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FEATURED NEWS
2026-06-04T05:00:00Z
NewsHuman Resource ManagementHuman Resource ManagementDiseases and illnessesIn-Depth ArticleHR ManagementEnglishHuman ResourcesIndustry NewsInfectious DiseasesSafety & HealthInfectious DiseasesGeneral Industry SafetyModel Infectious Disease StandardsHR GeneralistAssociate RelationsFocus AreaUSA
Pandemic memories among the hantavirus outbreak
Headlines about the hantavirus outbreak, particularly the Andes virus, might stir up unpleasant memories of the COVID-19 pandemic for employers and employees. To date, however, no cases of the Andes virus have been confirmed in the U.S.
While post-pandemic angst might be real, this outbreak isn’t like the COVID-19 pandemic, and the overall risk to the American public and travelers (including employees who travel for work) is extremely low. Therefore, employers have no current reason to take any pandemic-like actions. Even though the Andes virus is the first hantavirus to spread between humans, it doesn’t spread easily from person-to-person like a respiratory virus, such as COVID-19, does.
The hantavirus spread is rare and usually limited to people who have close contact with the ill person. This includes direct physical contact, prolonged time spent in close or enclosed spaces, and exposure to the sick person's body fluids.
Recent spread
The Andes virus outbreak began when it was reported in early May, when cruise ship passengers contracted the virus.
The afflicted passengers are at the Nebraska Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center for assessment and will be monitored for 42 days (roughly until June 13). According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), signs and symptoms of the Andes virus appear 4–42 days after exposure. Seven passengers who returned from the cruise early are at home being monitored by their state and local health officials. The CDC is also conducting a contact investigation with the passengers’ applicable state or local health departments.
What are hantaviruses and what should employers know?
According to the CDC:
Hantaviruses are a family of viruses that can cause serious illnesses and death.
- Rodents primarily transmit hantaviruses, which cause potentially deadly diseases.
- The Andes virus is the only hantavirus known to spread person-to-person.
- Early symptoms can look like the flu.
- The Andes virus is not new and is normally found in areas of South America.
There is no specific treatment for hantavirus infection. Patients should receive supportive care, including rest, hydration, and treatment of symptoms.
Andes virus risk-reduction steps are similar to those used during the COVID-19 pandemic. Employers can enhance cleaning protocols, respiratory protection, ventilation, and workplace policies to reduce the risk of hantavirus. Employers can also take steps to control rodents in the workplace, particularly for employees with potential exposure to rodents.
As with any illness, employers can also encourage employees to stay home when they feel ill.
Key to remember: Currently, employers don’t have to worry about a hantavirus outbreak among employees in the U.S.
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RECENT INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHTS
2026-06-04T05:00:00Z
NewsProtective SystemsRecordkeepingSafety & HealthChange NoticesConstruction SafetyChange NoticeExcavationsRecordkeepingWashingtonEnglishFocus AreaCompetent Person
Washington amends trenching and excavation rule
Effective date: June 1, 2026
This applies to: Construction employers in Washington state
Description of change: Washington has adopted amendments to chapter 296-155 WAC, Safety standard for construction work, Part N, Excavation, trenching, and shoring, to require an employer’s written work plan to include details on appropriate risk analysis prior to any work that requires a protective system. The adopted rule:
- Creates a standalone definition section and adds a new definition of "work plan."
- Requires a competent person to remain onsite during all trenching and excavation work.
- Requires completion of a written trench excavation work plan (provided on the L&I website) for any trench excavation that requires a protective system under WAC 296-154-657 (1)(a). Employers may also create their own work plan that meets the criteria outlined in the rule.
- Addresses recordkeeping and training requirements of the trench excavation work plan.
Regulatory citation: New WAC 296-155-652; and amending WAC 296-155-650 and 296-155-655
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2026-06-04T05:00:00Z
NewsIndustry NewsIndustry NewsFleet SafetyAnnual inspections - Motor CarrierCMV Parts and MaintenanceFocus AreaMaintenance and periodic inspectionsUSAEnglishBrakesVehicle maintenanceTransportationCMV Inspections
Stop right there! Brake Safety Week is near
Everyone’s favorite 7-day brake safety event has been announced for August 23–29 this year, meaning it’s time to start getting your vehicles and drivers inspection-ready!
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) hosts Brake Safety Week, a week-long inspection and compliance enforcement event, each year to offer brake-safety awareness and to collect important brake-related data.
Drum and rotor focus
The focus this year is on drums and rotors. Brake drum and rotor issues can have a serious negative impact on a vehicle’s brake efficiency. There’s the possibility that broken pieces of drums and rotors can become dislodged from the vehicle enroute and damage other vehicles or lead to injuries or fatalities to the public. Inspectors will be on the lookout for any drum or rotor issues to help keep roadways safer.
What you need to know about inspections
CVSA-certified inspectors will perform routine inspections on commercial vehicles from August 23–29 with a special focus on brake components and systems. Some jurisdictions will also use performance-based brake testers (PBBT) to help assess a vehicle’s braking performance.
If an inspector finds any commercial vehicle with brake-related out-of-service violations, that vehicle will be removed from roads until the violations are corrected.
Stay proactive
Brake Safety Week helps remind drivers and motor carriers to keep up with proactive vehicle maintenance and safety procedures. Law enforcement use this opportunity to highlight the importance of brake safety and offer some educational outreach.
To help prepare for this year’s Brake Safety Week event, the CVSA recommends:
- Learning about the different vehicle components checked during inspection, and
- Viewing the inspection procedure to know what to expect at https://www.cvsa.org/programs/operation-airbrake/operation-airbrake-inspection-procedure/.
A flyer with brake drum and rotor tips to help avoid violations is also available at https://www.cvsa.org/programs/operation-airbrake/focus-area/.
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2026-06-03T05:00:00Z
NewsWater PermittingChange NoticesChange NoticeWater ProgramsWater QualityIndustrial WastewaterFloridaEnvironmentalWater ProgramsEnglishFocus AreaCWA Compliance
Florida amends on-site sewage treatment and disposal rules
Effective date: June 8, 2026
This applies to: On-site sewage treatment and disposal systems (OSTDS)
Description of change: The Florida Department of Environmental Protection amended the regulatory requirements for OSTDS. In addition to streamlining specific permit application processing procedures, the final rule amends the requirements for:
- Installing and locating OSTDS,
- Abandoning OSTDS,
- Treatment receptacle construction standards,
- Registration requirements for septic tanks and Master Septic Tank Contractors,
- Registration certificate renewals,
- Discipline and penalties for registered persons,
- Certification of partnerships and corporations as septic tank contracting businesses, and
- Service and registration fees.
Related state info: Industrial water permitting — Florida
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2026-06-03T05:00:00Z
NewsDisabilities and ADAFamily and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)LeaveUSAFamily and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)HR ManagementEnglishLeaveReasonable AccommodationsAssociate Benefits & CompensationIndustry NewsIndustry NewsHR GeneralistAssociate RelationsFocus AreaDisabilities and ADAHuman Resources
May employees take FMLA leave for guide dog training?
Eligible employees are entitled to unpaid leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) for their own serious health condition. The law doesn’t specify if taking leave for dog training is a qualifying reason.
Employees also have the right to use accrued paid time off (e.g., paid sick leave) for otherwise unpaid leave under the FMLA, but the paid time off is governed by company policy.
A court recently provided related insight when it denied an employee’s claim against her employer.
The situation
Andrea, an employee, had a medical condition that was causing her to gradually lose her vision and hearing. Despite this, she excelled at her job for many years. At one point, though, she decided that she needed a guide dog.
She asked her employer if she could use paid sick leave to attend a mandatory 3-week training course to obtain her guide dog. The employer denied her request for paid sick leave because the training didn’t qualify as a “personal illness” under the company’s sick-leave policy. The employer instead allowed her to take unpaid leave as an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The claim
Unhappy with the denial of paid sick leave, Andrea sued, alleging that she had the right to use paid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). She also argued that the denial violated the ADA because it:
- Amounted to disability discrimination, and
- Failed to properly accommodate her disability.
The employer argued that the time off didn’t qualify for paid leave under the company policy, so the FMLA didn’t require it.
It also argued that the leave wasn’t for treatment for Andrea’s FMLA serious health condition.
The employer felt that a serious health condition “makes” an employee “unable to perform” the employee’s job functions only if the condition’s physical symptoms prevent the employee from working. Because Andrea’s leave was for guide-dog training, not for her medical conditions, the employer argued that her time off didn’t fall under the FMLA.
The ruling
The court assumed that the FMLA applied to Andrea’s requested paid sick leave; however, it ruled against Andrea’s FMLA claim. It said that she was entitled to the paid sick leave only if the employer would “normally” provide that leave under similar circumstances for all employees, which it wouldn’t do based on company policy. In the end, she didn’t convince the court that her guide-dog training qualified for the company’s paid sick leave.
The court found that Andrea lacked evidence showing that the employer treated nondisabled personnel more favorably, and that unpaid leave qualified as an ADA reasonable accommodation.
Tumbleson v. Lakota Local Sch. Dist., et al., Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 25-3548, May 13, 2026.
Key to remember: Employees may take FMLA leave for guide dog training, but employers may apply their paid leave policies when employees seek to use paid leave for otherwise unpaid FMLA leave. Employers don’t have to provide paid leave as a reasonable accommodation if they don’t normally do so in a situation.
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2026-06-03T05:00:00Z
NewsIndustry NewsIndustry NewsProtective SystemsRecordkeepingSafety & HealthConstruction SafetyExcavationsRecordkeepingUSAEnglishFocus AreaCompetent Person
Washington state trenching, excavation rule now in effect
Washington state’s trenching and excavation rule took effect June 1. The rule amends chapter 296-155 WAC, Safety standard for construction work, Part N, Excavation, trenching, and shoring, to require employers to include a risk analysis in their written work plan before any work involving a protective system begins. The work plan can be found on the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries website or employers may create their own.
The adopted rule also:
- Creates a standalone definition section and adds a new definition of "work plan,"
- Requires a competent person to remain onsite during all trenching and excavation work, and
- Addresses recordkeeping and training requirements of the trench excavation work plan.
Keep reading...Show less
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Copyright 2026 J. J. Keller & Associate, Inc. For re-use options please contact copyright@jjkeller.com or call 800-558-5011.