Workers in their 80s and up are working in dangerous jobs

• An 80-year-old worker grimaces in pain in the spot where he was hit by a car a year earlier.
• The school crossing guard was back to work in a couple of days because he needed the money. “I will work until I won’t be able to move anymore,” he says.
• Thousands of Americans 80 and older work in sectors that can be hazardous – even construction.
• Data suggests that the rate of minor injuries decreases slightly among older workers, but the rate of severe injury increases in this population.
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Older worker dies in Cape Cod cranberry bog

• A 71-year-old man was pinned under a piece of equipment that rolled over while he was driving it in a cranberry bog.
• Emergency responders responded to the incident, but could not save the man.
• The “bog sander” overturned, trapping and killing the employee, despite the best efforts of coworkers and responders.
• Massachusetts and local police, and OSHA are working to determine the cause of the deadly incident.
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Michigan pilot project treats mental health as workplace safety priority

• A new initiative in the Great Lakes State is aimed at improving mental health in the workplace, and positioning the goal as an occupational safety and health issue.
• The Learn, Educate, Act, Deploy, Study program (LEADS) is a four-month pilot to help employers combat stress, burnout and communications breakdowns. These conditions can lead to safety incidents, officials say.
• A central feature of the program is an evidence-based organizational assessment that functions like a safety audit, focusing on psychological risks.
• Participating employers are expected to develop clearer roles and responsibilities, more consistent communication practices, improved reporting cultures and increased employee engagement.
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Congressional bill would repeal federal heat illness regulation

• An Indiana congressman has introduced legislation to repeal the proposed OSHA heat illness prevention standard.
• Republican Mark Messmer calls the Biden-era proposal “sweeping and unworkable.”
• A colleague in the House adds that any standard to address heat illness “must be flexible and keep workers safe in ways that best address their unique environments and challenges.”
• The National Association of Home Builders says the proposal would require “a degree of operational regularity not present on dynamic construction jobsites.”
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