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.

A plumbing contractor who allowed employees to work in a trench that showed signs of water intrusion and possible collapse has been fined $37,318 by OSHA – after one of those workers died in a trench collapse. Rhobina Electric Inc. in Batesville, Mississippi was cited for exposing employees to excavation hazards after the fatality. The commercial electrical and plumbing contractor was installing sewer pipe to a new concrete manhole when the incident occurred.

When OSHA celebrates an anniversary, it does it up big. The federal agency otherwise known as the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) plans to commemorate its 50th anniversary this year with a yearlong celebration of past achievements, current events and future initiatives. The Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act signed into law by President Richard M. Nixon on December 29, 1970 – that one that created OSHA – gave the federal government the authority to set and enforce safety and health standards for most of the country's workers.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is calling the deaths of three American firefighters in New South Wales “a terrible tragedy.” The three, who were in Australia helping fight that country’s ongoing wildfires, were in a C-130 Hercules firefighting aircraft carrying a load of retardant when the plane went down in New South Wales, according to news reports.

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.

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.

An Oregon construction company is reeling from its first workplace death since its founding in 1939 – and the victim’s family is reeling from the man’s loss. News sources say Stephen Smith, a truck driver employed by Hamilton Construction Company, was killed in an incident Saturday at the Beltline/Delta Highway interchange.

A hiker was about a mile and a half up the Nualolo Trail in the Koke State Park in Hawaii, struggling with rain and fog and hampered by a visibility of about 20 feet, when he heard what sounded like the high-pitched whine of a helicopter in distress. Knowing that something was wrong, he tried to find the helicopter but couldn’t due to the adverse weather conditions and fading daylight.

As of Friday, Jan. 17, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP) began conducting enhanced health screenings to detect ill travelers traveling to the United States on direct or connecting flights from Wuhan, China. The CDC said the screenings are in response to an outbreak in China caused by a new and dangerous coronavirus.

“We are extremely disappointed that the USDA is once again rolling back nutrition standards in our schools. First, the Trump Administration weakened requirements for sodium and whole grains, and now these proposed changes would allow schools to serve fewer fruits and grains, a smaller variety of vegetables, and less healthy entrees that aren’t part of a balanced meal. These changes are unnecessary and put children’s health at risk."