The President signs the Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I want to thank everybody who is here because they all did outstanding work to help us get this legislation completed.

As you know, I think all Americans feel we have a moral, sacred duty towards our men and women in uniform. They protect our freedom, and it’s our obligation to do right by them. This bill takes another important step in fulfilling that commitment.

I want to thank the members of Congress who helped to make this happen. It is going to have immediate impact. It is going to improve access to health care, streamline services in the VA. It expands support for veterans who are homeless.

There are two parts to the bill, though, that I especially want to highlight. First of all, this bill ends a decade-long struggle for those who serve at Camp Lejeune. Some of the veterans and their families who were based in Camp Lejeune in the years when the water was contaminated will now have access to extended medical care. And, sadly, this act alone will not bring back those we’ve lost, including Jane Ensminger, but it will honor their memory by making a real difference for those who are still suffering.

The second part of this bill that I want to highlight -- prohibit protesting within 300 feet of military funerals during the two hours before and two hours after a service. I supported this step as a senator. I am very pleased to be signing this bill into law. The graves of our veterans are hallowed ground. And obviously we all defend our Constitution and the First Amendment and free speech, but we also believe that when men and women die in the service of their country and are laid to rest, it should be done with the utmost honor and respect.

So I’m glad that Congress passed this bill and I hope that we can continue to do some more good bipartisan work in protecting our veterans. I’ve been advocating, for example, for a veterans job corps that could help provide additional opportunities for the men and women who are coming home as we’re winding down our operations in Afghanistan and having ended the war in Iraq. And so this is a good sign of a bipartisan spirit that I’m sure is going to carry through all the way to Election Day and beyond.

With that, I’m going to sign the bill. Make sure I sign the right place, though.

(The bill is signed.)

There you go. Congratulations, everybody. Good work. Thank you very much.

More about Camp Lejuene

Workers' Compensation: Camp Lejeune Veterans Act

Jul 21, 2012

C.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, announced that the Honoring America's Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012, H.R. 1627 a bill that improves services and care for ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Workers' Compensation: Camp Lejeune Toxic Exposure

Feb 18, 2010

Newly reported information is now demonstrating that the water at Camp Lejeune NC military base may have been contaminated as a result of a toxic spill. Marines, sailors, their families and other civilian contractors may be ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

ATSDR Health Survey of Pre-1986 Personnel at Camp Lejeune

May 28, 2011

During June--December 2011, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry will conduct a health survey of persons who resided or worked at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina before 1986 and ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

VA Outlines New Policy to Address Burn Pit Hazards

May 08, 2010

(5) contaminated drinking water at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina; and (6) pollutants from a waste incinerator near the Naval Air Facility (NAF) at Atsugi, Japan. It is imperative that regional office personnel are aware of these ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

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Transportation Injuries Continue to Dominate Workplace Fatalities

Workplace injuries involving transportation continue to be major contributing factors to fatalities in the United States. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported preliminary data for 2011 reflecting that transportation incidents were involved in 41% of fatalities at work.

Click here to read more on this topic from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

More about the fatalities and workplace

OSHA Proposes New Reporting Rules for Amputations and Fatalities

Jun 23, 2011

OSHA's new proposed rule require employers to report to OSHA, within eight hours, all work-related fatalities and all work-related in-patient hospitalizations; and within 24 hours, all work-related amputations. The current ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Workers' Compensation: Workplace Fatalities Decline Significantly ...

Aug 21, 2009

Workplace Fatalities Decline Significantly in 2008. Key findings of the 2008 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries: - Fatal work injuries in the private construction sector in 2008 declined by 20 percent from the updated 2007 ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Labor Day: Miller Launches Map of Workplace Fatalities

Sep 01, 2007

This Labor Day, Let's Redouble Effort to Improve Worker Safety, Says Chairman Miller Miller also launches interactive map of workplace fatalities. WASHINGTON, D.C. - To honor America's workers this Labor Day, the country...

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CDC Urges Employers to Prohibit Cell Phone Use While Driving

Apr 29, 2011

The US Centers of Disease Control (CDC) released its annual census of work related fatalities and identified cell phone use as a major cause of employee deaths. CDC urged employers to prohibit texting while driving.

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

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US Supreme Court Looks at Intoxication Proof Issues

The US Supreme Court has granted certiorari in a case that will have critical imposrtance to proof of intoxication defense in many workers' compensation claims. (Missouri v. McNeely) The issue is whether a law enforcement officer may obtain a nonconsensual and warrantless blood sample from a drunk driver under the exigent circumstances exception to the Fourth Amendment warrant requirement based upon the natural dissipation of alcohol in the bloodstream.

Blood samples taken warrantlessly  are notoriously utilized by the defense to establish bood levels of alcohol in the defense of workers' compensation injuries.  Many workers' compensation statutes provide for defense of intoxication to work related accidents. Some states require intoxication to be the sole and proximate cause of the work related accident in order to defeat the claim.

US Supreme Court Docket
No. 11-1425
Title:
Missouri, Petitioner
v.
Tyler G. McNeely

Docketed: May 25, 2012
Lower Ct: Supreme Court of Missouri

Case Nos.: (SC 91850)
Decision Date: January 17, 2012
Rehearing Denied: March 6, 2012

~~~Date~~~ ~~~~~~~Proceedings and Orders~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
May 22 2012 Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due June 25, 2012)
Jun 8 2012 Order extending time to file response to petition to and including July 25, 2012.
Jul 25 2012 Brief of respondent Tyler G. McNeely in opposition filed.
Aug 8 2012 DISTRIBUTED for Conference of September 24, 2012.
Aug 14 2012 Reply of petitioner Missouri filed. (Distributed)
Sep 25 2012 Petition GRANTED.

---

~~Name~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~	~~~~~~~Address~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~	~~Phone~~~
Attorneys for Petitioner:
John N. Koester Jr.	Cape Girardeau County, Missouri 100 Court Street	(573)-243-2430
Counsel of Record	100 Court Street
	Suite 204
	Jackson, MO  63755
	jnkoester@capecounty.us
Party name: Missouri
Attorneys for Respondent:
Steven R. Shapiro	American Civil Liberties Union Foundation	(212) 549-2500
Counsel of Record	125 Broad Street
	New York, NY  10004
	sshapiro@aclu.org
Party name: Tyler G. McNeely

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Sleeping On The Job - New Strategies for Sleeping

Everyone agrees that sleep is import and the that the lack of it causes an increase in accidents on the job. The puzzling question is whether it is the quality of sleep that counts and not the quantity, and whether an individual requires a straight block of eigh hours or rather smaller "blocks" of sleep to accomplish the rest one needs to be alert on the job.

Today David K. Randall, a senior reporter at Reuters and author of "Dreamland: The Stange Science of Sleep," writes in the NY Times that employers who allow their employees to nap o the job maybe achieving healthy benefits through higher quality of sleep.

"No one argues that sleep is not essential. But freeing ourselves from needlessly rigid and quite possibly outdated ideas about what constitutes a good night’s sleep might help put many of us to rest, in a healthy and productive, if not eight-hour long, block."

Click here to read "Rethinking Sleep" (nytimes.com)

More about sleeping and job safety

Long Hours Linked To Health Problems And Lower Productivity

Sep 19, 2012

Take care of your health by getting enough sleep and exercise. Sleep is your brain's downtime. Research shows that during sleep, your brain uses the opportunity to process thoughts and information that it receives during ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Falling Asleep On The Job: Insufficient Sleep Is A Compensable ...

Mar 02, 2012

During March 5–11, 2012, National Sleep Awareness Week will be observed in the United States. The National Sleep Foundation recommends that U.S. adults receive, on average, 7–9 hours of sleep per night (1); however, ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Canada To Study the Health Effects of Wind Turbines

Jul 18, 2012

The research design includes a computer-assisted personal interview using a questionnaire consisting of modules that probe endpoints such as noise annoyance, quality of life, sleep quality, stress, chronic illnesses and ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Commercial Driver Fatigue Questioned as a Pre-exisiting Condition?

Mar 09, 2010

If a sleep disorder can be identified and documented, that condition maybe determined to be a pre-exisiting medical condition. Apart from the third party liability that could be imposed upon an employer for identification and...

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OSHA cites Jersey City, NJ, company for workplace safety and health hazards at Kearny warehouse

Forklift injuries produce serious workers' compensation claims, so it is no surprise that the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration  (OSHA) is acutely concerned about forklift safety rule violations.

OSHA has cited Continental Terminals Inc., based in Jersey City, with 18 alleged safety and health violations at the company's warehouse in Kearney. OSHA initiated an inspection upon receiving a complaint. Proposed fines total $162,400.

Citations carrying $98,000 in penalties have been issued for two willful violations that involve permitting employees to ride on the forks of forklifts and a failure to provide fall protection on platforms. A willful violation is one committed with intentional knowing or voluntary disregard for the law's requirements, or with plain indifference to worker safety and health.

Fifteen serious violations include locked or sealed emergency exit doors, improperly labeled doors, the improper storage of liquid propane tanks, unsanitary restrooms, unsafe material storage, unauthorized personnel being allowed to ride on powered industrial trucks, powered industrial trucks left unattended with a load raised and the engine running, not taking power industrial trucks out of service when in need of repair, permitting employees to operate a compactor without guards or an interlock in place and exposing employees to live electrical parts. The violations also include failing to implement a hazard communication program, provide training or material safety data sheets to employees handling hazardous chemicals, have a continual and effective hearing conservation program for employees exposed to noise at 85 decibels or greater as a time-weighted average, have a noise monitoring program for employees exposed to 85 decibels or greater, have an audiometric testing program for employees exposed to noise and provide auxiliary directional lighting on powered industrial trucks for areas where the general lighting was less than two lumens per square foot. The citations carry $64,400 in penalties.

One other-than-serious violation is failing to provide Appendix D of the respiratory protection standard to employees who voluntarily wear filtering face piece respirators. This citation does not carry a penalty.

"These violations reflect the company's lax attitude toward workplace safety and health," said Kris Hoffman, director of OSHA's Parsippany Area Office. "Without the proper safeguards in place, employees are vulnerable to accidents that can cause injuries and even death."

The citations can be viewed at: http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/ContinentalTerminals_444574_0914_12.pdf* andhttp://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/ContinentalTerminals_281192_0914_12.pdf*.

Continental Terminals, with 10 employees at its Kearny warehouse, has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference with the OSHA area director, or contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency's Parsippany office at 973-263-1003. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov

Read more about forklift safety issues

Acetone Explosion Results in $917000 OSHA Fine for

Sep 13, 2011

In addition, the company did not ensure that a forklift and electrical equipment, such as a light fixture, switches and a motor, were approved for use in Class 1 hazardous locations where flammable gases or vapors are present.

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Workers' Compensation: Trucking Companies Under OSHA Scrutiny

Jun 21, 2012

... include failing to perform a personal protective equipment hazard assessment; provide an eyewash station for workers exposed to corrosive chemicals; provide fire extinguisher training; provide training for forklift operators; ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Workers' Compensation: Requests to Preserve Evidence Must be ...

Jan 24, 2010

An attorney for an injured worker quickly requested that a potentially defective forklift be preserved, but did not hastily have an expert conduct a physical inspection. Ciapinski v Crown Equipment Corp., 2010 WL 183903 (N.J. ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

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Long Hours Linked To Health Problems And Lower Productivity

Guest Post by Deborah Kohl 
of the Massachusetts Bar

Many people are surprised to learn that mental disability claims due to workplace stress are compensable by workers’ compensation. Unfortunately, claims like these are on the rise as people work longer hours and feel the pressure of an increasingly competitive working environment. Recent studies on mental health and the workplace have led researchers to discover that, over time, conditions such as extended working hours and long periods of solitary work can lead to decreased productivity, anxiety, and even major depression.

Employers can create conditions that are more supportive of mental health by taking simple steps like allowing workers to take breaks where socializing is permitted.

While it may seem initially counter-intuitive, studies show that in the long run, policies like these can lead to a more productive workplace. Here are a few tips workers can use to stay mentally healthy at work:

• Form friendships in the workplace. A positive relationship with even a single colleague can make a big difference in combating loneliness and depression. A friend at your office could provide an ear when you really need to release some steam or just take a mental break from an intense task.

• That said, make a distinction between work and leisure, and make time for social activities outside the workplace. If at all possible, don’t skip holiday breaks. Take your vacation time; getting away from work for a few days at a time often revitalizes, and gives you a better perspective on things.

• Take care of your health by getting enough sleep and exercise. Sleep is your brain’s downtime. Research shows that during sleep, your brain uses the opportunity to process thoughts and information that it receives during your waking hours—which is why you often think better and more clearly after a good night’s rest. Meanwhile, regular exercise helps you produce and release hormones that improve your sense of well-being, plus it boosts  blood supply to the brain and other important organs.

Attorney Deborah G. Koh has focused her professional energies on workers’ compensation and disability law in Massachusetts through her over 30 years in practice. She is an active lecturer and author in the field, and has held several prestigious leadership positions, including serving as president of the Workers Injury and Law Advocacy Group. She is perennial listed in the publication Best Lawyers In America. Photo Credit: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Read more about "workplace stress"

Workers' Compensation: Overwork A Recognized Compensable ...

Jul 06, 2012

The Japanesse courts have coined "overwork" as a soaring compensable mental health condition based on depression cause by adverse work conditions. The worldwide economic downturn has resulted in more demanding ...

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Workers' Compensation: The James Zadroga 9/11 Health ...

Feb 16, 2011

... among those identified WTC-related listed conditions including a number of “aerodigestive” disorders, listed mental health conditions, and musculoskeletal disorders occurring during the rescue or recovery efforts, and (2) a ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Medical Monitoring Available Under the Zadroga 9-11 Health ...

May 08, 2011

Mental Health Conditions New onset or aggravation of pre-existing conditions for which clinical findings suggest onset is related to WTC exposure/injury: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); Major Depressive Disorder ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Workplace Stress Labeled Black Death of the 21st Century

Oct 09, 2011

A link between job security and mental health problems is also revealed in the survey. Employers planning to make redundancies in the next six months are significantly more likely to report an increase in mental health ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

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New Jersey's Next Step: Adopt A Medical Fee Schedule

As the NJ Senate Labor Committee gets ready to hold hearings this week on medical billing in New Jersey, lingering in the background is when and how a medical fee schedule will ultimately be implemented.   David DePaolo, President & CEO of WorkCompCentral.com,  makes the case today on why New Jersey has to take the next step now and adopt a medical fee schedule for workers' compensation claims.

"New Jersey could take a lesson from other, bigger, states that have already dealt with this issue. Texas long ago adopted not only a medical fee schedule, but an out of court, nearly binding medical bill dispute resolution process separate and apart from the claimant's case in chief."

Click here to read: New Jersey, Balance Billing and Fee Schedules

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Governor Brown to Sign Workers' Compensation Legislation Tomorrow

Governor Brown to Sign Workers' Compensation Legislation Tomorrow 9-17-2012

Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. will be joined by Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, Speaker John Perez and business and labor leaders tomorrow in San Diego and Burbank, where he will give remarks and sign legislation to implement historic reforms to workers' compensation in California.

San Diego
When: Tomorrow, Tuesday, September 18, 2012 at 9:30 a.m.
Where: Diego & Son Printing Inc., 2104 National Avenue, San Diego, CA 92113

**Note: This event is open to credentialed media. Media attending should be on-site by 9:00 a.m.

Also read:
Brown to sign Calif. workers' compensation fixes (CBS)

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Worker-less Work: The Robots Are Coming

Jobs are no longer safe and secure and this is leading to temporary position where greater burdens and risks are placed upon the worker. As technology increases and more robots are placed into the workforce,  human labor is valued less and workers have become disposable commodities a recent report in Hazards reveals.

“The majority of the world’s workforce is informal and is in an extremely precarious position,” the 2008 report of a World Health Organisation (WHO) commission on social determinants of health observed. It noted: “The global dominance of precarious work, with its associated insecurities, has contributed significantly to poor health and health inequities.”

Click here to read Trashed! Deadly depression as precarious work becomes the norm

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Canada Concedes Asbestos is Dangerous-Now It Needs to Ban Asbestos Entirely

Canada's Industry Minister announced yesterday that the country would finally concede to international pressure and label asbestos that it exports as a health hazard. Now Canada, and the United States, need to take the next step and impose a universal ban against the use and sale of asbestos products.

Asbestos is a known carcinogen and causally related to mesothelioma and lung cancer. For decades asbestos was mined and exported from the Province of Quebec.

Click here to read Ottawa does U-turn on asbestos mining (Globe & Mail)

Read More About "Ban Asbestos"

Asbestos Ban In Canada Gets Boast - Parti Quebecois Wins Election!

Sep 04, 2012

The Canadian Journal of Medicine had also endorsed a ban on Canadian asbestos production. "Canada's government must put an end to this death-dealing charade. Canada must immediately drop its opposition to placing .

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Asbestos Ban In Canada Gets Boast - Parti Quebecois Wins Election! Sep 04, 2012. The Canadian Journal of Medicine had also endorsed a ban on Canadian asbestos production. ... The US has yet to ban asbestos .

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Aug 06, 2012

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