Court Delivers for Postal Worker

• The United States Postal Service does not treat its workers very well, a successful lawsuit would suggest.
• USPS had to pay an Oregon postal worker over $100,000 after it fired him for reporting an injury.
• The worker was probationary at the time, and it’s not an isolated case.
• The Department of Labor says that USPS has a habit of firing probationary workers for reporting injuries.
• Similar lawsuits have been filed in Washington State, Pennsylvania, and California.
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Heat Mandate in the Works

• The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is working on a more specific standard to address heat.
• The only mandate in place currently, for states such as Nevada, is the OSHA standard.
• OSHA also enforces a general duty clause requiring employers to have a heat hazard free workplace.
• OSHA officials are currently working on a more detailed clause.
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HAZCom Rule Does not Mix with Chemicals

• Chemical distribution firms are pushing back on the new HAZCom rule.
• They say that the rule will place an undue burden on distributors.
• The rule requires more detailed labeling on hazardous materials to better guide employees on safe handling.
• Distributors say that while they support alignment with global standards, it will require employers to make extensive changes to safety data sheets.
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Study: Opioid Overdoses Rampant

• A first of it kind study in Massachusetts, finds that injured workers are more likely to die of an opioid- related overdose.
• The data show that injured workers were 35% more likely to die from an overdose than the general population, according the MA Department of Public Health.
• Injured workers are frequently prescribed opioids to deal with pain.
• The study findings were based on 4,300 Massachusetts workers, who filed a workers’ compensation claim between 2011 and 2020.
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Alaska Oil Worker Killed

• The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has opened an investigation into a death at an Alaska oil field.
• Details are scant at the moment, but the worker died during a snow removal operation.
• The incident occurred at an oil field located in the North Slope oil industry.
• While Alaska’s OSHA has opened an investigation, there is no indication the company was at fault, says the one of the companies involved.
• According to OSHA, this is the third death in North Slope within last 13 months.
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Indiana Company Faces Fines

• An Elkhart, Indiana company is looking at thousands of dollars in fines.
• Indiana’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration says it issued 13 serious and three non-serious citations.
• The violations are related to shock, burn, and laceration hazards.
• One violation was for failure to properly guard a ripsaw.
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