OSHA focused on workers’ frame of mind
- The House of Representatives passed legislation that would establish a NIOSH research program on worker mental health.
- The Mental Health Matters Act (H.R. 7780) will look to establish programs for mental health stressors, including issues with the COVID-19 pandemic, workplace violence and increases in shift duration.
- The bill also would enforce two existing laws that require insurance companies to provide mental health and substance use disorder benefits on par with physical health benefits.
- The bill seeks to provide more mental health resources for schools, including an increase in the number of mental health professionals.
Officials discuss Myocarditis in teens
- An investigation by Judicial Watch revealed internal discussions about myocarditis and the COVID vaccine.
- In a section of an FDA briefing document, Johnson & Johnson/Janssen notes that five people experienced serious adverse events.
- These included deep vein thromboses, pulmonary embolism, transverse sinus thrombosis, seizure and hemiparesis occurring from three to 28 days following vaccination.
- The report also notes that of four women who became pregnant following the Janssen shot and one baby was lost due to an ectopic pregnancy and the other was lost due to abortion.
Company cited after worker drowns
- A Florida diver was removing sand with an industrial vacuum to restore an embankment project when sediment above collapsed onto him, leaving the 22-year-old worker trapped until he drowned.
- OSHA found the diver’s employer – Erosion Barrier Installations Corp. of Davie, Fla. – did not follow required safety standards.
- Citations were given for failing to train divers in dive-related physics and physiology, not training dive teams on equipment use, and not ensuring that all dive team members are CPR-trained, among others. .
Failing to require that an experienced dive team member supervise dredging operations in a canal with zero- - OSHA proposed $46,409 in penalties to address the two willful and 10 serious violations.
Framing contractor faces fines
- Following its investigation, OSHA cited KW Framing Inc. in Chicago for one willful violation and four serious safety violations, and proposed penalties of $77,072.
- In addition to identifying violations for lack of fall protection, OSHA cited the company for a lack of guardrails on window openings, misusing ladders and exposing workers to unprotected rebar.
- “The show must go on,” said the site supervisor for KW Framing Inc. before directing employees to keep setting joists at heights up to 48 feet atop a multi-unit residential building in River Grove.
- When the general contractor became aware of the condition, the workers were removed from the roof.