NPR Investigation Alleges Little Business Accountability in Trenching Deaths

• OSHA has “done little to hold companies accountable” in the 250 trench cave-in deaths that have occurred over the last decade, according to a joint investigation by National Public Radio, Texas Public Radio and the program 1A.
• The report, which aired on “All Things Considered” on July 19, claimed that the deaths were preventable, according to experts.
• The investigative report said that “it’s a matter of resources” that limits the number of trenching inspections that OSHA conducts each year, between 1,500 and 2,000 trenching inspections annually, including visits to sites after a worker has died.
  READ MORE

Hospitals Lobby Says Emergency Response Standard ‘Impossible’ to Meet

• The American Hospital Association told the Labor Department that the proposed Emergency Response Standard includes “provisions that would be impossible to achieve for hospital and health system-based ambulance services.”
• Among the provisions cited are the requirements for a community vulnerability assessment. As well, the group said the proposed rule includes requirements that would “negatively impact the ability of hospital-based emergency services organizations to recruit and retain staff in jobs that are already difficult to fill. 
• In the lobbying group’s July 19 comment letter, Molly Smith, Group Vice President for Public Policy cited a number of issues with the standard, concluding that it would create a financial hardship for ESOs, particularly those located in rural and other underserved communities.
  READ MORE

Screening Shows ‘Disregard’ for Miner Safety Among Mine Operators

• The Mine Safety and Health Administration has released results of a Pattern of Violations (POV) screening that identifies chronic violators and mine operators that show a disregard for miners’ health and safety.
• The agency said its POV screening examines all U.S. mines and identifies those with a high number of significant and substantial violations and other safety and health compliance problems.
• According to the agency, it is the responsibility of mine operators to track their violation and injury histories to determine whether they need to take action to avoid meeting the POV screening criteria. 
• MSHA said it was now offering two online calculators to help mine operators monitor compliance, the Pattern of Violations calculator and the Significant and Substantial calculator.
  READ MORE