MSHA

On Workers’ Memorial Day, OSHA launched an initiative to protect temporary workers. The agency sent a memorandum to regional administrators directing field inspectors to assess whether employers who use temporary workers are complying with their responsibilities under the Occupational Safety and Health Act. In recent months, OSHA has received a series of reports about temporary workers suffering fatal injuries – many during their first days on a job. OSHA has issued citations when the employer failed to provide adequate protections, including safety training.

The personal-finance website WalletHub recently unveiled its rankings of the safest U.S. states, based on 26 metrics that include crime, traffic accidents, climate disasters and workplace safety. Based on its composite score, Massachusetts ranks No. 1 on the list (although it ranks fifth in workplace safety). New Hampshire – which ranks first in workplace safety – holds the No. 2 overall spot, followed by Minnesota, Hawaii and the District of Columbia to round out the top five.