Today's Safety News

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The EPA has released a final risk assessment for trichloroethylene (TCE) that identifies health risks to workers in shops and dry cleaners that use the chemical as a degreaser or a stain removing agent. Consumers may also be exposed to TCE when using spray aerosol degreasers and spray fixatives.

Emotional and behavioral problems show up even with low exposure to lead, and as blood lead levels increase in children, so do the problems, according to research funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health. The results were published online June 30 in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.

The National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) first investigative report into parasailing safety finds the activity is largely unregulated with serious accidents frequently caused by faulty equipment.

"We've already experienced increased communication about our safety program, and now we are talking about safety in a proactive positive way. Employees are proud to work for a company that cares about safety and makes it a priority. Not only has our communication and awareness of safety issues increased, we expect to see reductions in worker compensation insurance premiums and general liability premiums," said Elizabeth Duffrin, Chief Financial Officer.

A Sikeston, Mo. manufacturing company has been cited by OSHA for 21 safety and health violations - four of them repeat- for failing to protect workers from amputation*, electrical and other hazards. Proposed penalties total $82,390.

The Department of Labor and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have teamed up again to prevent heat-related deaths and illnesses. Heat-related injuries and fatalities in outdoor workers continue with record-breaking heat waves over the last three summers.

Federal inspectors for the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration issued 172 citations, 21 orders and two safeguards during special impact inspections conducted at 10 coal mines and two metal and nonmetal mines in May.

The National Safety Council today released estimates of fatalities from traffic crashes for the upcoming Independence Day weekend – 6 p.m. on July 3 through 11:59 p.m. on July 6. The Council estimates 385* deaths and an additional 41,200* medically consulted injuries may occur over this holiday weekend from motor vehicle collisions.

 The EPA today released a new policy statement on climate change adaptation to help the nation prepare for and respond to the impacts of a changing climate. The policy commits the Agency to work with states, tribes, and local communities to increase their resilience to extreme weather events and prepare for the impacts of climate change. 

Excessive alcohol use accounts for one in 10 deaths among working-age adults ages 20-64 years in the United States, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published recently in Preventing Chronic Disease