State Plans, Unions Question General Duty Clause Carve-Outs

• A group of OSHA state-plan states have voiced objections to Fed-OSHA’s plan to exempt certain occupations from General Duty Clause protections.
• In July, the Feds moved to reinterpret the GDC to exclude known hazards that are “inherent and inseparable” from the nature of a professional activity.
• Among the professions excluded would be animal handling and performance; hazard-based media and journalism activities; live entertainment and performing arts; and defense and combat training.
• The Occupational Safety and Health State Plan Association insists that OSHA clearly define certain terms in the proposal, and National Nurses United says the rule change would leave the door open to expand to other industries.
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Frontline Workers & Management Don’t See Eye to Eye on MSDs

• Frontline employees consistently rate their workplace musculoskeletal disease prevention efforts less favorably than safety leaders, according to the National Safety Council.
• MSDs include tendonitis, back strains and sprains, and carpal tunnel syndrome.
• NSC says MSDs are the most common workplace injury and the leading cause of employee disability, early retirement and employment limitations.
• A survey conducted by the council reveals that while most employees are aware of MSDs, many don’t understand them or know how to report symptoms.
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Most Bizarre Workplace Injuries

• Pie Insurance’s 2025 State of Workplace Safety report states that 75% of small businesses reported workplace injuries with the past year, and 49% admitted to improvising safety measures due to a lack of proper equipment.
• The most common injuries included mental health incidents; slips, trips and falls; cuts, lacerations and punctures; and musculoskeletal disorders.
• Some of the incidents can only be described as bizarre. They include a jackhammer puncturing an employee after the device bounced 20 feet in the air; an employee breaking his hip after sitting in a chair positioned too low; and another employee who suffered a cracked spine after slipping on a pickle in the workplace’s lunchroom.
• Some employers established unusual safety policies to deal with injury incidents.
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