Workers’ comp bill for vaccine injuries heads to Idaho House
Employees injured by mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations would be eligible for workers’ compensation payments under legislation that advanced to the Idaho House floor Monday. The bill applies specifically to workers who are required to get the COVID-19 vaccine by their employer, and who later suffer some type of adverse reaction, according to one of its sponsors; it does not matter whether they wanted the vaccine in the first place, or only got it to keep their job. Spokesman-Review (Spokane, Wash.)
Bridge worker sues over injuries he suffered when pilings crushed him
A 51-year-old Maine man who was permanently disabled, including being blinded, 18 months ago when he was crushed by 10,500 pounds of metal pilings while working on Interstate 95 has sued a highway contractor, alleging that unsafe working conditions caused his injuries. Fed-OSHA cited the contractor for violating conditions in stacking the piles, the lawsuit said. The company admitted to the violation and paid a fine of nearly $27,000. Bangor Daily News
Can I use the bathroom? The answer for truckers is often ‘No’
Lack of access to restrooms at locations where drivers pick up or drop off their loads is a common problem commercial truck drivers face, according to drivers and driver advocates. Operators often “hide behind liability” as a reason not to loosen restroom restrictions, according to the director of state regulatory affairs for the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, or say drivers have a history of trashing bathrooms, a charge that driver advocates said unfairly singles out drivers for behavior that could be attributable to any restroom user. FreightWaves
Bill to protect Florida’s outdoor employees from extreme heat moves forward
An initiative by an immigrant advocacy group is attempting secure protections against heat for employees who work outdoors, via a bill that passed in January in the Florida Senate Agriculture Committee by unanimous vote. The bill requires employers to put in place heat-exposure safety programs that offer preventive measures for employees against heat, like access to sufficient, free drinking water as close as possible to the workplace; those who show mild to moderate heat illness must be pulled out of work and evaluated to see whether medical attention is needed. Miami Herald