Today's Safety News

RSS

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a preliminary report on the Dec. 11, 2012, rupture of a natural gas transmission line in Sissonville, W.Va.

Pilots won't be allowed to use smartphones or laptop computers for non-work purposes -- like surfing the web or sending emails - under a rule being proposed by the Federal Aviation Authority. At issue: potentially dangerous distractions, such as a 2009 incident in which two Northwest Airlines pilots flew 150 miles past their destination because they were engrossed in using their laptop computers for personal activities.

Violence is not just a law enforcement problem. It is a public health problem of vast proportions. Each year, violence kills 55,000 people in the United States. Violence takes a particular toll on youth. Every day, 13 young people between the ages of 10 and 24 are killed, making homicide the third leading cause of death in this age group.

President Obama on Wednesday announced his multi-prong campaign “to do the right thing” to protect the public from gun violence. Stated the White House in a prepared statement: “There are approximately 30,000 firearm-related homicides and suicides a year, a number large enough to make clear this is a public health crisis.

The Washington Post’s Wonk Blog has a piece this week on the burgeoning costs of regulations. WaPo’s Jim Tankersley writes, “If you’re a business leader or conservative economist who worries that the federal government is strangling the economy in red tape, 2012 was a banner year. If you’re a consumer advocate or an environmentalist anxious for the government to do more to boost public health … ditto.”

A new study, funded by the Canadian Cancer Society, will examine the human and economic impact of workplace exposure to 44 known or suspected carcinogens and their links to 27 types of cancer. The study's main goals are to quantify - for the first time - how serious the problem is in Canada by estimating the number of new cancer cases and cancer deaths that can be attributed to workplace factors, and also to weigh the economic impact.

A new report out of Europe is raising fears that excessive use of smartphones and tablets could cause ergonomic psychosocial problems – especially among people who use the devices as work tools.

The BNSF Railway Co. has signed an accord with OSHA in which the company agrees to voluntary revise several personnel policies that OSHA alleged violated the whistleblower provisions of the Federal Railroad Safety Act and dissuaded workers from reporting on-the-job injuries.

OSHA  has cited COL-Pump Co. Inc., with 10 health and safety violations, including two willful, for failing to monitor workers' exposure to noise hazards above 85 decibels at the Columbiana foundry. Proposed fines total $56,880.

The EPA has a message for you: test your home for radon, fix the problem if you find one – and possibly save your life. As part of National Radon Action Month, the EPA is urging the public to test homes for high levels of the colorless, odorless gas  but dangerous gas.