The Teamsters union is suing several pharmacy benefit managers, drug manufacturers and distributors over excess use of opioids, alleging they marketed the drugs for chronic pain treatment to treat workplace and other injuries despite their limited long-term effectiveness and addictive qualities, which resulted in increased costs for the union's benefits programs and further worsened workplace safety.
The Teamsters union is suing several pharmacy benefit managers, drug manufacturers and distributors over excess use of opioids, alleging they marketed the drugs for chronic pain treatment to treat workplace and other injuries despite their limited long-term effectiveness and addictive qualities, which resulted in increased costs for the union's benefits programs and further worsened workplace safety.
Reversing an earlier guidance, OSHA is now requiring employers in the 26 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands that operate under OSHA-approved state plans to submit injury and illness data as required under the 2016 Obama-era recordkeeping update rule by July 1, even if the employer is covered by a state plan that has not yet adopted an equivalent state rule.
A key labor union is offering a tepid response to OSHA's settlement with industry groups that would narrow aspects of the Obama-era beryllium rule's general industry requirements, but is expressing concerns about future deals that may seek a broader rollback of the rule's requirements for maritime and shipyard industries.
A key labor union is offering a tepid response to OSHA's settlement with industry groups that would narrow aspects of the Obama-era beryllium rule's general industry requirements, but is expressing concerns about future deals that may seek a broader rollback of the rule's requirements for maritime and shipyard industries.
OSHA has agreed with several industry petitioners to clarify language regarding the ancillary provisions of its Obama-era beryllium rule for general industry and further delay the rule's compliance dates, according to a just-filed proposed settlement, but the rulemaking faces a steep deadline to begin amending the regulation before a May 11 compliance deadline.
OSHA has agreed with several industry petitioners to clarify language regarding the ancillary provisions of its Obama-era beryllium rule for general industry and further delay the rule's compliance dates, according to a just-filed proposed settlement, but the rulemaking faces a steep deadline to begin amending the regulation before a May 11 compliance deadline.
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka is warning OSHA nominee Scott Mugno that the labor movement will be “monitoring his every step,” and that they will organize if he attempts to “move backwards” on worker protections, increasing pressure on the nominee to break from the Trump administration's deregulatory agenda.
A coalition of local safety and health groups say that an uptick in worker deaths in 2016 should prompt the Trump administration to boost OSHA funding for inspections, arguing that increased resources for workplace safety and health programs and more robust agency follow-up enforcement would help prevent worker deaths.
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) says that a process safety management (PSM) system like the one required under OSHA's PSM rule could have prevented a fatal February 2017 explosion at a Louisiana paper mill, putting new pressure on the Trump administration to revive an Obama-era effort to strengthen OSHA's regulation.