South Dakota puts brakes on workers’ comp proposal
- A South Dakota committee paused on a proposal that would require injured workers to receive information from case managers to their medical providers.
- The main issue is how workers will communicate with health providers regarding the compensability, causation, or entitlement to workers’ comp benefits.
- Opponents argued that nurse case managers who are supposed to be neutral parties between insurance companies and injured workers are in practice often working on behalf of insurance companies.
- These nurse case managers sometimes share the same resources as insurer claim handlers and could manipulate a claim to the benefit of insurance companies.
Proposal for more record-keeping for workers injuries
- OSHA is proposing new rules across numerous industries that would require employers to keep additional recordkeeping and reporting obligations.
- OSHA proposed an amendment to its injury and illness tracking rule that requires employers to file illness and injury data with the agency each year.
- The tracking rule was first implemented in 2016 and required reporting of fatalities, hospitalizations, and other serious injuries.
- The requirement is for all covered employers with 250 or more workers, and for employers with 20-249 employees in certain “high hazard industries.”
Ohio manufacturer faces $350,000 in fines
- An Ohio aluminum vehicle parts manufacturer cited for safety and health violations after a worker in Ravenna suffered fatal injuries in 2021 faces more penalties.
- OSHA found General Aluminum Mfg. Co.’s facility in Conneaut exposed workers to similar machine hazards when the agency served warrants on Jan. 3, 2022.
- Inspectors found machines at the plant lacked adequate machine guarding and workers were exposed to amputation and caught-in hazards.
- OSHA assessed $315,952 in proposed penalties following the inspection.
Worker partially loses arm in Alabama
- A State Docks worker had his arm partially torn off in an accident near Mobile, Ala.
- The man suffered the injury in a forklift accident, according to Mobile Fire-Rescue.
- The victim was taken to a local hospital and his status is uncertain.
- Investigators have not released any other information about the accident.