Firefighters sue over hazmat exposure, the workplace hazards posed by prescription drug use and the key to achieving a work-life balance were among the top stories featured on ISHN.com this week.

95 percent of all 2017 transportation fatalities were highway deaths

November 2, 2018

Highway crashes claimed the lives of 37,133 people in 2017, accounting for 95 percent of the 38,958 who died in transportation related accidents that year, according to data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and released Thursday by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Nominate that exemplary safety professional you know for an AIHA award

November 1, 2018

Is one of your colleagues deserving of special recognition? Does he or she inspire others in the industrial hygiene and occupational and environmental health and safety professions to reach the next pinnacle in their careers?

Cal/OSHA issues emergency regulation for electronic reporting

November 1, 2018

Cal/OSHA on October 18 issued a notice of emergency regulation that would require certain employers to electronically submit their summary of recordable workrelated injuries and illnesses covering calendar year 2017 to federal OSHA by December 31, 2018.

Lung cancer up 87% among U.S. women in last four decades

November 1, 2018

Every two and half minutes, someone in the United States is told that they have lung cancer – the nation’s leading cause of cancer deaths. Every single day 400 people lose their lives to this devastating disease, according to the American Lung Association (ALA). Another noteworthy statistic: in the last 41 years, lung cancer incidence has increased 87 percent among women.

National COSH announces 2018 Health and Safety awards

Activists recognized for outstanding contributions to empowering workers and fighting for safer workplaces and communities

November 1, 2018

The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH) has announced the winners of its 2018 Health and Safety awards, recognizing outstanding contributions towards empowering workers and the fight for safer workplaces and communities.

Generation Z is stressed out & it's causing mental health problems

October 31, 2018

Headline issues, from immigration to sexual assault, are causing significant stress among members of Generation Z — those between ages 15 and 21 — with mass shootings topping the list of stressful current events, according to a report released by American Psychological Association (APA) entitled, Stress in America™: Generation Z.

322,000 gallons of hazmat released

NTSB: Derailment shows need for use of safer rail tank cars

October 31, 2018

A broken rail, inadequate track maintenance and inspection, and inadequate federal oversight led to the March 10, 2017, derailment of a Union Pacific Railroad ethanol train near Graettinger, Iowa, according to a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report released Tuesday.

A NIOSH Science Blog post

Workers using prescription opioids, benzodiazepines can face safety & health risks

Paul Schulte PhD Sudha P. Pandalai

October 31, 2018

The opioid crisis that faces the nation has a great impact on workers and NIOSH has a comprehensive program to address opioids in workers. One issue of concern is workers who use prescription opioids and/or benzodiazepines for medically appropriate reasons.

Fatal fall in NJ:

Construction worker falls from roof, into dumpster

October 31, 2018

OSHA is investigating the death of a 56-year old man in an accident yesterday at a Paterson, New Jersey worksite. According to a statement by Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes and Paterson Police Chief Troy Oswald, police responded to the address at approximately 9:18 a.m. in response to a reported construction accident.

2019 ISHN Readers’ Choice Awards get underway

October 30, 2018

Enter your best-of-the-best products or services in ISHN’s 2019 Readers’ Choice Awards. The program will launch in October 2018 and entries will be accepted online at ISHN.com/awards through January 2019. Here’s how it works: • Enter up to four top products (must have launched on or after Jan. 1, 2018) • ISHN readers vote on their favorite products March 1 - April 30, 2019 • Winners will be announced the week of May 6, 2019.

Food safety, the fall edition

October 30, 2018

Tailgating. Hayrides. The bounty of farmers’ markets. Along with crisp temperatures and colorful leaves, autumn brings with it a bounty of seasonal activities - that bring with them the possibility of foodborne pathogens. Stop Foodborne Illness offers some ideas for keeping your loved ones and your food safe:

A Confined Space blog post

Weekly toll: Who didn’t come home from work last week

Jordan Barab

October 30, 2018

EAST ST. LOUIS, IL – Two suspects are under arrest after a high-speed chase from Washington Park Illinois into East St. Louis on westbound I-64. KTVI-TV reports around 5 p.m. Saturday, officers from the Washington Park Police Department were chasing two suspects in a vehicle when it struck two cars on the Poplar Street Bridge.

Safety signage changes after accident

7-year-old falls, killed by subway train

October 30, 2018

Was a warning sign too small? Too high for a child to see? A single sign at the top of a door warning that passengers should not use the end-of-car doors to pass between cars is part of a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation into a recent passenger death involving a Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) subway train.

Workplace violence, PPE are key issues at Women’s Workplace Safety Summit

October 30, 2018

Workplace violence aimed at women and personal protective equipment that fits women were among the many issues surrounding the safety of women in the workplace explored at a recent summit hosted by the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP).

Achieving work-life balance goes beyond finding time for the family

Robin Stanton Gerrow

October 29, 2018

Ever feel a little guilty about taking the time for that pick-up game of basketball or a weeknight watercolor class? You shouldn’t—it’s good for you and your job. That’s what doctoral candidate Victoria Daniel and Dr. Yujie Zhan of Wilfrid Laurier University discovered in their research titled “Wearing Many Hats: How Employee Personal Life Engagement Enriches Creativity at Work,” presented in April at the 2018 Conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology in Chicago, Illinois.

European workers want protection from reprotoxicants

October 29, 2018

A group of EU worker organizations are calling on the European Commission to better protect workers from the risks related to exposure to reprotoxic substances - chemicals that cause adverse effects on reproduction; including sexual function, fertility and the development of offspring.

2019 federal budget has increases for OSHA, MSHA, NIOSH

October 29, 2018

The appropriations bill signed into law last month by President Trump sets OSHA’s FY 2019 budget at $557.8 million – an increase of $5 million from 2018, when the agency received $552.8 million.

L.A. firefighters sue over occupational exposure to hazmat

October 29, 2018

Twenty-nine Los Angeles firefighters have filed a lawsuit against Southern California Gas Co., alleging that the utility lied to them about the chemical hazards of a well blowout they responded to in October 2015, resulting in health problems from their exposure to toxins.