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Polaris Industries Inc., of Medina, Minn., has recalled about 133,000 Model Year 2013-2016 RZR 900 and RZR 1000 recreational off-highway vehicles after receiving more than 160 reports of fires associated with them, including one incident where a 15-year-old passenger died from a rollover that resulted in a fire and 19 reports of injuries.

Fire Risk Sparks ROV Recall

Polaris Industries Inc., of Medina, Minn., has recalled about 133,000 Model Year 2013-2016 RZR 900 and RZR 1000 recreational off-highway vehicles after receiving more than 160 reports of fires associated with them, including one incident where a 15-year-old passenger died from a rollover that resulted in a fire and 19 reports of injuries, including first-, second-, and third-degree burns.

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.

American College of Physicians Calls for Global Climate Action

"The American College of Physicians urges physicians to help combat climate change by advocating for effective climate change adaptation and mitigation policies, helping to advance a low-carbon health care sector, and by educating communities about potential health dangers posed by climate change," said ACP President Dr. Wayne J. Riley

The rule will require employers to notify OSHA of work-related fatalities within eight hours and work-related in-patient hospitalizations, amputations, or an employee

GAO Report Highlights Violence in Health Care Settings

"It is clear to me that OSHA should move forward and develop an enforceable violence prevention standard to help protect our nation's health care workers. Injuries requiring days away from work are financially and emotionally costly for both employers and workers, and these avoidable injuries put pressure on working families to do more with less," said U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., ranking member of the House Committee on Education & the Workforce and one of the members who requested the report.



A 2016 NIOSH report indicates safety in the Bering Sea/Aleutian Island crab fleet has significantly improved since the 1990s, when it was the most hazardous commercial fishery in the United States.

NIOSH Finds Bering Sea/Aleutian Island Crab Fleet's Safety Much Improved

During the 1990s, it was the most hazardous commercial fishery in the United States, with 73 crew members killed on the job.

As the 2016 heat season approaches, Cal/OSHA leaders urged stakeholders April 11 to take precautions and protect outdoor workers against heat-related illnesses, or worse.

Take Heat Precautions, Cal/OSHA Urges

"Employers at outdoor work sites must know the steps to take to prevent heat illness injuries on the job," Cal/OSHA Chief Juliann Sum said. Cal/OSHA conducts inspections at outdoor work sites in industries such as agriculture, landscaping, and construction during heat season.

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.

"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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Annually in the United States, more than 480,000 people die from tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke, making it the leading cause of preventable death in the country, according to the American Lung Association.

Partnership Aims to Reduce Smoking Rates in Nine States

The American Lung Association announced it is partnering with the Anthem Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Anthem, Inc., to help smokers in nine states -- Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Wisconsin, Colorado, and Nevada -- quit smoking.

Production Materials Become Hazardous Waste Practically Overnight—EPA's Perspective on Abandoned Commercial Chemical Products

EPA has made checklists available to the regulated community, including the associated guidance regarding abandoned CCPs.

Spend a day in a data center and you will come away with a deep appreciation that indoor noise exposure is a priority safety consideration. (Digital Realty Trust, Inc. photo)

Data Center EH&S 101

Stakeholders' concerns range from asbestos and lead-based paint typically found in older and/or legacy data centers to fire-resistant clothing, contractor and construction management, elevated work such as portable and fixed ladders, and rooftop maintenance.

Health effects of elevated CO2 can include headaches, sleepiness, poor concentration, loss of attention, increased heart rate, and slight nausea. (Aerionics Inc. photo)

Carbon Dioxide Detection and Indoor Air Quality Control

Carbon dioxide gas detectors can utilize an automated background calibration program to set the clean air level on a regular basis.

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