OSHA is reminding emergency crews and residents of the Gulf Coast region of Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi faced with debris caused by Tropical Storm Gordon to be aware of hazards they may encounter and take steps to stay safe.
Regardless of where in the world your facilities are located, natural disasters present a potential risk. From tornadoes and hurricanes to massive blizzards and wild fires, countless events happen without warning throughout the year.
Still-raging wildfires in California have already claimed eight lives and destroyed countless homes and other buildings – and they are likely to be followed by more fires, say the experts. Extreme heat and breezy conditions are forecast for the week ahead. That and the bone dry landscape make residents who’ve escaped the worst so far unable to breathe a sigh of relief – yet.
The Communications Workers of America (CWA), Public Citizen and more than 130 other unions, and public health and allied organizations have submitted a petition (PDF) to OSHA demanding a standard to protect workers whose jobs expose them to extreme heat.
The state of Maryland is reporting its first heat-related fatality of the summer. That was the conclusion of an autopsy performed by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Health officials released few facts about the victim, other than that it was a male between the ages of 18 and 44.
The family of a hotel employee who drowned in a flooded elevator during Hurricane Harvey is suing her employer for what they say was a preventable death.
A lawsuit filed this week in Texas claims that the death of 48-year-old Jill Renick, an Omni Houston Hotel employee, was due to gross negligence on the part of the hotel. The suit also names Otis Elevator as a defendant, citing the absence of flood sensors on the hotel’s elevators.
From respiratory illnesses to lower birthweight to deaths caused by the “urban heat island effect,” a special supplement recently published by the American Journal of Public Health explores the many ways in which climate change is impacting public health.
The wildfires raging throughout Southern California right now are taking life, destroying property, and endangering people who are tasked with performing response and recovery operations.
During a wildfire, workers may be caught in circumstances that require them to quickly evacuate. The Ready.gov - Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) website offers guidance on what to do during a wildfire if in a vehicle, in a residence, or out in the open.
Substandard conditions in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey have impacted workers’ health and safety on the job, as well as their wages according to a devastating new report from from the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) and University of Illinois Chicago that surveyed 360 workers. The report also offers recommendations for improving working conditions during post-disaster recovery operations.
Hurricanes and other disasters present a major challenge for OSHA and other local and national government agencies dedicated to protecting workers during recovery operations.
U.S. Coast Guard recovery teams in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are hard at work locating, assessing and retrieving vessels that were sunken and damaged by Hurricanes Maria and Irma. The task is an urgent one, since leaking oil, fuel and hazardous materials pose a significant threat to the environment and human health.
The EPA is assisting in the effort, coordinating with federal, commonwealth, territory, and local partners.