Robotics pose safety challenges in the workplace, Tennessee ash coal cleanup workers win a legal victory and an air traffic controller starts slurring her words while on duty. These were among the top occupational safety and health stories featured on ISHN.com this week.

The cause of a devastating 2017 collision near Concan, Texas between a pick-up truck and a bus came down to items found in the truck’s cab after the crash: marijuana cigarettes and prescription drugs. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has determined that the March 29 accident was caused by the 20-year-old pickup truck driver’s failure to control his vehicle due to his use of marijuana in combination with his misuse of clonazepam, a sedative used to treat seizure and panic disorders.

The emerging trend of drug-impaired driving will be paired with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) usual effort to combat drunk driving in a new series of public service announcements that will run through one of the deadliest times on U.S. roads - the Labor Day holiday weekend (Aug. 15-Sept. 3).

Alcohol-related accidents can affect a workplace more than you might think. Not only are you at risk of being involved in an accident with an impaired driver if you drive for a living, but if you choose to drink and drive in your time away from work, you could put your career or future employment opportunities at risk.

The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) released a study last week that finds that the percentage of fatally-injured drivers with known drug test results* who tested positive for drugs has risen over 50% in the last ten years.

In the United States, alcohol is involved in more than 15,000 traffic deaths every year. Alcohol goes directly from the stomach into the blood¬stream. The amount of alcohol in your body is commonly measured by the blood alcohol concentration (BAC). BAC is determined by the amount you drink, how fast you drink, your weight and your physical and mental health.

Driving a vehicle for long hours is tiring and even the most careful driver can become less alert. Drivers can do several things to help stay alert and safe. Here are few sug¬gestions: Be Ready to Drive- Leaving on a long trip when you are tired is dangerous. Make sure you get enough sleep before departing on your journey.

Preliminary estimates from the National Safety Council indicate motor vehicle deaths dipped slightly – 1% – in 2017, claiming 40,100 lives versus the 2016 total of 40,327. The small decline is not necessarily an indication of progress as much as a leveling off of the steepest two-year increase in over 50 years.

The national opioid epidemic and the growing number of states legalizing marijuana is prompting the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to launch a new initiative aimed at drugged driving. The agency says combating drugged driving has become “a top priority” in its bid to improve safety and reduce motor vehicle crashes on the nation’s roadways.