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Contractor Sentenced in UK Trench Fatality

The HSE investigators found the work was not planned appropriately, with insufficient risk assessment and workers not appropriately trained or equipped to perform the work or prevent the collapse.

In 2014, 669 fatalities occurred in highway work zones -- a slight increase over the previous year. While work zone fatalities are about half of what they were 15 years ago, there is still more work to be done, FHWA Deputy Administrator David Kim said.

2016 National Work Zone Awareness Week Under Way

"As spring advances and warm weather allows highway roadwork to resume after the winter, we must remember that the lives of highway workers are often in our hands," FHWA Deputy Administrator David Kim wrote as he urged Americans to travel safely through work zones.

Most at risk are outdoor workers, including agricultural workers, commercial fishermen, construction workers, transportation workers, and first responders, but workers in hot indoor environments such as warehouses and factories are also at risk of heat illnesses.

Report Assesses Climate Change's Impacts on Workers

Most at risk are outdoor workers, including agricultural workers, commercial fishermen, construction workers, transportation workers, and first responders, but workers in hot indoor environments such as warehouses and factories are also at risk of heat illnesses.

NFPA Electrical Code Second Draft Report Available

The deadline to submit a Notice of Intent to Make a Motion on the Second Draft Report for NFPA 70, the National Electrical Code®, is April 29.

Coast Guard Seeking Boating Safety Council Members

The National Boating Safety Advisory Council advises the U.S. Coast Guard on recreational boating safety regulations and other major boating safety matters.

USGS Says Alaska a Hot Spot for Avian Influenza to Enter North America

While no highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses have been found in Alaska, the state is an important area to monitor because of migratory bird flyways from North America and Eurasia that overlap it.

Fall Hazards Cited Again Against NJ Contractor

The inspections involved in the new case took place at four sites in Middletown, Del., and Limerick and Perkasie, Pa. Berlin Builders is based in Cinaminson, N.J., according to OSHA, which has cited it for two willful, nine repeat, eight serious, and one other-than-serious violations.

"The progress we made in 2015 is good news for miners and the mining industry. It is the result of intensive efforts by MSHA and its stakeholders that have led to mine site compliance improvements, a reduction of chronic violators, historic low levels of respirable coal dust and silica, and a record low number of mining deaths," said Assistant Secretary Joseph A. Main.

2015 Safest Year Yet for U.S. Mining

Preliminary data released by the Mine Safety and Health Administration confirm that 2015 was the safest year in U.S. mining history, both in the number of deaths and mining's fatal and injury rates.



Utility District Cited in Arc Flash Explosion at Hydroelectric Dam

L&I cited the utility district for five serious violations and for each assessed the maximum penalty of $7,000.

Zika virus is transmitted to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito, the mosquitoes that alos spread dengue and chikungunya viruses.

Administration Designates Emergency Zika Funding

The Obama administration has identified $589 million in funding that will go toward Zika preparedness and response -- mosquito control, lab capacity, developing diagnostics and vaccines, supporting affected expectant mothers and babies, and tracking the spread and effects of Zika infections in humans in the United States, Puerto Rico, other U.S. territories, and abroad.

Texas DPS Hosts Annual Emergency Management Conference

"As a large and geographically diverse state, Texas faces the full gamut of public safety threats, including severe weather and natural or manmade disasters, and preparedness is our number-one defense against such emergencies," said Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw.

ISEA's QSSP Recognizes 1500th Graduate

ISEA President Dan Shipp said the demand for QSSP classes is higher than ever.

This memorial wall was erected to honor the 29 miners who died in the Upper Big Branch Mine South explosion on April 5, 2010. (MSHA photo)

Don Blankenship Sentenced to Prison Term

The former CEO of Massey Energy, a subsidiary of which owned the Upper Big Branch South mine when a methane explosion killed 29 miners on April 5, 2010, was sentenced April 6 to a year in federal prison and ordered to pay a $250,000 fine.

PHMSA Releases Rail Incident Response Tool

DOT developed these resources to offer a flexible approach to training responders to prepare for rail incidents involving flammable liquids; the materials offer information on best practices related to rail incidents involving Class 3 flammable liquids, such as crude oil and ethanol.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is a term for progressive lung diseases such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and in some cases asthma. It affects an estimated 24 million Americans, according to the COPD Foundation. CDC reported COPD was the third-leading cause of death in the United States in 2011.

Task Force Recommends Against COPD Screening of Asymptomatic Adults

Exposure to cigarette smoke or toxic fumes increases the risk for COPD. Epidemiological studies have found that 15-50 percent of smokers develop COPD, while occupational exposures to toxins, dusts, and industrial chemicals causes an estimated 15 percent of all COPD cases.

FDA Rule to Ensure Food Safety During Transport

The rule will require those involved in transporting human and animal food by motor vehicle or rail to follow recognized best practices for sanitary transportation, such as properly refrigerating food and adequately cleaning vehicles between loads.

WIPP Installs Underground Personnel Notification and Tracking System

"I'm incredibly proud of this accomplishment," said Phil Breidenbach, Nuclear Waste Partnership president and project manager. "We have done many things to improve safety in the WIPP underground, but none are more important or impactful than this system."

Toyota Connected, Inc. Debuts, Building on Automaker's Microsoft Partnership

"Toyota is taking a bold step creating a company dedicated to bringing cloud intelligence into the driving experience," said Kurt DelBene, executive vice president of Corporate Strategy and Planning at Microsoft. "We look forward to working with Toyota Connected to harness the power of data to make driving more personal, intuitive, and safe."

Judge Issues Final Order in BP Case

U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier's April 4 order confirms the company's $18.7 billion settlement of federal and state claims announced last July.

The institute

Revolutionary Fibers and Textiles Manufacturing Innovation Institute Announced

The institute's participants will integrate fibers and yarns with integrated circuits, LEDs, solar cells, and other devices and advanced materials to create textiles and fabrics that can sense, communicate, store energy, regulate temperature, monitor health, change color, etc.

Product Showcase

  • Matrix's OmniPro Vision AI Collision Avoidance System

    OmniPro Vision AI is a state-of-the-art collision avoidance system that features NIOSH award-winning Visual Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology. This highly accurate, powerful system identifies and alerts on pedestrians, vehicles and specified objects, ensuring safer facilities, mining operations and industrial sites. With its web-based cloud application, OmniPro Vision AI also logs and analyzes a wide range of data related to zone breach notifications. Operating without needing personal wearable devices or tags, OmniPro has visual and audible zone breach alerts for both operators and pedestrians. Read More

  • Safety Knives

    The Safety Knife Company has developed a quality range of safety knives for all industries. Designed so that fingers cannot get to the blades, these knives will safely cut through cardboard, tape, strapping, shrink or plastic wrap or a variety of other packing materials. Because these knives have no exposed blades and only cut cardboard deep, they will not only protect employees against lacerations but they will also save product. The Metal Detectable versions have revolutionary metal detectable polypropylene knife bodies specifically for the food and pharmaceutical industries. This material can be detected and rejected by typical detection machines and is X-ray visible. Read More

  • Preventative Heat Safety

    Dehydration and heat exposure impair physical and cognitive performance. Proper hydration boosts heat stress resilience, but hydration needs are highly individualized and hard to predict across a workforce. Connected Hydration® empowers industrial athletes to stay safe through behavioral interventions, informed by sports science, and equips safety teams with critical insights to anticipate high-risk situations and adapt to evolving environmental factors. Curious about applying the latest in sports science based hydration strategies for industrial athletes? Stop by booth #1112 at AIHA or schedule a free demo today at https://epcr.cc/demo. Read More

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