Two unrelated railroad accidents – one of them fatal - have resulted in four new safety recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). In its investigation of a railroad employee fatality in Kansas City, Kansas that occurred on Sept. 29, 2015, the NTSB determined the probable cause of the accident was a foreman being in the gage of the track, for unknown reasons, while a train switching movement was being performed by another crew.

The fifth time was not a charm for a Holland, Ohio roofing company that was cited recently by OSHA for exposing employees to falls and other safety hazards. The contractor, Casey Bortles, has been cited for similar violations four times since 2014. The most recent round of citations comes with a penalty total of $91,629.

A New Jersey company faces $199,996 in proposed penalties for safety and health violations, after failing to abate similar hazards it was cited for two years ago.

Leadership. Loyalty. Teamwork. Strong communications. Tech savvy. These are some of the qualities and characteristics of military veterans. They are also the traits of an occupational safety and health professional, which is why the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) believes that military members separating from the U.S. Armed Forces should consider workplace safety as a second career.

If you made a New Year’s resolution to improve your health by eating more produce, the folks at Stop Foodborne Illness have a few warnings for you. While a more plant-based diet can be very healthy, you still must be mindful about the risk of foodborne pathogens.

The EPA is considering eliminating age requirements that currently prevent teen workers in the agriculture industry from handling dangerous pesticides. The rule, which prohibits workers under 18 years old from being in contact with pesticides, was issued in 2015 because pesticides can affect brain development and increase cancer risk in children.

OSHA has issued serious confined space citations to a construction company in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, after three of its employees died from exposure to hydrogen sulfide gas. The tragedy occurred on July 7, 2017, as USA Fanter employees were working in and around a well that was not identified as a permit-required confined space.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (NIOSH FACE) program investigates selected work-related fatalities, collecting information not captured in other data sources - including safety management and training programs, use of engineering controls and personal protective equipment on the jobsite, and recommendations for preventing similar incidents.

OSHA has cited Tampa Electric Co. and Gaffin Industrial Services Inc. after five employees were fatally injured, and one other suffered serious burns. In June 2017, OSHA investigated the Big Bend River Station electrical power plant in Apollo Beach following the fatalities. Inspectors determined that the employees were burned when a blockage inside a coal-fired furnace broke free and spewed molten slag into the work area.