Less than four years after a California train disaster spurred passage of major safety legislation, railroad companies are pushing hard to water down the law. They have won over key lawmakers in their bid to scale back and delay a system to prevent crashes such as the head-on collision that caused 25 deaths and 135 injuries in Chatsworth, Calif. The industry is bolstered by a political climate that is hostile to federal dictates. And as political currents have shifted and the issue has fallen out of the spotlight, the rule has fewer forceful advocates.
U.S. wind power is growing, with about 36,000 of the wind turbine towers installed and many more on the way. But for reasons they won’t explain, the manufacturers have failed to comply with a federal job safety standard.
Just over a decade ago, hospitals began spending millions of dollars to buy automated defibrillators to save the lives of more patients who go into sudden cardiac arrest. The purchases were spurred by a recommendation from an American Heart Association committee. But today the costly equipment switchover increasingly seems to have been a mistake. By one estimate, the shortcomings of the automated equipment mean that close to 1,000 more hospital cardiac arrest patients die every year in the U.S.
Mesothelioma, an exceedingly lethal form of cancer, was once thought to be caused only by inhaling asbestos fibers. Then in the 1970s, when astonishing rates of mesothelioma devastated villages in central Turkey, erionite, a mineral even more dangerous than asbestos, was found to be the cause. In the U.S., the Turkish epidemic was portrayed as a distant catastrophe. This ignored a key fact: Erionite deposits are present in at least a dozen western U.S. states. Only now, with new development stirring up remote areas of the West, are officials starting to talk about how to deal with the issue.
Automakers are positioning themselves as leaders in the fight against distracted driving, which causes an estimated 5,400 deaths per year, including nearly 1,000 related to cell phone use. Even as they tell drivers to act responsibly and pay attention to the road, the car companies are seeking to pump up sales by packing their new models with cutting-edge electronics that encourage multi-tasking behind the wheel. But the industry denies it is sending a mixed message.
California job-safety regulators have steadily expanded an honor roll of companies that are considered to have stellar safety programs, and that get exemption from regular inspections. But a FairWarning investigation finds that officials have bent the rules to include employers who may not qualify.
Every winter, toddlers suffer severe burns from the sizzling hot glass fronts of gas fireplaces, which are allowed to reach temperatures of 500 degrees. With the fireplace industry writing its own safety rules, little is being done to reduce the hazard.
Chantix, the Pfizer smoking cessation drug, has drawn a torrent of lawsuits over suicides and other alleged psychiatric effects. A review of the drug’s history raises serious questions about the way the FDA approved Chantix — in particular, how the agency let Pfizer exclude mentally ill subjects from clinical trials though a disproportionate number of them smoke.
A government-owned company that runs electronics recycling plants at federal prisons from New Jersey to California is under intensified scrutiny for repeatedly exposing prison employees to excessive levels of lead and other toxic metals.
The Yamaha Rhino made its mark in the world of off-roading, in more ways than one. Popular with riders but a magnet for lawsuits, it is now the focus of an immense legal battle. FairWarning Reports.
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‘Not in My Kitchen’ Is Easier Said Than Done
By Emily Dwass on December 19, 2011
Our correspondent set out to rid her household of the controversial chemical BPA. She found it was easier said than done.
Posted in Commentary, Food Supply, Product Hazards and Recalls | 2 Comments