In 2011, 919 workers in Canada lost their lives to a disease or injury they incurred from work-related causes. Even more disturbing, is that eight of those who died were teenagers; twenty-six were between the ages of twenty and twenty-four years. There are close to three work-related deaths each day in Canada - each one leaving a trail of pain for the families impacted by the loss of a husband, wife, father, mother, brother, sister, son or daughter.

Knowing how many, who and where injuries or disease are occurring is a basic premise of preventing injuries and illnesses. If we don’t have accurate information on injury/illness occurrence, we don’t know how many resources to devote, what action(s) to take or whether the action we do take is effective.

OSHA has ordered the Union Pacific Railroad Co., headquartered in Omaha, Neb., to immediately reinstate an employee who was terminated in violation of the Federal Railroad Safety Act for reporting a work-related injury. The company will pay more than $350,000 in back wages with interest, compensatory and punitive damages.

Here are the week's top OEHS-related news stories from www.ISHN.com:

A recently published review by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of hazards related to All-Terrain vehicle use shows that work-related injuries are on the rise. NIOSH estimates that 11 million of these vehicles were in use in 2010 (for both recreational and work-related purposes).

A new report published American Journal of Industrial Medicine reveals a widespread practice in the construction industry of hiding injuries rather than reporting them and risking retaliation.

A NIOSH Science Blog post by Stephanie Pratt, PhD: A 45-year-old salesperson was killed in a motor vehicle crash while traveling to meet with clients.A 26-year-old emergency medical technician died when the ambulance she was in was struck head-on by a pickup truck traveling more than 70 miles per hour in the wrong lane of a two-lane road.

A new study finds that 5 percent of all cancer deaths in Britain – approximately 8,000 deaths each year --are linked to occupations, particularly those where asbestos, diesel engine fumes or shift work is involved.

Other than Dr. John Howard, NIOSH director, and NIOSH itself, we hear little in the U.S. about job stress and job-related depression from government agencies.

Citing a stakeholder’s request, OSHA is reopening the rulemaking record to extend the comment period on revising the recordkeeping and reporting requirements for work-related injuries and illnesses.