Although machines are indispensable to modern work, machine-related incidents remain a common cause of injuries in plants and other workplaces. The effects of these injuries can be considerable. Often, the effects range from minor scrapes and scratches to permanent disability and even fatalities. Not only do these incidents cause costly and time-consuming damage to machinery, but they can also negatively impact employee morale.

With 2020 barely underway, the poultry industry has already experienced two workplace fatalities, at facilities in two different states. The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH) says those incidents, along with a government-approved increase in line speeds at poultry slaughterhouses, illustrate the need for safety reforms in the industry. The poultry industry maintains that employees are considerably safer now on the job than in the past, and points to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data to back up that claim.

A massive explosion and fire this morning at a Houston, Texas manufacturing facility damaged homes and injured at least one person, according to news sources. The 4:15 a.m. blast at Watson Grinding and Manufacturing sent a fireball into the air and knocked nearby residents out of their beds. Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo tweeted that debris was scattered a half-mile from the explosion site.

Petzl, manufacturer of professional safety equipment, will release a new headlamp, the SWIFT RL PRO, next month. An ultra-compact headlamp, the SWIFT RL PRO is bright and lightweight, offering 900 lumens and weighing only 4 ounces.

A fire and explosions at a refinery in Pennsylvania have resulted in an energy company being cited by OSHA for serious violations related to process safety management (PSM). Philadelphia Energy Solutions faces $132,600 in penalties stemming from the June 2019 incident at its Girard Point Refinery Complex in Philadelphia.

Streamlight® Inc., a leading provider of high-performance lighting, introduced the MacroStream® USB, a compact, lightweight personal light that provides exceptional performance for its size, delivering 500 lumens, 2 hours of run time on high, and 8 hours on low.

A Nashville sheet metal manufacturer has received accolades from the state of Tennessee for its zero lost time achievement in 2018. “We are thrilled to join an elite group of companies committed to a safe work environment for their employees.” says Scott Eder, the company’s Safety Director.

Safety success at one manufacturing facility, a city sued after a construction incident and a closer look at the impact of industrial exoskeletons on workers were among the top stories featured on ISHN.com this week.

An Arkansas manufacturing facility has been recognized for logging two million working hours without a lost time incident. Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company, a manufacturer of refrigerated trailers, dry freight vans, flatbeds, and Tautliner® curtainsided trailers, was presented with a safety award by the state of Arkansas for the achievement at its Paragould manufacturing plant.

OSHA has cited Mayco Manufacturing LLC – operating as Mayco Industries Inc. – for exposing employees to lead and arsenic in addition to machine, electrical and fall hazards. The Granite City, Illinois, lead smelter faces $223,148 in penalties for 18 serious health violations. The inspection occurred after OSHA received a report that employees suffered caustic burns from water mixed with sodium hydroxide used to extinguish a fire.