From a new NIOSH initiative for a safe, skilled workforce to an update on pending occupational health and safety legislation to a report on the Chevron refinery fire in Richmond, here are the week’s top OEHS-related news stories as featured on ISHN.com:

It’s official: Americans are ignoring the warnings about the dangers of distracted driving and continuing to use their cell phones while behind the wheel. A new survey by the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) -- released in conjunction with National Distracted Driving Awareness Month -- shows that at any given daylight moment across America, approximately 660,000 drivers are using cell phones or manipulating electronic devices while driving.

Americans drive while talking on a cellphone or texting more than their counterparts in seven European countries. A report showed that 69% of American drivers surveyed said they had talked on a cellphone while driving at least once in the previous month (31% said they did it “regularly or fairly often”), and 31% said they had read or sent text messages while driving.