Exposure to heat and hot environments puts workers at risk for heat stress, which can result in heat illnesses and death. Under paragraph 5(a)(1) in the “general duty clause” of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, each employer is required to “furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment […]
Author Archives: FOA
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A recent study found that one of the oldest and most commonly used heart medications may shorten the lives of patients with atrial fibrillation, a common type of irregular heartbeat that affects about three million Americans. The drug, digoxin, is used every day by millions of people, mostly older adults. It is prescribed for heart […]
Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill into law on August 9 mandating that the citywide speed limit be lowered to 25 mph. The previous speed limit was 30 mph but community activists and Albany legislation continued to propose lowering the limit to reduce pedestrian fatalities. The bill is part of Mayor de Blasio’s Vision Zero […]
Los Angeles police officers gathered with representatives of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in the parking lot of the Valley Traffic Division, where they set up two cars – one with the windows closed and one with them cracked – to demonstrate just how fast each car heats up inside that could potentially be fatal to […]
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According to The Post, more than 2,500 Ground Zero rescuers and responders have been diagnosed with cancer, and a growing number are seeking compensation for their illnesses. The number had skyrocketed to 1,140 cancer cases reported last year and in its latest tally, the World Trade Center Health Program at Mount Sinai Hospital counts 1,655 […]
A group of advocates have filed a suit against the city arguing that New York City’s streets are often inaccessible for the blind of those in wheelchairs. The advocates are calling this a violation of federal disability laws. The group, Disability Rights Advocates, said the class action lawsuit aimed to “end decades of civil rights […]
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A recent NIOSH report offers advice to employers on the importance of preventing heat-related illness in workers. The report is based on an evaluation of heat stress at a national park in California, but the agency said its recommendations can be applied to other worksites where extreme heat may be a factor. NIOSH found that […]
Tonawanda Coke Corp. and Kirchner LLC face a total of $161,100 in fines from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration after an explosion on January 31, 2014 that caused the collapse of brick walls, damage to electrical equipment, and injuries to two permanent employees and one temporary employee. The explosion was […]
OSHA scheduled a meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health’s Temporary Workers Workgroup. The workgroup met to continue its discussion of issues regarding protecting temporary workers and develop recommendations for NACOSH’s consideration. The issues include gaps in the workplace protection for temporary workers, differences between temporary workers and contract workers and […]
On June 20, 2014, a construction worker was taking down an old Blockbuster Video building in New Jersey when he got suddenly trapped ad killed when the last standing wall of the building under demolition collapsed on him. Six months prior, a 25-year-old construction worker in Chicago was struck and killed by pieces of falling […]