Robotics posing safety challenges in the workplace, Tennessee ash coal cleanup workers win a legal victory and an air traffic controller starts slurring her words while on duty. These were among the top occupational safety and health stories featured on ISHN.com this week.

"Drinksgiving" celebrations lead to impaired driving

November 16, 2018

Whether you call it “Drinksgiving” or “Blackout Wednesday,” the meaning is the same. Those terms refer to the night before Thanksgiving, which has become the biggest bar night of the year in the U.S., surpassing even New Year’s Eve. With that distinction comes lots of drinking – including binge drinking – and, unfortunately, a high rate of drunk driving.

Prescription fentanyl behind many overdose deaths

November 16, 2018

Although numerous reports attribute fentanyl overdose deaths to illegally manufactured versions of the drug, new research shows that pharmaceutical fentanyl may be playing a significant role in the opioid crisis. The study, presented this week at the American Public Health Association’s 2018 Annual Meeting and Expo found that 44 percent of people who died from fentanyl overdose had previously been prescribed fentanyl by a medical professional.

A Confined Space blog post

Are Kentucky — and other OSHA state Plans — failing their workers?

Jordan Barab

November 16, 2018

OSHA State Plans: love ’em or hate ’em, but we have to live with them. The Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting, Ohio Valley ReSource and the Center for Public Integrity have just put out a devastating series of articles and audio reports about serious flaws in Kentucky’s state run OSHA program, and raised serious questions about the ability of many of OSHA’s other twenty-seven state plans to protect workers effectively.

Record number of tickborne diseases reported in U.S. in 2017

November 16, 2018

New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show tickborne diseases are again on the rise. In 2017, state and local health departments reported a record number of cases of tickborne disease to CDC. Cases of Lyme disease, anaplasmosis/ehrlichiosis, spotted fever rickettsiosis (including Rocky Mountain spotted fever), babesiosis, tularemia, and Powassan virus disease all increased—from 48,610 cases in 2016 to 59,349 cases in 2017.

NTSB: Design errors led to collapse of Fla. pedestrian bridge

November 15, 2018

Errors made in the design of a 174-foot-long pedestrian bridge in Miami contributed to the fatal collapse of the structure on March 15, 2018, according to an investigative update issued today by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The bridge was intended to let Florida International University students cross safely over a busy highway.

AIHA offers guidance on Calif. wildfire response, recovery

November 15, 2018

As the wildfires that have claimed at least 56 lives continue to rage across California, the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) is reaching out to the relevant government entities in the state, offering resources on wildfire response, assistance and recommendations for protecting the health and safety of residents and recovery workers.

How dangerous are robotics to workplace safety, really?

Kayla Matthews

November 15, 2018

Robots are becoming increasingly popular in workplaces around the globe, especially cobots, the machines designed to work next to humans. But when considering implementing any technology, it's essential to keep safety at the forefront. What possibilities exist for robots malfunctioning and hurting people or otherwise compromising worker well-being?

Gas leak causes building evacuations in downtown St. Louis

November 14, 2018

A natural gas leak recently prompted evacuations of workers and road closures at 9th and Locust in downtown St. Louis. A hissing sound could be heard as gas escaped the line. Those who were evacuated could smell the gas.

Tips for protecting homes in California wildfire paths

November 14, 2018

• Close windows, vents, doors, venetian blinds and heavy drapes. Remove lightweight curtains.
• Shut off gas at the meter. Turn off pilot lights.
• Open the fireplace damper. Close fireplace screens.

Tennessee cleanup workers exposed to hazmat can sue

November 14, 2018

A federal jury last week ruled that the company who hired workers to clean up a coal ash spill in Tennessee failed to protect them from the hazards involved. The ruling clears the way for workers affected by the highly toxic substance to seek damages from Jacobs Engineering, the company tasked with cleaning up a massive coal ash spill at the Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) Kingston Fossil Plant.

A FairWarning Story

Federal regulators deflated the numbers on tire-related crash deaths, then took victory lap

Eli Wolfe

November 14, 2018

Without saying why, federal traffic safety officials have quietly altered crash data, revealing that more than three times as many people die in wrecks linked to tire failures than previously acknowledged. For several years, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stated that the annual death toll from tire-related crashes was 200. Then last year NHTSA abruptly ramped up the estimate, stating on its website that 719 people had died in 2015 in such crashes.

Behind the scenes at an NTSB accident investigation

November 14, 2018

A panel on fan blades. Witnesses who’ll describe a “failure sequence.” Those are just two of the elements that will be featured in the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigative hearing today into an engine failure on a Southwest Airlines plane that killed a passenger. On a flight from New York to Dallas, a fan blade broke, causing a catastrophic engine failure and causing shrapnel to strike the plane, breaking a window. Despite the efforts of her fellow passengers, Jennifer Riordan died after being partially ejected from the plane through the broken window.

USPS heat stress cases bring citations, penalties

November 13, 2018

Heat stress illness among United States Postal Service employees in Las Vegas has resulted in a $129,336 fine against the USPS. An OSHA investigation revealed that at least four USPS employees at the Silverado Station branch in Las Vegas received treatment for heat-related illness this year, including one hospitalization.

A Confined Space blog post

Weekly Toll: A few American workers who will never come home

November 13, 2018

Holland Township, MN — A man tiling a field in central Minnesota died on Friday morning in a workplace accident. The construction company employee was installing drainage tile in the field near 60th Street SW and 150th Avenue SW in Holland Township when the accident was reported just before noon.

Top 5 ways to build a psychologically safe workplace

Berta Melder

November 13, 2018

In a psychologically safe workplace, every employee feels comfortable, accepted, and respected. Although it may seem to be a simple and understandable thing, many companies fail to create a safe environment for their employees. For example, on some teams, junior members are not taken seriously during meetings and their opinions may be criticized more than others’ because of their lack of seniority.

Vegas air traffic controller is incapacitated on duty

November 13, 2018

Was it drugs or alcohol? A medical emergency? Federal officials aren’t saying, but an air traffic controller at the Las Vegas tower had to be removed from her position last week after she began slurring her words and giving incoherent commands to pilots – then stopped talking altogether.

The Great American Smokeout is Nov. 15

November 12, 2018

The 43rd annual Great American Smokeout® on Thursday, November 15, 2018 takes on a new theme: "Day 1," according to the American Cancer Society (ACS) - one that reflects an evolution from quitting for the day to the recognition that successful cessation takes time and planning. Smokers are encouraged to use the day to map out a plan for a smoke-free life.

Worker with no fall protection plunges to his death in Mass.

November 12, 2018

OSHA has cited Northeast Framing Inc. – based in Lunenberg, Massachusetts – for exposing workers to falls and other hazards following an employee’s fatal fall at an East Boston, Massachusetts, worksite in May 2018. The company faces $311,330 in penalties, the maximum allowed by law.

BLS: Fewer nonfatal workplace incidents in 2017

November 12, 2018

Private industry employers reported nearly 45,800 fewer nonfatal injury and illness cases in 2017 compared to a year earlier, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released last week. The BLS’ Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) tallied approximately 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses reported by private industry employers in 2017, which occurred at a rate of 2.8 cases per 100 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers.

Passengers jump from burning ship into water

November 12, 2018

When fire erupted on a passenger vessel cruising Florida’s Pithlachascotee River earlier this year, all aboard had to jump from the burning vessel and wade – or crawl - ashore. One person died and 14 others were transported to area hospitals. The Island Lady was so badly damaged it was declared a total loss.