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Back to Basics is a weekly feature that highlights important but possibly overlooked information that any EHS professional should know. This week, we examine how to control the health hazards of wildfires. Active wildfires and recovery and cleanup work following a fire pose unique hazards for workers. The health effects of wildfire smoke can range from […]
Washington State has adopted the Health Emergency Labor Standards Act (HELSA), a sweeping worker protection bill passed by the state legislature. The Act amends the state’s workers’ compensation and industrial health and safety statutes to provide automatic protections for certain workers and to impose new notification and reporting requirements on employers in the event of a public […]
As extreme heat continues to punish much of the U.S., states are enacting additional rules to require employers to increase protections for outdoor workers. One such state is Washington, which on July 13 released emergency heat exposure rules for employees exposed to extreme heat, including those working in agriculture, construction, and other outdoor industries. The […]
The Washington Department of Labor and Industries is developing a wildfire smoke standard. The department acknowledged receiving a petition to initiate a rulemaking for wildfire smoke exposures.
In a 5-to-4 decision, the Supreme Court of Washington State upheld a ruling by a lower court that found that the state’s Department of Ecology (Ecology) exceeded its statutory authority by promulgating a regulation that imposed greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards on indirect emitters of those gases. According to the majority, the “plain language” of […]
Two construction workers were severely injured by demolition robots in separate incidents, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries reported in a recent construction hazard alert.
Just a few weeks into 2019, three workers have died in Washington State, according to the state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) of the Department of Labor and Industries.
Washington is one of the safest places for worker safety and health, the state’s Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) stated Dec. 21, 2018, pointing to recently released workplace fatality figures for 2017.
A Seattle company that manufactures electronics mounting systems and other products is facing more than $250,000 in fines for multiple serious and willful worker safety and health violations discovered during three separate inspections this year.
An initiative that helps support appropriate work for those who have sustained workplace injuries has reached two important milestones. Keep reading to find out why the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) is celebrating.