By Jim Morris on August 9, 2010
A global network of lobby groups has spent nearly $100 million since the mid-1980s to preserve the market for asbestos, a carcinogen now banned or restricted in 52 countries. Scientists say asbestos may cause up to 10 million deaths by 2030, with a mounting toll in the developing world.
Posted in FairWarning Investigates
By Myron Levin on July 7, 2010
Last week, FairWarning disclosed plans for a powerful electronics industry coalition to counter tougher laws on drivers using cell phones and other mobile devices, which experts have linked to thousands of traffic injuries and deaths. An internal memo posted by FairWarning said the new group, the DRIVE Coalition, would seek to promote driver education as an alternative to regulations that could dampen demand for mobile devices and lead to billions of dollars in lost sales. In the aftermath of the story, organizers have pulled the plug on DRIVE.
Posted in Auto Safety, FairWarning Investigates
By Myron Levin on June 23, 2010
It’s illegal to demote or fire an employee for blowing the whistle on hazards at work. However, when government investigators have substantiated complaints of illegal retaliation against whistleblowers, often the cases have fallen into a black hole because labor department lawyers wouldn’t take them to court, undermining protections in the law. Critics cited other serious problems with Occupational Safety Health Administration’s whistleblower program, including inadequate staffing and bulging caseloads.
Posted in FairWarning Investigates, Whistleblowers, Workplace Safety
By Deborah Schoch on June 16, 2010
The wood fire has been a source of comfort and cheer since ancient times. Even today, wood stoves are widely considered a benign alternative to heating with fossil fuels. In fact, smoke from stoves and fireplaces contains many of the toxic compounds found in vehicle exhaust, power plant emissions and secondhand smoke. Amid growing awareness that wood smoke is hazardous and should not get a pass, regulators are cracking down. But California, traditionally a leader in environmental protection, has taken a scattershot approach. Deborah Schoch, a senior writer for the Center for Health Reporting, reports.
Posted in Airborne Hazards, Environmental Safety and Health, FairWarning Investigates
By Myron Levin on April 13, 2010
Nearly a decade before Toyota and sudden acceleration, there was Ford-Firestone, a scandal of similar proportions. By late 2001, rollovers of Ford Explorers triggered by blowouts of Firestone tires had claimed 271 lives in the U.S. and dozens more overseas. Ford and Bridgestone/Firestone replaced millions of tires on Explorers. But a statistical analysis showing that fatalities since the recall have outnumbered deaths before suggests the change may have been a short-term fix.
Posted in Auto Safety, FairWarning Investigates, Rollovers
By Myron Levin on March 23, 2010
More than 10,000 people have been killed in all-terrain vehicle crashes since the 1980s. ATV manufacturers profess a strong interest in safety, but critics say it’s just lip service.
Posted in FairWarning Investigates, Off-Road Vehicles
