Fed-OSHA officials admit to shredding documents in TVA coal ash case
Fed-OSHA is admitting it shredded a file relating to cleanup of a 2008 Tennessee Valley Authority radioactive coal ash dump, after employees began filing formal complaints of unexplained illnesses. TVA reportedly told Fed-OSHA all the cleanup employees had been masked and protected as required by federal law, but now, at least 54 of those employees are dead. Fed-OSHA denies the destruction was improper or that it was bound by an EPA order on the spill that required all records be retained through December 2018. Tennessee Lookout
Fed-OSHA program targeted to protect employees from heat-related injuries
In Philadelphia, Vice President Kamala Harris announced a new program by Fed-OSHA to protect workers from heat-related injuries. As part of the program, the agency says it will proactively initiate inspections in indoor and outdoor work settings when the National Weather Service issues a heat warning or advisory for a local area. UPI
What is causing the rise in black lung disease?
Silica exposure is a driving force behind rising rates of coalminer’ pneumoconiosis, according to a new study published by occupational health experts at the University of Illinois Chicago and their collaborators. The study is the first to compare the pathology and mineralogy of black lung disease across generations. It is also the first to offer scientific evidence explaining why progressive massive fibrosis, the most severe form of black lung disease, is occurring more frequently and among younger coal workers in West Virginia, Virginia and Kentucky. UIC Today
North Carolina Labor Department presents safety awards
The N.C. Department of Labor this week recognized area employers and employees at the agency’s annual safety awards banquet in Charlotte. The awards honor outstanding on-the-job safety achievements of each recipient during 2021. Recipients recognized are located in Charlotte and surrounding counties. Companies must have been free of fatal accidents at the site for which the award is given to be eligible. Charlotte Weekly