Adult obesity rates increased in 23 states and did not decrease in a single state in the past year, according to F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies Are Failing in America 2009, a report released today by the Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). In addition, the percentage of obese or overweight children is at or above 30 percent in 30 states.
The National Transportation Safety Board released its
annual report to Congress yesterday, providing a summary of accident
investigations and safety recommendations in the past
calendar year, according to an NTSB press release.
National Transportation Safety Board Acting Chairman Mark V. Rosenker prompted Americans today to keep safety in mind when celebrating our nation’s independence this Fourth of July weekend.
Smart Irrigation Month is an initiative developed by the Irrigation Association designed to educate the public about the benefits of water-saving practices, products and services, according to a recent EPA press release. Nationwide, landscape irrigation is estimated to account for roughly one-third of all residential water use. Smart irrigation practices use less water and can promote healthy lawns and reduced water bills.
A 30-year tenure with one organization could be considered unlikely in today’s organizations, but one OSHA employee has already met and surpassed the three decade mark, OSHA reported in a recent press statement.
As part of its ongoing efforts to protect human health and the environment, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has posted a list of 44 “high hazard potential” impoundments containing coal combustion residuals, commonly referred to as coal ash, at 26 different coal burning electric utility facilities. According to an EPA press release, the agency is releasing this information after interagency coordination with FEMA’s Risk Analysis Division Mitigation Directorate and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The International Code Council announced in a press release yesterday that it has launched its International Green Construction Code (IGCC) initiative, which will reduce energy usage and the carbon footprint of commercial buildings. Entitled “IGCC: Safe and Sustainable By the Book,” the initiative is committed to develop a model code focused on new and existing commercial buildings. It will focus on building design and performance. Buildings consume approximately 40 percent of energy used and produce about the same amount of the nation’s carbon emissions, says IGCC.
As the summer driving and road construction season heats up across America, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) reminds all motorists to be on the lookout for law enforcement officers and other emergency personnel working on our roadways and to exercise extreme caution around these public servants.
The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) honored members for their help as volunteers in reaching millions of people and thousands of businesses on the importance of being safe at work during May’s North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week, May 3 – 9, 2009, and Occupational Safety and Health Professional (OSHP) Day, May 6, 2009, according to a recent press release. At the annual ASSE House of Delegates meeting held Sunday, June 28, in San Antonio as part of SAFETY 2009, ASSE members from Hawaii, Indiana, Maryland, Oklahoma, Oregon and Washington were presented with the NAOSH Champion award for going above and beyond in their ongoing volunteer support.