WNYCOSH

This study couldn't be any clearer about the effectiveness of masking as a public health measure. MASK MANDATES WORK! They don't work as PPE, they DO WORK as a PUBLIC HEALTH MITIGATION STRATEGY! #maskup

OSHA inspections and citations keep workers safe. Publicizing when employers break the rules and endanger workers makes other employers think twice about their own practices, and empowers workers to advocate for themselves and their coworkers.

We need OSHA to protect the workers who come forward to help keep themselves and their coworkers safe, especially during this pandemic. "Black and immigrant workers, and Latinx and other workers of color are fighting for their collective survival amid the COVID-19 pandemic and speaking up to defend their health and safety in frontline workplaces. Workers are doing their part and bravely demanding better conditions, but OSHA is not doing its part. A recently released NELP report, Silenced About COVID-19 in the Workplace, found that Black workers are more than twice as likely as white workers to have seen possible retaliation by their employer; they are also twice as likely as white workers to indicate having unresolved COVID-related concerns at work."

Today, WNYCOSH celebrates Indigenous Peoples Day. We acknowledge the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee and honor the sovereignty of the Six Nationsthe Mohawk, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Seneca and Tuscaroraand their land where we are situated and where the majority of our work takes place. We remember and recognize all of the past and ongoing struggles for equity and justice for Indigenous Peoples, and the foundation they create for the work we do today. ... We encourage everyone to learn more and support the work of local communities and groups. Some local groups and resources: Native American Community Services of Erie and Niagara Counties Inc. Buffalo Native Resource Center For more resources and and information: Indigenous Peoples of WNY https://ppgbuffalo.org//data-demographics-history/indigeno

Have questions about health and safety in your workplace? Check out this guide from the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health!

Things you should know about COVID-19 and work from the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health. Stay informed to protect yourself and your coworkers!

"Covid-19 is proving for many to have ongoing, debilitating consequences...The workers’ comp system will continue to be called upon to replace wages and cover medical care if people have ongoing complications. A lot of people are going to find that they’re going to have problems down the road that they didn’t anticipate, Crossett said. We’re going to be working on these cases for a long time, just like we’re working on 9/11 cases."

As we remember and honor all those who lost their lives on 9/11, we also remember the first responders, National Guard, clean-up workers, and volunteers who became sick because of their exposure to hazards and have since passed away or are still suffering today. COVID-19 has once again reminded us of the sacrifice essential workers make, while often enduring horrible working conditions and hazards to keep the rest of us safe and healthy. They deserve more.

As apple harvests begin, and other crops continue to be picked, agricultural workers are at increased risk for COVID-19. "The state Departments of Health, Labor and Agriculture and Markets put out guidance for farm owners and operators. But unlike restaurants and bars - where the state created a State Police Task Force to do sweeps of those not compiling with serving and social distance rules - worker advocates are worried that there is not the same enforcement mechanism to ensure farm and manufacturing employers are instituting the recommendations."

Happy Labor Day. This year Labor Day has been earned like no other in recent memory #whatwefightfor

After Tonawanda Coke shut down in October of 2018, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stepped in to secure the site against immediate threat to public health and the environment. The EPA concluded their work on site in March of 2020 and have created an after-action report on their work and findings at TCC now that it has been handed over to the DEC and Riverview Innovation and Technology Company. Join Clean Air Coalition online on Wednesday, August 26th at 6:30PM to he...ar more from the EPA on their work and the impact it will have on the full remediation of this site moving forward. This is an important event that will give the public more insight into the work done by the EPA, their process for emergency action at sites like Tonawanda Coke and will give an insight into their perspective on the future of this site as it goes through New York State remediation programs. You can register for the event by clicking below. See more

Safe staffing protections patients and healthcare workers!

DOL has a hearing live with testimony on the NY HERO Act