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Federal and state agencies have seen a large influx of workplace safety complaints related to the COVID-19 outbreak, and experts urge employers to create exposure control plans in case an agency comes knocking. Unlike the flu and common cold, COVID-19 is considered a recordable illness by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. “This is the busiest we’ve ever been,”…

An Arcola, Illinois-based manufacturer faces over $258,000 in penalties and numerous citations for violations of federal machine safety standards, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reported. Monahan Filaments LLC was cited after an employee suffered severe injuries. The manufacturer of synthetic filaments for brushes and brooms faces $258, 271 in penalties, and was placed in…

A nationwide shortage of N95 masks and newly relaxed standards for personal protective equipment have workers on the front lines treating coronavirus patients and medical associations both praising efforts to ramp up production and protesting federal guidance over fears that it places them at greater risk of contracting the virus. “We just do not have the quantity (of N95 masks)…

Hospital costs in workers compensation continue to decrease, likely due to fewer surgeries, changes in reimbursement and a shift from hospital in-patient care to outpatient care, according to research presented Friday at the Workers Compensation Research Institute’s 36th Annual Issue and Research Conference. “There’s a fairly steady shifting from in-patient care to outpatient care,” said Carol Telles, senior analyst at…