How economic indicators affect traffic fatality rates, what safety professionals want most and how CPR is getting an upgrade. These were among the top stories featured on ISHN.com this week.

DOL: Arizona grower housed workers in “inhumane” conditions

An Arizona agricultural company that made its workers sleep in dangerously overcrowded and overheated converted school buses -- instead of the mobile housing units it promised on its H-2A visa application – has been hit with a preliminary injunction by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).

Survey: Employers of outdoor workers should provide sunscreen

Dermatologists strongly recommend the use of sunscreen to reduce exposure to the Ultraviolet (UV) radiation that can cause skin cancer, the most common form of cancer in the U.S. When that exposure occurs on the job, 74 percent of Americans believe businesses with outdoor workers should provide sunscreen for their employees to use while at work – according to a study commissioned by Deb Group, a company that offers a professional range of UV Protection creams.

Fastest growing cancer in U.S. may surprise you

Death rates for liver cancer have doubled in the U.S. since the mid-1980s -- the fastest rise of any cancer in the U.S. according to a new report that appears in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.

Falling cranes injure three Fla. construction workers

Three construction workers are recovering from serious injuries sustained last week when two cranes failed and fell to the ground at a worksite in Miami-Dade county.

What keeps safety pros up at night?

For many EHS professionals, chemical exposure is at the top of their list of things they worry about. And at the top of their “wish” list? Stronger support from their leadership team. That’s what the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) in partnership with Enviance -- an industry-leading EH&S software provider – found when they queried safety professionals attending AIHce EXP 2017.

Why your dentist should have an ECP

More than a quarter of private dental practices do not have plans in place to control bloodborne pathogen exposure, according to a new survey conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP). Survey results are published in the June issue of the Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry and is available online.

Heat Index: When humidity makes it feel hotter

NIOSH OSHA app can help protect workers from heat

NIOSH and OSHA recently released the redesigned, co-branded OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool App. This version replaces the app previously created by OSHA in 2011. The app calculates the heat index at outdoor worksites using the smartphone’s geolocation capabilities to pull current weather conditions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellites.

How to keep your arteries healthy as you age

Having the blood vessels of a healthy 20-year-old into one’s 70s is possible but difficult in Western culture, according to new research in the American Heart Association’s (AHA) journal Hypertension. “For the most part, it’s not genetic factors that stiffen the body’s network of blood vessels during aging. Modifiable lifestyle factors – like those identified in the AHA’s Life’s Simple 7 – are the leading culprits,” said study author Teemu J. Niiranen, M.D., research fellow at Boston University School of Medicine, Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, Massachusetts.

A Confined Space blog post

A company that was bound to kill someone

 Jordan Barab

Zachary Henzerling, a 20 year old ” big kid at heart,” was on his third week at work for Environmental Enterprises Inc., a hazardous waste management facility in Spring Valley, Ohio, when he was killed 2012 in a flash fire and explosion on Dec. 28, 2012.

Deaths at corn mill were caused by preventable hazard

The fatal explosion earlier this month at a Wisconsin corn mill shows the need for increased enforcement of safety laws and regulations, according to an advocacy group, which points to a history of violations at the workplace.

Trump sued over Clean Air Act

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and other environmental organizations are suing the Trump administration for violating the Clean Air Act by suspending protections against methane leaks and other air pollution emitted by oil and gas industry operations.

Contractors asked to join National Trench Safety Stand-Down week

First there was the National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction. Now, contractors are being asked to stop work at their trenching operations in order to raise awareness of trenching and excavation hazards.

From the Director’s Desk

NIOSH focuses on small business safety and health

Dr. John Howard

NIOSH has led a research program focused on small business safety and health for more than two decades because we know workers in small businesses are injured and killed on the job at a higher rate than workers in larger businesses. Over the years, we have expanded our research focus from identifying small businesses in high-risk sectors to understanding how community networks affect worker safety and health.

Red Cross to add feedback devices to CPR training

CPR is going high tech. Starting in January 2018, the American Red Cross will incorporate feedback devices with its Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) in an effort to enhance training. "Use of CPR feedback devices will improve course participants' chest compression rate, the depth of their compressions and their hand position." said Richard N. Bradley, MD, FACEP, member of the American Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council and chair of its Resuscitation Sub-Council.

A Confined Space blog post

New Jersey workplace violence case: DOL & OSHA cave in

 Jordan Barab

Workplace violence is a huge problem for workers. In 2015, 417 worker deaths were workplace homicides and violence was responsible for 26,540 lost-time injuries, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Women, African America, Asian and Hispanic workers bear a disproportionate share of workplace violence fatalities.

OSHA announces inaugural ‘Safe + Sound Week’

OSHA has designated June 12-18, 2017, as “Safe + Sound Week,” a new nationwide effort that calls on organizations of all sizes in a wide range of industries to raise awareness of the value and importance of workplace safety and health programs.

Stronger economy equals higher traffic death rate

The risk of dying in a crash in a late-model vehicle has gone up slightly, as a stronger economy has led drivers to take to the road more often and in more dangerous ways, according to a report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Highway Loss Data Institute.

Kick your salt habit with these six tips

Add veggies. Subtract sodium in soups. Use a squirt of lemon. These were among the winners in , the American Heart Association’s (AHA) first-ever #BreakUpWithSalt “hack” contest – an effort to generate tips, tricks or hacks for reducing sodium in processed and restaurant foods.

OSHA, NJ med center reach workplace violence agreement

OSHA and one of the nation’s largest public hospitals have resolved litigation by reaching an agreement that requires the center to enhance its efforts to prevent violence in the workplace. In 2014, OSHA notified the Bergen Regional Medical Center L.P., in Paramus that employees were exposed to hazardous conditions associated with workplace violence and that it had not developed or implemented adequate measures to protect workers from assaults.