Weekly News Round-UpA  train accident in North Carolina, the value of a limb varies from state to state and psychologically healthy workplaces were among the EHS- and public safety-related stories posted on ISHN.com this week.

Workers, Indiana casino, battle over health care

A dispute coming to a head in East Chicago, Indiana shines a spotlight on the affordable health care issue – but not in terms of Obamacare. Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc., which purchased Ameristar Casino last year, is attempting to replace the current health care plan with one that charges employees up to $4,000 per year in payroll deductions for family coverage.

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OSHA announces final rule on handling retaliation complaints

OSHA this week published a final rule finalizing procedures for handling whistleblower retaliation complaints filed under Section 806 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. The SOX Act protects employees who report fraudulent activities and violations of Securities Exchange Commission rules that can harm investors in publicly traded companies.

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Trench collapse buries and kills Ala. day laborer

If his employer had protected him properly as he worked in a 12-foot-deep trench to connect a new home's plumbing to the main sewer line, 31-year-old LeDonte McCruter could have returned home at day's end to spend time with the young nieces and nephews he adored.

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NTSB to hold forum on the dangers of railroad trespassing

Trains colliding with other trains, trucks and cars are high profile stories – especially within the last month or so. When trains collide with people, the results can be even deadlier, yet such accidents tend not to garner as much media coverage as the other kind.

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Cleaning up toxic chemicals without PPE

"These workers were essentially defenseless”

Employees at a Wallingford, Conn. freight shipping terminal faced dangerous chemical, fire and explosion hazards on Oct. 6, 2014, as they tried to contain a highly flammable and explosive chemical spill without proper training and personal protective equipment, OSHA investigators have determined.

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Amtrak train hits truck at North Carolina crossing

Tractor-trailer slowed by oversized load

A collision between an Amtrak train and a tractor-trailer yesterday in North Carolina injured dozens of passengers. There were no fatalities. A spokesman for the state’s Department of Transportation said the locomotive and baggage car of the train derailed during the accident, which occurred at a crossing.

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Movie set death leads to prison sentence

The death of a 27-year-old camera assistant on a movie set in rural Georgia has resulted in a jail sentence for the film’s director. The two year sentence for Randall Miller came after Miller pleaded guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter and criminal trespassing in a plea deal that got charges dropped against his wife and business partner, Jody Savin.

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Ala. workers exposed to cave-in hazards

An Auburn, Ala.-based contractor exposed workers to dangerous cave-in hazards and failed to use safety measures to prevent excavation collapse, OSHA inspectors found, in an investigation conducted as part of the agency’s National Emphasis Program on Trenching and Excavation.

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NTSB opens investigation into LaGuardia accident

Investigators over the weekend began interviewing crew members of the Delta Air Lines plane that slid off a runway at LaGuardia Airport last week, resulting in minor injuries to passengers and a major – if temporary – shutdown of the airport.

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