Falling granite, angry wasps and an unusual punishment for an unsafe construction company  were among the top stories featured this week on ISHN.com.

How much risk does the Zika virus pose for Olympic visitors?

According to the Brazilian Tourism Board, approximately 350,000 – 500,000 international visitors and athletes from 207 countries are expected to travel to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games (Games). 

 

Associated Building Contractors files legal challenge to OSHA “anti-retaliation” rule

The Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), along with other industry organizations, have filed a legal challenge to block the August implementation of "anti-retaliation" provisions in OSHA's new electronic recordkeeping rule.

 

Construction helps drive 20 percent increase in Fort Worth traffic wrecks

Traffic accidents are up 20 percent in Fort Worth this year, and if you take a drive on I-35W it’s easy to see why. The traffic-clogged, construction-heavy corridor is home to nine of the city’s top 10 crash locations the last three years, according to statistics by the police department.

 

Construction co. ordered to make safety PSAs - or pay fine

A New York State Supreme Court judge ordered a general contractor to either create a TV public service announcement or pay a $10,000 fine for its role in the death of an employee at a construction site.

 

Illinois mail carrier stung 30+ times by hornets

A U.S. Postal Service (USPS) worker was hospitalized yesterday after being attacked by a swarm of hornets while delivering mail in suburban Chicago.

 

A NIOSH Science Blog post

The “S” in NIOSH

The “S” in NIOSH could stand for science, super, or spectacular but as we all know (and maybe sometimes forget) it stands for safety. Safety is a critical part of the NIOSH mission: safety and health at work for all people through research and prevention.

 

Public Safety

APHA: We CAN build violence-free communities

“This week’s tragedies that have taken the lives of Americans in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; St. Paul, Minnesota; and Dallas bring to light a significant danger to our well-being: the presence of hate, often fueled by fear, resentment, displaced anger and/or racism.”

 

Head-on train crash in Italy kills 23

Italian authorities are trying to determine why two passenger trains collided head-on in southern Italy Tuesday morning, killing 23 people and wounding dozens of others.

 

Guilty construction company faces sentencing

A coalition of general contractor companies is among the nearly two dozen groups urging a New York Supreme Court judge to give a construction company owner the maximum sentence for a worker’s death.

 

 

Colorado worker killed by falling granite

An employee of Nidi Tec Inc. in Denver, Colorado died on January 29, 2016 after approximately 6,500 pounds of granite slabs fell on him. The incident occurred as the worker was setting slabs on an “A” frame rack with a fork truck.

 

Study confirms severe health effects of night work

"Probably" heightens cancer risk

Working night shifts leads to sleep and metabolic disorders, and even severe diseases, according to a study published on 22 June by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES).

 

How to have a heart healthy summer

Summer is in full swing – that means high temperatures that not only encourage people to head outdoors for barbeques and getting active, but that heat can also be harmful to your heart health. This summer, the American Heart Association (AHA) wants to encourage you to protect your heart by following these simple steps:

 

"Needless loss of a worker's life" was preventable

The death of a Tonawanda Coke Corp. employee who was pulled into the rotating shaft of a coal elevator on Jan. 6, 2016, could have been prevented, an inspection by OSHA’s Buffalo Area Office. As he prepared to grease and lubricate the elevator, the worker's jacket was caught, pulling the man onto the rotating shaft.