Safety Alliance Aims at Waste-Recycling Workplace Injuries

• OSHA, the Solid Waste Association of North America, and the National Waste & Recycling Association have renewed their alliance to improve safety and health outcomes for workers in the waste and recycling industries.
• Over the next three years, they will collaborate on initiatives to reduce workplace injuries and illnesses by sharing resources, training materials, and best practices focused on the most pressing hazards in the industry.
• These hazards include needlestick injuries, slips, trips, and falls, heat and cold stress, and other occupational health risks faced by solid waste and recycling workers.
• The alliance will place special emphasis on outreach to SMEs and will use data on injuries, illnesses, and hazard exposure to guide awareness campaigns and training efforts.
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Court NLRB Decision Raises Questions on OSHRC Removal Protections

• An Appeals Court decision earlier this month in a case involving removal protections for administrative law judges (ALJs) at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has significant implications for the structure and operation of federal agencies, particularly the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC), according to Ogletree Deakins.
• The ruling has also prompted renewed scrutiny of similar protections of ALJs at OSHRC, attorney John Surma wrote on the law firm’s blog.
• “Parties before OSHRC may now have a viable path to challenge the agency’s structure in district court, potentially impacting the validity of OSHRC proceedings and the agency’s future operations,” he wrote.
• The blog advises that employers and their legal advisors may want to closely monitor further developments and consider the potential for constitutional challenges in ongoing and future OSHRC matters.
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Ohio Offers Incentives for Workplace Recovery Support

• The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation has launched a program that offers incentives and financial assistance to help employers support workers who are recovering from a substance use disorder.
• The Substance Use Prevention and Recovery Program, formerly known as the Drug-Free Safety Program, aims to help Ohio employers more effectively prevent on-the-job injuries and illnesses by integrating drug-free efforts into their overall workplace safety program, according to a WBC announcement.
• The SUPR Program combines parts of WBC’s previous substance misuse-related grants and programs to “make it easier” for employers to enroll and receive reimbursements.
• “Combining the key pieces of our previous programs into one creates a better and more efficient experience for our customers,” BWC CEO/Administrator Stephanie McCloud said in the announcement.
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Oregon Offering Grants for High-Hazard Industries

• Oregon OSHA said it is offering a grant program that funds ideas to improve the safety and health of workers in high-hazard industries.
  The high-hazard industries include forestry, construction, and agriculture.
• A grant application may concentrate on a specific work process, targeting a reduction or elimination of related hazards.
• Applications are due by Oct. 3.
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