December 11, 2025 The Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Wednesday announced that it has issued seven new interpretation letters aimed at clarifying federal workplace safety and health requirements, part of a wider push by the administration to offer more compliance guidance to employers.   The letters, released this week, provide official explanations of how OSHA standards apply in specific workplace situations, ranging from confined-space hazards to recordkeeping obligations....

November 25, 2025 As the workforce ages, the workers compensation industry faces a convergence of pressures that include rising claim severity and litigation pitting injury causation against preexisting conditions, with many disputes fueled by a familiar diagnostic flashpoint: magnetic resonance imaging.   Known as an MRI, the tool is effective at diagnosing musculoskeletal injuries and degenerative conditions, yet experts say the technology also introduces gray areas that can complicate...

November 25, 2025 Higher reconstruction costs faced by the commercial property/casualty insurance industry are being driven more by rising labor costs than by materials, according to recent data and industry sources.   While material costs continue to rise because of inflation, and potentially tariffs, labor costs are increasing more steeply because of a supply/demand imbalance, especially among skilled trades such as electricians.   The demand for skilled trades drives up costs because...