Workers Comp

Workers compensation medical payments per claim in numerous states decreased through 2020 and 2021, while indemnity benefits grew during that same time, reflecting economic changes during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to comp industry research released Tuesday. A package of studies released Tuesday by the Workers Compensation Research Institute compared medical …

Comp medical payments decline, indemnity benefits grow Read More »

Less than two years after two maintenance workers suffered fatal burns while working on a steam line at a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs facility in Connecticut, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has again issued notices to the VA for similar violations. OSHA said Monday that it identified one willful violation and two …

OSHA issues safety notices to VA for steam line hazards Read More »

Jobs with the highest rates of opioid overdose fatalities generally have high occupational injury rates and low access to paid sick leave, according to a research paper on the economic impacts of opioids released Monday by the Brookings Institution. Industries with the highest rates of overdose fatalities in the workplace have elevated occupational injury rates for …

Research links high occupational injury rates to opioid overdose risk Read More »

A bill that would enable state regulators in Washington to better address musculoskeletal injuries in the workplace is one step away from becoming law. Washington lawmakers on Friday sent Senate Bill 5217 to the desk of Gov. Jay Inslee, although it was not immediately clear whether the governor would sign or veto the measure. The …

Washington musculoskeletal injury bill heads to governor Read More »

Alabama lawmakers are considering a bill that would make mental illness an occupational disease for first responders. H.B. 323, introduced Thursday and sent to committee, would amend current workers compensation law that states a mental illness, including post-traumatic stress disorder, is not considered an occupational disease unless accompanies by a physical injury.   This bill …

Alabama considers first responder PTSD bill Read More »

Federal workplace safety inspectors examining how a 36-year-old worker was electrocuted in a Maplesville, Alabama, paper mill in September 2022 found his employer willfully violated safety standards by not stopping a machine while the man was replacing a conveyor belt. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Friday it cited South Coast Paper LLC for failure …

OSHA says paper mill bypassed safety regulations Read More »

In 2021, 20.9% of adults in the U.S. experienced chronic pain and 6.9% experienced high-impact chronic pain that results in “substantial restriction to daily activities,” according to a report issued Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC described chronic pain as a debilitating condition that affects daily work and life …

One in five US adults suffer from chronic pain: CDC Read More »

California’s labor commissioner announced Thursday that four employees of a Los Angeles McDonald’s franchise who were fired in retaliation for expressing concerns about workplace safety hazards during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic have been reinstated to their jobs. Labor Commissioner Lilia Garcia-Brower said the business will also have to pay the workers $113,241 …

McDonald’s workers fired for raising COVID-19 concerns reinstated Read More »

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday announced updates to the prescribing information for opioid pain medicines, including new warnings on how long-term use can lead to more pain. The FDA says data shows that patients on the drug are at risk for opioid-induced hyperalgesia, which is when an opioid is prescribed and taken …

FDA plans to update opioid labels to include pain side effect Read More »

Swiss Re’s hiring of a former Axis exec as head of distribution management North America tops this week’s news. Also of note: The 2023 Atlantic basin hurricane season is expected to be slightly less active than average. Source link