U.S. Global Change Research Program Releases 2016 Scientific Climate and Health Assessment

It is predicted that climate change exacerbates some existing health threats and creates new public health challenges. In the 2016 Climate and Health Assessment, the U.S. Global Change Research Program encompasses multiple health hazards that may be seen in the upcoming years such as: (1) Increase in temperature-related death and illness; (2) Air quality impacts—increased health impacts from wildfires; (4) Extreme events—higher exposure to projected droughts and flooding ; (5) Vector-borne diseases—change in mosquito born disease dynamics; (6) Water-related illness—runoff from extreme events would contaminate sources of drinking water; (7) Food safety, nutrition, and distribution;  (8) Mental health and well-being; and (9) Populations of concern—socioeconomic factors may amplify or influence climate-related health effects. The overall findings in this health assessment underscore the significance of the growing risk climate change poses to human health not only within the United States, but globally as well. Read more here.

Foxconn, a Case Study of a Supplier Finding New Strategies to Remain Profitable

Foxconn, a $100-billion dollar company with 100,000+ workers who manufactures parts for other companies, most notably Apple and HP.  Foxconn, as a supplier, is looking for new ways to reduce its pricing so it remains an attractive supplier to its customers as well as continuing to grow, while faced with increased pressure to improve worker health and safety conditions.  Some strategies under consideration or in implementation by Foxconn are: automation, acquiring other key suppliers to their customers, and expanding their company into areas that allow them to “climb the value chain to find new, more profitable streams of revenue”.  Foxconn maybe a “bellwether” case study of things to come in the supply chain world. Read more here.

Wal-Mart Breaks Safety Agreement—Facing 118K Fine for Repeat and Serious H&S Violations

Wal-Mart continues to endanger the safety and health of its employees despite a 2013 corporate-wide settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration to improve safety and health conditions at all of its store locations. Some serious and repeat citations include: (1) Failure to provide employees with sufficient working space to avoid contact with live electrical wires; (2) Failure to protect workers from exposure to shock and burn hazards; and (3) Failure to annually train workers designated to cleanup blood spills on the dangers of blood-borne pathogens.  The proposed penalties for the violations total $118,00.  Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has had more than 330 OSHA inspections within the past 5 years.  Read more here.

Japanese Government Releases Survey: One-Third of Women in Japan Were Sexually Harassed in the Workplace.

Economists have said for years that Japan needs to make better use of its well-educated but underemployed women. Out of those who responded to the survey, 29 percent said they had suffered sexual harassment. The most common type of harassment was having their appearance or age become the focus of conversation, at 54 percent; this was followed by the next most common type of harassment—unwanted touching at 40 percent. This study did not propose any specific measures for how the situation could be fixed, such as stiffer penalties for harassment or discrimination. The women advancement policy of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe encourages some of Japan’s biggest firms to announce targets for boosting the number of female executives in the workforce. The goal of these proposed policies demand that 30% of leadership positions in Japan are held by women by 2020. Read more here.

A Marriott Hotel in Washington, D.C. Faces a $76k Fine After Exposing Employees to More Than Two Dozen Workplace Safety and Health Hazards.

Multiple hazards have been identified by OSHA inspectors—12 serious and 14 other-than-serious violations. Some of these serious violations include: Inadequate personal protective equipment for employees working with chemical products, failure to report a worker hospitalization to OSHA within 24 hours, and fall hazards as high as four feet. The director of OSHA's Baltimore Washington Area Office has commented on these violations, stating that "employers have a legal responsibility to protect workers on the job. Anything less is unacceptable." Read more here.