Workers taking opioids or benzodiazepines (anxiety medications) prior to a work-related injury were more likely than other workers to continue taking the drugs after the injury, according to a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-funded study at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Samsung Electronics has publicly apologized for the illnesses and deaths of some of its employees at its computer chip and display factories and agreed to pay compensation up to 150 million Korean won (~$130,000) per illness. News sources report that Samsung Electronics chief executive Kim Ki-nam, speaking at a press conference, acknowledged that the company “did not fully and completely manage potential health risks at our chip and liquid-crystal display production lines.”

The American Public Health Association (APHA) is calling the National Climate Assessment released last week is “a grave reminder of the action we need to take now to protect our communities from the negative health effects of climate change.” Human health in the U.S. is one of the areas identified in the report as being negatively impacted by climate change.

The death of a civilian employee at an Army Reserve facility in California has resulted in OSHA issuing safety violations to the U.S. Army Reserve 63 Regional Support Command. The incident at a Sacramento facility occurred when the automated lifting mechanism of a utility vehicle cargo box failed and pinned the worker between the bed and the vehicle frame, causing him fatal injuries.

Life expectancy in the U.S. has declined over the past few years, largely due to drug overdose deaths and suicides, according to a troubling new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Drug overdose deaths set a new record in 2017 by jumping 9.6 percent, to more than 70,000 fatalities. Suicide rates rose by 3.7 percent, continuing a trend that has seen suicides increase from 10.4 suicides per 100,000 in 1999 to 14 (per 100,000) in 2017.

An Indiana legislator is developing a measure intended to make highway construction zones safer for workers. News sources say State Rep. Jim Pressel (R-District 20) has announced plans to introduce a bill to ban cell phone use while driving unless the driver is using a hands-free device. The measure would also include automated enforcement – possibly in the form of cameras at work zones.

A space-bound partnership with NASA is about to bring some extra scrutiny here on earth to SpaceX and Boeing Co. The space agency is describing the investigation it will conduct into the workplace safety culture at the two companies as “a cultural assessment study,” that will focus on workplace safety – as well as adherence to a drug-free environment.

The industrial internet of things (IIoT) has significantly impacted safety for workers and entire companies, and many results are undoubtedly positive. However, since IIoT devices connect to the internet, organizations must follow cybersecurity best practices to ensure cybercriminals don't infiltrate systems and cause dangerous malfunctions.

A California construction company that dismantled a trench box while an employee was still working inside, causing him to be fatally crushed, has been cited by Cal/OSHA for safety violations. The agency determined that general contractor Bay Construction Co. committed willful-serious safety violations by unsafely removing a linear support rail that fell and killed the worker.

On oil and gas worksites, diesel engines power machines ranging from drilling rigs to high-powered hydraulic fracturing pumps, to generators and lighting equipment. The diesel exhaust from these engines, however, is a toxic mix of chemicals that includes small particles of carbon, or soot, which can be accidentally inhaled.