How Artificial Intelligence could affect workplace safety, a trench collapse results in felony charges for an employer and a preview of the 2019 Congress & Expo were among the top occupational and health stories featured on ISHN.com this week.
Demands for heat exposure standard grow louder
August 30, 2019
More than 130 organizations signed a petition (PDF) sent to OSHA, demands for stronger protections for workers exposed to extreme heat. Joining the petition were former OSHA Directors Dr. Eula Bingham and Dr. David Michaels, former California/OSHA Director Ellen Widess, heat illness prevention researcher Dr. Marc Schenker and 89 other individuals.
Trump's EPA proposes methane rule rollback
August 30, 2019
The Trump administration yesterday announced plans to ease regulations requiring oil and gas companies to repair methane leaks – a move drawing opposition from the industry, as well as environmental groups. Methane is a greenhouse gas and a major contributor to climate change. It is emitted during the production and transport of coal, natural gas, and oil and also results from certain agricultural practices.
Protecting workers from nanotechnology exposure
August 29, 2019
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has posted new documents intended to provide companies with information and options about controlling possible exposure of their workers to nanomaterials on the job. These workplace design solutions documents provide key tips on the design, use, and maintenance of exposure controls for nanomaterial production, post processing, and use.
Sanitation employee crushed in workplace accident
August 29, 2019
Authorities are trying to determine the cause of an accident earlier this week in Riverbank, California that claimed that claimed the life of a sanitation worker. News sources say 30-year-old Ismael Martinez-Huertas, a father of two, was crushed by a hydraulic mechanism on a garbage truck Monday afternoon.
Construction worker sues Marriott, others over coworkers’ deaths
August 29, 2019
A construction worker who watched two co-workers fall to their deaths at a hotel construction site in Florida last year is suing Marriott and its partner companies for failing to provide sufficient safeguards for workers. News sources say the August 29 incident occurred during construction of a 16-story hotel.
Stress in women can lead to Alzheimer’s later in life
August 29, 2019
A new analysis of data on more than 900 Baltimore adults by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers has linked stressful life experiences among middle-aged women -- but not men -- to greater memory decline in later life. The researchers say their findings add to evidence that stress hormones play an uneven gender role in brain health, and align with well-documented higher rates of Alzheimer’s disease in women than men.
CDC investigating vaping-related illnesses
August 28, 2019
While vaping appears to be at the root of the growing number of people struck by pulmonary-related illnesses after vaping, the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) investigation into the cluster of illnesses is ongoing. To date, 193 cases of such illnesses have been reported across 22 states, with one death – Illinois. American Lung Association (ALA) Chief Medical Officer Albert Rizzo, M.D. called the developments “alarming.”
Some drone owners turning their aircraft into flying weapons
August 28, 2019
While the military is working on weaponizing drones – including equipping them with machine guns – the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is warning the general public that attaching a dangerous weapon to a drone and sending it skyward is illegal. Nonetheless, some drone owners have attached guns, bombs, fireworks and even – according to the FAA – flamethrowers to their drones.
Keeping older drivers safe at work
August 28, 2019
Older workers (those ages 55 and older) bring extensive skills, knowledge, and experience built over the course of a lifespan. On the flip side, their driving may be affected by age-related physical and mental changes – many of them perfectly normal changes. Employers cannot avoid the issue of aging drivers because by the year 2020:
A FairWarning Story
The Breath Test: Consumers pop air monitors in their shopping carts, but do they really work?
August 28, 2019
For a huge swath of Northern California, the air suddenly became hazardous last November. Thick smoke from the most destructive wildfire in state history was delivering a secondary blow to nearly ten million Californians, some of whom turned to a new class of consumer air monitors to help keep them safe.
How AI could help your doctor evaluate your health
August 27, 2019
In the near future, doctors may be able to apply Artificial Intelligence (AI) to electrocardiogram data in order to measure overall health status, according to new research published in Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology, a journal of the American Heart Association.
Struck-by accidents in three states result in fatalities
August 27, 2019
A spate of recent struck-by accidents in Texas, Indiana and Florida have left three workers dead – and OSHA investigators busy. In Robertson County, Texas, an employee at a used auto parts business died when a vehicle fell on him. OSHA is investigating the incident at Abco Auto Parts, which claimed the life of 43-year-old Carmelo Aguirre-Ortega on August 19th.
Safety pros gearing up for 2019 NSC Congress & Expo
August 27, 2019
More than 15,000 safety, health and environmental professionals will descend on the San Diego Convention Center next month for the 2019 National Safety Council Congress & Expo, where they’ll find have opportunities to learn, network and check out new safety products. Keynote speakers Lorraine Martin, President & CEO of the National Safety Council (NSC) and Mick Ebeling, Founder & CEO of Not Impossible Labs and author of: Not Impossible: The Art and Joy of Doing What Couldn't Be Done, will kick things off.
20 chemicals may be deemed high priority by EPA
August 27, 2019
The EPA is proposing to designate 20 chemical substances as High-Priority Substances for upcoming risk evaluations, per a statutory requirement under the 2016 amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) by. The proposed designation is a required step in a new process of reviewing chemical substances currently in commerce under the amended TSCA.
A NIOSH Science Blog post
Artificial Intelligence: Implications for the future of work
August 26, 2019
What does Artificial Intelligence (AI) have to do with workplace safety and health? NIOSH has been at the forefront of workplace safety and robotics, creating the Center for Occupational Robotics Research (CORR) and posting blogs such as A Robot May Not Injure a Worker: Working safely with robots. However, much remains unknown regarding the related field of AI, specifically the application of AI at work.
Workers at frozen foods packager exposed to multiple hazards
August 26, 2019
OSHA has cited Arbre Group Holding – doing business as Holli-Pac Inc. – for willful and serious violations of workplace safety and health standards at its Holley, New York, facility. The company, which packages frozen fruits and vegetables for retailers, faces a total of $200,791 in penalties.
FAA’s new safety committee taking shape
August 26, 2019
In the wake of revelations that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) allowed aircraft manufacturer Boeing to handle the safety analysis for its airliners – revelations that followed two fatal crashes of Boeing’s 737 MAX, the U.S. Department of Transportation is firming up its new Safety Oversight and Certification Advisory Committee (SOCAC).
Employer charged with manslaughter in trench fatality
August 26, 2019
The employer of a man killed in a trench collapse last year in Colorado has been charged with manslaughter, according to the Granby Police Department. The June 14, 2018 incident claimed the life of Rosario Martinez-Lopez, who was working in a trench at a condominium project when the collapse occurred. By the time emergency crews dug him out, he was unresponsive.
