News from the Safety Industry

Cases have been identified in Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee, and Georgia as of April 4. The investigation includes infections recently reported by the Kentucky Department of Public Health, which announced March 29 that 20 Kentuckians had tested positive with a strain of E. coli O103.

The California Department of Public Health recently issued penalties to four California hospitals along with fines totaling $224,895 after investigations found the facilities' noncompliance with licensing requirements caused, or was likely to cause, serious injury or death to patients.

First responders may encounter hazmat issues, thermal runaway concerns, battery explosion and re-ignition, and off-gassing when responding to fires involving energy storage and photovoltaic equipment.

During fiscal year 2018, FDA staff posted at the nation's International Mail Facilities examined packages from more than 180 countries, with approximately 90 percent of the packages reviewed by the FDA found to contain products that should not have been entering the country.

"The violations identified exposed employees to serious and potentially life-threatening injuries," said OSHA Syracuse Area Director Jeffrey Prebish. "Employers can minimize workplace dangers by conducting required job hazard analyses."

In its application, Florida Power & Light seeks an additional 20 years of operation for Units 3 and 4. Their current operating licenses will expire in 2032 and 2033.

The U.S. Department of Labor, in coordination with the Department’s Office of Disability Employment Policy and its Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion, has launched a new resource to help employers better understand mental health issues and to provide guidance on how to cultivate a supportive workplace.

More than 1 in 10 respondents—16 percent—said they have either struck or almost struck a first responder or emergency vehicle stopped on or near the road. Despite these responses, 89 percent of drivers said they believe distracted drivers are a major source of risk to first responders.

Flight attendants with past exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) have preclinical signs of accelerated vascular (blood vessel) aging, according to a study recently published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

April 3, 2019 U.S. Department of Labor Cites Remington Arms for 27 Safety and Health Violations after Amputation at New York Manufacturing Plant