Lorraine M. Martin, president and CEO of the National Safety Council (NSC) has been named to WomenInc.’s 2019 Most Influential Corporate Board Directors list. The honor will appear in the winter edition of WomenInc. magazine as part of a comprehensive list of more than 700 female executives, influencers and achievers who are contributing their leadership to corporate boards.

It’s not just a football game; it’s a designated National Security Special Event. That’s why the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is announcing restrictions for both manned and unmanned aircraft for Super Bowl LIV, which will take place on Sunday, Feb. 2 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. And the rules don’t just cover the day of the game.

Artificial stone countertops, also known as "quartz stone countertops," are made by polymerizing quartz aggregate and resin binder. These materials look similar to natural stone and are increasingly used in residential construction and home furnishings. Between 2010 and 2018, imports of quartzite countertops in the United States have increased by nearly 800% (US International Trade Commission).

In a first-ever action, a company and its former managers were criminally prosecuted for institutional harassment associated with suicides among the company’s employees. In a judgment last month, the Paris Criminal Court sentenced France Telecom to a fine of 75,000 euros - the maximum penalty – for institutional harassment that had spread from the leadership to the rest of the company in 2007-2008.

Some 2,561 people were hospitalized last year for lung injuries associated with e-cigarette, or vaping, product use EVALI, according to the CDC. EVALI hospitalizations or deaths were reported by all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and 2 U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands).

Workplace fatalities were found to be lower in states that have legalized medical marijuana – at least among a certain age group - in a study published on ScienceDirect. “Although there is increasing concern that legalizing medical marijuana will make workplaces more dangerous, little is known about the relationship between medical marijuana laws (MMLs) and workplace fatalities,” according to the study’s authors, who set out to determine what, if any, relationship existed between the two.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced a proposed rule that would continue the safe integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), commonly called drones, into the nation’s airspace by requiring them to be identifiable remotely. “Remote ID technologies will enhance safety and security by allowing the FAA, law enforcement, and Federal security agencies to identify drones flying in their jurisdiction,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.

OSHA has cited Wright Metal Products Crates LLC – based in South Bend, Indiana, and operating as WMP Crates – for exposing employees to amputation, chemical and other safety hazards at a worksite in Lavonia, Georgia. The company faces $195,034 in penalties.

Late-December workplace incidents in coal mining and construction left three workers dead and their families devastated. In West Virginia, 21-year-old Raymond L. Starkey was fatally injured Dec. 23 while helping to repair a beltline at Murray Energy’s Marshall County Coal Co. Mine near Cameron. The incident is being investigated by the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training, United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) safety experts and Murray Energy.

The end-of-year fatal crashes of several small aircraft highlight the importance of safety guidance for charter aircraft that was recently issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Seven people were killed on Dec. 26 when a Hawaii tour helicopter slammed into a mountaintop. The crash of a small plane in Louisiana shortly after takeoff on Dec. 28 claimed the lives of five people.