie Castillo, director of health and
Jenny Gold/Kaiser Health News
safety, said: This is a landmark day for the en-

tire country, as California has now set the bar
with the strongest workplace violence regula-
tion in the nation.
Refinery safety rule

In May 2017, California adopted new rules
strengthening workplace safety and health
at oil refineries, providing a framework for
anticipating, preventing, and responding to
Mai Dangs Fashion Nails in Berkeley, CA has been refinery hazards. They go well beyond what is
certified as a healthy salon since 2013.

uninsured employers and placed in the states
National COSH
general fund. The new separate fund will assist
injured workers in paying for medical expenses
and recouping lost wages.
Iowa
Workers compensation
Lawmakers in Iowa pushed legislation during
CSB board member Rick Engler and Cecelia Leto with the 2017 session to reduce workers compensa-
New Jersey Work Environment Council at the USW HSE tion benefits for injuries tied to pre-existing
conference. (September 2016.) conditions, minimize late fees for employers
who dont pay benefits on time, limit how
required in any other state or by federal OSHA. much attorneys can charge, and let employers
The rules require employers to conduct reviews deny benefits to an injured worker who tests
for equipment degradation and adequacy of positive for drugs or alcohol. Drug and alcohol
staffing, as well as ensuring that workers have a testing could take place whether the substanc-
meaningful role in safety decisions. Most provi- es were involved in the workplace incident or
sions will be in effect by May 2019. The rule- not. Gov. Terry Branstad signed the measures
making stemmed from the 2012 fire at Chev- into law in March 2017 the same day he
rons Richmond refinery and was supported by signed a law blocking minimum wage hikes.
a broad coalition of environmental organiza-
tions and labor unions, led by the BlueGreen 25
Alliance and the United Steelworkers. Massachusetts
Boston demands responsible
New wood dust standard
contractors
In early 2017, Cal/OSHA announced it was
considering a revised proposal on occupational The city of Boston adopted an ordinance in
wood dust exposure. The revised measure December 2016 that authorizes it to deny or
would reduce the current permissible expo- delay construction permits based on safety
sure limit by 60 percent compared to current concerns. Firms will have to swear and affirm
state standards, or a change from 5 mg/m3 to information about their safety history, includ-
2 mg/m3. Cal/OSHA had previously considered ing OSHA violations, when they apply for a
an even stricter revision, but the agencys permit. The city will require corrective action
Standards Board rejected that version. NIOSH or deny the permit altogether. MassCOSH, the
recommends a wood dust limit of 1 mg/m3. The Massachusetts Bar Association, and organized
revised standard went into effect in July 2017. labor pushed lawmakers for the new law.
Colorado Nevada
Injured worker protections OHS legislation
Gov. John Hickenlooper signed a bill in June Gov. Brian Sandoval signed legislation in May
2017 to create a fund for injured work- 2017 that requires supervisors at sites where
ers whose employers did not carry workers TV and films are being produced to complete
compensation insurance. Previously, monetary OSHA 10-hour or 30-hour training classes. He
penalties of $250 per day were assessed to also signed a bill mandating longer jail time
for assaulting emergency medical person-
NYCOSH
Workers United uses street theatre about worker safety to organize in October 2016.
26
nel, firefighters, and peace officers. Sandoval Signing these measures into law will help bet-
vetoed legislation, however, that would have ter protect these employees.
required a minimum of two certified employ-
ees aboard every freight train in Nevada. The
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Construction worker safety
Trainmen as well as the International Associa- In May 2017, New York City Mayor Bill de Bla-
tion of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transporta- sio signed into law a host of new regulations
tion Workers campaigned for that bill. designed to improve safety in the construction
industry. The rules follow news reports that
construction worker fatalities and injuries have
New York
Violence prevention NYC CLC Michel Friang
In August 2016, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed

legislation protecting certain workers from
work-related violence. In particular, the new
law elevates assault on utility workers, sta-
tion and terminal cleaners, and process serv-
ers from a misdemeanor to a class D felony.
Similar protections had already been enacted
to cover Metro Transportation Authority em-
ployees and emergency medical technicians. In
signing the bill, Cuomo said: These workers
perform tasks that are vital to the operation Israel Miranda of Local 2507 places flowers in honor
of New York institutions and have increasingly of fallen workers, including EMT Yadira Arroyo, 44. In
March 2017, she was fatally struck by her ambulance
become the targets of aggression and assaults.
when it was hijacked.

increased substantially during the citys recent
Rob Thompson, SC DOT..

building boom. Among the provisions, new
measures will require: the citys Department of
Buildings (DOB) to notify federal OSHA about
construction code violations that could endan-
ger workers; DOB to list online incidents that
have occurred on a construction site; construc-
tion superintendents to be at all major build-
ing projects over three stories high; certain
types of cranes to be equipped with data-
logging equipment to record operations and
work conditions; and certain hoisting machine
operators to receive a license rating to use South Carolina Secretary of Transportation Christy A. Hall
cranes with a long boom or jib configuration. greets family members before the ceremony.
New paid leave laws

Ohio Over the last several years, NIOSH researchers
Workers compensation and others have examined the intersections
between paid leave and occupational health.
The states House of Representatives passed Their findings include benefits for workers
legislation in May 2017 that would have pro- with respect to infectious disease spread,
hibited undocumented workers from receiving injury prevention, health screenings, and child-
workers compensation. It would have also hood vaccinations. Over the past year, more
given immunity to employers for injuries suf- workers in the U.S. won paid leave protections, 27
fered by an undocumented worker, except in meaning they can better care for themselves
cases when the worker can prove the employer or a family member when sick, visit the doc-
knew his or her immigration status. Labor, tor when needed, or attend to other personal
immigrant rights, and worker safety allies, emergencies.
including Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center,
Catholic Charities, HOLA Ohio, and the Na- In November 2016, Arizona voters passed a
tional Employment Law Project, mobilized to ballot proposal for one of the most generous
successfully defeat the bill when it was consid- leave laws in the nation to date. It took effect
ered in the state Senate. in July 2017. No matter the size of the busi-
ness, workers will accrue one hour of leave for
every 30 hours worked. The maximum num-
South Carolina ber of hours that can be accrued will depend
on the size of the organization, but there is
Highway workers safety no waiting period before the benefit kicks in
and no exceptions for part-time or temporary
Gov. Henry McMaster signed legislation in
workers. The law also allows employers to pay
June 2017 to increase penalties for motorists
employees for their unused leave.
who speed or drive recklessly near highway
workers and emergency personnel. Action on In June 2017, lawmakers in the state of Wash-
the bill was sparked by the March 2017 deaths ington passed a paid leave law that takes
of Anthony Redmond, 54, and Robert Clark, effect in January 2018. Both employers and
64, who worked for the states Department of employees will pay into a system that provides
Transportation. For several years, a similar bill one hour of paid leave for every 40 hours
had been stuck in the legislature, but lawmak- worked. Exceptions apply to newly hired em-
ers acted swiftly and unanimously following ployees and for employers that already pro-
the March incident. vide paid leave.
Rockefeller Family Fund
Workers Memorial Week 2017
During the week of April 22-29, COSH
groups, labor unions, worker centers, and al-
lied organizations held events to commemo-
rate International Workers Memorial Day.
Vigils, rallies, and other events were held in
100 cities across the U.S.
For the 29th year, PhilaPOSH and the AFL-
Commissioners in Cook County, IL, adopted an CIO hosted an observance that included a
ordinance in October 2016 to require employ- processional march to Penns Landing on the
ers to provide earned sick leave. It took effect Delaware River. More than 300 marchers par-
in July 2017 and provides for one hour of leave ticipated. The keynote speaker was Pennsyl-
for every 40 hours worked for employees who vania Gov. Tom Wolf, who called workplace
have worked at least 80 hours within a 120- safety a primary civil right and announced
day period. At the urging of local chambers of he would sign legislation to extend health
commerce, however, more than 80 percent of and safety protections to the states public-
municipalities within the county opted out sector workers.
of the mandate. Cook County commissioners In Washington state, Gov. Jay Inslee spoke at
are examining legal options to challenge the an event hosted by the states Department of
municipalities authority to opt out. Labor & Industries. Inslee noted that family
28 members help to improve worker safety by
The city of St. Paul became the second one in
Minnesota to require employers to provide advocating for better laws. The governor rec-
paid leave to workers. The bill passed the city ognized Tina Meyer, the mother of 23-year-
council in August 2016 and took effect on July old Cody Meyer, who was struck by a vehicle
1, 2017. Workers will accrue one hour of leave while working on a roadway project. Earlier
for each 30 hours worked, can accumulate up that year, Ms. Meyer testified in support of
to 48 hours per year, and can roll over as much anti-distracted driving legislation. It was later
as 80 hours from year to year. The leave ben- approved by the state legislature and took
efit applies to full-time, part-time, and tempo- effect in July 2017.
rary workers. The diversity of speakers, locations, activities,
Restaurant owner Eric Foster served on the and organizers was as broad as the workers
task force that advised the St. Paul City Council who were remembered at the events. A small
on the paid leave ordinance. He told the Min-
New Labor
neapolis Post: Obviously no one wants people
preparing their food to be sick, and I dont
want workers to choose between coming to
work sick and hiding that from me or losing
their car or their homes or not being able to
pay rent.
These new paid leave laws join others already
on the books in California, Connecticut, the
District of Columbia, Massachusetts, and
Members of New Labor march in New Brunswick, NJ, on
Oregon, and in other jurisdictions. Sunday, April 23, 2017, to mark the beginning of Worker
Memorial Week.

National COSH. The dirty dozen: Employers
who put workers & communities at risk.
http://bit.ly/2gLvSdB
South Florida COSH. Dying for work in Florida,

2017.
http://bit.ly/2tjYXCB
Worksafe. Dying for work in California: The

sample of the events included prayer services in hidden stories behind the numbers.
Baltimore, MD, and Erie, PA; breakfast gather- http://bit.ly/2t8Qdex
ings in Augusta, ME, Duluth, MN, and Linwood, Noteworthy coverage of the Workers Memorial
PA; press conferences in Raleigh, NC, and Los Day events in 2017 included:
Angeles and Oakland, CA; safety training work-
shops in Lincoln, NE, Providence, RI, and Gar- Jane Von Bergen. A day to weep for those who
land, TX; labor history lectures in Iowa City, IA, died at work. Philly.com, April 28, 2017.
Bisbee, AZ, and St. Paul, MN; and government http://bit.ly/2vk84U7
proclamations in Lancaster, KY, Baton Rouge, Nicole Estaphan. Calls for change at Workers
LA, York, PA, El Paso, TX, and La Crosse, WI. Memorial Day in Boston. WCVB ABC Channel
Particularly memorable was an original theatri- 5, April, 28, 2017.
cal production written and performed specifical- http://bit.ly/2w8rusm
ly for Workers Memorial Day. The Occupational Drew Mikkelsen. Worker Memorial Day honors
Health Clinical Center (OHCC) of the North 29
those killed on the job. King5.com, April 28,
Country and the Canton-based Grasse River 2017.
Players presented Working in the North Coun- http://kng5.tv/2w8uzJg
try. The musical is based on interviews with
20 workers employed in construction, farm- Josh Nguyen. 34th annual Workers Memorial
ing, social assistance, and other jobs in upstate Day held Friday. NBC Channel 13-Des Moines,
New York. It was written and directed by Karen April 28, 2017.
Wells and produced by the OHCCs outreach http://bit.ly/2u6MkLJ
coordinator, Relani Prudhomme. The musical is Shandra Martinez. Why so many workers are
a celebration of work in the north country, falling to their deaths in Michigan. MLive, April
Prudhomme told the Watertown Daily Times. It 29, 2017.
is also an awareness-raising piece of art to help http://bit.ly/2ps7L47
people realize some of the challenges these
SoCalCOSH
people go through. They are the people who

really keep the community ticking.
The following groups issued reports as part of
their Workers Memorial Day commemorations:
Central New York Occupational Health Clinic.
At all costs: Workers Memorial Day 2017.
http://bit.ly/2tr46sy
MassCOSH. Dying for work in Massachusetts:

Loyda Alvarado with the National Day Laborer
Loss of life and limb in Massachusetts work- Organizing Network speaks at a Workers Memorial Day
places. press conference. (Behind L-R) Hector Saldivar with the
http://bit.ly/2usADyj California Federation of Labor and David Huerta with
SEIU United Service Workers West.
30

News Coverage of Worker Health and Safety
Topics
I
nvestigative reporters were busy over the last year examining a wide range of occupational
health and safety issues. Several teams of journalists from regional media outlets wrote multi-
part series on dangerous conditions and limited oversight in the oil and gas industry. Others
reported on unaddressed hazards for firefighters and dangers for workers and communities
posed by tank cleaning businesses. Low penalty amounts for safety violations were the subject of
stories by reporters in Arizona and Ohio. The Center for Public Integrity, National Public Radio,
and ProPublica continued to support journalism on worker safety and labor rights topics, includ-
ing investigations into the epidemic of black lung among U.S. coal miners and exploitation of
immigrant workers in poultry slaughtering plants. Our picks for the best OHS reporting from the
last 12 months are profiled below.
Liz Wagner,Michael Bott, Jeremy Carroll, and

Workers comp failing
Mark Villarreal. Dozens of injured San Jose
California workers firefighters denied workers comp treatment.
In a three-part investigation into the California NBC Bay Area, Aug. 13, 2016.
workers compensation (WC) system, report- https://tinyurl.com/hsksm2m
ers at NBC Bay Area began their series with
the story of injured firefighters denied WC Workers comp drags out medical care, in-
benefits. According to Liz Wagner, Michael jured workers and their doctors say. NBC Bay 31
Bott, and Jeremy Carroll, since 2014, 68 fire- Area, Aug. 22, 2016.
fighters in San Jose, CA, have filed complaints https://tinyurl.com/jyklud3
that they were denied medical benefits. More
specifically, the complaints say that the pri- Injured workers face stacked deck during
vate company contracted to handle the citys workers comp appeals process, critics say.
injured workers claims, Athens Administrators, NBC Bay Area, Aug. 24, 2016.
improperly rejected medical requests. The city https://tinyurl.com/yd8u2tmn
ultimately intervened, overturning 95 percent
of the denials.
Abuse in Los Angeles
The second in the series interviewed work-
ers and doctors who said the California WC
restaurants
system drags out medical care. Wagner, Bott, Between January 2013 and May 2016, Cali-
and Mark Villarreal write: Anecdotally, fornia officials awarded $6.7 million to Los
injured workers and their doctors say denials Angeles-area restaurant workers who had filed
of medical treatment are at an all-time high. wage theft complaints against their employ-
But the fact is there is no way to evaluate how ers, according to a KCRW investigative series
well the system is actually working.In the on working conditions inside the Los Angeles
last story, reporters examine the barriers that restaurant industry. However, as of the storys
injured workers face in trying to appeal deni- publication, most had not yet received the
als through the WC system. As of 2013, injured wages they were owed. Beyond wage theft,
workers in California can no longer make an the series also interviewed workers who ex-
appeal in front of a judge; instead, the state perienced preventable injuries, sexual assault,
contracts with a private, for-profit company to and human trafficking. Karen Foshay inter-
handle the appeals. viewed workers forced to keep prepping food
even with bloody knife cuts; workers suffer-
News Coverage of Worker Health and Safety Topics

ing with painful varicose veins from standing
Legacy.com/Shane Charles Hill

for hours without breaks; and workers who
experienced years of urinary tract infections
after being discouraged from taking bathroom
breaks.
Karen Foshay. Burned: Abuse in LAs restau-
rant industry. KCRW, Aug. 2016.
https://tinyurl.com/y7e46l83
Drilling through danger in

Colorado
In their Drilling through Danger series,
Monte Whaley and John Ingold investigated
worker safety in Colorados oil and gas sec-
tor, finding that, on average, one oil and gas
worker died every three months over a 12- Shane Hill with his wife Sharon prior to his death on an
year span. The year-long investigation found oil rig in 2014. His fatality is featured in the Denver Posts
a regulatory vacuum regarding the states series Drilling through Danger.
oil and gas industry, leading to small employer

penalties for lapses in worker health and Monte Whaley and John Ingold. Drilling
safety. In fact, they found that in the previous through danger. Denver Post, Sept. 2016.
32 15 years, only once did an oil and gas company https://tinyurl.com/zzy9hdv
pay a fine of more than $50,000 for a safety
violation; instead, oil and gas companies have
been able to negotiate their way out of more
Abuse rampant for New
than $1 million in safety violation fines. Jerseys temps
Part of the newspaper series also focused on New Jerseys temporary staffing industry is
the industrys subcontracting practices. Report- growing so big the state is now home to one
ers found documentation for 38 worker deaths of the largest concentrations of temp work-
in Colorados oil and gas industry between ers in the country, according to reporter Kelly
2003 and 2014, with 34 of those deaths in- Heyboer. In her Invisible Workforce series,
volving subcontractors. Such arrangements, Heyboer writes that the demand for blue-
they wrote, often serve to protect parent collar temp workers has actually led to temp
companies from any liability for worker safety towns New Jersey communities filled with
violations. And, unfortunately, state regula- dozens of small temp agencies and neighbor-
tors dont even have real authority to punish hoods full of temp workers. However, temp
companies with repeated worker safety viola- town workers similar to temp workers
tions, with many worker deaths simply go- across the nation often report abusive and
ing undocumented. Colorado is one of a few illegal labor practices, from wage theft and
states that does not participate in the Bureau discrimination to unsafe work conditions and
of Labor Statistics program to collect data exploitation.
on worker injuries. Whaley and Ingold write:
In interviews with dozens of New Jersey temp
In Colorado, there is no commission devoted
workers, Heyboer, with help from Reveal at
solely to worker safety, no agency that warns
the Center for Investigative Reporting, found
lawmakers about trends in worker deaths and
widespread racial discrimination; rampant gen-
no researchers who cull data on all workplace
der discrimination in which women are often
injuries.

paid less than men; little, if any, worker safety
Fotolia
training; and several temp agencies operating
without the proper license.
Kelly Heyboer. The invisible workforce. NJ
Advance Media, Sept. 2016.
https://tinyurl.com/yahqg4z4
Deplorable conditions for

migrant farm workers
Despite their billion-dollar portfolios, agricul-
tural giants DuPont and Monsanto routinely
hire labor recruiters that pack migrant agricul-
tural workers into unsafe and unsanitary hous-
Fatal echoes: firefighter deaths
ing conditions. In his investigative story, Robert In an in-depth investigative series into why
Holly, with the Midwest Center for Investiga- and how firefighters die on the job, reporters
tive Reporting, found that state inspectors at the Kansas City Star interviewed firefighters
visiting migrant labor camps find violations in Texas, Georgia, Alabama, New York, Mary-
more than half the time. The Midwest Center land, and Washington, D.C.; analyzed hun-
built a public database of inspection records dreds of federal and state fatality reports; and
containing more than 1,900 violations across pored over years worth of federal workplace
nearly 500 facilities in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, safety inspection records. The investigation
Missouri, Michigan, Ohio, Texas, and Wisconsin found that hundreds of firefighters lost their 33
between 2012 and 2016. Among the housing lives and thousands were injured in incidents
conditions detailed in the new database: black that bore striking similarities over and over
mold, bug infestations, overflowing sewage, again, leading reporters to write that fire-
broken doors and showers, and inadequate fighters paid the price when fire departments
laundry facilities. didnt learn from others mistakes. While
its hard to know exactly why many firefight-
Robert Holly. Inside DuPont and Monsantos
ing agencies neglect to follow recommended
migrant labor camps. Midwest Center for In-
best practices, the investigation yielded some
vestigative Reporting and In These Times, Sept.
possible answers: no national training require-
20, 2016.
ments, complacency within firefighting de-
https://tinyurl.com/hhyk7jq
partments, little regulatory oversight, budget
constraints that affect staffing levels, and poor
In These Times
judgment on the ground.

But because local fire departments are not
subject to federal workplace safety regulations
and states have done little to fill in that gap,
theres not much recourse available for the
families of firefighters whove died on the job.
According to reporters Mike Hendricks and
Matt Campbell: That lack of accountability,
especially on the regulatory front, officials
inside and outside government say, hampers
efforts to prevent injuries and line-of-duty
deaths. Another factor underlying firefighter
Migrant farmworker Baltazar Arvizu, 50, said some
safety, the newspaper reported, is a work
housing camps in the U.S. are like barns for animals.

culture that too often celebrates heroism at where he lived with his wifes son, whom
the expense of safety. The articles also dem- Bielefeld had partially raised. Now, his life
onstrate that efforts to improve safety are far revolves around physical therapy and the boys
from universally accepted in the field. school day. He moves slowly as if hes afraid a
sudden movement will hurt.
Mike Hendricks and Matt Campbell. Fatal
echoes. Kansas City Star, Dec. 2016. Heather Richards. After the oil fields, an in-
https://tinyurl.com/yavowhol jured worker faces the unknown. Casper Star
Tribune, Oct. 15, 2016.
https://tinyurl.com/yd3mfhfa
Worker safety at Blue Apron
A BuzzFeed News investigation into Blue
Apron, a billion-dollar food startup that boxes
Chemical safety series
and ships all the ingredients people need make showcases risks to Houston
a meal, finds that desire to scale up as quickly as Our 2016 yearbook described a four-part
possible is resulting in injured workers, threats Houston Chronicle series on chemical safety.
of workplace violence, and unsafe working This past year, the Chronicle continued its
conditions. In the 38 months since Blue Apron investigative Chemical Breakdown series
opened a fulfillment center in Richmond, CA, with parts five through eight. The fifth article
the local police department has received calls took a deeper look at the U.S. Chemical Safety
twice about weapons, three times for bomb Board (CSB) and the workers and families who
threats, and seven times for assault. According live with the consequences of chemical safety
to reporter Caroline ODonovan, employees failures. Susan Carroll wrote: [Former CSB
34 have reported being punched, choked, groped, board member Beth] Rosenberg said it was
pushed, and bitten. In 2015, inspection by Cal/ clear to her that the agency would never have
OSHA resulted in nine violations and more enough resources to investigate every serious
than $11,000 in penalties for conditions that accident. The CSB has only 20 investigators and
put workers at risk of broken bones, chemical a 2016 budget of $11 million. Rosenberg
burns, and more. At the time, it meant Blue wanted the agency to take a scientific ap-
Apron had racked up the most OSHA violations proach and analyze the causes of fatal acci-
in the meal-kit startup industry. dents to see if patterns emerged. Other board
Caroline ODonovan. The not-so-wholesome members, she said, seemed more interested in
reality behind the making of your meal kit. investigating only the accidents that attracted
BuzzFeed News, Oct. 2, 2016. the most publicity.
https://tinyurl.com/y9shrp9c
The series went on to report that fire depart-
ments in Houston have little idea where most
hazardous chemicals are, with less than a
Life of an injured worker quarter of hazardous materials facilities with
Heather Richards chronicled the risks of work- permits having been inspected. The lack of
ing in Wyomings oil and gas fields through inspections is particularly worrisome because
the experiences of Malco Bielefeld, a 13-year Houston zoning rules allow for hazardous ma-
veteran in the industry who was struck with terials next to houses. The seventh story in the
blocks falling from a workover rig. The inci- series investigated hazardous chemical trans-
dent fractured parts of his spine; broke both portation routes through the city of Houston,
shoulder blades, his collarbone, and his right noting that about 400 trucks per day loaded
arm; and caused painful nerve damage at with dangerous chemicals such as chlorine,
the base of his neck. Richards writes: A year butadiene, and formaldehyde join the citys
ago, Bielefeld was a tough guy, pulling big bumper-to-bumper traffic, driving within a
paychecks. He had a nice home in Evansville, mile of popular public destinations. Houston

Refinery incidents underscore
United Steelworkers
safety gaps
As part of its Carbon Wars series, the Center
for Public Integrity (CPI) delved into worker
safety at the nations oil refineries, focusing
on the 2010 explosion at a Tesoro Corporation
refinery in Anacortes, WA, that killed seven
workers. Washington state labor officials in-
USW Local 12-591 staffs the Tesero refinery in Anacortes,
WA. The 2010 explosion at the plant was the subject of
vestigated and proposed a record fine against
reporting by the Center for Public Integrity. the company, noting it disregarded a host of
workplace safety regulations, continued to op-
is one of many Texas cities with no designated erate failing equipment for years, postponed
routes for hazardous chemicals, which may maintenance [and] inadequately tested for
explain why Texas leads the country in deaths, potentially catastrophic damage.
injuries, and evacuations related to hazardous
CPIs Jim Morris reported that more than 500
chemical transportation.
refinery incidents have been documented by
The final story in the Chemical Breakdown federal officials since 1994 the Anacortes ex-
series explores how the chemical industry plosion happened five years after a BP refinery
fought back against additional safety regula- explosion in Texas that killed 15 workers, two
tions after President Obama called for sweep- years before a Chevron refinery fire in Califor-
ing overhauls in response to the 2013 West, nia sent a plume of smoke and ash over the
TX, fertilizer plant explosion that killed 15 neighboring community, and five years before
35
people. According to the story: The preven- an explosion at an ExxonMobil refinery in
tion of chemical disasters remains governed by California unleashed a ground-hugging cloud
a tattered patchwork of regulations adminis- of deadly acid into a city of almost 150,000
tered by agencies that have neither the staff people.
nor political support to enforce or improve
Morris writes: Steve Garey, who retired from
upon them. And the public has been left large-
the Anacortes refinery in 2015 after almost 25
ly in the dark about what goes on at facilities
that might endanger their lives.
Josh Rushing, Al Jazeera English/Center for Public Integrity
Susan Carroll, Matt Dempsey, and Mark Col-
lette. Deadly accidents, no answers. Houston
Chronicle, Aug. 28, 2016.
https://tinyurl.com/yd98qyqc
A dangerous job made more dangerous.

Houston Chronicle, Sept. 18, 2016.
https://tinyurl.com/h89rl3m
Bad Mix: Risky cargo in dense areas.

Houston Chronicle, Nov. 13, 2016.
https://tinyurl.com/ycxeomh6
How an industry thwarted Obama, even after

tragedy. Houston Chronicle, Nov. 17, 2016. Paul and Shauna Gumbel at their home in Oak Harbor,
https://tinyurl.com/ycv2s9jq WA. Their 34-year-old son Matt Gumbel succumbed to
injuries suffered at the Tesoro refinery explosion in 2010.

years and served as president of the United Benny Becker. Fighting for breath: black
Steelworkers local, said that while some posi- lungs deadliest form increases. Ohio Valley
tive changes were made after the 2010 ac- Resource, Dec. 16, 2016.
cident, upper management at Tesoro remains http://bit.ly/2h9nksD
contemptuous of its work force and is hiding
behind incredibly permissive process safety Howard Berkes. NPR continues to find hun-
regulations. dreds of cases of advanced black lung. NPR,
July 1, 2017.
Jim Morris. Get someone up here. Were all
http://n.pr/2sxoCSQ
dying. Center for Public Integrity, Dec. 13,
2016.
Benny Becker/Ohio Valley ReSource

https://tinyurl.com/ydf8zjtp
Epidemic of black lung disease

The governments tally of the most severe
form of black lung disease comes from a
National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) X-ray screening program for
coal miners. Since 2010, the agency reports
99 cases of progressive massive fibrosis (PMF)
diagnosed in the U.S. Appalachian region. An
Mackie Branham, Jr., was diagnosed with the complex
investigation by Howard Berkes at NPR, in col- form of black lung at age 38.
36 laboration with Jeff Young and Benny Becker
of Ohio Valley ReSource, identified nearly
2,000 PMF cases during the same time period. Poultry workers injured and
They assembled data from 17 black lung clinics
in Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and exploited
West Virginia. The patients included those who At ProPublica, Michael Grabell tells the story
were newly retired or laid off due to reduced of how poultry processor Case Farms, one of
demand for coal, and workers not necessarily the most dangerous workplaces in America,
inclined to participate in the NIOSH screening takes advantage of immigrant workers. In
program. An unusually high number of cases 2015, the company faced nearly $2 million in
were detected among miners younger than worker safety fines and in the last seven years,
55, including Mackie Branham, 39, of Elkhorn its been cited 240 times. Former OSHA ad-
Creek, KY. Becker produced an audio profile of ministrator David Michaels called Case Farms
Branham, who suffers from complicated black an outrageously dangerous place to work.
lung disease. Branham struggled to breathe Grabell writes: While the president stirs up
throughout the interview. Clinic staff and fears about Latino immigrants and refugees,
former coal miners explain possible causes for he ignores the role that companies, particu-
the epidemic of PMF. NIOSH launched a special larly in the poultry and meatpacking industry,
study of the problem after being contacted in have played in bringing those immigrants to
June 2016 by a radiologist in Pike County, KY, the Midwest and the Southeast.
who reported a sharp increase in the number
of new PMF cases. Grabell toured the Case Farms plant in Can-
ton, Ohio, taking readers through the entire
Howard Berkes. Advanced black lung cases process, from catching a live chicken to get-
surge in Appalachia. NPR, Dec. 15, 2016. ting it ready for market. Case Farms officials
http://n.pr/2hAxlT2 say their line speed is about 35 birds a minute;
workers say its closer to 45. Because of the

high-speed repetitive tasks, meat and poultry incidents in which someone was killed was
workers experience a carpal tunnel rate nearly $2,759 70 percent lower than the national
20 times higher than workers in other sectors. average of $9,271.
On its history with immigrant workers, Grabell
In a follow-up story, Bregel reported that a
reports that a Case Farms official in 1989 had
federal OSHA investigation found the Indus-
gotten a tip about Mayan refugees in Florida
trial Commissions habit of arbitrarily cut-
who had fled the brutal civil war in Guate-
ting employer penalties is not allowed under
mala; he eventually recruited many to work at
existing policy. OSHA also found the commis-
the poultry plant. Grabell quoted that official,
sion has been operating outside of its legal
who died in 2014: I didnt want [Mexicans].
authority when reclassifying the severity of
Mexicans will go back home at Christmastime.
worker safety violations.
Youre going to lose them for six weeks. And
in the poultry business you cant afford that. Emily Bregel. Penalties for workplace safety
You just cant do it. But Guatemalans cant go violations get extra cuts in Arizona. Arizona
back home. Theyre here as political refugees. Daily Star, Dec. 17, 2016.
If they go back home, they get shot. https://tinyurl.com/y9dwq8dq
Michael Grabell. Sold for parts. ProPublica,

Arizona commission improperly slashes work-
May 1, 2017.
place safety penalties, feds say. Arizona Daily
https://tinyurl.com/kfw3uut
Star, May 16, 2017.
https://tinyurl.com/ybwapz9m
Mary Babic/Oxfam
Few hefty fines in Ohio 37

An investigation into workplace deaths in
Ohio found that employers typically either
contested OSHA citations or paid fines of less
than $40,000, which means such employers
often faced fines less than those levied for
nonfatal incidents. For the Dayton Daily News,
Kara Driscoll reported that since October 2015,
Alisa Olvera participates in a demonstration at the Case at least 44 Ohio workers lost their lives on the
Farms poultry plant in Morganton, NC in August 2017. job and several of the companies involved
Olvera is with Brazos Interfaith Immigration Network,
Centro de Derechos Laborals in Bryan, TX. were given initial fines of less than $40,000.
For example, a worker at Granger Plastics
Company in Middletown, OH, was killed after
being crushed between a molding machine
Arizona slashes safety penalties and a forklift. The initial proposed penalty was
An Arizona Daily Star investigation found that around $32,000. In comparison, the Cincinnati-
the states Industrial Commission routinely cuts based grocer Kroger Company faced penalties
penalties for worker safety violations cuts of more than $45,000 after a workers finger-
that federal OSHA officials said often appear tip was amputated in a butchering machine.
to lack clear justification. Emily Bregel report- Kara Driscoll. Workplace deaths dont always
ed that Industrial Commission officials voted to lead to hefty fines. Dayton Daily News, Feb.
reduce proposed penalties in more than half 10, 2017.
the cases reviewed in 2016. In response to the https://tinyurl.com/y8kldwr6
newspapers inquiries, federal OSHA began
monitoring the commissions meetings. Bregel
reported: The average penalty for workplace

Reporters uncover patterns of harassment, violence in male-
dominated industries
From the federal government to the mari- And full equality with the NPS is actually fairly
juana fields of northern California, reporters young, as Gilpin wrote: When the Civil Rights
chronicled the working conditions that put Act forbade sex discrimination in 1964, the
womens lives and livelihoods at risk. agency was forced to allow women to receive
training and become park rangers. But even
At The Atlantic, Lyndsey Gilpin investigated
then, they were called ranger-historians or
sexual harassment inside the National Park
ranger-naturalists. Only in 1971 were female
Service (NPS), beginning with the story of
employees allowed to have law enforcement
Olivia. In 2010 at age 20, Olivia began an
training, carry guns and be considered real
internship at Death Valley National Park in
park rangers.
California. Three weeks into the job, a Park
Service colleague attempted to flirt with her; Sexual harassment in another traditionally
after she rejected his advances, he pinned male-dominated industry trucking was
her down on the floor. Fortunately, she was the focus of an investigative piece in Mary
not raped. However, stories like Olivias arent Review. Writer Mary Pilon began with the
entirely uncommon inside NPS. According story of Cathy Sellars, who worked for truck-
to Gilpin, more than 60 current and former ing company CRST and had come forward
NPS workers contacted High Country News in with a number of disturbing harassment com-
38 2016 with stories of sexual harassment, high- plaints, from putting up with sexualized com-
lighting the agencys failure to act to protect ments from male drivers to another driver
its women employees. Gilpin described a masturbating in front of her in the back of a
number of factors inside NPS that perpetu- truck cab.
ate the problem, including a murky internal
Unfortunately, accountability for sexual ha-
process for reporting and investigating com-
rassment within the industry which is over-
plaints; a longstanding culture of machismo
whelming male is sparse. Pilon reports that
that dates to the agencys foundation; and a
in the last 20 years, hundreds of women have
history of retaliation against those who speak
brought gender discrimination complaints
out.
against trucking companies, with EEOC re-
The story also highlighted the complexities of cords showing 414 complaints between 2005
bringing a sexual harassment complaint with- and 2015 a noteworthy number consider-
in a federal agency. For example, the Equal ing the low proportion of women in the in-
Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) dustry. About two-thirds of those complaints
has a reporting deadline of 45 days after an included retaliation as a result of reporting
incident occurs, even though victims of sexu- workplace harassment. For CRST, in particular,
al harassment, assault or rape commonly wait about 270 women brought a suit against the
months or years to report their experiences, company in 2007, with lawyers describing a
Gilpin wrote. In addition, victims of sexual chronic pattern of sexual harassment and
harassment may not know how to report the sexual assaults by male co-drivers and trainers
incident, and those tasked with addressing against women drivers. A judge ultimately
such complaints often lack sufficient training. dismissed the case. But in an appeal, half of
Gilpin noted that there are 47 equal employ- the 72 women who complained to CRST in
ment opportunity counselors nationwide to 2005 said their male colleague propositioned
help NPSs 23,000 employees. them for sex and nearly two-thirds said male
colleagues either raped them, threatened

to rape them, sexually assaulted them, or
National Park Service.

touched them inappropriately.
In an April 2017 update to the story, Pilon
reported that a federal judge had certified
two classes of female truck drivers in a case
against CRST, which is based in Cedar Rap-
ids, IA. Pilon wrote the decision was rare in
that it certified a hostile work environment
in spite of the class members not sharing a
workspace nor did the drivers in the case
state they were harassed by the same indi-
viduals or share the same supervisors.
From legitimate industry to one that often
works in the shadows, Shoshana Walter at
Reveal investigated abuse and trafficking in
This female park ranger was not a subject in the
the northern California marijuana-growing reporting by Lyndsey Gilpin for The Atlantic on sexual
industry a region known as the Emerald harassment in the National Park Service.
Triangle. During months of reporting in the
region, Walter found dozens of accounts of legislator introduced a bill in 2017 that would
sexual exploitation, abuse, and trafficking, require marijuana growers to train employees
with victims advocates reporting that the on worker safety and sexual harassment. Cali- 39
problem is much larger than people realize fornia voters approved legalized recreational
and getting even bigger. marijuana in 2016.
Walter reported that the number of trim- Lyndsey Gilpin. The National Park Service
migrants people who travel to the region has a big sexual harassment problem. The
during harvesting season who go missing Atlantic, Dec. 15, 2016.
is becoming too much for local law enforce- https://tinyurl.com/ya3x7w7k
ment to handle. In 2015, Humboldt County,
Mary Pilon. Surviving the long haul. Mary
CA, reported more than 350 missing people.
Review, July 2016.
For example, Walter wrote: When an artist
https://tinyurl.com/y7sv238w
from San Francisco disappeared in the Hum-
boldt County town of Garberville last harvest Mary Pilon. A big win in court for female
season, her mother and roommate filed a truck drivers in sexual harassment case. In-
missing persons report. Months later, she vestigative Fund, April 11, 2017.
resurfaced to tell her family she had been https://tinyurl.com/yby3m66u
held against her will on a marijuana farm,
Shoshana Walter. In secretive marijuana
drugged and sexually abused. She never for-
industry, whispers of abuse and trafficking.
mally reported her abuse.
Reveal from the Center for Investigative Re-
The risks of taking a job as a female trim- porting, Sept. 8, 2016.
migrant are compounded by an unease of https://tinyurl.com/jdzb8as
involving law enforcement. According to the
story, in one survey of about 200 homeless Shoshana Walter. New bill would require
people in the area, many were former trim- pot worker training in safety, sexual harass-
migrants forced to work on marijuana farms ment. Reveal from the Center for Investiga-
without pay and forced to perform sexual acts. tive Reporting, April 24, 2017.
https://tinyurl.com/y77pxzz
In response to Reveals investigation, a state

Reconditioning plants surge, Bloombergs Peter Waldman found that
employees work ungodly hours, six or seven
disregard worker safety days a week, for months on end. Pay is low,
A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigation turnover is high, training is scant, and safety
into a group of industrial drum reconditioning is an afterthought, usually after someone is
plants found the facilities often disregard com- badly hurt. In 2010, workers in Alabamas
mon safety practices associated with handling auto parts plants had a 50 percent higher ill-
hazardous materials, putting workers, the en- ness and injury rate than in the U.S. auto parts
vironment, and nearby residents at serious risk. industry in general. Korean-owned auto part
Workers have experienced chemical-related plants in Alabama have the most worker safety
burns and injuries due to exploding barrels, as violations 36 percent of all infractions and
well as various respiratory and health prob- 52 percent of total fines between 2012 and
lems. The plants in question were all operated 2016.
by Container Life Cycle Management, of which
the company Greif Inc. is a majority owner. The
Facebook
newspaper investigation was based on hours
of audio recordings with plant managers and
workers, safety audits, injury reports, lawsuits,
and federal and state regulatory records.
Among those interviewed in the article was
safety consultant Will Kramer, who blew the
whistle on conditions inside the plants after
seeing what appeared to be violations of en-
40
vironmental laws and serious threats to work-
ers and nearby residents. At the time, Kramer
began secretly recording conversations from a Regina Elsea, 20, was fatally injured in 2016 at the Ajin
Greif Inc. safety manager, who said his corpo- USA plant in Cusseta, AL, just two weeks before her
rate supervisors refused to act on his warnings wedding day.
that the plants disregard for chemical safety

practices could lead to disaster. At one point, Among the worker stories was 20-year-old Re-
the Greif safety manager spoke candidly about gina Elsea, who worked for the South Korean
letting workers routinely mix together random auto parts company Ajin USA in Cusseta, AL. In
chemicals from containers brought in for re- summer 2016, Elsea attempted to fix a jammed
furbishing: One of these days ... that mother assembly line machine herself after mainte-
is going to blow up. And when that happens, nance workers failed to show up. While Elsea
everybody is going to be sorry. was trying to fix the problem, the machine
came back to life, fatally crushing Elsea against
Raquel Rutledge and Rick Barrett. Burned. a steel dashboard frame and impaling her with
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Feb. 15, 2017. welding tips. Rescue workers locked out the
https://tinyurl.com/yaeo44dq machines emergency power switch a basic
worker safety technique that OSHA later de-
termined Ajin hadnt trained its workers how
Dangers in Alabamas auto to do.
parts boom Waldman reported: Ajin had settled other
Alabama is experiencing an auto manufactur- OSHA violations a month before Elsea was
ing boom, but its workers are facing the harsh killed. Eight workers had fingers crushed or
consequences of competing against low-wage fractured in recent years in welding machines.
workers across the world. In a look inside the After the first seven injuries, Ajins safety
American Souths auto parts manufacturing manager recommended installation of a ma-

chine controller called Soft Touch, which slows Brett Murphy. Forced into debt. Worked past
welding electrodes and stops them from clos- exhaustion. Left with nothing. USA Today,
ing together if a finger is detected. Nothing June 16, 2017.
happened. Then an eighth worker smashed https://usat.ly/2ry2wnV
his thumb. For the unsafe welding machines,
OSHA fined Ajin a total of $7,000. Retail giants enable trucker exploitation.
USA Today, June 29, 2017.
Peter Waldman. Inside Alabamas auto parts
https://usat.ly/2ts4m9W
boom: Cheap wages, little training, crushed
limbs. Bloomberg, March 23, 2017.
https://tinyurl.com/kjmsgjj
Chipmakers export
reproductive toxins
Rigged: Exploitation of truck
Firms in the U.S. semi-conductor industry
drivers phased out the use of ethylene glycol ethers
Truck drivers carrying goods from the ports of (EGEs) in the 1990s after studies they funded
Los Angeles and Long Beach handle half of showed a serious risk of miscarriage in their
all imports sold in stores in the U.S. Interviews largely female workforce. Chemical companies,
and labor commission records involving more however, continued to sell their EGE formula-
than 300 drivers reveal a modern-day inden- tions to chipmakers in Asia. Heroes in the story
tured servitude. The largely immigrant driv- include U.S. epidemiologist Harris Pastides and
ers are forced to work hundreds of hours per Korean physician Kim Myoung-hee.
week in violation of DOT safety rules, and are
Cam Simpson. American chipmakers had
often deep in debt because of rent-to-own 41
a toxic problem, then they outsourced it.
arrangements on their trucks. The two-part
Bloomberg Business Week, June 15, 2017.
series shares the experiences of ten drivers and
https://bloom.bg/2ruv55y
the forms of retaliation endured for speak-
ing up about wage theft and safety risks from
excessive work hours. Target, Costco, Home DOEs nuclear negligence
Depot, and other retailers whose goods are
transported through the ports contend they A five-part series investigated 10 years of
are not responsible for the labor practices of safety problems in the U.S. nuclear weapons
the trucking companies. laboratories. The Department of Energy facili- jFotolia

ties are run by firms such as Bechtel, Northrup
Facebook
Grumman, and AECOM under lucrative gov-
ernment contracts. Journalists with the Cen-
ter for Public Integrity (CPI) describe severe
worker injury incidents involving explosions,
radiation, and other hazards. The penalties
assessed by DOE to the contracted firms are of-
ten waived and have not dented the $2 billion
in profit earned by the firms over the last 10
years. The critical safety deficiencies have been
endemic for a decade, yet largely unknown to
the public. CPIs reporting coincides with con-
gressionally authorized funding of $1 trillion
to update the U.S. nuclear weapons program.
Patrick Malone, R. Jeffrey Smith, and Peter
Cary. Nuclear negligence. Center for Public
Integrity, June 2017.
http://bit.ly/2thSeIl
Hellfire from above

Antonio Navarrete, 21, was one of the five workers who
In 1997, three workers were seriously injured died from severe burn injuries from an incident involving
molten slag at the Tampa Electric plant. The other victims
42 by molten ash at the Tampa Electric plant. New were Christopher Irvin, 40; Frank Lee Jones, 55; Mike
safety guidelines were put in place to make McCort, 60; and Armando J Perez, 56.
sure it never happened again. But report-
ers with the Tampa Bay Times discovered that Prior to the June 2017 catastrophe, members
sometime after 2009, those guidelines were of IBEW Local 108 who worked at Tampa
abandoned by the company. The consequences Electric complained to management. They said
were deadly. employees were being asked to work on a slag
Their investigation came following the June tank while the boiler was running. The com-
2017 incident in which six workers were se- pany ignored their safety complaints. Next, the
verely burned. Five succumbed to their inju- union contacted OSHA. According to the re-
ries. The molten ash was so hot that a forklift porters, the union heard from the agency that
melted. it could not investigate because the alleged
violation had occurred more than six months
The reporters learned that Tampa Electric prior.
began deferring maintenance and putting off
other preventative measures that would have Among the deceased was Antonio Navarrete,
required the boiler be shutdown. They wrote 21, a contractor with BRACE Industrial Group.
that shutting down and restarting a boiler He was in the vicinity when the slag gushed
can cost utilities up to a quarter-million dol- from the boiler. He used his cell phone to call
lars. The Tampa Bay Times team found that his mother. His message went to her voicemail.
safety precautions also had been set aside, Mom, help me...Mom, Im burning. He died
and the company resumed the risky procedure from his injuries a week later.
that caused the 1997 incident. A worker who Neil Bedi, Jonathan Capriel, Anastasia Dawson,
survived it, Carlton Nelson, told the reporters: and Kathleen McGory. Hellfire from above.
Did they forget that I almost died? Tampa Bay Times, Aug. 17, 2017.
http://bit.ly/2i8NC37

New Research on Worker Health and Safety
Topics
R
esearchers examining the impact of the work environment on health published dozens
of informative papers and reports over the past 12 months. Studies in the peer-reviewed
literature provide new findings on industry-specific hazards and injury prevention interven-
tions, as well as on the unique features of particular occupations and groups of workers. Studies
on heat-related illness and work hours were particularly prominent. Nearly a dozen articles in
the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report ad-
dressed occupational health topics. Several reports from non-profit organizations examined the
poor working conditions in the food industry, while other groups published research findings on
worker safety issues in specific localities in the U.S. We profile some of this new research below
and provide a longer list of our top picks in the appendix.
Peer-reviewed Literature on Arbury S, Hodgson M, et al. Workplace vio-

lence training programs for health care work-
Health Care Workers ers: An analysis of program elements. Work-
place Health Saf. 2017 Jun;65(6):266-272.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28557640
Violence prevention plans
Forty-one clinical units at seven hospitals
National Nurses United

participated in a randomized study to test the 43
effectiveness of a program to prevent patient
violence against workers. Half of the units re-
ceived unit-level violence data to develop their
own unique action plans, while the other units
kept the status quo. The rate of violent events
was significantly lower in the units that imple-
mented the action plans at both the six-month
and 24-month marks.
Arnetz JE, Hamblin L, et al. Preventing patient-
to-worker violence in hospitals: Outcome of a
randomized controlled intervention. J Occup
Environ Med. 2017 Jan;59(1):18-27.
Violence prevention training

The authors reviewed 12 commercial work-
place violence prevention training programs to
assess their conformance with criteria recom-
mended by OSHA and other experts. None
of the 12 addressed all of the criteria, with
the most common gap being failure to have
facility-specific risk assessments and policies. Safe workers save lives rally in Cerritos, CA.
New Research on Worker Health and Safety Topics

Exposure to antineoplastic drugs safety performance. More than 70 percent of
the truckers worked at least 11 hours per day,
A survey of 1,800 nurses who administer and 44 percent reported sometimes or al-
antineoplastic drugs revealed differences in ways violating federal hours-of-service rules.
the risk of exposure to the drugs depend- The truckers responses suggested that sleep
ing on the presence of specific safe handling quality rather than sleep duration was a better
procedures and perceived management com- predictor of the drivers safety performance.
mitment to safety. The use of recommended
engineering controls and personal protec- Lemke MK, Apostolopoulos Y, et al. Under-
tive equipment was quite variable. Fourteen standing the role of sleep quality and sleep
percent of the nurses reported experiencing an duration in commercial driving safety. Accid
adverse event involving an antineoplastic drug Anal Prev. 2016 Dec;97:79-86.
during the previous week. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27591416
DeJoy DM, Smith TD, et al. Effects of organi-

zational safety practices and perceived safety Number of hours
climate on PPE usage, engineering controls,
The authors used the Panel Study of Income
and adverse events involving liquid antineo-
Dynamics to define long work hours with
plastic drugs among nurses. J Occup Environ
respect to cardiovascular disease, cancer, and
Hyg. 2017 Jul;14(7):485-493.
reported general health. The threshold they
identified 52 hours per week or more for a
minimum of 10 years is the first health risk-
Peer-Reviewed Literature on based definition of long work hours.
44 Work Hours Conway SH, Pompeii LA, et al. The iden-
tification of a long work hours threshold
Live-in caregivers for predicting elevated risks of adverse
health outcomes. Am J Epidemiol. 2017
Thirty-two live-in Filipino caregivers kept sleep
July;186(2):173183.
logs that covered both days when they slept
at their places of employment and days when
they did not. The logs revealed fewer hours
MassCOSH
and lower quality of sleep during days when
they slept at their workplaces. Despite having
a live-in work arrangement, nearly half the
caregivers reported that they were expected to
sleep on couches or recliner chairs. More than
40 percent reported excessive daytime sleepi-
ness.
Riley K, Nazareno J, et al. 24-hour care: Work
and sleep conditions of migrant Filipino live-in
caregivers in Los Angeles. Am J Ind Med. 2016
Dec;59(12):1120-1129.
Truck drivers
The authors surveyed 260 long-haul truck driv-
ers to assess the effects of workday and non-
workday sleep quality and duration on driving

Peer-Reviewed Literature on Prevention difference in two states
Heat Illness Researchers compared heat-illness prevention
practices among 200 farmworkers in Oregon
Heat pill technology and Washington. Among their survey findings,
Researchers collaborated with the Farmworker 29 percent of the Oregon workers reported
Association of Florida to asses a variety of the presence of a shade structure compared
physiological metrics among fernery and nurs- to only 5 percent of Washington workers.
ery workers. Core body temperature was mea- Workers in Oregon were more likely than
sured using a heat pill, which is a device that participants in Washington to consume soda
is swallowed and travels through the digestive (65 percent vs. 31 percent), sports drinks (69
system over 48-72 hours, transmitting real-time percent vs. 23 percent), and juice (41 percent
data to an external sensor. Workers wore other vs. 8 percent) for hydration. Fifty-four percent
devices to measure heart rate and energy of the Oregon respondents reported receiving
expenditure and completed symptom surveys. heat-illness prevention training, compared to
The authors report the workers experiences 34 percent of the Washington workers.
with the devices, as well as the feasibility and Bethel JW, Spector JT, et al. Hydration and
challenges of using biomonitoring equipment cooling practices among farmworkers in
with a vulnerable worker population. Oregon and Washington. J Agromedicine.
Mac VV, Tovar-Aguilar JA, et al. Heat expo- 2017;22(3):222-228.
sure in central Florida fernery workers: Re-
sults of a feasibility study. J Agromedicine.
UCLA LOSH
2017;22(2):89-99.
45
Hertzberg V, Mac V, et al. Novel analytic

methods needed for real-time continuous core
body temperature data. West J Nurs Res. 2017
Jan;39(1); 95-111.
Prevalence of dehydration
Nearly 600 workers who were employed at
30 different farms participated in a study to
assess their risk of heat-related illness. Core
temperature readings, work pace, heart rate,
and hydration status were collected over one
workshift. More than 8 percent of workers
experienced a core body temperature of more
than 38.5C (101.3F), and nearly 12 percent
experienced clinically significant dehydration. Heat and injury risk
Mitchell DC, Castro J, et al. Recruitment, meth- The authors used 13 years of Washington state
ods, and descriptive results of a physiologic as- workers compensation data and the daily
sessment of Latino farmworkers: The California humidity index to assess the risk of traumatic
Heat Illness Prevention Study. J Occup Environ injuries for agricultural workers. They reported
Med. 2017 Jul;59(7):649-658. an increased risk of injury on days when the
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28414703 index exceeded a particular threshold. Risk of

injury was particularly pronounced during the
New Jersey Work Environment Council

cherry harvest in June and July.
Spector JT, Bonauto DK, et al. A case-crossover
study of heat exposure and injury risk in out-
door agricultural workers. PLoS One. 2016 Oct
7;11(10):e0164498.
Peer-reviewed Literature on
Musculoskeletal Injuries
App to measure ergo risks

Engineers tested the feasibility of using a Injury trends for construction
smartphone app to measure ergonomic
stressors experienced by construction workers. workers
The device measured the trunk and shoulder The rate of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
flexions of a construction worker while he among construction workers declined signifi-
performed typical job tasks. The researchers re- cantly between 1992 and 2014. The rate for
ported that the smartphone data correspond- construction workers, however, continued to
ed closely to data collected by an ergonomist exceed the national average, and the propor-
46 who was observing the same worker. tion of MSDs among workers ages 55 to 64
Nath ND, Akhavian R, et al. Ergonomic analysis nearly doubled over that time period.
of construction workers body postures using Wang X, Dong XS, et al. Work-related mus-
wearable mobile sensors. Appl Ergon. 2017 culoskeletal disorders among construction
Jul;62:107-117. workers in the U.S. from 1992 to 2014. Occup
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28411721 Environ Med. 2017 May;74(5):374-380.
Impact of safe patient handling

Researchers examined injury incidents, self- Custodians tasks and symptoms
reported pain, and surveys from two hospitals, The authors surveyed nearly 700 custodians
one of which implemented a safe patient han- to identify the frequency of particular clean-
dling program. The authors reported a signifi- ing tasks and to assess MSD symptoms. A high
cant decrease in injuries and pain, including of prevalence of symptoms were reported by
the neck and shoulder, at the hospital with the participants, such as 43 percent with symptoms
program; no improvements were observed at in their upper extremities and 35 percent in
the comparison hospital. the lower extremities. The custodians per-
Dennerlein JT, ODay ET, et al. Lifting and exer- formed different cleaning tasks assigned, such
tion injuries decrease after implementation as buffing floors and handling trash contain-
of an integrated hospital-wide safe patient ers. Significant differences were reported by
handling and mobilisation programme. Occup gender on the distribution of symptoms.
Environ Med. 2017 May;74(5):336-343. Cavallari JM, Ahuja M, et al. Differences in
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27919058 the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms
among female and male custodians. Am J Ind
Med. 2016 Oct;59(10):841-52.

Lifting hospital linen bags found slightly more than 2,600 such cases, with
pesticide-related incidents among agricultural
Researchers used the NIOSH Lifting Equation workers 37 times greater than among nonag-
to assess the injury risk of emptying soiled ricultural workers. Insecticides or herbicides
linens from hospital laundry bags. The recom- were the most common chemical exposures.
mended weight limits were exceeded for some Researchers cautioned that the numbers are
applications, such as when 30-gallon contain- likely to be underestimates of the actual mag-
ers were more than one-quarter full with wet nitude of acute occupational pesticide-related
linen. A loosely filled 40-gallon container of illness and injury.
dry linen was within the recommended weight
limit, but only when lifted close to the body. Calvert GM, Beckman J, et al. Acute occu-
pational pesticide-related illness and injury,
Teeple E, Dennerlein JT, et al. An ergonomic U.S., 20072011. Morbid Mortal Wkly Rep.
assessment of hospital linen bag handling. 2016;63:1116.
New Solut. 2017 Aug;2(2):210224. ttp://bit.ly/2x9tosM
Adult blood lead levels

Home care workers
In 2013, according to data reported from 29
Thirty-seven home care workers in Chicago, states, the prevalence of adult elevated blood
most of whom were Black, provided insight lead levels (BLL) was 20.4 adults per 100,000
into the caregiving and housekeeping tasks employed population, which marked a decline
that place them at risk of back injuries and from 26.6 adults per 100,000 in 2010. Among
MSDs. Through a series of focus groups, the the 29 states reporting data, 12 had preva-
women described the ways in which their 47
lence rates of elevated adult BLLs at or above
behavioral insights, communications skills, and the national prevalence. Among the more
caring demeanor helped them to navigate than 4,500 adults with a known exposure his-
injury risk. tory, nearly 94 percent had been exposed at
Love M, Tendick-Matesanz F, et al. Then they work, with many of those exposed working in
trust you: Managing ergonomics in home manufacturing, construction, and mining. The
care. New Solut. 2017 Aug;2(2): 225245. study is based on data from the Adult Blood
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28554305 Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance Program,
the nations only program conducting nation-
wide surveillance on adult lead exposure.
Morbidity and Mortality Alarcon WA. Elevated blood lead levels among
Weekly Reports employed adults, U.S., 19942013. Morbid
Mortal Wkly Rep. 2016;63:5965.
The Centers for Disease Control and Preven-
http://bit.ly/2uVifuV
tions Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
featured several investigations of work-related
fatalities, injuries, and illnesses. The reports Silicosis in Michigan and New Jersey
include the following:
Between 2003 and 2011, silicosis surveillance
programs in Michigan and New Jersey the
Agricultural workers bear brunt of only two states that continue to provide
pesticide illness silicosis data to the National Institute for Oc-
cupational Safety and Health identified
Researchers analyzed data from NIOSH on and confirmed 292 cases of the occupational
acute pesticide-related illnesses and injuries lung disease. Nearly 10 percent, or 28, of those
in 12 states between 2007 and 2011. They cases involved 10 years of potential exposure

to silica dust. The manufacturing, construc- have asthma either caused by or exacerbated
tion, and mining industries accounted for 92 by on-the-job conditions. Prevalence of asthma
percent of silicosis cases in the two states, with among workers ranged from 5 percent in Mis-
the greatest number of disease cases associat- sissippi to 10 percent in Michigan, with the
ed with manufacturing. Study authors noted: most affected sectors being health care and
As a sentinel event, a case of silicosis indicates social assistance work as well as health care
a failure to prevent exposure to crystalline support.
silica dust.
Dodd KE, Mazurek JM. Asthma among
Schleiff PL, Mazurek JM, et al. Surveillance for employed adults, by industry and occupa-
silicosis, Michigan and New Jersey, 20032011. tion, 21 States, 2013. Morb Mortal Wkly Rep
Morbid Mortal Wkly Rep. 2016;63:7378. 2016;65:13251331.
http://bit.ly/2vNspih http://bit.ly/2fQdhNo
Measuring heart health risk by Spike in severe lung disease among

occupation coal miners
Using data from the 2013 Behavioral Risk Fac- While the prevalence of progressive massive
tor Surveillance System as well as the American fibrosis, the most severe form of black lung
Heart Associations seven cardiovascular health disease, reached historic lows in the 1990s, a
metrics (CHM), researchers examined cardio- resurgence has since been documented, most
vascular health risk by occupation. The seven notably in central Appalachia. Researchers
health metrics include: not smoking; being analyzed a cluster of 60 cases among current
48 physically active; having normal blood pres- and former coal miners at a single radiology
sure; and eating a healthy diet. Among all oc- practice in Kentucky in 2015-2016, noting that
cupational groups, community and social ser- the cases had not been detected through rou-
vices employees (14.6 percent), transportation tine surveillance.
and material moving employees (14.3 percent),
Blackley DJ, Crum JB, et al. Resurgence of pro-
and architecture and engineering employees
gressive massive fibrosis in coal miners, East-
(11.6 percent) had the highest prevalence of
ern Kentucky, 2016. Morb Mortal Wkly Rep.
meeting two or fewer of the CHMs. Research-
2016;65:13851389.
ers suggested the findings could be used to
http://bit.ly/2vNArry
more precisely target heart disease prevention
efforts and improve workplace conditions.
Howard Berkes/NPR
Shockey TM, Sussell AL, et al. Cardiovascular
health status by occupational group, 21 States,
2013. Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2016;65:793798.
http://bit.ly/2wkVhRv
High asthma prevalence in health

care
Researchers examining data from the 2013
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
collected in 21 states found that 7.7 percent
of an estimated 74 million adults who were
either employed or unemployed for less than
Mackie Branham views a lung X-ray with Dr. James
a year had current asthma. The data suggest Brandon Crum, who was among the first physicians to
that as many as 2.7 million U.S. workers might note an uptick in black lung diagnoses.

Fall-related fatalities in oil & gas Campylobacter and salmonella
In examining fatal fall data in the oil and More than 1 million cases of gastroenteri-
gas extraction industry from 2005 to 2014, tis related to campylobacter and salmonella
researchers identified 63 fatal falls, which ac- occur annually in the U.S., but to date, little
counted for 15 percent of all fatal events in has been reported about work-related trans-
the sector. Fatal falls happened most frequent- mission. Researchers used data from three
ly when drilling rigs were being assembled or states to identify the occupation and industry
disassembled at the well site or when workers of persons diagnosed with the infections.
were removing or inserting drill pipe into the Workers in farming, fishing, and forestry oc-
wellbore. To prevent such incidents, research- cupations were at more than three times the
ers suggested measures that specifically target risk for campylobacteriosis. A higher risk for
derrickmen and workers involved with put- salmonellosis was observed among workers in
ting together and taking apart drilling rigs, as food preparation and serving jobs, as well as
well as annual updates to each companys fall in personal care occupations. Notable in the
protection plan. data were 41 campylobacteriosis cases among
poultry-processing workers in the three states
Mason KL, Retzer KD, et al. Occupational
studied: Maryland, Ohio and Virginia.
fatalities resulting from falls in the oil and gas
extraction industry, U.S., 20052014. Morb Occupational distribution of campylobacte-
Mortal Wkly Rep. 2017;66(16):417-421. riosis and salmonellosis cases, Maryland, Ohio,
http://bit.ly/2w7yicQ and Virginia, 2014. Morbid Mortal Wkly Rep.
2017;66(32):850853.
http://bit.ly/2vST7Gh
Using the BRFSS to enhance worker 49
health data
Reports from Non-Profit
In an effort to enhance occupational health
and safety surveillance and address injury un- Organizations
dercounting, researchers analyzed data from
the Washington State Behavioral Risk Factor Women on the line: Review of workplace gen-
Surveillance System (BRFSS) from 2011 to 2014. der issues in the U.S. poultry industry. Oxfam
They found that 6.4 percent of Washington America, October 2016.
http://bit.ly/2s5c2L7
workers reported work-related injuries or
illnesses during the previous year, with such Women fill a large portion of poultry process-
incidents significantly associated with industry ing jobs, yet the tools and work surfaces are
and occupation, male gender, lower socioeco- not designed to accommodate a womans
nomic status, chronic health conditions, and body. The authors conducted focus groups and
substance use. Researchers concluded that surveys to capture the experiences of women
because BRFSS does not rely on employer poultry workers. Many women struggle to fit
report and contains information on workers themselves to the jobs with awkward positions
not available in traditional occupational health and experience strained bladders because of
surveillance systems, it is a useful tool for iden- restricted access to restrooms. One of the most
tifying and examining work-related injury and common themes involved unwanted sexual at-
illness. tention and coercion.
Marcum JL, Chin B, et al. Self-reported work-
Does the workers compensation system fulfill
related injury or illness, Washington, 2011
its obligations to injured workers? Depart-
2014. Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2017;66:302306.
ment of Labor, October 2016.
http://bit.ly/2vN7ImJ
http://bit.ly/2dD5uQY

State workers compensation (WC) programs The authors dig deep into data on hazards,
were designed to provide critical supports OSHA violations, and penalties in the states
to workers who get sick and injured on the construction industry. Falls are the leading
job, though recent actions at the state level cause of work-related deaths 49 percent
have been slowly chipping away at that social statewide and 59 percent in New York City.
contract. A number of states have taken action Latino construction workers are disproportion-
to reduce WC benefits; decrease the likelihood ately exposed to violations classified by OSHA
that an injured worker can successfully access as willful. The authors offer 12 recommenda-
WC; and discourage hurt workers from seek- tions for new regulations, enforcement, and
ing benefits. Many of these moves have meant safety training and investment.
new restrictions on medical care for injured
workers as well. The DOL report concluded Mapping the landscape of low-wage work
that all of these issues result in the transfer and health in Syracuse. Occupational Health
of the economic cost of occupationally-caused Clinical Centers Low-Wage Workers Health
or aggravated injuries and illnesses to fami- Project, January 2017.
lies, communities and other benefit programs, http://bit.ly/2rV0HOd
further burdening the federal Medicare and
Social Security Disability Insurance programs. Stressors related to low-wage work such as
juggling two jobs, irregular schedules, cost of
No piece of the pie: U.S. food workers in 2016. transportation, harassment, and violence af-
Food Chain Alliance and the Solidarity Re- fect workers health. The report provides results
search Cooperative, November 2016. from focus groups and hazard-mapping activi-
ties with 559 low-wage workers with experienc-
http://bit.ly/2fFLZol
es in a variety of industries. Workers described
50
One out of seven workers in the U.S. is em- the dilemma of tolerating work that adversely
ployed in the food industry. They grow it, affects their health and the risks associated with
process it, transport it, and serve it. The report speaking up about those conditions.
examines current working conditions along
the food chain, such as low wages and high Worker safety and health in the Obama years:
rates of injuries. The authors offer recommen- An exemplary record. National Employment
dations for consumers and policy makers. Law Project, January 2017.
http://bit.ly/2rHSn78
Dirty threads, dangerous factors: Health and
safety in Los Angeles fashion industry. Gar- This policy brief provides highlights of OSHA
ment Worker Center, UCLA Labor Center, and programs during the eight-year Obama
UCLA-LOSH, December 2016.
Oxfam America
http://bit.ly/2s4OkyD
A thriving garment industry in Los Angeles

specializes in small volume production of trendy
casual sportswear. The authors report findings
from a survey of more than 300 workers from
the plants who describe factories brimming
with dust, excessive heat, obstructed exits, and
repetitive motion injuries. A short video featur-
ing garment workers accompanies the report.
Deadly skyline: Annual report on construction

fatalities in New York State. NYCOSH, January Pastor Gregg Knepp of St. Peters Lutheran Church
2017. participates in an April 2017 demonstration outside of a
http://bit.ly/2jKdBKS Perdue poultry processing plant in Salisbury, MD.

ern California. Workers described the impact
Migrant Justice
on family life of uncertain schedules, wage
theft, and lack of safety training and equip-
ment. The findings run counter to assertions
by the employee staffing industry that temp
jobs lead to permanent employment in quality
jobs. The authors profile worker-led organiza-
tions in each location and their strategies to
build power and demand fair wages and safe
conditions.
Public health, immigration reform, and food

system change. Johns Hopkins Center for a Liv-
able Future, Spring 2017.
http://bit.ly/2oO5jHV
Migrant Justice and their allies relaunched their Milk with
Dignity campaign in June 2017 against Ben & Jerrys. The authors review the health risks and conse-
quences for U.S. workers employed across the
administration, including the Severe Viola- industrial food production system. In particu-
tor Enforcement Program, enhancements to lar, the report examines labor conditions for
the whistleblower protection program, and crop and dairy workers and those employed
oversight of state OSHA programs. The authors at meat and poultry slaughtering plants. The
make comparisons to OSHAs priorities during white paper describes disparities in labor laws,
the George W. Bush administration. wages, and housing for the largely immigrant
51
workforce.
Take the high road: The case for requiring
Marylands taxpayer-funded construction Death on the job: The toll of neglect. AFL-CIO,
contractors to demonstrate their adherence to April 2017.
safety standards. Public Citizen, March 2017. http://bit.ly/2q7CAxN
http://bit.ly/2t3Hqd5
The 26th edition of the AFL-CIOs report offers
The authors examined the 10-year safety viola- more than 75 charts and tables on injury and
tion history of 158 firms that received signifi- fatality rates, OSHA citations, penalties, bud-
cant contracts for construction projects from get numbers, and state-by-state OHS data. The
the Maryland Department of General Services. report recaps key worker safety accomplish-
Thirty-five percent were cited by Maryland ments by the Obama administration and warns
OSHA for serious violations, and 13 of the of rollbacks in worker protections under the
firms received five or more serious violations. Trump administration.
The authors offer their analysis to support a
legislative proposal in the state that would On-the-job injuries and workers compensa-
require disclosure of safety metrics as part of a tion eligibility among day laborers in residen-
bid for a state-funded project. tial worksites in California. UCLA-LOSH and
National Day Labor Organizing Network, April
Temporary work, permanent abuse: How big 2017.
business destroys good jobs. NESRI and Na- http://bit.ly/2r1eN2H
tional Staffing Workers Alliance, March 2017.
In certain circumstances, California requires
http://bit.ly/2r75dLQ
homeowners to provide workers compensa-
Researchers used surveys and focus groups to tion protection to individuals working on their
capture the experiences of 86 temp workers properties. The research brief provides find-
from Boston, Chicago, New Jersey, and south- ings from interviews with 64 day laborers who

office is law professor Neomi Rao. The authors
Center for Progressive Reform

indicate that Raos writing reflects a deep
aversion to the authority granted by Congress
to regulatory agencies.
Analysis of Tesla injury rates, 2014 to 2017.

Worksafe, May 2017.
http://bit.ly/2qQs8dv
Workers at Teslas Fremont, CA, plant are

concerned about safety problems and serious
injuries. In press statements, the company as-
serts that injury rates had improved and were
better than their competitors. Using injury logs
provided by Tesla workers, a Worksafe analy-
Daily death toll in U.S. from work-related illnesses and sis of the data countered Teslas claims. The
traumatic injuries. analysis also identified significant revisions to
Teslas injury logs, perhaps in response to the
suffered work-related injuries while working public scrutiny.
in a residential setting. One-third of the day
laborers paid for their own medical bills and Build a Better South: Construction working
lost wages, suggesting that homeowners and conditions in the southern U.S. Workers De-
workers may be unware of the states require- fense Project, Partnership for Working Fami-
ment. lies, et al. May 2017.
52
http://bit.ly/2qr7XzG
The Dirty Dozen: Employers who put work-
A post-recession construction boom in the
ers & communities at risk. National COSH,
southern U.S. has not translated into better
April 2017.
wages and working conditions for construc-
http://bit.ly/2gLvSdB
tion laborers. In a survey of 1,435 workers
Failing to fix hazards, directing employees to from Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Houston,
do unsafe tasks, and ignoring workers safety Miami, and Nashville, they describe low wages,
concerns are common characteristics of reck- misclassification as independent contractors,
less employers. The report profiles 12 firms, unsafe conditions, and a lack of potable water.
each of which illustrates employer indifference The authors describe unique features of each
to safety and workers rights. The companies citys construction labor force and make rec-
include Dollar General, Fuyao Glass America, ommendations applicable across the industry.
Nissan USA, and Pilgrims Pride. Prominently
featured in the report are faces and stories of Pointing out: How Walmart unlawfully pun-
workers who were killed or injured at one of ishes workers for medical absences. A Better
the Dirty Dozen workplaces. Balance, June 2017.
http://bit.ly/2sLLeAJ
Trumps new regulatory czar poised to lead
Walmarts absence control program is likely
the assault on our safeguards. Center for Pro-
running afoul of state and federal laws, includ-
gressive Reform, April 2017.
ing the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
http://bit.ly/2ouPZew Employees with illnesses, sick children, or other
The White Houses Office of Information and emergencies receive points for their absenc-
Regulatory Affairs has an influential role in es, and employees can be punished for accu-
shaping worker and environmental protec- mulating too many. Workers at the retailer are
tions. President Trumps choice to direct the often not informed of their rights for leave,

Our Walmart
Occupational Health Internship
Program
This past year marked the 13th an-
niversary of the Occupational Health
Internship Program (OHIP). The one-of-
a-kind program connects undergradu-
ate and graduate students with unions
and community-based organizations to
learn about OHS from the perspective of Evelin Cruz inspired Walmart workers to stand together
workers. Since 2004, nearly 270 students for decent wages and respect on the job. She made
history in 2012 when she led the first strike at Walmart.
have participated in OHIP on projects She passed away in August 2016.
involving 89 community-based organiza-
tions and unions in 17 locations across as required by the FMLA. The report is based
the country. Projects during the summer on input from more than 1,000 current and
of 2016 included collaborations with former Walmart employees.
workers in Louisianas seafood process-
ing industry; transit workers in Wash- Milked: Immigrant dairy farmworkers in New
ington, D.C.; meatpacking workers in York State. Workers Center of Central New
Nebraska; hotel housekeepers in Boston; York and the Worker Justice Center of New
and hair stylists in Los Angeles. York, June 2017.
https://milkedny.org/
Ingrid Denis/AOEC
53
New Yorks $14 billion dairy industry relies
largely on immigrant workers from Mexico and
Guatemala. Many are undocumented, speak
little or no English, and feel trapped because of
long hours, inability to obtain a drivers license,
and fear of immigration enforcement. Inter-
views with 88 dairy workers describe hazardous
working conditions, injuries, low wages, and
(L-R) OHIP coordinator Sarah Jacobs with interns substandard on-farm housing. The authors call
Michelle Hathaway, Brianna Singleton, Zahra
Jabbarani, Roger Gonzales, and Rossana Coto-Batres.
for changes in state labor laws and codes of
conduct for dairy companies.
Central NY Worker Center
The Central NY Worker Center and allies demonstrate in July 2017 in front of the NY Supreme Court. Inside the
courthouse, the NY Civil Liberties Union argued that farmworkers have a right to form a union.

The Year Ahead
L
ets be frank, the year ahead does not look great. It looks hard and disappointing and
upsetting. Beyond the politics and talking points and arguments, the cold, hard fact on the
ground is that weakening key mechanisms that create safe and fair working conditions
like data collection, transparency, research and enforcement emboldens unscrupulous employ-
ers and puts workers in harms way. This is a fact.
Just as this yearbook was going to press in anti-worker sentiment every day, working
August, worker safety advocates noticed that hand in hand with some of the most powerless
OSHA has scrubbed its worker fatality list from people in the U.S. They know that the col-
its home page and buried the link on an inter- lective power of informed workers is greater
nal page. Now, the list only contains incidents than those who conspire to deny workers their
for which a citation was issued and removes rights and erase their names from view. Labor
the names of deceased workers. A Depart- history is full of such stories. For example, just
ment of Labor spokesperson told reporters the this year, farm workers in Washington state of-
change was meant to protect the privacy of ficially formed Americas first new farm worker
workers families. The truth is that OSHA lead- union in 25 years. The union is aptly named
ership decided to weaken one its most useful Familias Unidas por la Justicia or Families
enforcement tools. The truth is that removing United for Justice.
workers names only protects the privacy of
With the future so uncertain and federal com-
employers who may have needlessly put them
mitment to worker safety so unclear, it seems
at mortal risk. A decision like this dehuman-
54 like a critical moment to support organizers
izes workplace fatalities, erasing from the raw
on the ground and stand with workers in the
data the real people and families behind the
streets. Let next years Workers Memorial
numbers.
Week be a forceful reminder that all work-
Word of OSHAs website change began cir- ers, regardless of immigration status, deserve
culating around worker advocate listservs safety, dignity, respect, and justice on the job.
and on occupational safety and health sites. To borrow a phrase from another social justice
By that afternoon, the news had popped up movement, workers lives matter. Keep telling
in Politico. Just as quickly as advocates had their stories.
spread word about the problem, they began
discussing ways to ensure that the names and
stories of fallen workers would not be washed Read more at The Pump Handle
from public view.
Much of the occupational health re-
No one is surprised that the Trump administra- search and activity described in this
tion is hostile toward OSHA, an agency whose report is covered in more detail at the
mission is to hold employers accountable to public health blog The Pump Handle,
the law. After all, its also a fact that private www.scienceblogs.com/thepumphandle.
citizen Trump had a sizeable history of flouting In particular, the twice-monthly Occu-
labor laws and practicing ethically question- pational Health News Roundup high-
able behaviors in his own business ventures. lights local, national, and international
Still, watching those inclinations manifest into news stories on worker health and safe-
public policy is hard to stomach. ty. All past Roundups are available at:
All that said, we know worker advocates in http://scienceblogs.com/thepumphandle/
communities across the country wont be category/occup-health-news-roundup
deterred. Theyll just work harder. They face

Peer-Reviewed Research on Occupational Health
& Safety Topics (August 2016 through July 2017)
O
ver the past 12 months, OHS researchers published dozens of papers on health and safety
topics involving specific worker populations. Their studies addressed a wide range of
workplace hazards, investigated injury and illness trends, and analyzed the effectiveness
of interventions. The following list represents some of the best peer-reviewed publications in the
previous year. Those marked with are profiled in Section IV of this report.
Al-Lozi A, Nielsen SS, et al. Cognitive control Carty P, Cooper MR, et al. The effects of bit
dysfunction in workers exposed to manganese- wear on respirable silica dust, noise and pro-
containing welding fume. Am J Ind Med. 2017 ductivity: Hammer drill bench study. Ann Work
Feb;60(2):181-188. Expo Health. 2017 Jun 8 [online].
Antonucci A, Barr A, et al. Effect of bit wear Casey ML, Hawley B, et al. Health problems
on hammer drill handle vibration and produc- and disinfectant product exposure among staff
tivity. J Occup Environ Hyg. 2017;14(8):640-649. at a large multispecialty hospital. Am J Infect
Control. 2017 May 23 [online].
Arbury S, Hodgson M, et al. Workplace vio-
lence training programs for health care work- Cavallari JM, Ahuja M, et al. Differences in
ers: An analysis of program elements. Work- the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms
place Health Saf. 2017 Jun;65(6):266-272. among female and male custodians. Am J Ind
Med. 2016 Oct; 59(10):841-52.
Arnetz JE, Hamblin L, et al. Preventing
55
patient-to-worker violence in hospitals: Out- Cepeda JA, Beletsky L, et al. Occupational
come of a randomized controlled intervention. safety in the age of the opioid crisis: Needle
J Occup Environ Med. 2017 Jan;59(1):18-27. stick injury among Baltimore police. J Urban
Health. 2017 Feb;94(1):100-103.
Bethel JW, Spector JT, et al. Hydration and
cooling practices among farmworkers in Chvez S, Altman CE. Gambling with life: Mas-
Oregon and Washington. J Agromedicine. culinity, risk, and danger in the lives of unau-
2017;22(3):222-228. thorized migrant roofers. Am J Ind Med. 2017
Jun;60(6):537-547.
Boggess B, Scott B, et al. Uninsured workers
have more severe hospitalizations. New Solut. Chen CJ, Moore KJ, et al. Chemical and physi-
2017 Aug;2(2):154175. cal exposures in the emerging U.S. green-
collar workforce. J Occup Environ Med. 2017
Burgel BJ, Elshatarat RA. Psychosocial work
May;59(5):e91-e96.
factors and low back pain in taxi drivers. Am J
Ind Med. 2017 Aug.;60(8):734-746. Clayton ML, Smith KC, et al. U.S. food system
working conditions as an issue of food safety.
Butler C, Marsh S, et al. Wildland firefighter
New Solut. 2017 Feb;26(4):599-621.
deaths in the United States: A comparison of
existing surveillance systems. J Occup Environ Cohen RA. Resurgent coal mine dust lung dis-
Hyg. 2017 Apr;14(4):258-270. ease: Wave of the future or a relic of the past?
Occup Environ Med. 2016 Nov;73(11):715-716.
Byler CG, Robinson WC. Differences in patterns
of mortality between foreign-born and native- Conway SH, Pompeii LA, et al. The iden-
born workers due to fatal occupational injury tification of a long work hours threshold
in the U.S. from 2003 to 2010. J Immigr Minor for predicting elevated risks of adverse
Health. 2016 Oct 4 [online]. health outcomes. Am J Epidemiol. 2017
July;186(2):173183.
Appendix: Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

Dale AM, Jaegers L, et al. Facilitators and Jinnett K, Schwatka N, et al. Chronic condi-
barriers to the adoption of ergonomic solu- tions, workplace safety, and job demands con-
tions in construction. Am J Ind Med. 2017 tribute to absenteeism and job performance.
Mar;60(3):295-305. Health Aff. 2017 Feb;36(2):237-244.
DeJoy DM, Smith TD, et al. Effects of organi- Keller BM, Cunningham TR. Firefighters as
zational safety practices and perceived safety distributors of workplace safety and health
climate on PPE usage, engineering controls, information to small businesses. Saf Sci. 2016
and adverse events involving liquid antineo- Aug;87:87-91.
plastic drugs among nurses. J Occup Environ
Kim J, Langlois PH, et al. A case-control
Hyg. 2017 Jul;14(7):485-493.
study of maternal occupation and the risk of
Dennerlein JT, ODay ET, et al. Lifting and ex- orofacial clefts. J Occup Environ Med. 2016
ertion injuries decrease after implementation Aug;58(8):833-9.
of an integrated hospital-wide safe patient
Kwok RK, Engel LS, et al. The GuLF study:
handling and mobilisation programme. Occup
A prospective study of persons involved in
Environ Med. 2017 May;74(5):336-343.
the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response
Dong XS, Largay JA, et al. Fatal falls and PFAS and clean-up. Environ Health Perspect. 2017
use in the construction industry: Findings from Apr;125(4):570-578.
the NIOSH FACE reports. Accid Anal Prev. 2017
Leibler JH, Perry MJ. Self-reported occupa-
May;102:136-143.
tional injuries among industrial beef slaughter-
Fagan KM, Hodgson MJ. Under-recording of house workers in the Midwestern U.S. J Occup
work-related injuries and illnesses: An OSHA Environ Hyg. 2017 Jan;14(1):23-30.
56 priority. J Safety Res. 2017 Feb; 60:79-83. Lemke MK, Apostolopoulos Y, et al. Under-
Fernandez CA, Moore K, et al. Occupational standing the role of sleep quality and sleep
psychosocial hazards among the emerging U.S. duration in commercial driving safety. Accid
green collar workforce. J Occup Environ Med. Anal Prev. 2016 Dec;97:79-86.
2017 Jan;59(1):1-5.
Levenstein C, Siqueira CE. Health and safety at
Graeve C, McGovern PM, et al. Testing an the dawn of the Trump administration. New
intervention to decrease healthcare workers Solut. 2017 May;27(1):5-7.
exposure to antineoplastic agents. Oncol Nurs Love M, Tendick-Matesanz F, et al. Then they
Forum. 2017 Jan;44(1):E10-E19.
trust you: Managing ergonomics in home
Hertzberg V, Mac V, et al. Novel analytic care. New Solut. 2017 Aug;2(2): 225245.
methods needed for real-time continuous core
Luckhaupt SE, Alterman T, et al. Job charac-
body temperature data. West J Nurs Res. 2016
teristics associated with self-rated fair or poor
Oct.;39(1):95-111.
health among U.S. workers. Am J Prev Med.
Howard J, Branche CM, et al. The new ANSI 2017 May 8 [online].
nail gun standard: A lost opportunity for Mac VV, Tovar-Aguilar JA, et al. Heat ex-
safety. Am J Ind Med. 2017 Feb;60(2):147-151.
posure in central Florida fernery workers:
Hsieh YJ, Snmez S, et al. Perceived workplace Results of a feasibility study. J Agromedicine.
mistreatment: Case of Latina hotel housekeep- 2017;22(2):89-99.
ers. Work. 2017; 56(1):55-65.
Madigan D, Forst L, et al. Workers compensa-
Huang Z, Friedman LS. Work-related burn tion filings of temporary workers compared to
injuries hospitalized in US burn centers: direct hire workers in Illinois, 2007-2012. Am J
2002 to 2011. J Occup Environ Med. 2017 Ind Med. 2017 Jan;60(1):11-19.
Mar;59(3):282-288.

Markowitz SB, Moline JM. Malignant mesothe- Schoenfisch AL, Lipscomb H, et al. Effectiveness
lioma due to asbestos exposure in dental tape. of OSHA outreach training on carpenters work-
Am J Ind Med. 2017 May;60(5):437-442. related injury rates, Washington State 2000-
2008. Am J Ind Med. 2017 Jan;60(1):45-57.
Mitchell DC, Castro J, et al. Recruitment,
methods, and descriptive results of a physi- Schulte PA, Bhattacharya A, et al. Advancing
ologic assessment of Latino farmworkers: The the framework for considering the effects of
California Heat Illness Prevention Study. J Oc- climate change on worker safety and health. J
cup Environ Med. 2017 Jul;59(7):649-658. Occup Environ Hyg. 2016 Nov;13(11):847-65.
Nath ND, Akhavian R, et al. Ergonomic analy- Sears JM, Bowman SM. State trauma registries
sis of construction workers body postures us- as a resource for occupational injury surveil-
ing wearable mobile sensors. Appl Ergon. 2017 lance and research: Lessons from Washington
Jul;62:107-117. State, 1998-2009. Public Health Rep. 2016
Nov;131(6):791-799.
Nevin RL, Bernt J, et al. Association of poultry
processing industry exposures with reports of Shendell DG, Milich LJ, et al. Comparing on-
occupational finger amputations: Results of an line and in-person delivery formats of the
analysis of OSHA severe injury report data. J OSHA 10-hour general industry health and
Occup Environ Med. 2017 Aug 17 [online]. safety training for young workers. New Solut.
2017 May;27(1):92-106.
Onyebeke LC, Papazaharias DM, et al. Access
to properly fitting personal protective equip- Shrestha D, Liu S, et al. Risk of renal cell
ment for female construction workers. Am J carcinoma following exposure to metalwork-
Ind Med. 2016 Nov;59(11):1032-1040. ing fluids among autoworkers. Occup Environ
Med. 2016 Oct;73(10):656-62. 57
Rauscher KJ, Myers DJ, et al. Work-related
deaths among youth: Understanding the Snipes SA, Cooper SP, et al. Injury and discrimi-
contribution of U.S. child labor violations. Am J nation among Latino farmworkers. J Agro-
Ind Med. 2016 Nov;59(11):959-968. medicine. 2017;22(1):36-46.
Rehkopf DH, Modrek S, et al. Social, psychologi- Sondermeyer Cooksey GL, Wilken JA, et al.
cal, and physical aspects of the work environ- Dust exposure and coccidioidomycosis preven-
ment could contribute to hypertension preva- tion among solar power farm construction
lence. Health Aff. 2017 Feb;36(2):258-265. workers in California. Am J Public Health. 2017
Aug;107(8):1296-1303.
Reichard AA, Marsh SM, et al. Occupational
injuries and exposures among emergency Spector JT, Bonauto DK, et al. A case-cross-
medical services workers. Prehosp Emerg Care. over study of heat exposure and injury risk
2017 Jan;25:1-12. in outdoor agricultural workers. PLoS One
2016;11(10): e0164498.
Reynolds LE, Blackley DJ, et al. Respiratory
morbidity among U.S. coal miners in states Sweeney E. The role of healthcare profession-
outside of central Appalachia. Am J Ind Med. als in environmental health and fertility deci-
2017 Jun;60(6):513-517. sion-making. New Solut. 2017 May;27(1):28-50.
Riley K, Nazareno J, et al. 24-hour care: Work Teeple E, Dennerlein JT, et al. An ergonomic
and sleep conditions of migrant Filipino live-in assessment of hospital linen bag handling.
caregivers in Los Angeles. Am J Ind Med. 2016 New Solut. 2017 Aug;2(2):210224.
Dec;59(12):1120-1129. Wang X, Dong XS, et al. Work-related mus-
Schaal N, Slagley J, et al. Effects of combined culoskeletal disorders among construction
exposure to metals, solvents, and noise on per- workers in the U.S. from 1992 to 2014. Occup
manent threshold shifts. Am J Ind Med. 2017 Environ Med. 2017 May;74(5):374-380.
Mar;60(3):227-238.
Appendix: Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

58

C
New Research on Worker Health & Safety

The Year in US OHS Yearbook 2017

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Year in US OHS Yearbook 2017

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Year in US OHS Yearbook 2017

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

What is the purpose of this report?

What is the purpose of this report?

What government agencies are discussed in relation to occupational health and safety?

What government agencies are discussed in relation to occupational health and safety?

The Year in U.S.

By Kim Krisberg & Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH

Graphic Design: TheresaWellingDesign.com

I. The Federal Government and Occupational Health and Safety.........................3

Farewells and Changes with the Trump Administration................................................................3

III. News Coverage of Worker Health and Safety Topics........................................31

IV. New Research on Worker Health and Safety Topics..........................................43

The Year Ahead..........................................................................................................54

Appendix: Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles..............................................................55

The Year in U.S. Occupational Health & Safety: 2017 Report

Introduction and Overview

The Year in U.S. Occupational Health & Safety: 2017 Report

Farewells follow-up inspections of severe violators; and

Trump administration to address unfinished

The Federal Government and Occupational Health and Safety

U.S. Dept. of Labor

The Year in U.S. Occupational Health & Safety: 2017 Report

House and Senate appropriations committees,

The Federal Government and Occupational Health and Safety

The Year in U.S. Occupational Health & Safety: 2017 Report

Employers obligation for injury

The Federal Government and Occupational Health and Safety

The Year in U.S. Occupational Health & Safety: 2017 Report

The Federal Government and Occupational Health and Safety

The Year in U.S. Occupational Health & Safety: 2017 Report

The Federal Government and Occupational Health and Safety

for information earlier in the year, following

The Year in U.S. Occupational Health & Safety: 2017 Report

The Federal Government and Occupational Health and Safety

The Year in U.S. Occupational Health & Safety: 2017 Report

The Federal Government and Occupational Health and Safety

Farmworker protections Coal mine dust

The Year in U.S. Occupational Health & Safety: 2017 Report

The Federal Government and Occupational Health and Safety

other attacks on worker protections. The con-

The Year in U.S. Occupational Health & Safety: 2017 Report

Western NY COSH launched a multilingual ho-

The Federal Government and Occupational Health and Safety

The Year in U.S. Occupational Health & Safety: 2017 Report

Julie Dermansky (with permission)

The Federal Government and Occupational Health and Safety

The Year in U.S. Occupational Health & Safety: 2017 Report

Prosecutions for worker According to the indictment, on Sept. 3, 2015,

Following an investigation into the work-

Labor law compliance in nail salons Workplace violence prevention

safety, said: This is a landmark day for the en-

Refinery safety rule

The Year in U.S. Occupational Health & Safety: 2017 Report

In August 2016, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed

The Year in U.S. Occupational Health & Safety: 2017 Report

Rob Thompson, SC DOT..

New paid leave laws

The Year in U.S. Occupational Health & Safety: 2017 Report

South Florida COSH. Dying for work in Florida,

Worksafe. Dying for work in California: The