Every household has them, whether in toys or on the refrigerator. They are magnets and they are hazardous to children, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). In addition to being a choking hazard, once inside the stomach, the magnets can cause internal damage. If a child swallows two or more magnets, they...
Read MoreStudy Sheds Light on Dangers of Construction Work
The American Public Health Association (APHA) held its annual meeting earlier this month in DC. At the meeting, researchers from the Center for Construction Research and Training (CCRT) presented data from a study showing that construction workers have a 75 percent chance of suffering a catastrophic injury over a 45-year career. In addition, they...
Read MoreAssaulted Bicyclist Tells His Story to DC Council
How concerned are DC-area bicyclists about their safety on the streets? They are concerned enough that they introduced the Assault of Bicyclist Prevention Act of 2011 to the Washington, D.C. Council. As part of their efforts to raise awareness of what they deal with on DC streets, a bicycle commuter testified before the Council...
Read MoreAirport Worker Suffers Burn Injuries in Explosion
As the holiday travel season approaches, airport safety is at the top of everyone’s mind. Earlier this month, a suitcase on its way from Washington, D.C. exploded at O’Hare and injured an airline employee. In a report at chicagoist.com, there was an industrial battery packed inside the luggage, which accidentally discharged. Emergency personnel, including a...
Read MoreFirefighters Respond to Gas Leak in DC
Emergency responders evacuated a building located near a reported natural gas leak earlier this month in Northwest DC. In a report at nbcwashington.com, the gas leak was on Massachusetts Avenue in the 2100 block. Washington, D.C. firefighters, and HazMat responders searched the area for the leak. According to a spokesperson for the Washington, D.C. Firefighters...
Read MoreThere is Falling Plaster in Union Station
Commuters at Washington, D.C.’s Union Station might have thought the sky was falling last month, but it was only plaster from the ceiling. It turns out the August 23 earthquake dislodged some of the plaster, which eventually fell to the ground. A piece of the plaster injured a restaurant worker late last month. As...
Read MoreAre Cheap Bus Rides Worth the Risk?
The bus ride from New York City to Washington, D.C. might only cost you $20.00, but are you risking your life to save money on bus fare? That may be the case, according to a report at businessinsider.com. The ultra-cheap bus lines have fatal bus crashes seven times more than a bigger, well-known...
Read MoreYoung Victim Unidentified in DC Pedestrian Accident
A pedestrian accident involving a Buick and a small boy left the boy with serious injuries late last month in Northeast DC. Unfortunately, no one can identify the small victim and DC police need the public’s help. According to a report at wusa9.com, the victim is an African-American male weighing about 85 pounds and...
Read MoreTree Limb Falls and Kills DC Man
A one-in-a-million type of accident claimed the life of a 35-year-old Washington, D.C. man late last month. As reported at wusa.com, a branch broke and fell from a tree just as the man walked underneath it. The falling branch hit the man on the head and he died at the hospital around 6:20 a.m.,...
Read MoreRegulators Fine Ski Maker for Defective Skis
If the onset of winter means ski season for you, pay attention to the binding plates on your skis. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced a civil penalty against Nordica USA last month. The CPSC accused the ski maker of knowingly failing to immediately report defective binding plates on their “XBi ALU...
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