AFSCME Information Highway

Source: Governmental Accountability Office, March 31, 2008

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), health-care-associated infections (HAI) are estimated to be 1 of the top 10 causes of death in the United States. HAIs are infections that patients acquire while receiving treatment for other conditions. GAO was asked to examine (1) CDC's guidelines for hospitals to reduce or prevent HAIs and what the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) does to promote their implementation, (2) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) and hospital accrediting organizations' required standards for hospitals to reduce or prevent HAIs and how compliance is assessed, and (3) HHS programs that collect data related to HAIs and integration of the data across HHS. GAO reviewed documents and interviewed officials from CDC, CMS, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and accrediting organizations.

Full report
Testimony

Posted by William at 10:17 AM in Health & Safety | Health Care Workers | Permalink

Source: Clinical Infectious Diseases

During the past decade, there has been a marked increase in the prevalence of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection in the United States and elsewhere. The most common such infections are those involving the skin and skin structures. Although a number of these lesions (including small furuncles and abscesses) respond well to surgical incision and drainage, oral antimicrobial agents are commonly used to treat these infections in outpatients. Unfortunately, with the exception of linezolid, none of the agents presently being used in this fashion has been subjected to rigorous clinical trial. Thus, current therapy is based largely on anecdotal evidence. For more-serious infections requiring hospitalization, parenteral antimicrobials such as vancomycin, teicoplanin, daptomycin, linezolid, and tigecycline are presently available and have demonstrated effectiveness in randomized, prospective, double-blind trials.

Full article

Posted by Info Center at 8:40 AM in Health & Safety | Permalink

Source: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (CDC), February 29, 2008

From the press release:
About 10 percent of adults report not getting enough rest or sleep every day in the past month, according to a new four-state study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention′s (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

The data from the four states-Delaware, Hawaii, New York, and Rhode Island-may not reflect national trends. But an additional study conducted by CDC utilizing data from the National Health Interview Study indicated that across all age groups the percentage of adults who, on average, report sleeping six hours or less has increased from 1985 to 2006.

Nationwide, an estimated 50 to 70 million people suffer from chronic sleep loss and sleep disorders. Sleep loss is associated with health problems, including obesity, depression, and certain risk behaviors, including cigarette smoking, physical inactivity, and heavy drinking.

Posted by Info Center at 2:06 PM in Health & Safety | Hours of Work | Mental Health | Permalink

Source: At the Frontline, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Vol. 3 no. 1, February 2008

In one of the largest studies of its kind, researchers from the Mailman School assessed the risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens among non-hospital based registered nurses (RNs), and found that nearly one out of ten of the more than 1,100 nurse participants reported at least one needlestick injury in the previous 12 months. Findings of the study are published in the December issue of Industrial Health.

According to Robyn Gershon, DrPH, professor of Sociomedical Sciences and the study's principal investigator, "These rates of exposure are surprising since they are similar to rates reported for hospital-based nurses, even though hospitalized patients generally have high levels of acuity of patient care (i.e., more procedures, including more invasive procedures), than are typically performed in community healthcare settings." But, as Dr. Gershon and colleagues point out, these findings are not completely unexpected since patient care, including more complex types of care, is increasingly delivered at non-hospital based healthcare facilities, including out-patient clinics, nursing homes, doctor's offices, patients' homes, and public health clinics.

Posted by Info Center at 12:21 PM in Health & Safety | Health Care Workers | Permalink

Source: Kerry Hall and Ames Alexander, Charlotte Observer, February 11, 2008

Bob Whitmore is doing what few career government employees dare -- publicly criticizing his own agency.

Whitmore, an expert in record-keeping requirements for the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, said OSHA is allowing employers to vastly underreport the number of injuries and illnesses their workers suffer.

The true rate for some industries -- including poultry processors -- is likely two to three times higher than government numbers suggest, he said.

Posted by Info Center at 2:54 PM in Health & Safety | Whistleblowing | Permalink

Source: NOISH Update, February 5, 2008

Studies in the U.S. and Europe suggest that contingent workers such as part-time, temporary, or contract workers are at higher risk for occupational injuries and illnesses than workers in traditional employment situations, researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) report.

Several possible reasons for the higher risk are suggested in the increasing scientific evidence, and warrant further scientific investigation, the researchers stated. The article, "Contingent Workers and Contingent Health: Risks of a Modern Economy," by Kristin J. Cummings, M.D., M.P.H., and Kathleen Kreiss, M.D., was published in the January 30 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Posted by Info Center at 4:37 PM in Health & Safety | Permalink

Source: Ken Ward Jr., Charleston Gazette, January 27, 2008

Federal regulators have allowed mine operators to avoid fines for thousands of health and safety citations, despite a federal law that requires monetary penalties for such violations, government officials have confirmed.

Over the last six years, the Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration did not assess civil penalties for about 4,000 violations, according to preliminary MSHA data.

Posted by Info Center at 10:22 AM in Health & Safety | Labor Laws/Legislation | Permalink

Source: Occupational Health and Safety Administration

Security personnel (i.e., guards) potentially risk occupational exposures to hazardous substances including chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) materials during emergencies. Emergencies involving the release of hazardous chemicals at industrial facilities, including chemical manufacturers and industrial facilities utilizing hazardous substances, are the most likely and predictable incidents that may involve security personnel. Security personnel, however, work at a variety of locations with the potential for emergency incidents. Although general chemical release emergencies may be the most likely, incidents resulting from natural disasters or involving weapons of mass destruction (WMD) are also of concern to both private and public sector employers and the security personnel they employ. Security personnel working at companies for the protection of the facilities, materials, and products, as well as those employed by government agencies, are often called upon to provide support during hazardous substance emergencies and the emergency planning in preparation for such incidents is key to successful implementation of emergency response operations.

This document specifically addresses emergencies involving hazardous substance releases and provides guidance for employers, and their security personnel, who may be involved in the emergency response. It does not address other safety and health hazards (e.g., workplace violence) that security personnel may be exposed to while performing their routine duties.

Full Report (PDF; 662 KB)

Posted by Info Center at 9:03 AM in Health & Safety | Permalink

Source: Association for Professionals in Infection Control (APIC)

From press release (Consumers Union):
U.S. healthcare facilities aren't doing enough to protect patients from Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, according to a new poll of infection control professionals released today.
The online poll conducted by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control (APIC) found that 59 percent of those responding said their healthcare facility has stepped up efforts to curb MRSA in the past six months. But 50 percent said their healthcare facility is "not doing as much as it could or should to stop the transmission of MRSA."

Poll results (PDF; 92 KB)

Posted by Info Center at 10:37 AM in Health & Safety | Permalink

Source: Emerging Infectious Diseases (via Robert Wood Johnson Foundation)

From press release:
Hospitalizations related to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections more than doubled, from 127,000 to nearly 280,000, between 1999 and 2005, according to a new study in the December issue of the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. During that same period, hospitalizations of patients with general staph infections increased 62 percent across the country.

Staph, or Staphylococcus aureus, are a kind of bacteria that attack wounds and cause life-threatening infections, such as blood poisoning and pneumonia. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) are "superbugs" that have evolved resistance to most commonly used antibiotics, so they are more difficult and expensive to treat.

The study, which is the first to examine the recent magnitude and trends related to staph and MRSA infections, found that such infections are now "endemic, and in some cases epidemic," in many U.S. hospitals, long-term care facilities and communities. Study researchers say that control of the infection should be made a "national priority."

Full Document (PDF; 192 KB)

Posted by Info Center at 10:28 AM in Health & Safety | Health Care Workers | Permalink

Source: Critical Infrastructure Protection Program, George Mason University School of Law

Preparing for an influenza pandemic is a monumental challenge and requires participation from federal, state and local governments as well as the private sector. It is with great pleasure that the George Mason University School of Law's Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) Program publishes a collection of essays (PDF; 737 KB) on vaccine prioritization during an influenza pandemic. The United States government is spending a significant amount of time and resources examining and preparing for the possible threat of an influenza pandemic. A major challenge in preparing for an influenza pandemic encompasses vaccine prioritization. Specifically, if a pandemic were to occur and vaccines needed to be distributed, who should be first to receive vaccines? Should first responders or critical infrastructure employees have priority to receive the vaccines?

The CIP Program invited leading scholars to address this important issue. The essays focus on different concerns about vaccine prioritization. The first essay, submitted by Dr. Colleen Hardy, of the George Mason University School of Law's Critical Infrastructure Protection Program, provides an overview of current federal response plans to an influenza pandemic. Specifically, it summarizes the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) influenza plan concerning vaccine prioritization. In addition, the essay describes the National Infrastructure Advisory Council's (NIAC) Working Group on Pandemics' recommendations to the Department of Homeland Security and HHS.

Posted by Info Center at 9:07 AM in Health & Safety | Pandemic Influenza | Permalink

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Methicillin-resistant staph aureus (MRSA) caused more than 94,000 life-threatening infections and nearly 19,000 deaths in the United States in 2005, most of them associated with health care settings, according to the most thorough study of life-threatening infections caused by these bacteria, experts with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report.

The study in the Oct. 17 edition of the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) establishes the first national baseline by which to assess future trends in invasive MRSA infections. MRSA infections can range from mild skin infections to more severe infections of the bloodstream, lungs and at surgical sites. The study found about 85 percent of all invasive MRSA infections were associated with health care settings, of which two-thirds surfaced in the community among people who were hospitalized, underwent a medical procedure or resided in a long-term care facility within the previous year. In contrast, about 15 percent of reported infections were considered to be community-associated, which means that the infection occurred in people without documented health care risk factors. The 2005 rates of invasive infection were highest among people 65 years of age or older. Black people were affected at twice the rate of whites, which could be due to higher rates of chronic illness among blacks.

Posted by Info Center at 2:50 PM in Health & Safety | Permalink

Source: Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department

This toolkit has been designed to help prevent and stop or reduce the spread of Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) skin infections in middle and high schools. It contains educational materials targeted to the school health team, athletic directors/coaches, custodians, athletes/students and parents.

See also: MRSA Toolkit for Elementary Schools

MRSA Toolkit for Childcare Centers

MRSA Toolkit for Outpatient Clinics/Offices

Posted by Info Center at 11:30 AM in Health & Safety | Permalink

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Both the rate and the number of occupational injuries and illnesses requiring days away from work decreased from 2005 to 2006, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department Labor. The 2006 rate was 128 per 10,000 workers, a decrease of 6 percent from 2005. There were 1.2 million cases requiring days away from work in private industry, which represented a decrease of 51,180 cases (or 4 percent). Median days away from work--a key measure of the severity of the injury or illness--was 7 days in 2006, the same as the prior two years.

News release (PDF; 227 KB)

Posted by Info Center at 12:54 PM in Health & Safety | Permalink

Source: National Association of Social Workers, WKF-MISC-1308, 2007

In 2004, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) partnered with the Center for Health Workforce Studies, University at Albany, to conduct a benchmark national study of 10,000 licensed social workers. The study achieved a response rate of nearly 50 percent. The information presented in this fact sheet is based on that study and its findings.

The study examined a number of variables related to licensed social workers and their practices, including demographic information, practice issues, services to clients, and workplace issues. In response to the question, "Are you faced with personal safety issues in your primary employment practice?" a surprising 44 percent of the respondents answered affirmatively. Thirty percent of these social workers did not think that their employers adequately addressed the safety issues.

This fact sheet explores some of the factors associated with social workers who face personal safety issues in their employment.

Posted by Info Center at 4:37 PM in Health & Safety | Social Services | Permalink

Source: John Gessner, Thisweek Newspapers, 10/26/07

...State law reflects growing concern about workplace safety of nurses, especially as hospitals deal with a national nursing shortage.

By next July 1, all Minnesota hospitals must have policies to minimize nurses' manual lifting of patients by 2011. The law calls for hospitals to use handling equipment and building modifications to achieve the goals....
Related:
American Nurses Association "Handle With Care" Campaign Fact Sheet

Posted by Info Center at 4:33 PM in Health & Safety | Health Care Workers | Permalink

Source: Corine Aboa-Éboulé, Chantal Brisson, Elizabeth Maunsell, Benoît Mâsse, Renée Bourbonnais, Michel Vézina, Alain Milot, Pierre Théroux, and, Gilles R. Dagenais, Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 298 no. 14, October 10, 2007
(subscription required)

It has been shown in several but not all studies that job strain, a combination of high psychological demands and low decision latitude, increases the risk of a first coronary heart disease (CHD) event. However, the association of job strain with the risk of recurrent CHD events after a first myocardial infarction (MI) has been documented in only 2 prospective studies whose findings were inconsistent. Two major limitations of these previous studies were that they did not assess the duration of psychosocial work exposure and were conducted with a limited number of participants. Our study was undertaken to determine whether job strain increases the risk of recurrent CHD events when the duration of psychosocial work exposure is taken into account in a large cohort who returned to work after a first recent MI.

Posted by Info Center at 4:50 PM in Health & Safety | Permalink

Source: Cynthia A. Bascetta, testimony before the Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, House of Representatives, United States Government Accountability Office, GAO-07-1229T, September 10, 2007

Six years after the attack on the World Trade Center (WTC), concerns persist about health effects experienced by WTC responders and the availability of health care services for those affected. Several federally funded programs provide screening, monitoring, or treatment services to responders. GAO has previously reported on the progress made and implementation problems faced by these WTC health programs.

Posted by Info Center at 12:27 PM in Health & Safety | Health Care Workers | Permalink

Source: Diane L. Elliot, Kerry S. Kuehl, International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and the United States, Fire Administration (USFA), Oregon Health & Science University, June 2007

From the summary:
This new report, The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Fire Fighters and EMS Responders, along with its accompanying computer-based educational program, presents background information on normal sleep physiology and the health and performance effects of sleep deprivation. Countermeasures for sleep deprivation are reviewed, which relate to identifying those particularly susceptible to risks of sleep deprivation, individual mitigating strategies and work-related issues. The project was supported by a cooperative agreement between the IAFC and the United States Fire Administration (USFA), with assistance from the faculty of Oregon Health & Science University.

Posted by Info Center at 2:41 PM in Health & Safety | Health Care Workers | Permalink

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of International Labor Affairs, 2007

From the press release:
The U.S. Department of Labor today released its sixth annual report on the worst forms of child labor in 141 countries and territories that receive U.S. trade benefits.
...
ILAB prepared the department's 2006 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor under the child labor reporting requirement of the Trade and Development Act of 2000. The act requires trade-beneficiary countries and territories to implement their international commitments to eliminate the worst forms of child labor.

As defined by the International Labor Organization Convention 182, the worst forms of child labor include any form of slavery, such as forced or indentured child labor; the trafficking of children and the forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict; child prostitution and pornography; the use of children for illicit activities such as drug trafficking; and work that is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of children.

This report presents information on the nature and extent of the worst forms of child labor in each of the 141 countries and territories and the efforts being made by their governments to eliminate these problems. The bureau's Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor and Human Trafficking collected data from a wide variety of sources, including U.S. embassies and consulates, foreign governments, nongovernmental organizations and international agencies. In addition, bureau staff conducted field visits to some countries covered in the report.

Posted by Info Center at 2:37 PM in Children | Health & Safety | Trade | Permalink

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, USDL 07-1202, August 9, 2007

There were 5,703 fatal work injuries in the United States in 2006, down slightly from the revised total of 5,734 fatalities in 2005. The rate of fatal work injuries in 2006 was 3.9 per 100,000 workers, down from a rate of 4.0 per 100,000 in 2005. The numbers reported in this release are preliminary and will be updated in April 2008. Key findings of the 2006 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries:
• The overall fatal work injury rate for the U.S. in 2006 was lower than the rate for any year since the fatality census was first conducted in 1992.
• Coal mining industry fatalities more than doubled in 2006, due to the Sago Mine disaster and other multiple-fatality coal mining incidents.
• The number of workplace homicides in 2006 was a series low and reflected a decline of over 50 percent from the high reported in 1994.
• Fatalities among workers under 25 years of age fell 9 percent, and the rate of fatal injury among these workers was down significantly.
• The 937 fatal work injuries involving Hispanic or Latino workers in 2006 was a series high, but the overall fatality rate for Hispanic or Latino workers was lower than in 2005.
• Fatalities among self-employed workers declined 11 percent and reached a series low in 2006.
• Aircraft-related fatalities were up 44 percent, led by a number of multiple-fatality events including the August 2006 Comair crash.

Posted by Info Center at 2:11 PM in Health & Safety | Statistics | Permalink

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Monthly Labor Review, Vol. 130 nos. 7/8, July/August 2007
Categories: Income Inequality/Gap, Safety & Health, Statistics, Workforce

Articles include: Price highlights, 2006: energy goods retreat, moderating producer prices; Railroad-related work injury fatalities; Earnings by gender: evidence from Census 2000; Labor force status of families: a visual essay.

Posted by Info Center at 12:56 PM in Health & Safety | Income Inequality/Gap | Statistics | Workforce | Permalink

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, USDL 07-1202, August, 9, 2007

There were 5,703 fatal work injuries in the United States in 2006, down slightly from the revised total of 5,734 fatalities in 2005. The rate of fatal work injuries in 2006 was 3.9 per 100,000 workers, down from a rate of 4.0 per 100,000 in 2005. The numbers reported in this release are preliminary and will be updated in April 2008.
Key findings of the 2006 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries:
• The overall fatal work injury rate for the U.S. in 2006 was lower than the rate for any year since the fatality census was first conducted in 1992.
• Coal mining industry fatalities more than doubled in 2006, due to the Sago Mine disaster and other multiple-fatality coal mining incidents.
• The number of workplace homicides in 2006 was a series low and reflected a decline of over 50 percent from the high reported in 1994.
• Fatalities among workers under 25 years of age fell 9 percent, and the rate of fatal injury among these workers was down significantly.
• The 937 fatal work injuries involving Hispanic or Latino workers in 2006 was a series high, but the overall fatality rate for Hispanic or Latino workers was lower than in 2005.
• Fatalities among self-employed workers declined 11 percent and reached a series low in 2006.
• Aircraft-related fatalities were up 44 percent, led by a number of multiple-fatality events including the August 2006 Comair crash.

Posted by Info Center at 4:30 PM in Health & Safety | Statistics | Permalink

Source: Occupational Safety & Health Administration, Hispanic Task Force

OSHA's Hispanic Task Force developed these English-to-Spanish and Spanish-to-English dictionaries. The dictionaries include over 2,000 general OSHA, general industry, and construction industry terms. They are intended to assist OSHA, Susan Harwood Training Grant applicants and recipients, and others in their Spanish-language translations. Phonetic pronunciation guides are included in the dictionaries for frequently used general industry and frequently used construction industry terms.

Posted by Info Center at 11:06 AM in Health & Safety | Permalink

Source: Kathleen S. Swendiman and Nancy Lee Jones, CRS Report for Congress, Order Code RS22672, June 5, 2007

The recent international saga of a traveler with XDR-TB, a drug-resistant form of tuberculosis, has placed a spotlight on existing mechanisms to contain contagious disease threats and raised numerous legal and public-health issues. This report will briefly address the existing law relating to quarantine and isolation, with an emphasis on the interaction of state and federal laws and international agreements. It will not be updated.

Posted by Info Center at 5:18 PM in Health & Safety | Permalink

Source: International Metalworkers’ Federation, March 23, 2007

The International Metalworkers’ Federation has launched a global union campaign, “Occupational Cancer/Zero Cancer.”

Occupational cancer is the most common work-related cause of death. The International Labor Organization estimates the human toll at over 600,000 deaths a year – one death every 52 seconds. At least 1 in every 10 cancers - probably many more - is the result of preventable, predictable workplace exposure. Today, more people face a workplace cancer risk than at any other time in history. It’s just that most of them don’t know it. Unions have won recognition of causes of occupational cancer, restrictions on their use and compensation for their victims. By finding out about workplace risks and taking action to eliminate, substitute or control the risks, workers and their unions can make the workplace safer. Occupational Cancer/Zero Cancer is a global union campaign to prevent occupational cancer. On this campaign page you will find links to campaign materials, background information and other relevant resources.

Posted by Info Center at 1:47 PM in Health & Safety | Permalink

Source: National Institute For Occupational Safety And Health, NIOSH Publication No. 2007-117, April 2007

A new report from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends that employers institute medical surveillance programs for health-care workers who are occupationally exposed to hazardous drugs, and suggests practical strategies and components for such programs.

The document, Workplace Solutions: Medical Surveillance for Health Care Workers Exposed to Hazardous Drugs, supplements previous NIOSH resources that highlighted potential health risks for health-care employees who are exposed to hazardous drugs.

The U.S. health care industry is one of the fastest growing sectors, with over 16.6 million workers in 2005. It is estimated that 5.5 million of these health care workers are potentially exposed to hazardous drugs or drug waste, including pharmacists, nurses, physicians, maintenance workers, operating room personnel, and others who may come into contact with these drugs while performing their job.

Hazardous drugs are those that have been determined through research studies to have a potential for causing harm to healthy individuals, including potential risks of cancer, skin rashes, birth defects, and reproductive toxicity. These same drugs also play a critical role in treatment of patients with serious illnesses like cancer and HIV infection. Although the potential therapeutic benefits of hazardous drugs outweigh the risks of side effects for ill patients, exposed health care workers risk these same side effects with no therapeutic benefit.

Posted by Info Center at 10:52 AM in Health & Safety | Health Care Workers | Permalink

Source: Mental Health Weekly, Vol. 17 no. 17, April 30, 2007
(subscription required)

Legislation, which includes violence protection training, soon to become law.

House bill 1456, also known as the Marty Smith bill would provide backup for mental health professionals during home visits. The bill is names in honor of Smith, a County Designated Mental Health Professional (CDMHP) at Kitsap Mental Health, a private not-for-profit community mental health center in Bremerton, Wash., who was killed on Nov. 4, 2005 when he went to provide care for a client during a home visit.

Posted by Info Center at 1:30 PM in Health & Safety | Health Care Workers | Labor Laws/Legislation | Mental Health | Permalink

Source: Ken Ward Jr., Washington Monthly, Vol. 39 no. 3, March 2007

…More than five years later, the Bush Administration can claim that, indeed, no more terrorist attacks have occurred on American soil. But its record on mining safety is decidedly more troubling. As of mid-January of this year, 165 coal miners had been killed on the job since the Jim Walter disaster…. While administration supporters can point to a steady drop in the number of coal mining deaths through 2005, when a record low of twenty-two occurred, those numbers don’t tell the whole story…. [Elaine] Chao’s promise to the families of Brookwood was not, as many probably assumed, a call for tighter rules and stricter enforcement. Instead it was a signal for greater cooperation with mining companies. Under the Bush appointee Dave Lauriski… he filled the agency’s top jobs with former industry colleagues, dropped more than a dozen safety proposals initiated during the Clinton administration, and cut almost 200 of the 1,200 coal mine inspectors. Mine-safety experts have linked many of these actions to the causes of deadly mine accidents since 2001.

Posted by Info Center at 1:06 PM in Health & Safety | Permalink

Source: David Foster, New Labor Forum, Vol. 16 no. 1, Winter 2007

The Donora disaster was the root cause of the USW’s subsequent embrace of environmental issues that led eventually to the founding on June 7, 2006 of a new Strategic Alliance between North America’s largest private sector manufacturing union, and the Sierra Club, the country’s oldest and largest grass-roots environmental organization. While the decision to align the USW and the Sierra Club originated in their shared history of supporting environmental protections like the Clean Air Act, the new Alliance was sparked by the accelerating pace of globalization and the seismic social shifts accompanying it. Both organizations realized that for the first time in human history any meaningful improvement in the economic well-being of the world’s population was dependent on the sustainable management of our planted and its resources.

Posted by Info Center at 11:24 AM in Environment | Future of Unions | Globalization | Health & Safety | Permalink

Source: Robert C. Bird and Niki Mirtorabi, Berkeley Journal of Employment and Labor Law, 2006, Volume 27, no. 2

... Professors Bird and Mirtorabi examine and describe shiftwork, the growing practice of working non-traditional hours, particularly in the evening and at night. ... " Shiftwork weakens these bonds between parent and child by reducing contact time and requiring children to remain quiet when the shiftworker sleeps during daylight hours. ... If the court in Witter can reject ADA coverage for an employee claiming a psychiatric disability not related to shiftwork, then a court likely will have little difficulty rejecting a pilot's ADA claim based upon an impairment tied to a particular shift. ... Furthermore, the employer's actions changing the plaintiff to the night shift to accommodate a white employee constituted a component of the harassment leading to an intolerable work environment, and thus constructive discharge. ... Without much discussion, the court concluded that "it could not be determined as a matter of law that a permanent transfer to the night shift cannot constitute an adverse employment action. ... If at least one court can conclude that working in the face of unnecessary pain and injury can constitute a material disadvantage in employment, certainly transfer to shiftwork, with its host of physical and mental risks, can constitute an adverse employment action under conditions where the effect of shiftwork will be the most severe. ...

Posted by Info Center at 5:07 PM in Health & Safety | Hours of Work | Permalink

Source: Marianne P. Brown, NEW SOLUTIONS: A Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy, Volume 16 no. 3, 2006

Organized labor has been largely responsible for the health and safety protections many U.S. workers take for granted. This article provides a brief history of labor's influence on California's health and safety policies—sometimes with ripple effects beyond its borders. Six cases where various successful strategies were used are examined. These gains were achieved with strong support from international health and safety staff, and, on some issues, support from the state labor federation. But in most cases local union staff involvement was key. Now that labor mobilizes to build its shrinking membership—with only 1 out of 12 workers in the private sector organized---resources are being re-directed toward organizing. Understandably, health and safety advocates have expressed concern that worker protections may suffer. Time will tell, but there is evidence that health and safety demands are front and center in a number of current and upcoming organizing campaigns. Now more than ever, it is in health and safety professionals' interest to tie their research and clinical work into these emerging campaigns.

Posted by Info Center at 5:20 PM in Health & Safety | Labor History | Laws/Legislation | Permalink