Things you should know

EEOC ordered to reconsider wellness rules

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's (EEOC's) rules about the fees employers can assess workers who do not participate in wellness programs were ruled arbitrary by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Aug. 22. Rather than vacate the rules, the court sent them back to the agency for redrafting. The court's decision does not vacate the EEOC rules and employers are obligated to comply with existing rules, but should be alert to future changes.

Work conditions 'unpleasant, potentially hazardous' for more than half of Americans: study

Nearly 55 percent of American workers claim they encounter "unpleasant and potentially hazardous" conditions on the job, according to a study from nonprofit research institute RAND Corp., Harvard Medical School, and the University of California, Los Angeles. Nearly 1 in 5 workers reported exposure to a "hostile or threatening social environment at work" and 1 in 4 said they do not have enough time to complete job tasks.

National survey on fatigue indicates it is a hidden, but potentially deadly workplace epidemic

Some 43 percent of Americans say they do not get enough sleep to mitigate critical risks that can jeopardize safety at work and on the roads, including the ability to think clearly, make informed decisions, and be productive, according to a new National Safety Council survey-based report, Fatigue in the Workplace: Causes & Consequences of Employee Fatigue. An estimated 13 percent of workplace injuries could be attributed to fatigue.

CDC launches website on worker wellness programs

To help employers start or expand employee health promotion programs, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has created the Workplace Health Resource Center website.

New app from NIOSH: Lifting Equation Calculator

In an effort to prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders, NIOSH has released a mobile app based on the Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation, an internationally recognized standard for safe manual lifting.

Updated ergo guide from NIOSH offers strategies for preventing MSDs

The NIOSH Musculoskeletal Disorders Research Program has updated its guidance document on the formation and function of ergonomics programs. Intended for both workers and employers, it provides strategies for identifying and correcting ergonomic hazards, as well as references, forms and questionnaires.

Guide offers best practices for safely using bleach to clean and sanitize

A new safety guide published by the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Occupational and Environmental Medicine Division offers best practices for workers exposed to bleach, including janitors, housekeepers, environmental engineers, and hospital, restaurant, maintenance and agricultural workers.

FMCSA, FRA withdraw rulemaking on sleep apnea

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration have withdrawn an advance notice of proposed rulemaking on obstructive sleep apnea. "The agencies ... believe that current safety programs and FRA's rulemaking addressing fatigue risk management are the appropriate avenues to address OSA," FMCSA and FRA stated in a notice published in the Aug. 4 Federal Register.

Operation Safe Driver Week set for mid-October

Law enforcement officers are expected to keep a particularly sharp eye on the roads Oct. 15-21 during the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance's Operation Safe Driver Week. Officers will be looking for commercial motor vehicle and passenger vehicle drivers engaging in dangerous behaviors such as speeding, texting, following too closely and not wearing seat belts.

Opioids updates

• One in 12 US physicians received a payment involving an opioid during a 29-month study of pharmaceutical industry influences on opioid prescribing, according to researchers who will publish their findings in September's American Journal of Public Health. During the study, 375,266 non-research opioid-related payments were made to 68,177 physicians, totaling $46,158,388.
• A study from the Worker's Compensation Research Institute examines the prevalence and trends of longer-term dispensing of opioids in 26 state workers' compensation systems. It also documents how often the services (i.e., drug testing, psychological evaluation, and treatment, etc.) recommended by treatment guidelines were used for managing chronic opioid therapy.

Study casts doubts on effectiveness of marijuana in combatting chronic pain

Research funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs was published on the Annals of Internal Medicine website. Limited evidence suggests that cannabis may alleviate neuropathic pain in some patients, but insufficient evidence exists for other types of chronic pain. There was also sufficient evidence to conclude that cannabis use among the general population probably increased the risk of car accidents, psychotic symptoms, and short-term cognitive impairment. It was noted more research is needed.

CSB releases animated video on Louisiana refinery fire

The Chemical Safety Board has released an animated video that examines the cause of last year's ExxonMobil refinery fire, which severely burned four workers in Baton Rouge, LA.

State News

California

• New regulations aimed at preventing incidents such as the 2012 Chevron Corp. fire at oil refineries will take effect Oct. 1.
• Ratings bureau proposes small workers' comp premium increase for 2018.
• Workers' comp bill safeguarding pregnant women put on hold.

Florida

• NCCI recommends comp premium decrease of 9.6% effective Jan. 1, 2018.

Illinois

• The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) recommends a 10.9% workers' compensation premium rate decrease for Illinois.
• Governor vetoes state-funded comp insurance plan.

Minnesota

• Effective August 1, patients with post-traumatic stress disorder can purchase medical marijuana.
• Department of Labor and Industry adopted the final rule from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration about walking-working surfaces and personal fall-protection systems.

New York

• Employers should prepare to comply with the Paid Family Leave that goes into effect Jan. 1, 2018.

Pennsylvania

• The Compensation Rating Bureau filed an emergency 6.06% loss cost increase in the wake of a state Supreme Court decision that blocks impairment rating evaluations.