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It takes only five seconds for a worker who is walking on moving grain to become engulfed in it to the extent that he is unable to extricate himself. It only takes 60 seconds for him to become completely submerged.

Despite having such poor vision that he drove with a restricted (auto) license, a train engineer was medically recertified by his employer, Union Pacific Railroad. Those vision problems contributed to fatal 2012 head-on collision between two freight trains in Oklahoma, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

In recent months, we have received many reports of temporary workers suffering fatal injuries — some during their first days on the job. One of our most recent high-profile enforcement cases was with Bacardi Bottling Corp. following the death of a 21-year-old temporary worker. LAWRENCE DAQUAN "DAY" DAVIS was crushed to death on his very first day at work while he was cleaning up glass inside a palletizer at the Florida bottling facility.

A new rule that limits the number of hours truckers can drive takes effect July 1st – but that’s not stopping the debate over it. Under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) hours-of-service rule, drivers will be able to drive 12 fewer hours per week and will be required to take regular 34-hour rest periods that include pre-dawn hours of two straight days, under the rule.

A series of recent chemical plant explosions – including two fatal ones in La. last week – has safety advocates once again calling for stronger federal legislation for chemical plant safety and security. A total of three workers were killed and approximately 80 others injured in the two La. incidents.

A worker who sought emergency treatment for leg burns due to an acid spill alerted OSHA to a lack of PPE at a company that uses acid, hazardous chemicals, lead and cadmium in its Illinois manufacturing facility. The company, Advanced Strobe Products, manufactures strobe and other lights for the aerospace, photographic, vehicular, warning, beacon, and machine industries.

Keeping workers safe involves more than dealing with work-related hazards. The natural disasters that wreak havoc on homes – as we see so often in media reports – also affect businesses, and the people in them. Fortunately, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a wealth of resources to help EHS practitioners cope with disasters.

The death of a railroad foreman who was struck by a train last month has led to urgent recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) for ways to improve safety for track maintenance crews to provide signal protection.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has produced a new smart phone app that enhances ladder safety. The app uses visual and audio signals to make it easier for workers using extension ladders to check the angle the ladder is positioned at, as well as access useful tips for using extension ladders safely.