Retired miners face losing health benefits, Acosta looks likely for DOL head and the nation’s oldest safety association considers a brand new name. These were among the top stories featured on ISHN.com this week.

Quarry worker’s death leads to settlement

The 2012 death of an employee of North American Quarry and Construction Services, LLC has resulted in a $360,000 settlement with the contractor, which has withdrawn its contest of the violations leveled against it by U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA).

Possible next OSHA chief proposes “sunset provisions” for regs

The man rumored to be a possible contender for the post of Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA under the Trump administration has suggested that some safety and health regulations should be subject to sunset provisions –terminated at the end of a fixed period unless they are formally renewed.

A NIOSH Science Blog post

Worker recovery and return to work

Steve Wurzelbacher PhD

Work-related disability is associated with many negative health and social outcomes including reduced quality of life, job loss, reduced lifetime income, injuries among family caregivers, and premature death.

Take a free test that could possibly save your life

The American Heart Association wants you to check your blood pressure

An estimated 86 million adults in the U.S. have high blood pressure, but because it’s a symptomless disease, many people are unaware they have it – and so do don’t take steps to manage it.

Trench deaths result in manslaughter indictment

Two workers died in a trench in Boston last year because their employer failed to take basic stopes to prevent the trench from collapsing, according to OSHA, which cited the company for 18 safety violations. Fines aren’t the only consequence of the double fatality; a Suffolk County grand jury has indicted Atlantic Drain and company owner, Kevin Otto, on two counts each of manslaughter and other charges in connection with the Oct. 21, 2016 deaths.

Chemical release sends hundreds to hospital

Driver connected wrong hose

A tanker truck driver’s mistake at a chemical company in Atchison, Kansas sent a dense green toxic cloud into the air over a densely populated town, driving more 140 individuals -- both workers and members of the public -- to area hospitals and forcing others to shelter-in-place until evacuation orders were lifted.

Impaired trucker loses his CDL

Wild ride on highway ends in arrest

After driving the wrong way on a highway and causing multiple crashes – while being pursued by police – a Kentucky-licensed truck driver has lost his right to drive commercial vehicles.

Why a name change is in the works for ASSE

Research conducted by the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) over the past year with its members, customers and stakeholders indicated that an updated brand with a clearer vision would better reflect the organization’s current membership and position it for growth.

Getting ready for Workers Memorial Day 2017

Ralph Butler was the most senior skilled trades electrician at Freightliner’s Cleveland, North Carolina, assembly plant. He and a co-worker were responsible for maintaining equipment on the loading docks. On July 13 they were troubleshooting a dock leveler.

17 days until retired miners lose health benefits

Thousands of retired miners in seven states will lose their health care coverage by the end of the year – unless Congress passes the Miners Protection Act, Senate Bill 175 and House Resolution 179 by the end of the month.

When Congress returns from break, Acosta’s confirmation likely

When Congress gets back in session the week of April 24, some of the lawmakers’ top priorities will be to pass a 2017 budget and to confirm Alexander Acosta as Labor secretary.

NIOSH occupational exposure banding process moves forward

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is seeking public comment on a draft Current Intelligence Bulletin entitled The NIOSH Occupational Exposure Banding Process: Guidance for the Evaluation of Chemical Hazards for public comment.

NTSB wants Baltimore to tighten school bus driver qualifications

Bus driver in fatal crash had history of seizures

Deficiencies in the oversight of school bus driver qualifications prompted a call by the National Transportation Safety Board for immediate improvements in the form of three safety recommendations issued today.

Is Trump’s pick for regulatory czar “hostile” to protections?

Advocacy groups are angry over President Trump’s nomination last week of Neomi Rao for the post of administrator of the U.S. Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), while a former OIRA chief is applauding the choice.

New drone concern: Keeping them from flying over military bases

The increasing popularity of unmanned aircraft – popularly known as “drones” – has triggered the use of a special security regulation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which wants to prevent the vehicles from flying over some of the nation’s military bases.

Report from Europe

Big increase in flexible workers in Netherlands

Gig economy uptick started during financial crisis of 2007-08

Between 2003 and 2015, the number of flexible workers in the Netherlands increased from 2.1 million to 3.2 million, making it the country with the sixth highest percentage of flexible workers, behind Poland, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Italy.

7-ton beam falls on NYC construction worker

A construction worker was seriously injured last week at a worksite in Queens when a cable on a crane snapped and dropped a seven-ton beam on him.

News reports say the I-Beam was attached to a crawler crane and was being used to drive steel sheeting into the ground at the commercial construction site. The cable attaching the beam to the crawler crane snapped and the beam fell on the worker’s legs, pinning him and breaking both legs.

Four killed in Mo. when hot water tank went airborne

The efforts of U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) investigators to determine the cause of last week’s fatal workplace explosion in St. Louis, Missouri have been hampered by the facility’s lack of structural integrity, which have made it too dangerous to inspect in the days after the incident.

ASSE considering a BIG change

After 106 years as the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), the nation’s oldest professional safety organization is considering changing its name and logo, in order to freshen its brand identity.

Oil, gas companies get help preparing for emergencies

Two oil and gas industry associations have partnered to develop a checklist to enable companies to prepare for and respond to events that may cause multiple casualties.