Workplace sexual harassment regulations, outrage over Black Lung disease and how chemicals can cause hearing loss were among the top stories featured on ISHN.com this week.
Tesla kicked out of NTSB investigation
April 13, 2018
Tesla has been ousted from the investigation into the March 23rd 2017 fatal crash of one of its vehicles. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced yesterday that because it violated an agreement, the automaker has been removed as a party to the NTSB’s investigation of the incident involving a Tesla Model X near Mountain View, California.
“Healthy obesity” a misnomer, says doctor
April 13, 2018
A new paper is calling for an end to the term ‘healthy obesity’ – a phrase used to denote individuals who are apparently healthy despite being obese. The term originated in the 1980s and was used to describe overweight people who did not suffer from metabolic complications like hypertension or diabetes.
Landscaping industry Safety Stand-Down aimed at preventing heat stroke, injuries
April 12, 2018
As temperatures heat up across the country and landscaping work kicks into high gear, several industry associations are partnering with OSHA to help protect their workers from heat-related illnesses and landscaping injuries. The Southeast Safety Stand-Down will take place April 17-18 from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. EDT.
A Confined Space blog post
Charges dropped against railroad for Lac Mégantic catastrophe
Jordan Barab
April 12, 2018
Criminal charges have been dropped against Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway (MMA), according to Quebec’s Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP), for causing the deaths of 47 people when 73 cars of highly combustible crude oil derailed in the small Quebec town of Lac-Mégantic in 2013 turning the downtown into a raging inferno.
A FairWarning story
Jury tacks on $80 million in punitive damages; total award $117 mm against Johnson & Johnson and Imerys
Myron Levin
April 12, 2018
A New Jersey jury today ordered Johnson & Johnson and its main talc supplier to pay $80 million in punitive damages to a mesothelioma victim who claimed he contracted the asbestos-related cancer from years of using Johnson’s baby powder.
Black lung resurgence is "outrageous," says UMWA
“This is not a dust problem, it is an enforcement and compliance problem.”
April 12, 2018
The discovery that Black Lung Disease – which once appeared on the verge of being eradicated – has come roaring back among U.S. coal miners, and in a more virulent form than in the past, has ignited the fury of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA). The union representing miners is accusing coal mine operators of putting production miners’ health and safety and state and federal agencies of failing to enforce the law.
April is Alcohol Awareness Month
April 11, 2018
Can you go an entire weekend without drinking any alcohol? It’s a 72-hour-long experiment that the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD) would like you to try during the month of April, which is designated as Alcohol Awareness Month.
After multiple fatality accident, Mass. auto auction agrees to correct hazards
April 11, 2018
The U.S. Department of Labor has reached a settlement with Lynnway Auto Auction Inc., in which the Billerica facility agrees to correct hazards, implement significant safety measures, and pay $200,000 in penalties. OSHA cited Lynnway for 16 violations following a May 2017 incident in which a sport utility vehicle fatally struck five people during an auto auction.
Did marijuana use cause fatal train crash?
April 11, 2018
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) now knows what was behind a fatal 2015 train collision near Roswell, New Mexico, but it doesn’t know why. An NTSB investigation has determined that a conductor’s failure to properly line a switch is the probable cause for the April 28 collision of two Southwestern Railroad freight trains.
What to do if heart disease runs in your family
April 11, 2018
Exercise may be the best way to keep hearts healthy – and it works even for people with a genetic pre-disposition for heart disease, according to new findings in the American Heart Association’s journal, Circulation.
A Confined Space blog post
Weekly Toll: Mourning for the Dead
Jordan Barab
April 10, 2018
Keating Twp, PA — Two workers were killed when a helicopter performing maintenance on power lines crashed late Sunday afternoon 1.5 miles north of Smethport Borough in Keating Township. The fatalities confirmed by State Police at the Kane barracks and McKean County Coroner Michael Cahill.
NY state budget includes workplace anti-sexual harassment measures
April 10, 2018
A $168 billion budget agreed upon last week by the New York State legislature and Governor Andrew Cuomo includes measures that address workplace sexual harassment in both the private and public sectors. If signed into law by Cuomo, the measures will:
Tire giant Michelin wins workplace safety awards
April 10, 2018
A global company that sells more than $10 billion dollars a year in tires has been recognized for its safety achievements by the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA). The organization has presented Michelin North America, Inc. with eight safety awards this year for its manufacturing plants in the U.S., as well as a leadership award for taking an innovative approach to worker safety.
Workers’ Memorial Day will be marked around the world
April 10, 2018
Whether it’s called Workers' Memorial Day, International Workers' Memorial Day or International Commemoration Day (ICD) for Dead and Injured or Day of Mourning, April 28 will be dedicated – in all corners of the globe - to remembering workers who’ve killed, disabled, injured or sickened by their work.
A NIOSH Science Blog post
Ototoxicant chemicals and workplace hearing loss
">Capt. Chuck Kardous MS, PEThais Morata PhD
April 9, 2018
Since the 19th century, many therapeutic drugs have been known to affect hearing. Known as ototoxic drugs, many are used today in clinical situations despite these negative side effects because they are effective in treating serious, sometimes life-threatening conditions. Research has shown that exposure to certain chemicals in the workplace may also negatively affect how the ear functions, potentially causing hearing loss or balance problems, regardless of noise exposure.
Despite citations, fall hazards persist at roofing company
April 9, 2018
A California roofing company that’s been investigated and cited for fall hazards on six different occasions over the past four years has done it again. “California Premier Roofscapes has repeatedly put its workers at risk of potentially deadly falls from heights, disregarding basic safety requirements to protect its employees,” said Cal/OSHA Chief Juliann Sum.
You text (while driving), you pay
Distracted driving takes a toll
April 9, 2018
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is hoping an anti-texting-while-driving campaign will reduce the growing number of motor vehicle accidents that are caused by distracted driving. The ‘U Drive. U Text. U Pay.’ ads will appear on television, radio, and digital platforms and will target motorists aged 18 to 34 – those who, data shows, are most likely to die in distraction-affected crashes.
