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Legislators Introduce Transit Worker and Pedestrian Protection Act

The bill would require U.S. transit-rail agencies to develop a rail operations worker assault risk reduction program within the next two years. Agencies would be required to conduct a risk analysis of assaults on rail employees, cooperate with labor representatives to develop their plans, and implement a plan to mitigate rail worker assaults.

FDA Issues Warning Letter to McKesson Corp.

FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb announced Feb. 12 that the agency has issued its first warning letter under the Drug Supply Chain Security Act to McKesson Corp. for what he described as "violations highlighted by a concerning tampering incident that involved opioid medications."

HSE: All Industries Must Control Welding Fume Exposures

There is new scientific evidence that exposure to all welding fume, including mild steel welding fume, can cause lung cancer and limited evidence it is linked to kidney cancer, HSE pointed out in a notice it called a "change in enforcement expectations."

Airbus to Add Robotic Assembly Line at Satellite Plant

Airbus will begin building an Industry 4.0 factory this month to automate and digitalize the production of solar arrays for satellites, an initiative that involves a complete revamp and expansion of the production building in Ottobrunn/Taufkirchen. A robotic assembly line will be introduced.

U.S. Urgent Care Industry Grew 8 Percent Last Year

The Urgent Care Association reported Feb. 11 that, as of November 2018, the total number of urgent care centers in the United States reached 8,774, up 8 percent from the 8,125 centers in operation in 2017.

NRC Holding Public Meeting Feb. 13 on Seabrook License Extension

The Massachusetts congressional delegation, U.S. Sens. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Congressman Seth Moulton, had called on the NRC to hear community concerns and address ongoing safety issues before renewing or amending the license for the plant.

DOJ Awards Grant to Aid Victims of Las Vegas Mass Shooting

The agency previously awarded a grant of more than $16 million to the state of Nevada to support these services. It is awarding $8.3 million to the California Victim Compensation Board to help meet critical long-term needs of victims of the 2017 mass shooting, compensating them for financial losses and medical expenses and providing services to victims and first responders.

PG&E, Other California Utilities File 2019 Wildfire Mitigation Plans

More than half of PG&E's 70,000-square-mile service area is in extreme or elevated fire-threat areas. The plan includes the expansion of PG&E's Public Safety Power Shutoff program to include all electric lines that pass through high fire-threat areas, both transmission and distribution.



NRC Raising Some Fees This Year

Proposed annual fees for FY2019 have increased for operating reactors, some materials users, and Department of Energy transportation activities.

Safety Precautions Issued for Lake Berryessa Visitors

The federal Bureau of Reclamation's Lake Berryessa office in Napa, Calif., is asking visitors to take extra caution when in or around the lake this winter. The lake is high due to recent storms, and recent wildfires have brought more sediment and downed trees into the lake.

NYPD Demands Waze Stop Letting Users Log Police Checkpoints

"Individuals who post the locations of DWI checkpoints may be engaging in criminal conduct since such actions could be intentional attempts to prevent and/or impair the administration of the DWI laws and other relevant criminal and traffic laws," wrote NYPD acting Deputy Commissioner Ann Prunty in a Feb. 2 letter to Google.

IIHS Estimates More Than 800 Traffic Deaths in 2017 Linked to Cellphone Manipulation

IIHS noted that a 2018 national survey by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that 64 percent of respondents consider distracted driving a much bigger problem now than it was three years ago.

Series of Arson Fires Plagues Anchorage

A fire on Jan. 26 destroyed a partly constructed, 141-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel in the city, with damage estimated at $20 million. Two restaurants in the same strip mall were set afire on Feb. 4 and Feb. 7.

Higher HIOSH Penalties Now in Effect

The maximum for a willful or repeated violation is now $132,598 per violation.

Justice Department Investigating Attorneys' Actions in Epstein Case

Alexander Acosta, the current U.S. secretary of Labor, was Miami's top federal prosecutor when he agreed in 2007 to allow multimillionaire defendant accused of coercing underage girls into sex acts at his Florida mansion to plead guilty only to two prostitution charges in state court, the Miami Herald reported in November 2018.

NYC Construction Activity Down Slightly in 2018

The Department of Buildings issued 165,988 construction permits in 2018, down from 168,243 in 2017 -- a drop of about 1 percent. This was the first decline in total permits issued year-over-year since 2009. However, 2018's permit totals are the second highest on record.

FHWA Giving $705.7 Million in Emergency Funds to 34 States

Some of the funding was designated to help states recover from some of the largest incidents in recent years, including the eruption of Kilauea in Hawaii last year, the Oroville Dam emergency in northern California in 2017, and Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria in 2017.

Colorado Agency Holding Feb. 14 Public Hearing on Revised Explosives Regulations

The regulations cover permits and the storage, transportation, and use of explosive materials. They would take effect May 1, 2019.

Houston's Main Airports Set Passenger Records in 2018

George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport set new records for passenger numbers in 2018, topping 58 million passengers for the first time.

Ohio BWC Awards Safety Grants to 35 Employers

Thirty-five employers will share $891,979 in grants from the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation to purchase equipment designed to substantially reduce or eliminate workplace injuries and illnesses, the agency announced Jan. 29.

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