A pandemic is a global disease outbreak, according to information posted on OSHA’s web site. An influenza pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus emerges for which there is little or no immunity in the human population; begins to cause serious illness; and then spreads easily person-to-person worldwide. According to OSHA, a worldwide influenza pandemic could have a major effect on the global economy, including travel, trade, tourism, food, consumption and eventually, investment and financial markets. Planning for pandemic influenza by business and industry is essential to minimize a pandemic's impact, says OSHA.
EPA has released a list of the nation’s top green power purchasers. The list is led by Intel Corporation, PepsiCo, Kohl’s Department Stores, Dell Inc., Whole Foods Market, The Pepsi Bottling Group, Inc., Johnson & Johnson, U.S. Air Force, Cisco Systems, Inc. and the City of Houston. The nation’s top 50 purchasers are buying more than 11 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually, equivalent to the carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) that would be produced from the electricity use of more than 1.1 million average American homes.
On Friday, Atlantic States Cast Iron Pipe Co. of Phillipsburg, N.J., was sentenced to pay a fine of $8 million for committing numerous environmental and worker safety crimes, according to an EPA press release. The judge also ordered the company to serve 48 months “monitored” probation, requiring it to submit biannual reports to the court.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), an investigation and response effort has been launched surrounding the recent outbreak of human cases of swine flu influenza A (H1N1) virus infection in both the U.S. and internationally.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced in a recent press release that a Utah motorcoach accident was likely caused by the driver's diminished alertness due to inadequate sleep resulting from a combination of factors.
San Joaquin County District Attorney filed Involuntary Manslaughter charges and California Labor Code violations against Merced Farm Labor in the May 2008 death of 17-year-old farm worker Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez, according to a press release from the California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR).
The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), the American Red Cross, the Canadian Red Cross, StayWell and the OSHA’s Alliance Program have teamed up to present a free ‘Protecting Workers on the Job’ Web Expo on Occupational Safety and Health Professional (OSHP) Day, Wednesday, May 6, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. EDT, according to an ASSE press release.
OSHA has cited Brady Enterprises Inc. of Weymouth, Mass., for alleged willful, repeat and serious violations of safety and health standards at its 45 Finnell Drive plant, according to an agency press release. The food products packager faces $66,500 in proposed fines, following a Nov. 14 accident in which an employee was caught in a labeling machine while cleaning it.
The following is a statement from Jeff Levi, PhD, executive director of Trust for America's Health (TFAH) in response to the release of the new report Beyond Health Care: Directions to a Healthier America by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission to Build a Healthier America:
The American Society of Safety Engineers this week congratulated reporter Alexandra Berzon and the Las Vegas Sun for not only winning the prestigious Pulitzer Prize award for public service reporting but for raising awareness of the importance of workplace safety.
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