The big news is that the House passed the Popcorn Workers Lung Disease Prevention Act, as David reports below. In other occupational health and safety news:
China Daily: A fire in a coal mine shaft has killed three miners and trapped 15 more.
Occupational Health & Safety: South Carolinaâs OSHA has assessed more than $42,000 in penalties against the Charleston fire department and the owner of a furniture store where nine firefighters died fighting a blaze in June.
Sacramento Bee: Since California launched a campaign to address on-the-job heat stress, inspections have increased and heat-related deaths have decreased.
Houston Chronicle: BP has settled four cases in the first civil suit resulting from the 2005 blast at its Texas City refinery, which killed 15 workers.
San Jose Mercury News: EPA is poised to approve the toxic fumigant methyl iodide as a substitute for methyl bromide, which is being phased out by international treaty; 54 scientists and physicians are urging EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson to block the move for health-related reasons.
Tampa Tribune: Between one and four cell tower workers die each months, making the rate of lethal accidents among the roughly 9,800 workers in this industry higher than that of loggers, coal miners, or offshore fishermen.