The enduring effects of smoking, a sawmill amputation and farm safety were among the stories featured this week on ISHN.com.

OSHA cites Koch Foods after severe worker injuries

Two different worker injuries at the Koch Foods poultry processing facility in Morton, Mississippi earned the company an OSHA investigation – and nine serious safety violations.

240-foot wind turbine collapses in Cape Breton -- a first for Canada

Two investigations have been launched into the collapse of an 240-foot-tall wind turbine in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, believed to be the first catastrophic failure of its kind in Canada.

Inaccurate medical information leads to NRC probe of FirstEnergy

Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp. is tightening its fitness-for-duty procedures in response to a year-long U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission investigation that showed a former licensed operator at the Davis-Besse nuclear plant lied about medications he was supposed to have been taking between February 2013 and July 2014.

When a glove does not enhance workplace safety

A workplace accident at a welding company in West Midlands, England, shows that hand protection may not be the best choice for safety when it comes to certain workplace tasks.

Engine failure traced back to one part

Disneyworld had to wait

An engine part that separated from a plane while in flight caused a cascade of problems that forced the aircraft to make an unplanned landing, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which investigated the incident.

Safety of automated vehicles gets government attention

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is issuing Federal policy for automated vehicles, laying a path for the safe testing and deployment of new auto technologies that have enormous potential for improving safety and mobility for Americans on the road.

iPhone 7 not glove-friendly

Beside the lack of a headphone jack, Apple’s much-ballyhooed iPhone 7 appears to have a downside: its home button does not work with most gloves -- even touchscreen-friendly gloves with conductive material on their fingertips.

A ProPublica story

The hidden toll of drug-resistant superbugs

Just 17 days old, Josiah Cooper-Pope died in the hospital after he was infected with a drug-resistant bacteria, but no one added his death to the toll from the deadly bug.

Smoking leaves historical “footprint” in DNA

Smoking leaves its “footprint” on the human genome in the form of DNA methylation, a process by which cells control gene activity, according to new research in Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics, an American Heart Association (AH) journal.

Ag lighting & marking: Collaboration becomes law

Mike Senneff

On July 6, 2012 President Obama signed into law the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), a $105 billion bill to fund federal surface transportation spending for two years.

Excess weight = higher workers' comp costs

Effect is limited to workers with serious injuries

Obese and overweight workers are more likely to incur high costs related to workers’ compensation claims for major injuries, reports a study in the September Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).

A CDC Blog post:

Celebrating National Farm Safety and Health Week

Farm safety: A legacy to be proud of
Scott Heiberger

September 18-24, 2016, is National Farm Safety and Health Week (NFSHW). This annual event, begun by the National Safety Council in 1944, promotes safe and healthy practices on farms and ranches around the U.S.

Tips for recognizing alcohol abuse and suicidal thoughts

Jennifer Woodson

Many things can lead to suicidal thoughts, and all of them need to be addressed in different ways. However, alcohol and drug abuse have been linked to suicide, and it’s important to remember that no two people use substances for the same reason.

West Virginia sawmill adds 27 new violations to its previous 40

"By all indications, Wayne Lumber and Mulch failed to take the violations we found in 2014 seriously,” said Prentice Cline, director of OSHA's Charleston Area Office, after a recent inspection at the company’s Wayne, W. Virginia facility that resulted in three willful, nine repeat, 12 serious and three other-than-serious violations.

OSHA issues final rule protecting seamen from retaliation

OSHA has published a final rule at that establishes procedures and time frames for handling retaliation complaints under the Seaman's Protection Act (SPA). The Act protects seamen from retaliation for engaging in certain protected activity, such as providing information to the government about violations of maritime safety laws or regulations.

Standards being developed for…spaceflight?

ASTM considers the final frontier

ASTM International – the organization that sets voluntary standards for everything from copper alloys to environmental technology – has set its sights on the final frontier.

OSHA appoints new director for its construction directorate

OSHA Assistant Secretary Dr. David Michaels appointed Dean McKenzie as the new director of the agency's Directorate of Construction. McKenzie has been with OSHA for seven years including serving as deputy director of DOC.