Workers’ Comp Bill Moves Forward

March 22, 2024

Maryland moves forward workers’ comp hearing loss bill

  • A bill to expand existing eligibility for workers’ compensation related to hearing loss to include tinnitus as a presumption eligible for workers’ compensation benefits passed the House and Senate chambers in Maryland.
  • The measure would reform the current calculations of the severity of hearing loss for benefits calculations.
  • The current calculations include common-sense age-based deductions to account for natural, age-induced hearing loss; this bill would negate that.
  • During the legislative process, both versions of the bill were amended to remove the tinnitus presumption, alleviating some financial implications and concerns for county governments as employers are subject to workers’ compensation hearing loss claims.
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NYC must post the Workers’ Bill of Rights

  • By July 1, 2024, employers in New York City are required to post and provide their employees with a “Workers’ Bill of Rights.”
  • The Workers’ Bill of Rights is meant to serve as a comprehensive document detailing the rights and protections under federal, state, and local law that applies to employees, prospective employees, or independent contractors.
  • The Workers’ Bill of Rights contains guidance regarding paid sick and safe leave, temporary schedule changes, fast food worker rights, and a safe and healthy workplace, among other issues.
  • Employers who fail to comply with their obligations to post or distribute the poster could face a civil penalty of $500 for each violation.
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Oregon to host extensive workers’ comp conference

  • The Oregon Workers’ Compensation Division is hosting the 21st annual Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference, a two-day event ripe for knowledge-sharing, networking, and skill-refreshing for those in the workers’ compensation sector.
  • The conference is set to take place May 9-10 at the Holiday Inn Portland – Columbia Riverfront on 909 N. Hayden Island Drive,.
  • The conference covers claim filing, dispute resolution, return-to-work programs, and the ever-crucial topic of mental health in the workplace.
  • The conference will also host a panel talk on common workplace compensation scenarios.
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Oklahoma worker suffers fatal asphyxiation 

  • An Oklahoma City employer’s failure to follow federal safety procedures left a 30-year-old worker suffering fatal asphyxiation as they tried to make repairs inside a water tank at a McClain County wellsite in September 2023, a federal investigation has found.
  • OSHA determined the worker had entered a permit-required confined space to fix a leaking bulkhead valve in a production tank and then lost consciousness.
  • Two co-workers entered the tank in a failed rescue attempt and suffered effects from exposure to low atmospheric conditions.
  • The U.S. Labor Dept. investigators found the employer, C&M Roustabout Services LLC, failed to evaluate the tank for hazardous conditions and proposed $103,232 in penalties for its violations.
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