A chickenpox outbreak at a private school in North Carolina drew extensive national news coverage in November. The thrust of most stories was the public health threat of unvaccinated children and superstitious beliefs about vaccine risks.

The Norman County Sheriff’s Office has released more details of a farm accident last month that fatally injured a 28-year-old mother. Katherine Brommenschenkel Vilmo, of Ada, was feeding cattle Friday, Nov. 16, on her family’s farm in Hendrum along Minnesota Highway 200. It was about 9 a.m. when a large hay bale pinned Vilmo against a cattle feeder, according to a sheriff’s office report.

The comment period is now open for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed objectives for Healthy People (HP) 2030. This includes proposed core objectives for Occupational Safety and Health (OSH).

An urgent search and rescue operation going on in an underground West Virginia mine right now is atypical: the Rock House Powellton mine is inactive and the missing people are not mine employees. A West Virginia mine rescue team is attempting to find and rescue three young people who reportedly entered the sealed mine illegally, leaving an all-terrain vehicle near its entrance.

The National Transportation Safety Board (the NTSB) has determined that an insufficient preventative maintenance program and lack of guidance for responding to engine high-temperature conditions, led to a fire earlier this year that resulted in the death of a passenger.

Driving large trucks for a living can be a daunting and dangerous task, particularly on the highway. Not only do semi-trucks weigh tons, but their drivers also have to be completely cognizant of smaller vehicles on the road. It can be difficult to remain alert and fully aware of your surroundings while driving long distances through the night.

OSHA yesterday issued a proposed rule to revise the beryllium standard for general industry. The proposed changes are designed to clarify the standard, and to simplify or improve compliance with the standard.

People who live in leafy, green neighborhoods may have a lower risk of developing heart disease and strokes, according to new research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association (AHA)/American Stroke Association.

When traveling in space, astronauts experience physiological changes normally associated with aging, such as bone loss, muscle deterioration and altered immune systems. When the astronauts return to Earth, the changes often reverse.

A young Google software engineer died at his desk Friday night in the company’s New York headquarters. News sources say 22-year-old Scott Krulcik was found unconscious at his work terminal at approximately 9 p.m. by a janitor. Emergency responders performed CPR but were unable to revive Krulcik. He was pronounced dead at the scene.