Penn Pols Try Again on Food Worker Safety Regs

After failing to pass a similar bill last year, Pennsylvania state legislators are considering a bill that would require meatpacking and other food processing companies to better protect workers from injuries and illnesses, including communicable diseases.
H.B. 1923 is now before the House Labor and Industry Committee after being introduced Oct. 6.
If enacted, it would require workplace health and safety committees and establish the position of workers’ rights coordinator in the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.
The measure calls on employers to inform new hires of workplace risks, including respiratory hazards, repetitive strain injuries and musculoskeletal disorders. It also requires employers to train workers in their native language if at least 5% of the workforce speaks that language.
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Minnesota OSHA has adopted a Local Emphasis Program focused on protecting workers in transportation tank cleaning operations after three incidents in the last two years.
MNOSHA says its program is based on federal OSHA’s Regional Emphasis Program for the Chicago Region, issued in 2021.
That program provides outreach, consultation services and training to affected employers as requested in Illinois, Ohio and Wisconsin, along with worksites under federal authority in Indiana, Michigan and Minnesota.
“Permit-required confined space entries require the employer to identify and evaluate the hazards of permit spaces before employees enter them,” MNOSHA says. “The employer must then develop and implement the means, procedures and practices necessary for safe permit space entry operations.”
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The Saskatchewan Safety Council is conducting a province-wide survey to establish baseline data on employee fatigue and its impact on workplace safety.
Results from the study will be released at the 53rd Saskatchewan Safety Seminar in February 2026.
The anonymized data collected will be used to validate key workplace fatigue concerns and inform education and training programs to support employees and workplace structures such as work schedules and fit-for-duty policies.
The survey is being conducted by Solaris Fatigue Management, a consulting firm specializing in fatigue management research and education.
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Oregon OSHA is encouraging state high schoolers to create media aimed at improving workplace safety and health for young workers.
The 2026 media contest, organized by the Oregon Young Employee Safety (O[yes]) Coalition, calls on participants to create an ad – through a compelling graphic design or video – that captures the attention of teen workers.
The media also aims to convince them to take Oregon OSHA’s heat-illness prevention online course.
The top three entries in each of the two media categories will take home cash prizes ranging from $300 to $500. In each category, the first-place winner’s school, club, or organization will receive a matching award.
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