Oregon urges precautions for wildfires

• Employees who work outdoors, have respiratory conditions or cardiovascular disease, smoke or are pregnant have a higher risk of health impacts.
• As a result, Oregon OSHA enacted a wildfire smoke rule, effective last year.
• The agency asked employers to plan for emergencies and include wildfire smoke events in their emergency response and business continuity plans.
• Businesses are also asked to communicate with employees about the potential effects of wildfire smoke and how your business is preparing. OSHA requires employers to provide information and training annually.
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Trucker alleges retaliation after filing OSHA complaint

• A Pennsylvania truck unloader for a merchandise reseller business claims he was disciplined in retaliation for his reporting several alleged safety violations he observed on the job to OSHA.
• Michael Walls of Washington, Pa. filed suit in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas against MAC Discount, LLC.
• The plaintiff observed safety hazards that risked the safety of the defendant’s employees, including employees riding on a load of a forklift driven by other employees.
• The suit alleges other safety hazards that were not permitted to be occurring at the defendants’ workplace.
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Forklift accident did not violate safety rules

• The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a certain type of forklift accident was not a general-duty safety violation.
• The court concluded that the employer, Chewy Inc., complied with the OSHA’s specific forklift safety regulations.
• The secretary of the Department of Labor cited Chewy after two of its warehouse workers suffered “under-ride accidents” within a six-month period.
• If the forklift can pass under the shelving, the shelving can hit or crush the operator, as happened to the Chewy workers.
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Amazon looks to improve with workers’ comp claims

• Amazon selected CLARA Analytics as its technology partner for a new program aimed at improving health and claim outcomes for their corporate workers’ comp claims.
• CLARA’s AI platform uses advanced machine learning to deliver insights that help claims adjusters to guide casualty insurance claims toward optimal outcomes.
• Amazon will implement CLARA’s platform including the triage, litigation and treatment modules.
• AI detects claims at risk of escalation and identifies the best path toward resolving claims involving injuries.
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