Things you should know

Deadline to submit pay data to EEOC extended

A federal court judge has granted the EEOC's request to extend the deadline for employers to report equal pay data (known as Component 2) of the EEO-1 to September 30, 2019. Notice has been posted on the EEOC website.

Preventing falls in construction: NIOSH issues fact sheet

NIOSH has published a new fact sheet intended to help construction employers and workers prevent falls from roofs, ladders, and scaffolds.

FMCSA webpage answers FAQs on upcoming database of CMV drivers who fail drug, alcohol tests

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has created a webpage that outlines specifics of the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, a national online database intended to provide - in real time - the names of commercial motor vehicle drivers who have failed drug and alcohol tests.

'Dirty Dozen' list of workplace safety violators released

The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (NCOSH) released its 2019 "dirty dozen" companies that the organization says failed to protect workers from preventable illness, injury and death.

This year's list includes:

• Amazon.com Inc., Seattle
• Atlantic Capes Fisheries Co., Cape May, New Jersey, and the staffing firm it uses, B.J.'s Service Co Inc., New Bedford, Massachusetts
• Bedrock Detroit LLC, Detroit
• Beiza Brothers Harvesting LLC, Moultrie, Georgia
• Facebook Inc., Menlo Park, California, along with contractors Accenture PLC, Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp., PRO Unlimited Inc. and Tech Solutions Co.
• Genan Inc., Houston
• Integra Health Management Inc., Timonium, Maryland
• The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore
• McDonald's USA LLC, Oak Brook, Illinois
• Purdue Pharmaceuticals LP, Stamford, Connecticut, and the opioid industry
• Tooma Enterprises Inc., Sterling Heights, Michigan
• XPO Logistics, Greenwich, Connecticut

Report on women and safety in the workplace

The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) released a report on women and safety in the modern workplace. The report focuses on three main challenges faced by women and offers potential solutions.

WCRI releases comp state trends reports

The 18 states in the CompScope report are Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.

According to an article in Business Insurance, key findings include:

• The median indemnity costs per claim across the states for three years starting in 2015 was $17,778, with North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Georgia ranked in the top three and Wisconsin, Indiana and Texas in the bottom three.
• The median cost per claim with more than seven days lost time between 2015 and 2018 was $41,888, with Louisiana, Pennsylvania and Virginia ranked in the top three and Minnesota, Tennessee and Texas in the bottom three.
• The median medical payments per claim in 2017 was $13,524, with Wisconsin, Virginia, and Indiana ranked in the top three and Massachusetts, California and Texas ranked in the bottom three.
• Twenty-nine percent was the median percentage of 2015 claims with more than seven days of lost time and 36 months of experience that had a defense attorney involved. Among the states with the highest attorney involvement were Illinois, New Jersey and California. Those with the lowest were Texas, Wisconsin and Minnesota.

New resource to help employers understand mental health issues

The DOL, in coordination with the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and its Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN), has launched a new resource, Mental Health Toolkit to help employers better understand mental health issues and to provide guidance on how to cultivate a supportive workplace.

Workers' marijuana use major contributor to rise in positive drug tests, analysis shows

The rate of positive drug tests for illicit substances among U.S. workers in 2018 reached a 14-year peak, with marijuana playing a significant role, according to the annual Drug Testing Index from lab services provider Quest Diagnostics.

Researchers found that 4.4% of the combined U.S. workforce tested positive - up from 4.2% in 2017 and 2016 and the highest since 2004 when the rate was 4.5%. "Post-accident" positive tests showed rate increases: to 8.4% from 7.7% in 2017 among employees in the general workforce, and to 4.7% from 3.1% among workers in safety-sensitive jobs.

Boom lift scenario now part of NIOSH simulation tool

NIOSH has added a boom lift scenario to its Aerial Lift Hazard Recognition Simulator.

The training tool includes a scissor lift operation simulation, provides realistic workplace scenarios "to help potential aerial lift operators acclimate to aerial lift operation and to identify the common occupational hazards during use," but is not intended to be a replacement for required training.

Protecting first responders from fentanyl exposure: NIOSH releases video

NIOSH has released a 13-minute video intended to protect first responders who face potential exposure to fentanyl - a synthetic opioid considered up to 50 times more potent than heroin - and other illicit drugs.

State News

California

• The number of independent medical review determination letters calling for review of treatment denials and modifications peaked to 184,733 in 2018, 7.3% more than in 2017 according to the California Workers' Compensation Research Institute. Full report.
• 55% of medical bill reviews were overturned according to a report by the California Department of Industrial Relations.
• The Workers' Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau determined that the modest improvement in pure premium workers' compensation rates so far in 2019 does not warrant a midyear filing.

New York

• The New York State Workers' Compensation Board announced that the maximum weekly wage benefit rate will climb, from $905 to $934, effective July 1.

Pennsylvania

• Insurance Commissioner approved a nearly 13% reduction in loss costs for workers compensation insurance.