A foodborne illness outbreak, a worker fatality at a car dealership and the first-ever public agenda issued by AIHA were among the top occupational safety and health stories featured on ISHN.com this week.

House passes bill to fund critical food programs

January 11, 2019

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed an appropriations bill to fund the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Included in this bill is funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), school meals, and other critical nutrition programs, which were set to lose funding next month due to the partial government shutdown.

ISHN invites you to contribute articles

January 11, 2019

Occupational safety experts: We want YOU to share your safety and health experiences, insights and subject matter with our 71,000 subscribers! Industrial Safety & Health News is opening the doors and inviting experts in all fields relating to workplace safety to contribute articles to the magazine that is the leading editorial content provider in the safety and health marketplace.

OSHA cites USPS over heat-related death

January 11, 2019

A worker’s heat-related fatality last summer in Southern California has resulted in citations against the U.S. Postal Service for a repeated violation of OSHA’s General Duty Clause. The employee suffered hyperthermia while delivering mail in July 2018 when the outdoor temperature reached 117 degrees.

Rookie cop shot, killed on the job

January 11, 2019

A rookie police officer – on the job for only a few weeks – was shot and killed Thursday night in Davis, California after responding to what appeared to be a routine call. News sources say 22-year-old Natalie Corona answered the call about an automobile accident and was gunned down by a man who opened fire at the scene.

Romaine lettuce-caused E. coli outbreak is over

January 10, 2019

The E. coli outbreak in the U.S. linked to romaine lettuce appears to be over. That’s the judgement of the CDC, which has issued a final update on the case, which resulted in 62 people in 16 states becoming ill from eating contaminated lettuce. Twenty-five people of them were hospitalized, including two people who developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome. 

Construction accidents across the U.S. this week

January 10, 2019

A fall, a vehicle accident and a drowning during the second week of the new year claimed the lives of two construction workers and left a third hospitalized with critical injuries. In Orlando, Florida news sources say a worker employed by I-4 Ultimate fell 50 feet at a jobsite Monday afternoon.

Kansas worker electrocuted at jobsite

January 10, 2019

OSHA has cited Maryland-based contractor Power Factor LLC for exposing workers to electrical hazards after an employee was fatally electrocuted while installing solar panels on a building in Fort Riley, Kansas. Inspectors determined that the employee was hoisting a metal rail that came into contact with energized overhead power lines.

When to replace equipment due to safety considerations

 Kayla Matthews

January 10, 2019

The condition of the equipment that employees use or operate in an industrial setting can directly affect a company's productivity. It can also put workers' safety at risk. Here are six things that should factor into any decision about equipment replacement timelines.

24-year-old worker killed at Va. car dealership

January 9, 2019

The circumstances surrounding an accident Monday that claimed the life of a young auto dealership employee have not yet been disclosed by official sources, although a local television station reported seeing a badly damaged bay door at the facility following the fatality.

Contract workers at higher risk for fatal electrical injuries

January 9, 2019

Despite fluctuations from year to year, the number of fatal electrical injuries experienced by contract workers has followed an upward direction, according to a report by released by the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) and written by Richard Campbell using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. 

 RSS

N95 respirators may not provide 95% protection against nanoparticles

January 9, 2019

A field test that involved placing an N95 respirator-wearing manikin at multiple sites and testing exposures using a nanoparticle counter found that while the respirator reduced exposures, in many situations it did not provide 95% protection.

Cancer death rate drops in U.S.

January 9, 2019

A steady, 25-year decline has resulted in a 27% drop in the overall cancer death rate in the United States, translating to approximately 2.6 million fewer cancer deaths between 1991 and 2016. The data come from Cancer Statistics, 2019, the American Cancer Society’s widely-quoted annual report on cancer rates and trends. The article appears early online in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, and is accompanied by a consumer version, Cancer Facts & Figures 2019.

OSHA cites roofing contractor after employee's fatal fall

January 8, 2019

OSHA has cited Franklin County Construction LLC – based in New Haven, Missouri – after an employee suffered fatal fall injuries when a roof truss collapsed. The employee was part of a crew installing prefabricated roof trusses onto a commercial building under construction in Bowling Green, Missouri.

Severe weather: The 4 extreme threats public safety personnel need to know

Glen Denny

January 8, 2019

78% of disasters recorded in the United States each year are weather-related. Still, when asked what type of incidents they expect to respond to over the next year, Emergency Management Personnel (EMP) and public safety officials underestimate the number of weather-related disasters that will occur.

AIHA issues its first public policy agenda

January 8, 2019

Each day approximately 150 people — more than 54,000 a year — die unnecessarily from work-related injuries and illnesses. Many more suffer nonfatal injuries and illnesses. As part of the American Industrial Hygiene Association's continuing efforts to address these problems, today it has released its first-ever Public Policy Agenda.

Occupational exposure to metals, pesticides tied to heart disease in Hispanics

January 8, 2019

Occupational exposures to pesticides and metals are associated with an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among Hispanics/Latinos, according to a study published online Dec. 11 in Heart. Catherine M. Bulka, Ph.D., from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and colleagues analyzed cross-sectional data from 7,404 employed Hispanic/Latino individuals aged 18 to 74 years. 

OSHA still operating, despite shutdown

January 7, 2019

Although the partial shutdown of the federal government continues to affect many agencies, the U.S. Department of Labor – of which OSHA is a part – is open and funded as a result of spending bills that were previously passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump.

Income insecurity can affect heart health

January 7, 2019

An unpredictable, anything-but-steady income – a common feature in today’s gig economy and one that is often experienced by younger workers – may be hard on your heart as well as your bank account. New research published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation shows that sudden, unpredictable drops in personal income during young adulthood are associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease and/or dying from any cause.

Nation’s progress on children’s health coverage reverses course

January 7, 2019

For the first time in nearly a decade, the number of uninsured children in the United States increased, according to a report released by the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute. Data from the institute’s Center for Children and Families shows an estimated 276,000 more children were uninsured in 2017 than in 2016. No state (except for the District of Columbia) experienced a significant decline in the number of uninsured children in 2017.

Health care respiratory protection: usage and cost

January 7, 2019

The health care industry has a new resource to turn to for information about respiratory protection options for employees, one which crunches the numbers and identifies two types of usage. A recently released report from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine explores the potential for use of half-facepiece elastomeric respirators in the U.S. health care system with a focus on the economic, policy, and implementation challenges and opportunities.