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Federal Board Says 2015 California Refinery Blast Was Preventable

A 2015 explosion at a California oil refinery that injured four workers and threatened to release a toxic cloud was preventable, a federal safety panel reported Wednesday. The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board released a 73-page report that …

Settlement Reached in Connecticut Christmas Fire That Killed 5

A Connecticut city on Tuesday announced that it has settled a lawsuit filed by the family of three girls who died in a Christmas morning house fire that also killed their grandparents. Terms of the settlement announced by Stamford legal …

One Call Expert Says Comorbidities Complicate Workers’ Comp Claims

In workers’ compensation, seemingly straightforward injuries may turn into prolonged and costly claims when comorbid conditions exist. These comorbidities can end up complicating treatment, recovery and return to work. Eric Patten, senior director of clinical at One Call Care Management, …

Study Says Mobile Homes at Risk From Climate Change, More Tornadoes

As mobile home ownership rises, the volatility of climate change and more tornadoes increases the risk of massive property damage and deaths in coming decades, according to a new study by Michigan State University researchers. The number of mobile homes …

Anbang Accused of Using Premiums to Buy Luxury Hotel

The Chinese insurer that bought New York City’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel is fighting an accusation by China’s leading business magazine that it lied about its finances. The report by Caixin follows a series of foreign acquisitions by Anbang Insurance Group …

South Dakota Firm Said to Have Ignored Safety Rules Before Building Collapse

The construction company that was remodeling a historic downtown Sioux Falls, S.D., building when it collapsed and killed a worker willfully ignored precautions, federal workplace safety officials allege. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Friday issued two new …

Waymo’s Trade Secret Case May Stall Uber Driverless Car Ambitions

Uber Technologies Inc. Chief Executive Officer Travis Kalanick calls driverless cars an “existential” necessity for his company. If he’s right, Uber can’t afford to lose in its court fight with rival Waymo. The two titans are wrangling in San Francisco …

New Hampshire Bill Returns Power to Local Police to Share Crash Reports

Local police departments will likely continue to hand out vehicle accident reports after some confusion over whether they or New Hampshire’s Department of Motor Vehicles should have that power. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Tuesday to back a bill clarifying …

Above Average Wildfire Risk Expected for Southwest, Florida

Wildfires this summer are expected to be most severe in southwestern U.S. states, Florida, Georgia and in some parts of California and Nevada, forecasters said Monday. The summer 2017 fire outlook issued by the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise …

Countermeasures to Drowsy Driving Can be Distracting

Conservative estimates show that 21 percent of fatal crashes involve drowsy driving. “Drowsy driving can be considered a form of distracted driving,” said Benjamin McManus, a Ph.D. candidate in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Lifespan Development Psychology graduate program …

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